1 . Did you know that honeybees aren’t the only insects capable of producing the sweet, sticky, and brown-to-golden-colored natural product we know as honey? There is perhaps the most unusual insect able to change nectar(花粉) into honey called the honeypot ant. Belonging to a kind of ant species, honeypot ants are specialized workers that act as living storage for their fellow ants when food is scarce. Most species of honeypot ants are found in dry regions in Australia, the USA, Mexico and on the African continent, where finding food sources can be tough, so the production and storage of honey is believed to be an adaptation to survive in these rough environments.
Worker ants constantly feed honeypot ants nectar collected from various plants. The only job of honeypot ants is to wolf down nectar. At one point, the honey ants’ abdomens(腹部) become so big that they are unable to move and ready to spill(溢 出) ant honey, so they just hang from the roof of their nest until their fellow ants are in need of food.
Honeypot ants are such a valuable resource that other ant groups will sometimes attack and steal them. In Australia, the locals also prize the honey-filled insects and will dig around for them. In the1990 documentary Trials of Life, David Attenborough himself was filmed putting a honeypot ant into his mouth.
So how does honeypot ant honey compare to honeybee honey? According to one study, researchers find that there are two obvious differences between them. Although the two varieties look very similar at first glance, the honeypot ant honey is sweet, but not quite as sweet as the treat we humans are used to, and has a sour taste that cannot be detected in the honeybee honey.
1. What does the underlined word “scarce”in the first paragraph mean?| A．Free. | B．Lacking. |
| C．Cheap. | D．Sufficient. |
| A．In the desert. | B．In the zoo. |
| C．On the river. | D．By the sea. |
| A．When they are able to move freely. |
| B．When they want to breathe fresh air. |
| C．When they are ready to spill ant honey. |
| D．When they want to refuse to feed fellow ants. |
| A．A method of judging the quality of honeybee honey. |
| B．The importance of protecting the precious honeypot ants. |
| C．The efforts for the locals to stop honeypot ants being attacked. |
| D．The other difference between honeypot ant honey and honeybee honey. |
2 . Every year I’d read over 2,000 college applications from students all over the world. It is quite
The most surprising
The security guard wrote that he supported this student’s admission because of his
It gave us a
Next year there might be a flood of security guard recommendations
| A．definite | B．difficult | C．delicate | D．desperate |
| A．However | B．Otherwise | C．Besides | D．Therefore |
| A．ability | B．quality | C．limitation | D．assumption |
| A．signal | B．detector | C．appearance | D．indication |
| A．come out | B．picked up | C．come across | D．brought up |
| A．stood up | B．stood out | C．given up | D．given out |
| A．guard | B．teacher | C．principal | D．counselor |
| A．wisdom | B．bravery | C．encouragement | D．consideration |
| A．bothered | B．answered | C．visited | D．thanked |
| A．as if | B．now that | C．even if | D．so that |
| A．weird | B．accurate | C．equal | D．initial |
| A．passion | B．trouble | C．method | D．window |
| A．due to | B．in need of | C．except for | D．along with |
| A．money | B．notice | C．attention | D．curiosity |
| A．policy | B．trend | C．arrangement | D．career |
3 . Several high school football players made their hometown very proud when they rushed to help a woman trapped in her car after having an accident.
On a recent morning, Cesar, Treyvon, Antwion, Messiah, Tyson and Alto were on their way to school when they heard
Together, the young men worked to open the passenger door in a(n)
“We’re pretty big people. We’re
As the players helped the woman out from her crashed car, Treyvon
Meanwhile, inside the school, math teacher Luis Goya called 911 when he
After the group of guys
| A．songs | B．remarks | C．complaints | D．cries |
| A．vehicle | B．impact | C．police | D．woman |
| A．mess | B．hour | C．effort | D．case |
| A．realized | B．imagined | C．admitted | D．expected |
| A．observe | B．free | C．adapt | D．stop |
| A．abnormal | B．careful | C．strong | D．fashionable |
| A．fortunately | B．potentially | C．constantly | D．extremely |
| A．sought for | B．made fun of | C．checked on | D．kept in touch with |
| A．heard | B．performed | C．reported | D．felt |
| A．worked | B．shared | C．agreed | D．argued |
| A．confident | B．ashamed | C．proud | D．short |
| A．need | B．ignore | C．design | D．avoid |
| A．failed | B．worried | C．improved | D．succeeded |
| A．comfort | B．attention | C．attraction | D．suggestion |
| A．recognized | B．encouraged | C．warned | D．protected |
4 . Do you have a talented young artist, photographer, or designer in your life? It’s never too early to start helping them get their work out there! We’ve rounded up the top art contests for kids and teens that can help these young creators share their first masterpieces with the world. Best of all? Most of them are totally free to enter!
Global Canvas Art Competition
Ages: 16 and under
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Global Canvas is all about the environment. Launched by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, this art competition wants to inspire the next generation to be more mindful of how we take care of the earth. The judges are looking for artists to capture the wonderful places that wildlife call home.
Toyota Dream Car Art Contest
Ages: Four to 15
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Time to design a dream car! Toyota wants to get junior artists thinking about what the future of transportation might look like. Prizes include cash and a chance to tour one of the Toyota manufacturing plants.
Advena World’s art Competition
Ages: 15 and under
Mediums: Drawing, painting
Advena World’s art competition aims to promote creativity and self-expression. Instead of a theme, they ask the participating artists to simply express their feelings — anything from sadness or joy to anger or excitement — through their chosen medium,.
Progressive Young Artist Awards
Ages: 13 to 19
Open to: All international applicants
Mediums: Painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture
Cost to enter: $5 USD
PYAA is all about expressing and celebrating progressive values. So, if there is a creative teen in your life who wants to do good in the world, sign them up for this art contest for teens. The prize is a scholarship which they can put toward their post-secondary schooling.
1. Which focuses on the environment?| A．World Wide Kids Drawings. | B．Global Canvas Art Competition. |
| C．Toyota Dream Car Art Contest. | D．Progressive Young Artist Awards. |
| A．dream car. | B．A scholarship. |
| C．A plant tour. | D．Cash crops. |
| A．It has no fixed theme. | B．It has entrance fee. |
| C．Its entry can be photos. | D．Anyone can join it. |
5 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a job in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a research by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger”. The research, carried out among 1, 002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.
This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience around the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.
In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.
However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and money. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.
Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his fun and is always a learning experience. And that’s enough for him.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job. |
| B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’ career choice. |
| C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios. |
| D．Young Britons cannot find jobs without the Internet. |
| A．Vloggers can earn more fame and money on the Internet. |
| B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business. |
| C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business. |
| D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star. |
| A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy. |
| B．A vlogger cannot earn fame and fortune. |
| C．All vloggers start at the same starting line. |
| D．Dreams will always remain dreams. |
| A．Learn from others. | B．Become an online hit. |
| C．Hold running races. | D．Combine jobs with hobbies. |
6 . Welcome to Our English Club
The importance of the English club in schools has great potential(潜力) to develop your English language skills. Moreover, the English club has more detailed importance in achieving the goals, like increasing fluency in speaking and building confidence to think and speak English, providing opportunities for students to improve listening skills, and creating opportunities for students to express their opinions, to help students learn correct English pronunciation and so on.
Club activities: Evening Free Talking Time, Professional Knowledge Lectures, and English Speech Contests.
Time of the events: Every Wednesday 19: 00-19: 40
Requirements for being a member: All the students who can follow our English club rules and love English.
Registration(登记) time: From now until December 9th
Registration method: After filling in the registration form, send an email to eecapg123@163. com. You can get the registration form through N: /Common/Dept-Share/Gmo/Eva Ning/English Club.
Any question, please call 0812-1833-8653.
All the free club activities are waiting for you. Come on & Join us!
1. When are the English club events?| A．On Wednesdays. | B．On Thursdays. | C．On Saturdays. | D．On Sundays. |
| A．Paying for an ID. | B．Passing a test. | C．Filling in a form. | D．Sending a message. |
| A．A book review. | B．A poster. | C．A news report. | D．A diary. |
7 . Jon Pedley is making a big change. He is giving up his life as a businessman for a life of helping others. He is trading his beautiful farmhouse in England for life in a mud hut (小屋) in Uganda, East Africa.
Pedley admitted that he had not always led a very positive life. At times he drank too much and got in trouble with the law. “I had always put the pursuit (追求) of money in front of everything else. As long as I was all right, I didn’t care who I was hurting,” says Pedley.
But a visit to Uganda in 2007 gave Pedley a new outlook on life. He was amazed at what he saw and how much the people there appreciated the work he was doing. “I worked there for a few days and these people who have nothing were thanking me by giving me bags of potatoes, which are a fortune for them,” he said. Now Pedley is selling his business, his $1.5 million farmhouse, and his expensive car—and moving into a hut made of mud and boards in a small Ugandan village. There he will help run an organisation that hopes to improve the quality of life for people in the village of Kigazi. He will help to build schoolrooms for children and tanks to hold clean water for villagers. Today, people in Kigazi must walk two miles to a hospital, so Pedley will help to build doctors’ offices, too.
Pedley’s organisation will also work with English teenagers who are in trouble. The teens will be sent to a “camp” in Uganda that Pedley will run. The teens will live in mud huts and help to build water, health, and education facilities (设施) for kids in Kigazi, many of whom have lost their parents to poverty or disease. Pedley hopes the teens will see a side of life that might help them turn around their own lives and set them on a new and more positive path.
1. Which of the following best describes Pedley in the past?| A．Negative. | B．Creative. | C．Positive. | D．Selfish. |
| A．Do business with the local people. |
| B．Help farmers increase potato output. |
| C．Help villagers with building work. |
| D．Introduce tools to improve English teaching. |
| A．To encourage them to make friends with locals. |
| B．To inspire them to live a more positive life. |
| C．To train them to become doctors in the future. |
| D．To make them learn about different cultures. |
| A．From a millionaire to living in a mud hut. | B．A life-changing adventure. |
| C．A rich man becoming homeless. | D．More money, more worries. |
8 . If you like the idea of being able to read much faster, remember more easily, and being more creative, this list of Tony Buzan’s books might be inspirational to get you started.
Study Skills Handbook
This book does not focus only on reading efficiency but also covers the subjects of memory improvement and mind mapping. It is an absolute must for students of all ages.
Speed Reading
This popular book explains the principles of efficient reading. It allows you to improve your reading and retention (记忆力) skills immediately. The book gets right down to the practical matter of learning to read fast and remember what you have read.
The Mind Map Book
The Mind Map Book is a ground-breaking work on the basics of mind mapping suitable for everyone and introduces revolutionary techniques for planning and note-taking. It is one of Tony Buzan’s books that have taken the world by storm, selling more than 250 million copies. This guide will teach you how to use your brain properly and to maximum effect and additionally contains numerous practical exercises.
Use Your Head
Use Your Head is for those of you that feel as if you have not been able to reach your full potential. In this book, Tony Buzan teaches you how to think and learn from all possible sources of learning. You will also increase your creativity and your problem-solving abilities. Use Your Head has been translated into 27 different languages and is one of the most popular and best-selling Tony Buzan’s books on every continent. You will most certainly gain valuable advice on how to achieve your mental potential fully.
1. Which book can help students take better notes?| A．Study Skills Handbook. |
| B．The Mind Map Book. |
| C．Speed Reading. |
| D．Use Your Head. |
| A．It offers different sources of learning. |
| B．It is the best-selling book on every continent. |
| C．It helps solve problems in different languages. |
| D．It provides tips on reaching full mental potential. |
| A．Learning motivation. | B．Daily life skills. |
| C．Personal development. | D．Memory skills. |
9 . The British Museum is filled with some of the world’s most famous historical items. If you love history, it’s a good place to visit. It is said to be the top museum in London. The museum has millions of objects, making you worry about your first visit.
Advice on your visit
If you need help in exploring the museum’s displays, about 80,000 objects from a total collection of 8 million items, try joining a guided tour. There are various free tours. You can also rent audio guides.
Ticket information
Entry to the museum is free, but access to some exhibitions will charge you. The museum limits the number of people in the museum to ensure there’s room for you to safely enjoy your visit. You’re advised to book a free ticket to guarantee the entry. Self-led groups of 10 or more people will need to book a group ticket. School groups should contact the box office to book their visit to the museum.
Opening times
Daily: from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Fridays: 8:30 pm)
Last entry: 4:00 pm (Fridays: 7:30 pm)
The museum is closed from 24 December to 26 December.
Cafes and restaurants
Court Cafés: from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Great Court Restaurant: from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm
Transport
Bicycle racks are available inside the gates of the main entrance on Great Russell Street. If you’re planning to visit by car, please be aware that the museum doesn’t offer parking facilities. There is a taxi rank on Great Russell Street at the museum’s main gates. Going to the museum by bus or subway is very convenient, which can be your first choice.
For more information, visit the British Museum’s website.
1. What may trouble you when initially visiting the museum?| A．Free access. | B．Abundant collection. |
| C．Beautiful architecture. | D．Breathtaking sculpture. |
| A．4:00 pm. | B．5:00 pm. | C．8:30 pm. | D．10:00 pm. |
| A．The bike. | B．The bus. | C．The subway. | D．The car. |
10 . Last year in early summer, I was walking to my house when I saw two large birds standing in my yard. They didn’t seem to
A few weeks later, the birds
As I inched towards the birds,
The mother put the baby birds under her wings and carefully crouched down over them so her babies were well
I was watching them with respect when I suddenly
I felt sorry to have disturbed them and left quickly. I am amazed by their
| A．remind | B．confirm | C．notice | D．protest |
| A．immediately | B．familiarly | C．creatively | D．slowly |
| A．feeling | B．sense | C．opinion | D．idea |
| A．investigated | B．removed | C．gathered | D．reappeared |
| A．stuck out | B．put down | C．hang out | D．turned around |
| A．collection | B．discovery | C．conclusion | D．mission |
| A．jumping | B．fighting | C．seeking | D．marching |
| A．curious | B．patient | C．worried | D．careful |
| A．neater | B．simpler | C．longer | D．stronger |
| A．fed | B．hidden | C．raised | D．identified |
| A．tripped | B．moved | C．alarmed | D．responded |
| A．target | B．defence | C．threat | D．escape. |
| A．shooting | B．spilling | C．folding | D．spreading |
| A．military | B．individual | C．brave | D．average |
| A．gratitude | B．respect | C．emotion | D．pleasure |
