1 . Animals being extinct from the Earth is a serious issue. When this happens in order to use their fur or skin for fashion, it is even worse, since it’s not even for a matter of human survival. That’s why a London zoo decided to make a powerful statement at the Siamese crocodile enclosure (鳄鱼围栏).
When visitors come in expecting to see a crocodile, they’re greeted with the handbag instead, making a very effective and powerful point about illegal wildlife trade and the harm it takes on the species involved.
A sign by the enclosure reads, “This bag used to be found swimming in slow-moving rivers and streams across Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Over the last 75 years, more than 80% of Siamese crocodiles have disappeared. Many, like this one, were hunted for their skins as part of the illegal wildlife trade.”.
Native to parts of Southeast Asia, Siamese crocodiles are critically endangered and have become virtually extinct in the wild. Due to hunting as well as habitat loss, they are now absent from nearly 99% of their original range. A huge part of the decline of population is due to humans using their wetland habitat for rice farming, and things only took a turn for the worse when large-scale hunting for their skin for commercial purposes began in the 1950s.
The particular handbag that is on display at the zoo was confiscated at a UK airport, according to Benjamin Tapley, leader of reptiles and amphibians at ZSL London Zoo.
Tapley told The Huffington Post, “We made this exhibit, within ZSL London Zoo’s Reptile House, to draw visitors’ attention to the destructive impact the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is having on species around the world. At ZSL, we are working globally with governments and local communities to protect wildlife, support law enforcement (执法) that targets illegal trade networks, empower local communities affected by IWT and reduce demand for threatened wildlife.”
1. Why does the sign say this handbag used to swim?| A．It is made of a crocodile’s skin. |
| B．It is made into a crocodile shape. |
| C．It is light enough to float on water. |
| D．It was kept in flowing river at first. |
| A．Wildly hunting of Siamese crocodiles. |
| B．Destruction of Siamese crocodiles’ habitats. |
| C．Commercial value of Siamese crocodiles. |
| D．Causes to make Siamese crocodiles endangered. |
| A．Seized. | B．Sold. | C．Found. | D．Stolen. |
| A．The importance of wildlife protection. |
| B．The crisis endangered animals are facing. |
| C．The purpose to show the handbag. |
| D．The harm IWT caused. |
2 . Most of us would like to be more creative, but we assume there is little we can do about it. Psychology professor K. Anders Ericsson claims that with enough practice, any of us can become experts. However, he is quick to add that this requires a specific kind of practice that Ericsson calls ‘deliberate practice’: that is, pushing beyond one’s comfort zone and setting goals that are above one’s current level of performance. He says he has yet to find the limits on being successful and he doesn’t believe them to be real.
Ericsson has looked primarily at artistic and athletic skills, but can these findings apply to creativity? Most experts agree that even if most people cannot hope to become creative geniuses, they can learn to become more creative through practice. Psychologists claim that there are actually two levels of creativity, which they refer to as’Big C’ and ‘small c’. Big C creativity applies to breakthrough ideas, ones that may change the course of a field or even history. Small c creativity refers to everyday creative problem solving, like creating a new recipe or improving a process, which psychologists subdivide further into similar and different thinking. Similar thinking involves examining all the facts and arriving at a single solution. In contrast, different thinking involves coming up with many possible solutions. What most people think of as creativity generally involves different thinking and can be taught, practised and learnt.
Even with practice, different thinking alone cannot make one creative, however. Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive psychologist, says that most creative people share one personality quality: openness to new experience. Since this quality and these processes have been identified, less creative people can try to emulate them. Normally, we tend to reproduce what we already know because creative ideas move us into unfamiliar territory involving risks and following the usual behaviors is comfortable.
Moving outside of our comfort zone, engaging indeliberate practice and tolerating contradictory ideas, risk and failure are all things we can learn to do better. It is unlikely that doing so will transform any of us into creative geniuses, but it does have the potential to increase our level of creativity.
1. Why does Ericsson think he can’t find the limits?| A．No restrictions exist. | B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Each one can succeed. | D．The goal is ambitious. |
| A．Settling in outer space. |
| B．Building a plastic doghouse. |
| C．Developing robots to look after the old. |
| D．Explaining the theory of evolution in class. |
| A．Justify. | B．Limit. | C．Copy. | D．Assess. |
| A．We can learn to be more creative. |
| B．Life is full of various challenges. |
| C．It’s better to take deliberate practice. |
| D．Most can become creative geniuses. |
3 . It was a typical summer day in my small town, with the sun shining and the sky clear. I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the peaceful view of the rolling hills and the calm lake, when suddenly a strong wind blew in from the west. The peaceful sky turned dark as a storm approached.
I went inside, grabbing my raincoat and heading to the barn to secure the animals. The cows were nervous, sensing the approaching storm. I quickly tied them up and ran back to the house, just as the rain started to pour down. The wind was howling and the rain was pounding against the windows. Lightning and thunder followed, making the atmosphere even more electric. I sat by the window, watching the raging storm and praying that everything would be okay.
After what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes, the storm passed. The clouds moved away, revealing a bright and sunny sky. I walked outside, taking in the fresh air and surveying the damage. The trees were bent over and some branches had been blown off. Our vegetable garden was flooded, but other than that, everything seemed to be fine. I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that no serious damage had been done.
That evening, as I sat by the fireplace with a cup of hot coffee, I reflected on the experience. It reminded me that nature can be both powerful and unpredictable, but that we must persevere and adapt to whatever it throws at us. The next morning, as I watched the sun rise over the now-calm landscape, I felt a sense of pride knowing that my family and I had weathered the storm together.
1. What does the word “weathered” mean in the last paragraph?| A．enjoyed | B．survived | C．forecasted | D．changed |
| A．Angry | B．Relieved | C．Scared | D．Sad |
| A．Problem and solution | B．Cause and effect |
| C．in order time | D．by Comparison |
| A．The author explains how to prepare for and cope with a storm. |
| B．The author describes how a storm ruined his day and his garden. |
| C．The author compares and contrasts the different weather conditions in his town. |
| D．The author recounts how he and his family withstood a sudden storm and learned a lesson from it. |
4 . Since September I’ve been living in a hall, just a stone’s throw from the Thames. Campus is a 25-minute walk from my hall, which is across the river and down Fleet Street. There, in The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), I take courses in social policy, philosophy and public policy, public management and behavioural economics.
In the first few weeks we covered how to measure well-being, how to distribute health care resources, and the origins of the welfare state, to name only a few. I’ve had great support from my academic adviser, who I was told is really somebody and highly respected in the field of social policy.
I learn loads of things each day and more importantly, what I learn feels relevant. Looking back, I can better understand the work I did in the government, and how the approaches I’ve learned work in some situations or fail in other situations. After one term, I can feel my viewpoint change from 50 feet to 50,000 feet.
Probably the most difficult part of attending graduate school overseas isn’t the education itself but rather the act of “putting the previous life on hold”. I think this is especially true for students who have already started their professional life or are a couple of years senior.
But there are plenty of benefits, and I feel that time at LSE passes faster than I realize. Already, I’ve made friends with students from dozens of other countries, which brings great advantages and fun. Perhaps what unites us is the great British tradition of meeting each other at the end of the week for entertainment at the cafe. In fact, I’m about to make my way there now.
1. What do we know about the author?| A．He majors in political science. |
| B．He walks to campus every day. |
| C．He has a tight study schedule. |
| D．His adviser enjoys a good reputation. |
| A．He stands higher and sees farther. |
| B．He can handle various situations. |
| C．His life attitude has varied with time. |
| D．His mind has been greatly broadened. |
| A．Dealing with the heavy study load. |
| B．Adapting to the local educational system. |
| C．Leaving one’s former life behind for now. |
| D．Gaining a deep understanding of British traditions. |
| A．He isn’t aware he’ll graduate soon. |
| B．He will attend a get-together at the cafe. |
| C．He intends to make friends with more students. |
| D．He has a strong preference for British traditions. |
5 . While temperatures continue to climb, visitors are still coming to see Death Valley National Park on the California-Nevada border. The park is known as the hottest place on Earth. This past weekend, the temperatures climbed to 53.33℃. Most visitors at this time of year make it only a short distance to any area in the park before returning to the cool air in their vehicles.
Early information from the park service shows that across the nation’s 424 national parks, at least four people have died this year from heat-related causes. That includes a 65-year-old man from San Diego who was found dead at Death Valley earlier this month.
Death Valley National Park suggests visitors be careful and not have expectations of rescue. While park rangers (护林员) drive on park roads and can aid tourists in need, it is unsure that lost visitors will get help in time.
Physical activity can make the heat feel even worse and leave people exhausted. Alessia Dempster, who was visiting from Edinburgh, Scotland, said, “It’s very hot especially when there’s a gentle wind. You would think maybe that would give you some slight relief from the heat, but it just really does feel like an air blow dryer just going back in your face.”
Death Valley is a narrow area that is below sea level and surrounded by high mountains, the park service’s website says. The dry air and small plant coverage let sunlight heat up the park surface. The heat then becomes trapped in the valley.
Still, several areas in Death Valley continue to draw tourists. Badwater Basin, made up of salt flats, is considered the lowest point in all of North America. The 183-meter Ubehebe Crater dates back over 2,000 years. And Zabriskie Point is a great sunrise viewing spot.
Josh Miller, a visitor from Indianapolis who has been to 20 national parks so far, shared that feeling. “It’s hot, but the scenery is awesome,” he said.
1. What do most visitors do in Death Valley?| A．Cool themselves in time. | B．Do lots of physical exercises. |
| C．Stay away from park rangers. | D．Carry dryers with themselves. |
| A．To encourage the elderly to travel more. |
| B．To express admiration for mountain climbers. |
| C．To advise people to tour Death Valley more often. |
| D．To show the danger of traveling in Death Valley. |
| A．Its covering area. | B．Its attractive spots. |
| C．The reason why it is so hot. | D．The service of its park’s website. |
| A．It has a short history. | B．It is worth visiting. |
| C．It draws fewer and fewer tourists. | D．It is unsuitable for viewing sunrise. |
6 . That dinosaurs ate the mammals (哺乳动物) that ran beneath their feet is not in doubt. Now an extraordinary fossil newly described in Scientific Reports, unearthed by a team led by Gang Han at Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology in China, shows that sometimes the tables were turned.
The fossil -dated to about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period-was formed when a flow of boiling volcanic mud swallowed two animals seemingly locked in a life-and-death fight. The one on top is a mammal. This animal is a herbivorous species closely related to the Triceratops (三角恐龙). Animal interactions such as this are exceptionally rare in the fossil record.
One possibility is that the mammal was eating something already dead, other than hunting live prey. These days it is uncommon for small mammals to attack much larger animals. But it is not unheard of. And Dr. Han and his colleagues point out that those mammals which eat dead bodies typically leave tooth marks all over the bones of the animals. The dinosaur’s remains show no such marks. There is also a chance the fossil could be a fake. More and more convincing fake s have emerged, as this one did -though Dr. Han and his colleagues argue that the complexly connected nature of the skeletons (骨骼) makes that unlikely, too.
Assuming it is genuine, the discovery serves as a reminder that not all dinosaurs were enormous during the Cretaceous and not all mammals were tiny. From nose to tail, the dinosaur is just 1.2 meters long. The mammal is a bit under half a meter in length. Despite being half the size, the mammal has one paw firmly wrapped around one of its prey’s limbs, and another pulling on its jaw. It is biting down on the dinosaur’s chest, and has ripped off two of its ribs. Before they were interrupted, it seems that the mammal was winning.
1. Which idiom is closest in meaning to underlined part “the tables were turned” in paragraph 1?| A．The fittest survives. | B．The hunters become hunted. |
| C．Fortune always favors the brave. | D．The truth will always come to light. |
| A．To prove the fossil was fake. | B．To show the forming of the fossil. |
| C．To illustrate the process of hunting. | D．To suggest the dinosaur was hunted alive. |
| A．The size of the fossil. | B．The absence of fake fossils. |
| C．The complexity of the skeletons. | D．The consistency of the opinions. |
| A．It offers a cause. | B．It highlights a solution. |
| C．It justifies the conclusion. | D．It provides a new discovery. |
7 . Jenny married Steven in 1950. They loved each other but Steven had bad tempers. As a new bride(新娘), Jenny moved into Steven’s house on his farm. She took a shoe box with her and put it in her closet (壁橱). She asked Steven not to open the box. Thinking that everyone has his/her secret that he/she never wanted others to know, Steven accepted it.
For 50 years, Steven left the box alone, even without touching it. Finally, Jenny was ill and dying. Steven thought the box must hold something very important and it was time to open it, so he asked Jenny whether he could open the box. Jenny said yes.
Opening the box, Steven found two doilies(装饰小垫) and $82,500. He took the things to Jenny and asked where this came from.
“Well, my mother gave me the box the day we got married,” she explained, “She said that love needed understanding, so did life. She knew you had bad tempers, so she told me to make a doily whenever I felt hurt and frustrated(沮丧), so that I wouldn’t get mad at you.” Steven was glad that in the past 50 years Jenny had made only two doilies. Then he asked about the money.
“In fact, after having made too many doilies, I began to sell them. Each brought us $50. That’s the money I’ve made by selling the doilies.”
Hearing this, Steven couldn’t help crying…
Everyone gets three presents in life. Life is the first one; love is the second and understanding is the third. It is love that gives us lives and understanding, while understanding keeps love.
1. After reading the passage, we know that .| A．the wife made a living by making and selling doilies |
| B．the wife often hid her own money into the shoe box |
| C．the husband thought there were just shoes in the box |
| D．the husband had often made the wife sad in the past |
| A．1652. | B．1650. | C．50. | D．2. |
| A．Jenny had even worse tempers |
| B．Making doilies is the best way to make money |
| C．Steven didn’t break his promise |
| D．Shoe boxes were always used to hold money |
| A．beautiful and funny | B．kind and wise |
| C．brave and smart | D．Honest and loyal |
8 . When we talk more broadly of body language, rather than good postures, we can actually see the effects it has on relationships right throughout the animal kingdom. In particular, body language is used to express power through expansive (扩张的) postures.
You might know about Amy Cuddy’s famous Ted Talk and her incredible insights on how posture changes our thoughts. Cuddy and her team study body language, particularly what they call “high-power” and “low-power” poses.
“High-power” poses refer to the act of taking a posture of confidence, which can help you feel more self-confident, even after only two minutes. Typical high-power poses are about opening up. You stretch and expand your body to take up as much space as possible. For example, bosses are doing high-power poses when they lean back in their chairs, put their hands behind their heads, and kick their feet up onto their desks. Meanwhile, people take low-power positions when they’re feeling helpless or defeated. They close up, arms around themselves, taking up the smallest space.
Some even more recent studies took this even further: A study by researchers from Columbia and Harvard Universities showed that body language symbolizing power can actually affect our decision-making, unintentionally. The researchers measured the desire for risk of participants in either expansive, powerful poses or constricted (收缩的) poses. Those in the powerful poses not only felt more powerful and in control, but were 45% more likely to take risky actions.
“This isn’t about what your body language is communicating to others; it’s about what your body language is communicating to you. Your body language is changing your mind, which changes your behavior, which changes your outcomes,” said Cuddy.
So if you want to take advantage of the benefits of these poses to live a healthier and happier life, where should you start?
1. Which is probably a low-power pose according to the text?| A．Sitting with hands crossed in the lap. |
| B．Arms raised in a “V” above the head. |
| C．Standing with your legs open. |
| D．Sitting with your arms spreading out on the chair. |
| A．They are hesitant. | B．They are very shy. |
| C．They feel out of control. | D．They feel more confident. |
| A．The posture of confidence. | B．Cuddy’s research on behavior. |
| C．The surprising power of body language. | D．The research about decision-making. |
| A．How to correct bad habits. | B．How to improve your body language. |
| C．How posture affects your health. | D．Why good posture matters for employees. |
9 . During my university years in the early 2000s, I worked part-time with kids at a neighborhood YMCA, which mainly focused on child care. Each year, we hosted a Christmas party for the community.
Most of the people working there were women, so we had to search for a male volunteer to play Santa Claus. We didn’t have many choices. John was a tall, twentyish man who was much too thin to be Santa Claus. No amount of stuffing (填充物) could possibly make him look like a common Santa Claus. He was, however, available.
On the day of the party, John put on his costume (戏装) and waited for the children. Many of the children who knew John said, “It’s just you, John.” If they didn’t know him, they said, “You’re too thin to be Santa.” We thought it might be a bad decision, but then everyone seemed to enjoy their time there, so it didn’t really matter.
Then, a lovely little girl entered the room. She was dressed beautifully to see Santa and seemed a little shy. Her mother brought her up to our Santa. “She’s deaf,” the mother explained. “If she could just sit on your lap (大腿) and have her picture taken, she would be happy.” John, the skinny Santa, smiled at the little girl, and she sat on his lap.
Then, the skinny Santa began using hand gestures to communicate with the girl fluently, and the little girl smiled happily and answered him quickly with her hands. Their conversation lasted quite a while. When I looked at the mother, I saw that she was crying. In fact, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. Santa Claus really was there.
There was so much we didn’t know about what was happening. This girl had never met John before, and few of us were aware that he knew how to sign — it all added up to a magical surprise.
1. Why was John chosen to play Santa Claus?| A．He was tall. | B．He was male. | C．He was young. | D．He was popular. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Interesting. | C．Surprising. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．She was talkative and lively. | B．She often came to the child care. |
| C．She was friendly to other children. | D．She expected to take pictures with Santa. |
| A．The little girl has a nice character. | B．John’s knowledge of sign language. |
| C．The warm and friendly environment. | D．The participation of the little girl’s mother. |
10 . Humans have long known that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous (本土的) adolescents completing the adult ceremony in the wild to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths”, many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth. But the question still remains. How can nature make it?
There is no doubt that being in nature reduces the physiological symptoms of stress in our bodies. What this means is that we are less likely to be anxious and fearful in nature, and therefore we can be more open to other people and creative patterns of thought. Also, nature often leads to awe, wonder and respect, all these emotions facilitating everything from physical to mental health. There is also some evidence that exposure to nature impacts the brain. Viewing natural beauty makes specific reward circuits in the brain associated with dopamine release, a chemical that gives us a sense of purpose, joy and energy to pursue our goals.
But, regrettably, people seem to be spending less time outdoors and less time in nature than before. It is also clear that, in the past 30 years, people’s levels of stress and sense of “busyness” have risen dramatically. These joint forces have led environmental writer Richard Louv to coin the term “Nature Deficit Disorder”—a form of suffering that comes from a sense of disconnection from nature and its powers.
Perhaps we should take note and try a course corrective. The 19th century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote about nature, “There I feel that nothing can befall me in life—no disgrace, no calamity.” The science speaks to Emerson’s intuition. It’s time to realize that nature is more than just a material resource. It’s also a pathway to human health and happiness.
1. Why are “indigenous adolescents” and “modern East Asian cultures” mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To clarify a viewpoint. | B．To answer the question below. |
| C．To present the natural scenery. | D．To show the cultural differences. |
| A．Restricting. | B．Exposing. | C．Promoting. | D．Covering. |
| A．Uneasy. | B．Indifferent. | C．Humorous. | D．Proud. |
| A．Is It Time to Challenge Yourself in Nature? |
| B．Do You Know Nature Is a Material Resource? |
| C．Why Do We Care about the Natural Environment? |
| D．What Can Happen When We Connect with Nature? |
