1 . As a kid, Joanna Buckley wasn’t interested in science—until she had a chance to try it. That happened when she got a chemistry set as a gift.
“Over the course of a few weeks, I’d completed every experiment. But in the process, I polluted my parent’s dining room carpet and burnt the kitchen worktop with the spirit burner,” she says.
Now science is Buckley’s job. She works in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield in England. “I realize, firsthand, how important it is to have something or someone to show you why science is so great, ” she says. Now the good news is that citizen science appears.
Citizen science takes the fun of experimenting a step further than Buckley’s at-home experiments. That’s because these experiments are real, looking for novel answers.
“Compared with a oneoff experiment, what’s cool about citizen science is that students get that this has a purpose,” says Amy Prunuske, who teaches microbiology and immunology at a medical college. “Students want to do a good job, because they know scientists are going to use the new data in their own research.”
Jennifer Long’s job is to coordinate (协调) education and outreach. She agrees with Prunuske. “Kids like that it’s real. And they like that it’s important, and that it matters.” Citizen science projects have made big discoveries. One found a previously unknown galaxy cluster (星系团). Another project helped assess how much damage a big earthquake had caused in Japan. And one of the first citizen science projects helped scientists learn where monarch butterflies go every winter.
Some adults worry about teens losing interest in science. They hope that fun, exciting citizen science projects can help them keep engaged, Long says. And she has some evidence that it’s working. “Last year, we did have a couple of students say, ‘I really think I want to be a scientist now’. ”
1. What is the purpose of Paragraph 2?| A．To show experiments can make teens interested in science. |
| B．To prove failure is the mother of success in science. |
| C．To state that Buckley has a talent for science. |
| D．To praise Buckley for her strong will. |
| A．It needs to seek for new solutions. | B．It carries out experiments frequently. |
| C．It must carry out experiments in groups. | D．It is supposed to handle complex problems. |
| A．She participated in the experiment. | B．She took pride in what students took up. |
| C．Citizen science is popular with students. | D．Scientists are willing to employ students. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Supportive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
2 . By the time the British adventurer Ash Dykes reached Chongqing 178 days after starting to trek (长途跋涉) along the Yangtze River from its source to the sea, the most difficult part of the journey was over. Dykes had completed about 2,430 miles, and all he needed to do was cover the next 1,550 miles in 187 days or less to complete the whole journey.
On August 26 last year, a three-man team, including two guides and a horse, hit the road at the starting point, the source of the Yangtze River in the south of Qinghai Province. Then at different times for the next two months, different people had come to join them.
In order to cross the plateau (高原) and mountains in good weather, the journey was planned to start in summer. However, because of the problems in preparations, Dykes arrived in Qinghai in late August as the days were becoming shorter and colder. Not wanting to wait for another year, he decided to continue.
Within a few days three of the adventurers experienced serious high altitude sickness (高原反应). In the mountains, the team had to light fire to scare off bears, and once they had been followed by a group of wolves for two days. They were forced to quit the journey. In fact, Dykes has been walking alone since late October.
“The rest of the trip would be much easier,” Dykes said. He started from Chongqing on the second half of the journey on March 11. At the same time,he called on more people to join him in some parts of the trek as a way to encourage environmental protection.
“Travelling along the Yangtze River is not only a great act, it’s also a chance to enjoy the true beauty and wonders of China, and attract people’s attention to the environment and good work to protect it,” he wrote on his Weibo. “However, the kindness and warmth of the local people have struck me so much that it is they that make the journey unforgettable.”
1. What do we know about Dykes’ journey along the Yangtze River?| A．It will cover about 3,980 miles. |
| B．It will be joined by more and more people. |
| C．It began in Qinghai and will end in Chongqing. |
| D．It’ll take him over a year to finish the whole journey. |
| A．Bad weather conditions. |
| B．Not enough preparations. |
| C．No partners. |
| D．High altitude sickness. |
| A．The importance of protecting the Yangtze River. |
| B．The best way to travel along the Yangtze River. |
| C．People’s effort to protect the Yangtze River. |
| D．Dykes’ journey along the Yangtze River. |
3 . Confident, smart and hightech, they’re followers of pop culture and know what social networking is all about. They’re tweens, children between the ages of 10 and 12. These young people are no longer little kids but they are not yet teenagers, because tweens are in a state of transition (转变).
The tween years are hard for children. From a social point of view, tweens are dealing with quite a lot. They have to face changing relationships, middle school and a whole lot of pressure (压力) to succeed and fit in. They may become angry over seemingly small things. A bad test grade, an argument with a friend, a bad day on the ball field, or a request to clean a bedroom might set them off.
Elizabeth HartleyBrewer, a parenting expert in London and author of Talking to Tweens, says, “The tween years are when young people begin to realize the wider world and to see themselves as the ones separate from their families.”
Right now, tweens’ friends are everything to them. It’s universal for the age, but they show it in different ways. For boys, the whole friendship thing is through technology and sports. Girls like to talk.
Tweens are also a hot market. What do tweens consider cool? Music is at the top of the cool list, followed by going to the movies. “Being smart” comes third, tied with video games, followed by electronics, sports, fashion and protecting the environment, according to a report. Undoubtedly, tweens have great spending power in the United States. It was the tween market that made Taylor Swift and Harry Potter household names. Retailers (零售商) know tweens are a hot market for clothes, music and entertainment. Tweens have their own sense of fashion and enjoy their own parts of popular culture.
1. Which word best describes the tween years?| A．Entertaining. | B．Unchanging. |
| C．Admirable. | D．Difficult. |
| A．make them annoyed |
| B．make them discouraged |
| C．cause them to run away from home |
| D．cause them to give up |
| A．Tweens remain dependent on their parents. |
| B．Friendship is very important in tweens’ eyes. |
| C．Retailers pay little attention to the tween market. |
| D．Playing video games is second to none on tweens’ cool list. |
| A．In a marketing report. |
| B．In an education magazine. |
| C．On a fashion website. |
| D．On a parenting poster. |
4 . It was a dark day, one of depression, sorrow and anger. As I climbed out of the
I was lying on my cool bed when an idea
Finally came the day when I had to
With the starting gun
I had done it! I had achieved my best time! Joy filled my
I have
| A．pond | B．sea | C．pool | D．bed |
| A．made | B．achieved | C．reached | D．realized |
| A．Otherwise | B．However | C．Besides | D．In addition |
| A．occurred | B．broke | C．stuck | D．hit |
| A．opportunity | B．action | C．cause | D．ability |
| A．keeping | B．losing | C．reducing | D．decreasing |
| A．somehow | B．somewhat | C．anyhow | D．anywhere |
| A．magical | B．reasonable | C．confident | D．achievable |
| A．promise | B．provide | C．present | D．prove |
| A．consideration | B．impression | C．belief | D．desire |
| A．setting out | B．going off | C．breaking out | D．getting off |
| A．through | B．above | C．across | D．to |
| A．turn | B．jump | C．struggle | D．shoot |
| A．next | B．previous | C．very | D．last |
| A．pushed | B．reached | C．got | D．touched |
| A．whole | B．perfect | C．first | D．best |
| A．heart | B．head | C．mind | D．face |
| A．expressions | B．emotions | C．feelings | D．responses |
| A．ran | B．climbed | C．stood | D．jumped |
| A．gained | B．dreamed | C．learned | D．remembered |
5 . Travelling can be a fun way to gain life experience, but what if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here are some useful tips.
Save: This probably is the most important preparation for travelling. Cut expenses (花费) to fatten your wallet so you’ll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead: Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework: No matter where you go, research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly: Write down how much you expect to spend on food and hotels. Stick to (坚持) your plan, or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups: Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By travelling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go: Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink about your trip and go to a less known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities (活动) and sights.
Pack necessary things: The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember to take along medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
By planning sensibly, even students can enjoy their travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.
1. Before your trip, the first thing you should do is________.| A．to make a plan of the route |
| B．to get information on the Internet |
| C．to save money by spending less |
| D．to buy tickets ahead of time |
| A．not to share costs with other people |
| B．not to go to well-known places |
| C．not to visit dangerous places |
| D．to buy anything you want to buy |
| A．you need more medicine than clothes |
| B．you should look for work all the way |
| C．you should remember to do your homework |
| D．you can gain valuable life experience |
| A．How to Plan Your Travel Wisely |
| B．Travel Can Be Great Fun |
| C．Different Kinds of Travel |
| D．How to Save Money |
6 . You may not know a lot of people when you start senior high school. Maybe your friends from junior high school are going to a different senior high school. Even if you know other freshmen (一年级学生), you still feel jittery that you don’t know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?
Most senior high schools hold the freshman orientation (迎新会) before school actually starts. It is helpful because you not only learn your way around the building but also get to meet some of your teachers and fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.
When you talk to people at orientation, you’ll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They’re all new to the school and don’t know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.
The work in senior high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. It builds on what you learned in junior high school, giving you a more advanced (高深的) knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it’s a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.
Senior high school also has more after-school activities than junior high school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.
Junior high school taught you the basics of time management and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. Senior high school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible.
1. What does the underlined word “jittery” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Proud. | B．Confident. | C．Anxious. | D．Bored. |
| A．The learning task. | B．The freshman orientation. |
| C．The ability to make friends. | D．The relationship with teachers. |
| A．Develop friendships. | B．Develop their interests. |
| C．Build up their strength. | D．Improve their learning ability. |
| A．What you learned in junior high school. |
| B．The importance of being more independent. |
| C．How to improve yourself in senior high school. |
| D．The difference between junior high school and senior high school. |
7 . The cost of living in countries like the US, Britain, Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However, if you’re willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas, there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways, and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US Dollar for their currency. In this country, it’s cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the US. You can even buy a building for around $ 50, 000 and hire someone to look after it while you’re away.
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets, there $are many wealthier areas that provide every facility you might need. You can live off a mere $ 700 to $ 800 a month in Mexico, and this includes rent for a nice place, facilities, food, and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants, a rich history, and many places to explore. Not to mention, it’s not very expensive to live here. A decent sized home can cost around $ 139, 000, which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or a small home for around $ 25,000 to $ 50,000 if you search in the right areas.
1. In which country is the US Dollar used for its currency?| A．Argentina. | B．Mexico. |
| C．Ecuador. | D．Vietnam. |
| A．About $ 7,000. | B．About $ 8,000. |
| C．About $ 8,800. | D．About $ 12,000. |
| A．They have great restaurants. |
| B．The cost of living is expensive. |
| C．The middle-sized homes cost around $ 139,000. |
| D．Tourists enjoy travelling in the two countries. |
8 . The recent few weeks have been the perfect time for a good book and here are some good ones that allow readers to get completely lost in another world.
Watch Me Disappear
If you like mysteries with the family drama, Janelle Brown’s bestselling thriller is for you. The story follows a wealthy wife and mom who goes on a hike and never returns. Her lonely husband and teenage daughter, Olive(who’s dealing with her own problems), are confused with sorrow while trying to find out what happens.
The Boy from the Woods
If you pick up one of Harlan Coben’s books, you won’t be able to put it down. His mystery stories keep readers fascinated. The Boy from the Woods is sure to satisfy fans by its twisty, heartracing plots filled with interesting and exciting atmosphere. This is the book to read if you love masterful surprises.
How to Walk Away
Katherine Center’s bestselling novel follows a young woman, Margaret, with her perfect fiancé， a pilot who takes her on an upsetting flight that changes her life forever. Readers adore Margaret’s wisdom and humor as she faces a changed world and figures out what love really looks like.
The Last One Left
This novel, first published in 1967, still attracts readers decades later. Novelist Dean Koontz wrote the introduction to the recent edition, where he describes reading each of John D. MacDonald’s novels “at least three times, some of them twice”, This is your next read if you want to be swept away by a masterpiece of the mystery and excitement.
1. What is Watch Me Disappear probably about?| A．Mysterious disappearance of a woman. |
| B．Sorrow at a dead mom. |
| C．Teenager problems. |
| D．A family outing. |
| A．Dean Koontz. | B．Harlan Coben. |
| C．Katherine Center. | D．John D. MacDonald. |
| A．Watch Me Disappear. | B．The Boy from the Woods. |
| C．How to Walk Away. | D．The Last One Left. |
9 . This idea is unkind. Children need to have a good holiday at the end of a busy school year. The long holidays give them time to do things they wouldn’t otherwise(不然) get to do. In my family we go to Ireland and see relatives and friends during the summer vacation. And it might seem long to some people, but time flies when you’re having fun.
—Ruby Mullin
I have good memories of my own long summer holidays, and I love the chance to have days out with my son. I think many parents, especially single parents like me, have made job choices based on being able to have time off for the summer—and now we’ve done that, we don’t want to see things changed.
—Viki Bantock
Having worked at a school that had a four-week summer break instead of the usual six, I’d say longer holidays are better. Teachers are under so much stress now to get good results; most put in lots of hours in the evening and at weekends and feel very tired by the end of term. There is no progress in learning after a six-week holiday, but it only takes a few weeks for students to get back up to speed.
—Marek Kaminski
A shorter summer holiday would be much better. The six-week break seems a thing for another age, when mothers didn’t work and your mum lived round the corner to give you a hand. If I was able to take a six-week holiday, great, I’d love it—but in the real world that isn’t possible. Instead, I end up spending around ￡600 on childcare for each week when I’m working.
—Nachelle Crowther
1. What does Ruby Mullin usually do during summer holidays?| A．She does part-time jobs. |
| B．She visits relatives and friends. |
| C．She prepares for the new school year. |
| D．She goes travelling around her country. |
| A．He usually works overtime. |
| B．His family is very supportive. |
| C．His son doesn’t do well in school. |
| D．He doesn’t teach school any more. |
| A．Ruby Mullin. |
| B．Viki Bantock. |
| C．Marek Kaminski. |
| D．Nachelle Crowther. |
10 . Yesterday, a salesman called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and while I usually don’t like spending time on those things, I
That’s what he did. So we talked about 20 minutes. He
Finally, he said the following to me: “Thank you, Olivier. You are the first person in a long time with whom I had an enjoyable conversation.
It set me thinking. He had been the
| A．found | B．excused | C．reminded | D．forgave |
| A．replied | B．agreed | C．suggested | D．ordered |
| A．explained | B．admitted | C．apologized | D．reported |
| A．stuck | B．involved | C．interested | D．lost |
| A．announce | B．ensure | C．confirm | D．imagine |
| A．impatient | B．discouraged | C．concerned | D．nervous |
| A．generous | B．reliable | C．cheerful | D．polite |
| A．Unexpectedly | B．Usually | C．Eventually | D．Similarly |
| A．meeting | B．interview | C．conversation | D．appointment |
| A．relaxed | B．slept | C．talked | D．played |
| A．annoyed | B．proud | C．touched | D．curious |
| A．proof | B．target | C．supporter | D．result |
| A．activities | B．exercises | C．disabilities | D．conflicts |
| A．Yet | B．Besides | C．Otherwise | D．Instead |
| A．responsibility | B．loss | C．relief | D．trust |
