1 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?

A．Efforts made in vain.

B．Getting injured in his work.

C．Feeling uncertain about his future.

D．Creatures forced out of their homes.

2. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A．To rescue a woman.

B．To take care of a woman.

C．To look at a baby owl.

D．To cure a young owl.

3. What made the chick calm down?

A．A new nest.

B．Some food.

C．A recording.

D．Its parents.

4. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A．It’s unexpected.

B．It’s beautiful.

C．It’s humorous.

D．It’s discouraging.

2 . The following are introductions to some programs that BBC I will show on TV.

12:25a.m Tuesday	The Real Swiss Robinson Family Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life. They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods.
11:00a.m Wednesday	A team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby chimps who were trapped. One of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest. Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals.
7:50p.m Thursday	Lost Building of Britain Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey(修道院), which ,before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained glasses of its age. It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire.

1. Why is Laura worried?

A．Because life on the Cook Islands is too simple.

B．Because her husband faces difficulties in his business.

C．Because storms are approaching her hometown.

D．Because her children may not know how to cherish(珍惜) life.

2. Jim enjoys TV programs of organizations that take care of animals. He should probablywatch TV at _______.

A．7:50 p.m Thursday

B．11:00 p.m on Wednesday

C．11:00 a.m on Wednesday

D．12:25 a.m on Tuesday

3. We can infer from the text that _______.

A．David is a farmer

B．Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey

C．Nielsen is an animal-lover

D．Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass

3 . October 21 was a very dark day in Texas. Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes, it caused the largest business damage in Texas’s history. The worst thing is Hanna’s destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines. According to Center Point Energy, Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers. Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark. Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents.

Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal. Schools, restaurants, retail stores and gas stations are open. Smiles are back. But harder-hit places, including Galveston, will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing, and coastal towns are a mess. Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas. Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage. Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13. Many school supplies were destroyed.

Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas. This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying. Believe it or not, Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing. When Paula was a girl, she was an orphan, but was taken in by her stepmom, Antonia Flores. Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years. Before the hurricane, Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter. There, she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.

1. What’s the most serious damage caused by Hurricane Hanna?

A．Hundreds of people are still missing.

B．A large number of people are homeless.

C．Power facilities are severely destroyed.

D．Factories are closed and many people jobless.

2. It can be inferred that the residents in Houston________.

A．have fully recovered from the disaster

B．were the most unlucky people in the disaster

C．need a long time to bring their life back to normal

D．suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston

3. Kids in public schools in other areas of Houston will have to stay at home for_______

A．at least one month	B．at least three weeks
C．two weeks at most	D．nearly half a month

4. Paula Reed and her family consider the hurricane a blessing because_______

A．they had nothing lost after Hurricane Hanna

B．they lived a happier life in San Antonio shelter

C．Paula was taken good care of in the shelter

D．Paula reunited with her stepmother after three decades

4 . Animals can move from place to place, but plants cannot. When an animal is under attack, it can run away or fight back. Plants certainly cannot run away, and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend themselves by using both physical and chemical means.

Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example, the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines (刺) that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.

Some plants, such as the oak tree, have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material; eating such grasses wears down the animal's teeth.

Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar (毛虫) bites a tobacco leaf, the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.

Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China, for instance, has prickly (多刺的) leaves, and each prickle contains poisonous venom (毒液). A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future.

1. The holly plant has more spines on the lower leaves because most animals________.

A．are not tall enough	B．like the lower leaves only
C．are not clever enough	D．can get the lower leaves easily

2. To defend themselves, oak trees use________.

A．chemical means	B．physical means
C．bitter chemicals	D．sandy materials

3. How does tobacco protect itself against an attack from a caterpillar?

A．Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means.

B．Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar.

C．Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked.

D．Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away.

4. What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Plants and Animals	B．How Plants Defend Themselves
C．Attacks and Defenses	D．How Animals Eat Plant Leaves

5 . Parents are fighting for their child’s right to rest across the country. Twenty-three elementary schools in Orange County, Florida, have been cutting back on rest, and even canceling it to increase class time.

In a recent Orange County School Board meeting, parents demanded that rest time be carried out in all local schools for all students. Angela Browning, a parent in the area, said that schools’ rest is ranging from zero to 30 minutes per day. “Five-year-olds not getting rest means abuse,” said Browning, whose twins in the second grade benefit from taking a break and learn better.

“The main reason for reducing the rest time is Common Core exams including math, language arts and literacy, where the students’ performance often controls teachers’ pay and sometimes teachers may lose their jobs. Many teachers are using that extra 20 minutes that would have been spent on the schools’ scores, everybody is stressful,” said Diana Moore, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.

The decision of whether reducing rest takes place, and for how long is up to each school’s rule. “Florida law requires that districts provide 900 teaching hours during the school year,” Florida’s Department of Education press secretary Cheryl Etters said in a statement. “Whether test is part of the school day is a decision made by the school board.”

Reducing test also can take away an opportunity for children to learn social skills, according to many experts. “In society, who cares if you have straight A’s and you get a scholarship to Harvard if you lack social skills?” said Mallet, a mother of two children.

1. What will Angela Browning agree with?

A．Kids of five years old had better get more break time.

B．Proper rest time improves children’s learning efficiency.

C．The more rest children have, the higher grades they will get.

D．Elementary schools should limit kids’ rest time to 30 minutes.

2. What drives so many teachers to reduce students’ rest time?

A．Parents’ demand.

B．Students’ lack of social skills.

C．Students’ bad behavior.

D．The link between their pay and school’s scores.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Social skills are more important than high scores.

B．Whether students get A’s in school is very important.

C．Graduates from Harvard can’t find good jobs.

D．Rest time has nothing to do with students’ social skills

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．The government is to order schools to increase rest time.

B．Students expect to get more time to play in school.

C．Parents struggle for the rest right for their kids in school.

D．Teachers’ pay is related to their performance in teaching.

6 . Singles’ Day, also called Double Eleven, began as a day for unmarried or uncoupled people to celebrate their lives on November 11, 1993. In China, however, Singles’ Day has become the biggest online shopping day in the world, which was created in 2009 by Alibaba’s CEO Daniel Zhang to increase online sales. Since then, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon.
China Singles’ Day, as a shopping day, takes place on November 11 each year. There are sharp discounts and other promotions (促销) designed by Alibaba to attract online customers. In 2015, E-commerce giant Alibaba broke records with sales of $14.3 billion on China Singles’ Day, with online sales increasing 60 percent from last year, according to Alibaba. “Most people shop on mobile phones or ipads and online shopping has become a comfortable channel for most consumers”, said Kitty Fok, China manager for market research. “China is a big market with close to one billion smart, connected device users. It is good news for both Alibaba and their competitors,” she said.
The company is focusing on international e-commerce for future Singles’ Days, reported Reuters. “Within the next five years, we expect China will become the world's largest e-commerce market for imported products,” President Michael Evans told reporters on Wednesday. Alibaba Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said in a statement that Singles’ Day would mean that “the whole world will see the power of Chinese consumption.” Over 130 million users visited Alibaba’s marketplace app, Taobao, reported the BBC.
1. What does Alibaba expect to do on Singles’ Day?

A．Celebrate single lives	B．Defeat competitors
C．Develop firm cultures	D．Increase online sales

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word discount in the second paragraph?

A．Smart products	B．Crazy buying
C．Low prices	D．More advertisements

3. What will make Singles' Days more popular according to Kitty Fok?

A．The popularity of smart, connected device users.

B．The potential power of Chinese consumption.

C．The cooperation with the international e-commerce.

D．The promotions on Alibaba's marketplace app, Taobao.

4. What attitude does President Michael Evans hold toward the future of China Singles’ Day?

A．doubtful	B．optimistic
C．negative	D．uncertain

7 .        Picking a university is a tense period of asking yourself which institution is most relevant. That's why university rankings play such a vital role in students searching for their next academic direction. Rankings are also an inescapable part of the reputation and brand image of universities. "No university website is complete without the claim to be in the top 100 for something   or other," reported the BBC. The reason is simple: Rankings help them to attract students, staff and research investment.
       Currently there are numbers of university rankings, and each has its own list of criteria. But the main categories are the same: academic reputation, graduates' performance and faculty resources.
       However, experts point out the ranking process isn't entirely reliable. Mark Kantrowitz, a US financial aid researcher, said university rankings were mostly just for show. He wrote in The New York Times. "It may give your parents better bragging rights, but that's about it."
        Moreover, it's not difficult to see the limitations of university rankings. Many rankings focus on the number of times research work is cited (引用) by other researchers. It helps British and US universities to dominate global rankings because English is the favored language of academia, John O'Leary, a member of the QS academic advisory board, told The Gunrdian,.        Also, rankings such as QS mainly focus on the qualities of the university rather than its students. "Any university ranking is likely to help students make better decisions about where to study, but the need to balance them with other more human factors is also important," said Phil Moss, an education and admissions consultant.   "Advice from graduates or current students can be as valuable in providing a genuine insight into the experience or quality of a particular degree program. It can also add an element that rankings can never convey-the actual emotion of a university experience."
1. Why do universities consider rankings important?

A．Rankings make them more appealing.

B．Rankings are students' only reference.

C．Rankings can increase their academic level.

D．Rankings help them complete their websites.

2. What does the underlined "It" in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Acadenuc research work.

B．The number of researches.

C．The way of ranking universities.

D．The limitation of university ranking.

3. According to John O'Leary, what helps British and US universities rank well?

A．The wide use of English in academia.

B．Their outstanding qualities.

C．Their graduates' excellent performance.

D．The academia's favor to them.

4. Besides ranking, what does Phil Moss suggest you should refer to if you're picking a university?

A．Investment in education.

B．Guidance from professors.

C．Information on websites.

D．Suggestions from students.

8 . Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self­conscious (难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.

Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12­inch plate instead of a 10­inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

1. The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____________.

A．their home comforts	B．their body shape
C．house buying	D．healthy diets

2. A home environment in blue can help people ______________.

A．digest food better	B．reduce food intake
C．burn more calories	D．regain their appetites

3. What are people advised to do at mealtimes?

A．Eat quickly.	B．Play fast music.
C．Use smaller spoons.	D．Turn down the lights.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Is Your House Making You Fat?	B．Ways of Serving Dinner
C．Effects of Self­Consciousness	D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?

9 . Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are   attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with   people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050   the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to   recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing   buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many       researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．
1. It can be inferred from the text that_______．

A．many children lack love from parents

B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand

C．robots are the most useful to children

D．robots do better than people in healthcare

2. It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.

A．Japan is suffering economy depression

B．the robots are of poor design

C．the production of robots costs a lot

D．the future market is worrying

3. What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?

A．Unsatisfied．	B．Doubtful．
C．Favorable．	D．Regretful．