| About Old Faithful —The Most Famous Geyser (间歇性喷泉) in the World Discovered in 1870 by the Washburn Expedition, Old Faithful geyser was named for its frequent eruptions (喷发) — which number more than a million since Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. When does Old Faithful erupt? Basic prediction of Old Faithful is dependent upon the duration of the previous eruption. During visitor center hours, geyser statistics and predictions are maintained by the naturalist staff. People speak of the average time between eruptions. This is misleading. The mathematical average between eruptions of Old Faithful is currently 74 minutes, but it doesn’t like to act average! Intervals can range from 60-110 minutes. Visitors can check for posted prediction times in most buildings in the Old Faithful area. How high does Old Faithful erupt and how long will it last? Old Faithful can vary in height from 100–180 feet with an average near 130–140 feet. This has been the historical range of its recorded height. Eruptions normally last between 1.5 to 5 minutes. I heard Old Faithful isn’t as faithful as it used to be. Is it slowing down? It depends on what you call faithful. The famous geyser currently erupts around 20 times a day and can be predicted with a 90 percent confidence rate within a 10 minute variation. Prior to the 1959 earthquake, Old Faithful erupted 21 times per day. That’s a significant decrease in activity for geologists tracking each eruption, but to visitors seeing one or two eruptions…it looks just fine. How many gallons of water are expelled during an eruption? It depends on the duration of the eruption. Scientists estimate that the amount ranges from 3,700 gallons (for a short duration of 1.5 minutes) to 8,400 gallons (for a longer duration of 4.5 minutes). How hot is the water in Old Faithful? During an eruption, the water temperature at the vent has been measured at 204°F (95.6°C). The steam temperature has been measured above 350°F! |
| A．13:06 | B．14:06 | C．15:06 | D．16:06 |
| A．The geyser’s name indicates that it always erupts regularly, 20 times a day, once every 74 minutes. |
| B．When it is erupting, people should keep a safe distance due to its freezing coldness. |
| C．Old Faithful is a well-known geyser which can expel at least 3700 gallons water each time. |
| D．To check the eruption time, visitors may refer to predictions on the posted timetables. |
| A．The Yellowstone official website. |
| B．Local travel pamphlets introducing Yellowstone. |
| C．A recently-issued guide book on Yellowstone. |
| D．A travel magazine column about Yellowstone. |
2 . Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers (低头族)．
Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site, and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.
Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying, “the neck is like a rope that breaks after longterm stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Beijing Evening News reported.
It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents，and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.
1. For what purpose does the author give the example of a cartoon in Para.2?| A．To advertise the cartoon made by students. |
| B．To inform people of the bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．To indicate the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers. |
| D．To warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients. |
| A．His social skills could be affected. |
| B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed. |
| C．He might get separated from his friends and family. |
| D．He will cause the destruction of the world. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Optimistic. | C．Opposed. | D．Objective. |
| A．Measures to reduce the risks of phubbing. |
| B．People addicted to phubbing. |
| C．Definition of phubbers. |
| D．Consequences of phubbing. |
3 . If you followed the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, you may have noticed that several athletes, including US swimmer Michael Phelps, had circular bruises on their bodies. These bruises were the results of “cupping therapy”, a traditional Chinese medical practice that has been around for more than 2,000 years.
Cupping therapy involves attaching circular cups to the skin using suction(吸力). The suction is created either by heating the cup inside or by using a handheld pump. This suction pulls the skin upward into the cup. Sometimes it can leave dark red bruises, other times there is no mark at all.
Many athletes say that they have benefited from the therapy. Phelps used the therapy in the fall of 2014 and has used it about twice a week since, reported ABC News. Another US swimmer, Dana Vollmer, also believes that “it really helps with blood flow, and helps pull swelling out of different areas.”
However, some have said that the supposed health effects result from people feeling that the treatment works, rather than any physical effects of the treatment.
To figure out whether cupping therapy has any physical effects, last year researchers from Germany carried out a test in which a sham(假装的) treatment was provided.
In the study, the same type of cups was used in the real treatment and the sham treatment. But in the sham treatment, the cups had a hole at the top so that they couldn’t create the proper suction.
The tested patients, who suffered from a disorder(疾病) that causes a lot of pain, were told that they would receive either a traditional cupping or “soft cupping”. But they were not informed that the so-called “soft cupping” was a sham treatment.
It turned out that most patients correctly guessed which kind of cupping they had received. In both groups, patients also experienced about the same reductions in pain. The results suggest the effects of cupping therapy might come fro factors that are not necessarily part of the treatment itself, the researchers told the Live Science website.
The question of whether cupping therapy works still needs to be answered. But because the treatment is relatively safe and it could be helpful for some people, “the therapy can be used as a part of a comprehensive treatment program involving other exercises, nutritional choices and lifestyle interventions(干预)”, Dr Brent Bauer, director of the US’ Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, told Live Science.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about cupping therapy?| A．It leaves bruises every time. | B．Heating is crucial to cupping therapy. |
| C．The key to cupping therapy is suction. | D．It has been widely used in Western countries. |
| A．prove the health effects of cupping therapy |
| B．see whether cupping therapy has a physical effect |
| C．compare traditional cupping and the soft cupping |
| D．compare cupping therapy’s effects on different groups of people |
| A．Different types of cups were used for different cupping therapies. |
| B．Patients knew which kind of cupping treatment they would receive before the treatment. |
| C．The real treatment and the sham treatment were almost equally effective for patients. |
| D．The results show the effects of cupping therapy result from people’s belief in the treatment |
| A．easy and convenient to carry out |
| B．newly invented and untraditional |
| C．requiring a long period of time to take effect |
| D．including everything that is important and necessary |
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5 . The best jobs in the world？
Chocolate consultant
This could well be the ultimate job for anyone with even the
LEGO
Who hasn’t at some point in their life sat down in front of a box of Lego and
Shark Tank Cleaner
Window cleaning is probably not the most fun of professions. However, add in the requirement to share your job with a lot of sharks while simultaneously(同时地)
Professional Sleeper
| A．greater | B．most | C．least | D．strongest |
| A．bored | B．curious | C．scared | D．passionate |
| A．lost | B．frustrated | C．enthusiastic | D．fascinated |
| A．particular | B．biggest | C．sweet | D．bitter |
| A．examiner | B．seller | C．competitor | D．builder |
| A．expected | B．started | C．attempted | D．imagined |
| A．professionals | B．bosses | C．purchasers | D．competitors |
| A．fierce | B．open | C．fair | D．international |
| A．communicating | B．beating | C．contacting | D．encouraging |
| A．warned | B．frightened | C．observed | D．admired |
| A．comfort | B．interest | C．environment | D．profit |
| A．Although | B．Because | C．If | D．Unless |
| A．demanded | B．allowed | C．forced | D．paid |
| A．hold | B．lie | C．rest | D．shake |
| A．avoid | B．accept | C．create | D．offer |
6 . After researching the history of the Vietnam War, I called my mum and asked her if she knew anyone who went to Vietnam that I could interview. She thought for a while and suddenly remembered that she has a cousin who is a veteran of the Vietnam War.
She says, “I know him since I was little. He was one of the greatest athletes of the school. You cannot imagine how good and fast he was. Well, he was ranked number 18 in the country for being an outstanding track and field runner. But now, those things are only memories.”
I called him and introduced myself. He was in an agreeable mood at the beginning, but as soon as I began to question him, his attitude changed. “What happened in Vietnam?” I asked. There was a moment of silence on the other line, and then he said he was willing to tell me about Vietnam.
He said that he was drafted when he was 20 years old and that the two years later he spent there a part of his life he would rather forget. He said, “The problem is that you will never imagine how much suffering and pain I saw in that place.” There is not one book or article that can really describe the human disaster that took place there. There is nothing worse in this world than killing a man who you know has a family. It is very sad, but it is the truth, and it turns more complex when you realize you were part of that truth.
When I returned to Puerto Rico, it was a total disaster: young kids without fathers, wives without husbands. Most of those who made it back have no legs, like me, or no arms. I was praised because of my bravery, but for me, that was and is pure nonsense, because that war decided my future, decided the future of my family. I, now, am just a veteran who has nothing.
The thing that bothers me the most is that the people who decided to fight will probably never know that it is likely to kill a man, or feel pain and suffering from hunger and the absence of love. In war, every minute you are fearing because the only thing you have in your mind is that if you don’t kill first you are going to get killed.
1. Why did the author’s mother say “Those things are only memories”?| A．Because she would rather keep what happened in the past as a secret. |
| B．Because her cousin is no longer a vigorous young man. |
| C．Because though her cousin was a good runner, he lost his leg during the war. |
| D．Because time passed quickly and she can’t remember much of the past days. |
| A．Books and articles all presented a false picture of the war. |
| B．It takes mental strength to survive the war. |
| C．The sufferings during the war greatly damaged the memory of soldiers, |
| D．The author’s uncle felt very painful when he realized the truth of the war. |
| A．Because praises came too late. |
| B．Because no praise could make up for his loss. |
| C．Because he didn’t kill anyone during the war. |
| D．Because too many praises seemed worthless. |
7 . People living on parts of the south coast of England face a serious problem. In 1993, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered, to their horror, that their gardens had disappeared overnight. The sea had eaten into the soft limestone （石灰岩） cliffs on which they had been built. While experts were studying the problem, the hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.
Erosion（侵蚀）of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years. Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland. Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people, forecasting the year in which their homes will be swallowed up by the hungry sea.
Angry owners have called on the Government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes. Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases, this is impossible. New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents go further along the coast, shifting the problem from one area to another. The danger is likely to continue, they say, until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock which will not be eaten as limestone is. Meanwhile, if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future, apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England. You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may turn out to be a knockdown home.
1. What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?| A．The disappearance of hotels, houses and gardens. |
| B．The experts’ lack of knowledge. |
| C．The rising of the sea level. |
| D．The washing-away of limestone cliffs. |
| A．will soon become a problem for people living in central England |
| B．has now become a threat to the local residents |
| C．is quickly changing the map of England |
| D．can be stopped if proper measures are taken |
| A．lead to its eventual solution |
| B．provide an effective way to slow it down |
| C．help to prevent it from worsening |
| D．warn people whose homes are in danger |
| A．it is too costly and will endanger neighbouring areas |
| B．the government is too slow in taking action |
| C．they will be easily knocked down by waves and currents |
| D．house agents along the coast do not support the idea |
8 . The fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around aerobic exercise (有氧运动). Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic activities, and literally thousands of health spas developed around the country to capitalize on this emerging interest in fitness, particularly aerobic dancing for females.
A number of fitness spas existed prior to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most major cities. However, their focus was not on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular mass, strength, and endurance in their primarily male enthusiasts. These fitness spas did not seem to benefit financially from the aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that weight-training programs offered few, if any, health benefits. In recent years, however, weight training has again become increasingly popular for males and for females. Many current programs focus not only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as well.
Historically, most physical-fitness tests have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for health-related reasons, but primarily because such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics. However, in recent years, evidence has shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and endurance might also offer some health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now recommends that weight training be part of a total fitness program for healthy Americans. Increased participation in such training is one of the specific physical activity and fitness objectives of Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives.
1. The word “spas” most probably means “________”.| A．sports activities | B．places for physical exercise |
| C．recreation centers | D．athletic training programs |
| A．the promotion of aerobic exercise |
| B．endurance and muscular development |
| C．the improvement of women’s figures |
| D．better performance in aerobic dancing |
| A．Positive. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Negative. | D．Cautious |
| A．had become an essential part of people’s life |
| B．may well affect the health of the trainees |
| C．will attract more people in the days to come |
| D．contributes to health improvement as well |
9 . Secretary
Jenny loves office work but it’s hard on her figure. All those sandwich lunches and her sweet tooth added up to extra pounds till Jenny started slimming (减食疗法) with Bisks.
Every lunchtime she’d have a Bisks chocolate bar with a glass of milk. It filled her up and satisfied her longings for sweet things. And it was also convenient.
She watched what she ate at her other meals and soon she was losing weight. Now Jenny’s feeling and looking so good even her boss notices the difference. That was her proof that Bisks work.
Housewife
A lively little lady called Elizabeth and her hungry husband always cooked big, filling meals. And when he cooked them, she couldn’t resist eating them, which led to her weight getting out of hand. So Elizabeth tried slimming with Bisks.
Bisks offered her 24 different flavors of biscuits and chocolate. Some sweet and some delicious. When she ate them instead of a meal, they were really filling and satisfying. She hardly ever felt hungry and soon she began to lose weight.
Now Elizabeth’s back to what she weighed at her wedding. And she knows that Bisks work.
Student
Sue’s first year at college was her first opportunity to cook for herself. But she didn’t. She ate whatever the dining-room had offered. Pretty soon, Sue had a weight problem, a problem she worked out with Bisks.
Sue had Bisks instead of a meal because there was nothing to cook. The Bisks flavors were so delicious. She really enjoyed them. And she ate more sensibly at her other meals.
In a few weeks Sue had lost weight. Now she’s even taking a class in cooking.
That’s her proof that Bisks work.
1. What is the passage?| A．A story. | B．A book review. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A scientific article. |
| A．she entered college | B．she had a weight problem |
| C．she didn’t enjoy Bisks | D．she’d lost her extra weight |
| A．give proof that Bisks work on slimming |
| B．ask people to pay attention to their figures while working |
| C．show people different flavors of biscuits |
| D．show different people have different slimming ways |
10 . A recent study has shown that levels of
Parents today consider the streets too dangerous for their children so children are taken from home to
This preoccupation has two causes: fear of
It is a fact, however, that children could be experiencing these fears unnecessarily.
The fear of traffic accidents is certainly more real but it is something that needs to be addressed by society in general. Some cities in the Netherlands, for example, have created traffic-free zones and pedes-trian-friendly zones,
There are, however, critics of this study. Many child psychologists believe that this lack of
| A．serious | B．mental | C．bodily | D．brief |
| A．days | B．cases | C．youngsters | D．parents |
| A．study | B．job | C．life | D．safety |
| A．home | B．office | C．company | D．school |
| A．by | B．on | C．for | D．with |
| A．air | B．railway | C．traffic | D．sudden |
| A．meet | B．take | C．miss | D．find |
| A．In addition | B．In contrast | C．In fact | D．In particular |
| A．habit | B．care | C．study | D．relationships |
| A．circle | B．way | C．sign | D．source |
| A．If | B．Where | C．While | D．What |
| A．raised | B．supported | C．decided | D．improved |
| A．with | B．when | C．whether | D．where |
| A．courage | B．attention | C．focus | D．independence |
| A．likely | B．like | C．probably | D．possibly |
