1 . From the window of my room, I could see a tall cotton - rose hibiscus (木棉树). In spring, when green leaves were half
However, when I opened the window one morning, to my amazement, the tree was almost
This event
When the last petal
Standing by the window lost in thought for a long time, I realized that no scenery in the world remains
Tell anyone who has inspired you how they have inspired you.
1.| A．buried | B．hidden | C．placed | D．trapped |
| A．dotted | B．surrounded | C．covered | D．marked |
| A．observed | B．prevented | C．set | D．bore |
| A．regularly | B．generally | C．narrowly | D．gradually |
| A．bare | B．vacant | C．blank | D．empty |
| A．effect | B．fault | C．damage | D．feast |
| A．sighing | B．yelling | C．swearing | D．teasing |
| A．lucky | B．simple | C．smooth | D．cozy |
| A．as many as | B．as well as | C．rather than | D．regardless of |
| A．due | B．contrary | C．familiar | D．similar |
| A．sank | B．quit | C．matured | D．faded |
| A．merely | B．actively | C．casually | D．fiercely |
| A．eye | B．nose | C．soul | D．mind |
| A．set up | B．set off | C．put up | D．put off |
| A．why | B．if | C．how | D．when |
| A．slipped | B．dropped | C．quit | D．broke |
| A．remind | B．warn | C．convince | D．rid |
| A．division | B．dilemma | C．composition | D．conflict |
| A．unlimited | B．unchanged | C．unspoiled | D．unexpected |
| A．vain | B．practical | C．previous | D．fresh |
2 . Criticism is judgment. A critic is a judge. A judge must study and think about the material presented to him, accept it, correct it or reject it after thinking over what he has read, watched or heard.
Another word for criticism is appreciation. When I criticize or appreciate some object or another, I look for its good points and bad points. In reading any printed or written matter, I always have a pencil in hand and put any comments in the book or on a separate paper. In other words, I always talk back to the writer.
That sort of critical reading might well be called creative reading because I am thinking along with the author, asking him questions, seeing whether he answers the questions and how well he answers them. I mark the good passages to store them in my memory and ask myself about every other part and about the complete piece of writing; where, how and why could or should I improve upon it?
You might think that doing what I suggested is work. Yes, it is, but the work is a pleasure because I can feel my brain expanding, my emotion reacting and my way of living change.
Reading exercises is a great influence on a person. If pictures, still or moving, accompany the reading, the memory will retain the material for a long time.
Just as evil books can corrupt, so also can good books gradually work a change on a corrupt person.
Let's get back to the beneficial effects of thinking while reading. It helps us to enlarge our minds. We understand more about the universe, its people and many of its wonders. We learn to think and observe in new ways. We certainly do get a feeling for the language we are reading. All good writers in any language have been readers who read critically and continuously.
1. According to the writer, creative reading is ________.| A．raising questions and answering them for the author |
| B．reading and giving comments on the materials one has read |
| C．thinking in the same line with the author |
| D．storing up facts in one's memory |
| A．asks what he does not understand |
| B．talks back to the author |
| C．understand the background on which the works are based |
| D．looks for the good and bad points of the material he has read |
| A．following one's thought closely | B．accepting |
| C．considering | D．agreeing |
| A．understand more about their surrounding than others. |
| B．have a thorough insight to the problem in life. |
| C．have the feeling of the language they read. |
| D．have read extensively(广泛地) and critically |
3 . Living downstream from a waste-treatment plant can leave fish tired, a new study finds, led by Graham Scott, a biologist in Canada. “Wastewater treatment plants are pretty good at taking out the waste and treating it before it gets into our waterways,” he said. “But not everything can be taken out,” he added.
For example, some plants beside the stream were not designed to remove remains of drugs. So when some medicines are left over after people use them, they can be released into the environment. These include the drugs used to treat depression and high blood pressure.
Life-sustaining chemical reactions in an animal’s body (including ours) allow it to grow, move and reproduce. These reactions, taken together, are known as the creature’s metabolism (新陈代谢). Some studies have shown that even just one drug can change the metabolism of fish, making their metabolism slow down. Then that will impair their bodies.
That creates a problem for the animals — using the extra energy to rid their bodies of the pollutants which can damage their cells and tissues. “That’s energy they burn just to stay alive,” explained Scott. That is also the energy no longer available to avoid predators (天敌), to find food and to mate.
And they report that fish exposed to a mix of chemicals can use up some of their energy just to deal with those pollutants. Therefore, they will have less energy to eat and avoid being eaten, says Paul Craig, a biologist in Ontario.
“It is up to us to help reduce the types of pollutants in. wastewater,” Craig says. “That includes not throwing leftover medicines down the toilet.” he recommends.
1. What do Scott’s words mean in paragraph 1?| A．There are still some pollutants in the treated water. |
| B．Wastewater treatment plants don’t work well. |
| C．Things in waterways are difficult to deal with. |
| D．Canadians tend to throw waste down the toilet. |
| A．Form. | B．Harm. | C．Benefit. | D．Examine. |
| A．They will stop growing. |
| B．They will avoid their mates. |
| C．They will have to rid their bodies of the polluted cells. |
| D．They will consume extra energy to survive. |
| A．To explain how pollutants affect animals. |
| B．To show ways of fighting against pollution. |
| C．To advise people to stop buying polluted fish. |
| D．To urge people to reduce pollutants in wastewater. |
4 . Success and Risk in Extreme Sports
What is it that drives some to take extreme risks, while the rest of us hurry for the safety of the sidelines?
Lester Keller, sports-psychology expert, says that not everyone has the mental makeup to do well in extreme sports. He notes that most of us hit a natural ceiling that limits our appetite for extreme risk in tricky conditions. But others have a much higher tolerance for risk. Keller points to a top ski racer. He told Keller that “the high element of risk makes you feel alive, tests what you are made of and how far you can take yourself”. He said he would get nervous on some of the courses, but that this would just make him fight more.
Psychologists note that some people seem to have a strong desire for adrenaline (肾上腺素) rushes as a behavior seeking excited feelings. Like many extreme athletes, Emily Cook’s appetite for risk appeared at a young age. “I was a gymnast,” she said. “I was one of those kids who enjoyed and did well at anything where you were upside down.” As she started doing harder tricks, she was drawn to the challenge. “There are moments when you’re up there doing a new trick and it seems like an impossible thing. But overcoming that is just the coolest feeling in the world.”
Shane Murphy, sports professor, has worked with groups climbing Everest. “To me, that just seems like the height of risk,” he said. “But to them it was the next step in an activity that they’ve prepared for years.” Murphy said the view of extreme athletes is different from our own. “We look at a risky situation and know that if we were in that situation we would be out of control. But from the athletes’ view, they have a lot of control, and there are many things that they do to minimize risk.”
Another aspect of risk perception (认知) may be something referred to as “the flow”, a state in which many athletes become absorbed in the acts that focus the mind completely on the present. “Something that makes you try doing a tougher climb than usual, perhaps, is that your adrenaline flows and you become very concentrated on what you’re doing,” Murphy says. “After it’s over, there’s great excitement.”
People of different skill levels experience the flow at different times. Some may always be driven to adventures that others consider extreme. “I can enjoy hitting a tennis ball around, because that’s my skill level,” Murphy says. “But others might need the challenge of Olympic competition.”
1. By using the term “natural ceiling” in Paragraph 2, Lester Keller points out that ______.| A．extreme athletes must learn special skills |
| B．extreme athletes have chances to take risks |
| C．many people don’t want to do extreme sports |
| D．many people can’t limit desire for extreme sports |
| A．They put in lots of preparation for challenges. |
| B．They are more fortunate than other sportspeople. |
| C．They carry little risk when facing big challenges. |
| D．They have special reasons that others can’t easily understand. |
| A．Extreme athletes use techniques other people don’t use. |
| B．Non-athletes are probably wise not to try extreme sports. |
| C．Most people lack the focus required to take bigger risks. |
| D．A certain state of mind makes attempting an activity more likely. |
| A．risk-taking is something you either naturally do or avoid |
| B．those who take risks are more likely to be successful in life |
| C．extreme athletes are driven by a need to be better than others |
| D．taking part in extreme sports is not as difficult as people think |
5 . Round and Round They Go
Space is becoming more crowded. Quite a few low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites have been launched into the sky, which are designed to move around the Earth only a few hundred kilometres above its surface. SpaceX and OneWeb plan to launch LEO satellites in their thousands, not hundreds, to double the total number of satellites in orbit (轨道) by 2027.
That promises to change things on Earth. LEO satellites can bring Internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable. This will also be a source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1.1 trillion by 2040. New Internet satellites will account for half this increase.
For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris (碎片) is the most familiar concern. When enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision (碰撞) could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all spaceships. One solution is to grab the satellites with problems and pull them down into the Earth’s atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more closely for debris. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to deal with old satellites safely from low-Earth orbits.
Cyber (网络的)-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers (黑客) could take control of a satellite and steal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world’s population comes to rely on the space for access to the Internet, the need for action will intensify. Measures will surely be taken to protect network security.
The third issue follows from the first two. If there is a simple mistake or a cyber-attack, it may cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment. Who is responsible for that? Now the plans of firms wishing to operate large numbers of satellites are being studied. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.
As space becomes more commercialized, mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.
1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?| A．They are supposed to limit the space economy. |
| B．They are expected to increase in large numbers. |
| C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible. |
| D．They are mainly intended to bring Internet connectivity to remote areas. |
| A．depending entirely on the modern technology |
| B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully |
| C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely |
| D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly |
| A．Measure. | B．Increase. | C．Spread. | D．Repeat. |
| A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership. |
| B．It should be continued because of its advantages. |
| C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks. |
| D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy. |
6 . "Mum, can I invite my classmate Brett over to stay tomorrow night, please? It's Friday, and we don't have any
"I'm so sorry, James," she said.
"I'm never allowed to have friends come to the house? Why, Mum?" James asked sadly, almost in
"I know it's
"No, they wouldn't, Mum," James protested. "We're not
Mum sighed heavily. "To tell you the truth, James, my neck has been so painful that it's given me a heavy
"I can help, Mum!" James said. "
"Well. . . " Mum began.
"Great! Thanks, Mum!" James almost shouted. "Just sit there, don't move. " He rushed over to the kitchen drawer and
"Easy," James said
"What about your father? Can you
"I'll try," James replied. He
"I guess so," replied Mum. "Your friends will just have to
| A．chance | B．message | C．homework | D．difficulty |
| A．asleep | B．reading | C．alone | D．standing |
| A．explain | B．see | C．agree | D．doubt |
| A．terror | B．tears | C．surprise | D．silence |
| A．fair | B．easy | C．good | D．hard |
| A．strange | B．normal | C．popular | D．anxious |
| A．headache | B．loss | C．task | D．day |
| A．ill | B．funny | C．sorry | D．well |
| A．As | B．If | C．Since | D．Before |
| A．kept | B．controlled | C．found | D．returned |
| A．requests | B．thoughts | C．repairs | D．instructions |
| A．sympathy | B．satisfaction | C．bitterness | D．politeness |
| A．embarrassedly | B．gratefully | C．impatiently | D．proudly |
| A．adjusted | B．collected | C．produced | D．covered |
| A．greet | B．accompany | C．help | D．ask |
| A．lifted | B．caught | C．gave | D．filled |
| A．television | B．power | C．light | D．gas |
| A．grew up | B．lay down | C．broke down | D．sat up |
| A．food | B．temperature | C．battery | D．blood |
| A．prove | B．expect | C．suspect | D．accept |
7 . Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institute of Architects.
Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Hugo a few years ago. Hugo struck Soutii Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state.
Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building codes wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Hugo’s wake, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, the house on Sullivan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be deceiving. The housed wooden frame is reinforced with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber (木材) pilings — long, slender columns of wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm surges. The pilings allow the surges to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partially concealed (隐藏) by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
1. The award-winning beach house is quite strong because ________.| A．it is strengthened by steel rods | B．it is made of redwood |
| C．it is in the shape of a shell | D．it is built with timber and concrete |
| A．withstand peak winds of about 200 km/hr |
| B．anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand |
| C．break huge sea waves into smaller ones |
| D．prevent water from rushing into the house |
| A．to strengthen the pilings of the house |
| B．to give the house a better appearance |
| C．to protect the wooden frame of the house |
| D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water |
| A．fancy-looking | B．waterproof |
| C．easily breakable | D．extremely strong |
8 . Entering the emergency room, I saw Mum lay there still under a white sheet. The doctor turned around and said, “ We
The next day my mother
My mother didn’t allow the physical(身体上的)
With her positive thinking, my mother
| A．plan | B．imagine | C．think | D．forget |
| A．challenge | B．fear | C．wish | D．mistake |
| A．recovery | B．test | C．break | D．damage |
| A．tired | B．surprised | C．helpless | D．disappointed |
| A．finally | B．quickly | C．suddenly | D．immediately |
| A．stopped | B．began | C．avoided | D．disliked |
| A．During | B．After | C．Over | D．Before |
| A．eating | B．working | C．moving | D．relaxing |
| A．again | B．still | C．ever | D．yet |
| A．speech | B．knowledge | C．energy | D．sense |
| A．looks | B．losses | C．activities | D．features(特征) |
| A．Because | B．When | C．Unless | D．Although |
| A．visit | B．clean | C．approach | D．leave |
| A．show | B．remind | C．tell | D．warn |
| A．yes | B．sorry | C．no | D．bye |
| A．clothes | B．room | C．attention | D．help |
| A．watched | B．lay | C．talked | D．walked |
| A．intended | B．trained | C．taught | D．persuaded |
| A．remark | B．attitude | C．response | D．evidence |
| A．Someone | B．Nobody | C．Most | D．Everyone |
9 . A study shows that the more eco-conscious way to shop is going to a physical store rather than by making purchases online from companies that don't have physical stores. Researchers estimated that shopping at physical stores for frequently bought items such as toilet paper, shampoo and toothpaste, often results in less greenhouse gas emissions than ordering the products from a company that only sells through the Internet.
The main reason is because of how people shop online： Many buy items online frequently — but they only buy a few items per purchase. Frequent online purchases produce more packaging waste, and online items tend to come from different distribution centers. Both factors result in higher greenhouse gas emissions per item.
The team modeled their research on the movement of goods from the factory all the way through to the end consumer. They analyzed the carbon footprint of the "last mile delivery" for the three most popular types of shopping channels in the United Kingdom — physical stores, "brick & clicks" (when people order online and a physical store delivers the items to them) , and "pure players” (strictly online sellers). Included in the three models were greenhouse gas emissions estimates from the number of products bought, transportation, warehouse storage , delivery and packaging activities.
The analysis showed that total greenhouse gas footprints per item purchased were higher from physical stores than those from bricks & clicks purchases in 63% of the shopping events but lower than those of pure players in 81 % of shopping events in the United Kingdom. In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions from shopping at physical stores were also estimated to be higher than from the brick & click channel, and lower than the pure play channel, on average.
This pattern holds true in countries where people mostly drive. It really depends on the country and consumer behavior there.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To persuade the readers. | B．To show the research conclusion. |
| C．To compare two shopping ways. | D．To state the reason for this study. |
| A．It is not convenient. | B．It is a waste of money. |
| C．It causes packaging waste. | D．It results in air pollution. |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By doing experiments. |
| C．By giving an explanation. | D．By making a survey. |
| A．Shopping by car. | B．Buying in physical stores. |
| C．Dealing with “pure players". | D．Purchasing from "brick & click. |
10 . Doctors in hospital emergency rooms often see accidental poisonings. A frightened parent arrives with a child who swallowed a cleaning liquid. Or perhaps the harmful substance is a medicine. Or it might be a chemical product meant to kill insects. These are common causes of accidental poisoning.
In cases like this, seek medical help as soon as possible. Save the container of whatever caused the poisoning. And look on the container for information about anything that stops the effects of the poison. Save anything expelled from the mouth of the victim. That way, doctors can examine it.
Millions of people know a way to save a person who is choking on something trapped in the throat. The method is commonly known as the Heimlich Maneuver or abdominal thrusts(腹部按压), which you can do by getting directly behind a sitting or standing person. Put your arms around the victim’s waist. Close one hand to form a ball. Place it over the upper part of the stomach, below the ribs. Place the other hand on top. Then push forcefully inward and upward. Repeat the abdominal thrusts until the object is expelled from the mouth. For someone who is pregnant or very fat, place your hands a little higher than with normal abdominal thrusts.
Red Cross experts say taking these steps can save many lives. But they also warn that abdominal thrusts are not for people who have almost drowned. They say use of the method could delay other ways to re-start breathing in the victim. Abdominal thrusts should be used only in cases where a near-drowning victim is choking on an object.
To learn more about first aid, ask a hospital or organization like a Red Cross or Red Crescent Society for information. There may be training classes offered in your area.
1. According to the first paragraph, which of the following is NOT the common cause of accidental poisonings?| A．A harmful medicine |
| B．A cleaning liquid |
| C．Poisonous insects |
| D．Dangerous pesticide(杀虫剂) |
| A．coming out | B．taking up |
| C．going away | D．getting down |
| A．Because people are unwilling to attempt rescue efforts |
| B．Because it is hard to perform |
| C．Because it is no need to do so |
| D．Because it could hold up other ways to re-start breathing in the victim |
| A．To promote medical research |
| B．To share some knowledge about first aid |
| C．To show how to perform abdominal thrusts |
| D．To help people deal with accidental poisoning |
