1 . An old man was sitting on a train with his son who was about 20 years old. As the train started, the young man was filled with ____ and curiosity.   He was seated by the window and shouted,     “Dad! Look! All the trees are going behind!” The old man____.

There was a couple beside the young man. They were just sitting and listening to the___ between the father and the son. Suddenly the young man shouted again, “Dad! Look at the____! Clouds are moving with the train!”

The couple watched the young man. They thought it was rather___ that the young man was behaving like a small child.

Now it started raining and some water drops ___ the young man's hand. He was even more__ and he closed his eyes. He shouted again, “Dad! It's raining! Water is   touching   me! Dad! Look!”

The couple couldn't___ themselves any longer and asked the old man, “Why don't you take your son to a___ ?”

The old man said, “Yes，we were just coming from the hospital. Today my son got___ first time in his life.”

1.

A．joy

B．panic

C．humour

D．confidence

2.

A．shouted

B．cried

C．left

D．smiled

3.

A．argument

B．story

C．quarrel

D．conversation

4.

A．sky

B．field

C．lake

D．mountain

5.

A．frightening

B．amazing

C．strange

D．informal

6.

A．cleaned

B．touched

C．filled

D．covered

7.

A．shocked

B．satisfied

C．excited

D．inspired

8.

A．help

B．protect

C．forgive

D．understand

9.

A．teacher

B．scientist

C．lawyer

D．doctor

10.

A．eyesight

B．strength

C．images

D．gifts

2 . Elephants born without tusks(长牙) normally make up just 2 to 6 percent of the herd population. However, that is not the case at Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, where 33 percent of female elephants born after the country’s civil war ended in 1992 are tuskless. While that might be just a coincidence(巧合), Joyce Poole, an elephant behavior expert, has another theory.

The researcher thinks we may be witnessing an unnaturally evolution of the species due to the hunting of the elephants for their valuable tusks. Unlike our permanent teeth, tusks of elephants grow throughout the animal’s life, becoming longer and thicker with age. For decorative purposes, poachers usually first target older males due to their impressive tusks, and females are not spared either. As a result, in areas where hunting goes unchecked for long, the number of tuskless females increases. This allows them to gain a biological advantage, resulting in a larger than average population of female offspring (后代)with no tusks.

Poole believes this phenomenon explains the rise in the number of tuskless females at Gorongosa National Park. The researcher says before the war, the park was home to over 4,000 elephants. However, by the time the conflict ended in 1992, about 90 percent of the elephants had been slaughtered for tusks to help finance weapons and meat to feed the soldiers. Of the less than 200 survivors, over 50 percent of the females had no tusks. Hence, it is not surprising that the park’s tuskless elephant population has grown greatly.

So far, the hunting has largely influenced female elephants. Poole explains, “Very few males are tuskless because males require tusks for fighting. Without tusks, males have a much harder time breeding and do not pass on their genes(基因) as often as tusked ones.” If the hunting of males for tusks continues at this pace, it could result in a generation of elephants with much smaller tusks.

1. How does the writer draw readers’ attention to the topic?

A．By comparing figures.

B．By offering explanation.

C．By giving an example.

D．By introducing an expert.

2. What might be the reason for the increase of tuskless females?

A．Illegal hunting.	B．Pure coincidence.
C．Natural evolution.	D．Effective protection.

3. What does the underlined word “slaughtered” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Raised.

B．Protected.

C．Killed.

D．Trained.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The future of African elephants.

B．The protection of African elephants.

C．The increasing number of tuskless elephants.

D．The genetic consequence of hunting elephants.

5. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Health.

B．Science.

C．Education.

D．Finance.

3 . Mary, 16, was suffering from cancer. As a father, Mitchell always stayed home to care for her. He said the _________left them financially worse off. Then a group called Growing Hope   _______in with $1,800 to help with his living costs.

_______, he wanted to pay it back. In his youth, he had been a _________. So at age 40, Mitchell took up the _________again, participating in two fights in Fairfax. During this time, he   _________ his daughter. And for six months he did little but mourn.

One day, Mitchell _________ a Mark Twain quote —The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you _______ why. “After I read that quote, I was going to spend the rest of my life helping kids with cancer and their families,” he said.

Mitchell thought of creating a foundation, yet boxing did not seem_______any more for fundraising due to his age. Then he found that ________ could be a source to raise money. In the Corps Marathon he cut a striking figure on the course. ________ by this success, he set his sight higher. He __________ each of the miles of the race to a different child with cancer, and he carried their________ with him. Years after his daughter’s death, Mitchell now________ up in the morning knowing his________.

1.

A．atmosphere

B．crisis

C．situation

D．poverty

2.

A．brought

B．stepped

C．took

D．broke

3.

A．Grateful

B．Hopeful

C．Sorrowful

D．Regretful

4.

A．runner

B．singer

C．boxer

D．fighter

5.

A．helmets

B．gloves

C．boxes

D．sneakers

6.

A．cured

B．accompanied

C．comforted

D．lost

7.

A．came upon

B．agreed on

C．looked to

D．count on

8.

A．consider

B．negotiate

C．discover

D．launch

9.

A．abstract

B．realistic

C．energetic

D．critical

10.

A．funding

B．singing

C．running

D．projecting

11.

A．Depressed

B．Embarrassed

C．Shocked

D．Motivated

12.

A．emerged

B．donated

C．enhanced

D．conveyed

13.

A．smiles

B．parents

C．strengths

D．pictures

14.

A．stands

B．goes

C．wakes

D．climbs

15.

A．passion

B．destination

C．course

D．purpose

4 . The cultures of the East and the West are really different from each other a lot. This is because the culture systems are two separate ones on the whole.

The origin (起源) of the Eastern culture is mainly from two countries: China and India. Both of the two cultures are developed by rivers — the Yellow River in China and the Hindu River in India. They helped the two cultures develop for centuries and form their own styles.

When the two mother rivers gave birth to the Eastern culture, another famous culture was up on the Mesopotamian Plain — the Mesopotamian Civilization. This civilization later on developed into the cultures of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. And these two are well-known as the base of the European culture. Like the Chinese culture, the European culture also crossed waters. When the British settled down in America, their culture went with them over the Atlantic Ocean. So the American culture doesn’t have much difference from the European culture.

At the same time, some other differences add to the cultural differences. Take the language system for example. In the East, most languages belong to the pictographic (象形) language while the western languages are mostly based on the Latin system. Other causes like human race differences count as well. But what’s more, due to the far distance and the steep areas between the East and the west, the two cultures seldom communicate until recent centuries. So they grew up totally in their own ways with almost no interference from the other.

The differences are everywhere. They are obvious and make people’s ways of thinking and their views of the world different. But different cultures make the world of 21st century more colorful. The cultural difference should not be the obstacle (障碍) to the civilization of human being. It ought to be the driving force of our going farther.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The origin of cultures.	B．Culture differences.
C．Language systems.	D．Colorful world.

2. Why is the American culture similar to the European culture?

A．Both of the two cultures have a very long history.

B．They have the same mother rivers as the Chinese culture.

C．The early settlers from Britain brought their culture to America.

D．Both the British and the American live along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “interference” in paragraph4?

A．difference	B．influence
C．confidence	D．environment

4. Where is the passage most likely from?

A．A diary.	B．A magazine.
C．A novel.	D．A guidebook.

5 . Reading is good for more than just entertainment Sparing part of everyday to read printed books can make you a smarter, kinder, more relaxed individual. Involving kids in books, magazines, and more at an early age is a great way to encourage them to be lifelong readers, which means they'll reap these benefits for years to come.

Reading helps understand another personas feelings. Reading books doesn’t just make you smartest can make you a kinder person as well： According to a study in 2013,People who consume literary fiction have an easier time sensing and relating to emotions in other people. Great literature forces readers to step outside themselves and empathize with the characters they’re reading about.

Reading can lower stress. Feel stressed at the end of a long day? Cracking open a book is a good way to wind down. A 2009 study found that reading for just 30 minutes has similar stress-reducing effects to doing 30 minutes of yoga.

Reading is an excuse to put your phone away at night. Reading a physical book before going to bed is a great alternative to scrolling through your phone-something most of us admit to doing. Research has shown that smart phone use at night makes it harder for people to fall asleep and leads to an overall decline in sleep quality, Some experts say reading books, on the other hand ,can have relaxing effects, making it the ideal bedtime activity.

Reading helps families bond. When parents read out loud to their children ,they can pass on the benefits of reading and encourage meaningful interactions. To help kids get the positive effects of reading, parents should stick to physical picture books, A recent study found that printed books, unlike tablets and e-readers, can deepen connections between caretakers and children.

1. What is probably the beat title for the text?

A．Benefits of Reading Printed Books.

B．Stress-reducing Effects of Reading.

C．Connections between Parents and Kids.

D．Significance of Reading Great Literature.

2. Which of the following can replace “reap” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．search.	B．reduce.
C．obtain.	D．resist.

3. According to paragraph 4, to sleep well at night, you'd better ______.

A．put your phone away

B．relax by reading on the smart phone

C．read a physical book before bedtime

D．do bedtime activities through your phone

4. What is suggested in the last paragraph?

A．Tablets and e-reader should be made* use of in reading.

B．Kids should read aloud to get positive effects of reading.

C．Meaningful interactions should be encouraged in games.

D．Printed books should be read to improve family connections.

6 . It was about 10:15 pm when Janice Esposito drove her minivan from Station Road onto Montauk Highway. And then—wham! Out of nowhere a car hit her minivan pushing her backward some 100 feet onto the railroad tracks. She sat in it, slightly injured but mostly panicked by the impact.

Meanwhile, Pete DiPinto,64, a volunteer firefighter, was getting ready for bed when he heard the sound of car crashing coming from not far outside his bedroom. He grabbed a flashlight and, still in his pajamas (睡衣），ran out of the door. “Any firefighter would have done what I did，” he told MyNBC5. “We’re always on duty. ”

The first car he came upon was the one that had hit Esposito. Once DiPinto concluded the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Esposito’s minivan on railroad tracks. And then he heard the bells signaling an oncoming train.

DiPinto rushed to Esposito’s minivan and knocked hard on the driver’s side window. “Honey， you’re on the railroad tracks，” DiPinto shouted “We have to get you off right now!” But Esposito just looked at him， her eyes unfocused. “I don’t know where I am，” she said He pulled the handle hard， but the door was damaged arid jammed shut The train， traveling at 65 miles per hour， was heading toward them. DiPinto ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He grabbed Esposito’s arms， helped her out and speed-walked her to safety a few feet away. Within about six seconds, the train bumped into the minivan. “It was like a Hollywood movie，” he said.

But this one had a twist. “Last night, the hero arrived in pajamas, not in a fire truck，” people said.

1. What do we know when the car accident happened?

A．DiPinto heard the call for help,

B．DiPinto was on duty at that time.

C．Esposito didn’t know where she was.

D．Esposito was more shocked than injured.

2. From the text, what do we know about DiPinto?

A．He is a man of high sense of responsibility.

B．He is warm-hearted but careless in dressing.

C．He is a man full of energy and imagination.

D．He is kind but impatient with other people.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How DiPinto managed to save Esposito.

B．How Esposito reacted to DiPinto's behavior.

C．How the train bumped into Esposito’s minivan.

D．How seriously Esposito’s minivan was damaged.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．DiPinto liked watching Hollywood movies.

B．People laughed at DiPinto’s careless dressing.

C．DiPinto pulled out Esposito through the driver’s window,

D．Esposito must have felt fortunate and thankful to DiPinto.

7 . Sleep is essential for a person’s wellbeing. Researchers have found that sleep loss increases a person’s risk of developing serious medical conditions. Now, a new study has found that getting enough sleep is also the key to improving academic performance.

Jeffrey Grossman, who led the research, was not trying to find the correlation (相关性) between sleep and grades when he handed out Fitbits to the students in his class. Instead, the professor hoped the popular wrist-worn electronic device (装置), which tracks a person’s activity 24/7, would show a connection between physical exercise and academic achievement.

As part of the research, a quarter of the participants chose a fitness class specially created for the study. After the school term ended, the researchers carefully analysed the data. Much to Grossman’s surprise, they found no measurable difference in test performance between the group that had been physically active and the group that had not.

However, the study presented a surprising viewpoint in the journal Science of Learning. Going through the large amount of data, Grossman noticed an interesting trend (走向) from the participants sleep patterns. There was a straight-line relationship between the average amount of sleep and his/her grade on the exams.

Besides, it was not enough for students to just head to bed early the night before a test. Grossman says: “We’ve heard the phrase ‘Get a good night’s sleep, you’ve got a big day tomorrow.’ It turns out this does not relate at all to test performance. Instead, it’s the sleep you get during the days when learning is happening that matters most.”

The time students went to bed each night was similarly important. Those who went to bed in the early hours of the morning performed poorly, even if the total sleep time was the same as a higher-performing student.

The research does not prove that sleep is the only component that helps improve academic performance. However, Grossman says the results are a strong indication that sleep really matters. Who knew getting A’s just required some extra ZZZ’s?

1. What’s Grossman’s original purpose by using Fitbits in the research?

A．To improve students sleep patterns.

B．To regulate students’ daily behavior.

C．To monitor students’ physical condition.

D．To find effects of physical exercise on grades.

2. What did Grossman think of the research result?

A．It was unexpected.	B．It was changeable
C．It was unreliable.	D．It was fruitless.

3. What plays a more important part in test performance?

A．Sleep in the learning stage.	B．Average amount of sleep during tests.
C．Sleep quality the night before the test.	D．A regular bedtime.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Physically Active and Sleep More

B．Enough Sleep Benefits Our Wellbeing

C．Catch ZZZ’s for Good Test Performance

D．The More Exercise, the Better Schoolwork

8 . The band Coldplay has released (发行) a new album called “Everyday Life”. But the group has announced it won’t go on tour until it can figure out how to tour without making the climate worse.

Normally when bands have a new album, they go on tour to promote (推销) the album. They may fly from country to country and drive across countries in buses, performing in concert after concert.

Touring is an important way singers and musicians earn money. But tours are very hard on the environment. Flying is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases. During their last tour, the band flew to five different continents and played 122 shows. They traveled with 109 supporting workers, 32 trucks, and 9 bus drivers. Think about the pollution from Coldplay’s flights as well as the trucks, buses and huge amounts of electricity required to power the shows!

It’s hard to keep track of the pollution a band creates while touring, but most of the environmental cost comes from the fans. During their last tour, Coldplay entertained 5.4 million fans, all of whom had to travel to the concerts and bought “merchandise” like T-shirts, CDs and posters. Some bought food and drinks at the concerts, creating tons of plastic waste.

Instead of touring to promote the new album, Coldplay recorded two videos of the band playing their new songs live in Jordan and has put the videos of their performances up for free viewing on YouTube.

Coldplay, one of whose dreams is to have a show with no single-use plastic and have it largely sun-powered, says it won’t tour again until its members work out how to make their tours help instead of hurt. The decision will cost the band a lot of money in the short run, but it could pay off big for the planet.

1. Why is Coldplay’s last tour mentioned twice by the author?

A．To stress the necessity of the tour.

B．To describe Coldplay’s great popularity.

C．To introduce Coldplay’s basic information.

D．To show huge environmental costs of the tour.

2. How did Coldplay promote the new album?

A．By making a tour in Jordan.

B．By distributing free CDs to fans.

C．By posting their performances online.

D．By performing their new songs live on TV.

3. Which of the following best describes Coldplay’s decision to quit tours?

A．Thoughtless.	B．Meaningful.
C．Temporary.	D．Doubtful.

9 . When Denis wants to relax at work, he steps into a quiet room, sits in a chair, slips on a virtual-reality headset, and escapes to the beach. For Denis, those minutes are a tool he relies on regularly to both relieve and prevent stress.

He's not the only one at his company to use the room, where workers can also use a headset to watch a moon walk, take a virtual roller-coaster ride or access a meditation (冥想) app.

Research shows VR can help reduce pain and anxiety. But it's not yet clear why it works. Experts believe it's related to the technology's power to distract.

''Whatever their problems are, whatever their stresses are, they can literally neglect them and have a different emotional pulse, '' Denis said.

Virtual-reality headsets haven't taken off with consumers, but they're now powerful and inexpensive enough for companies to consider investing in them to help make workers and customers happier.

The headsets may help people take a virtual break from their surroundings, but there are challenges to consider. Ramon Llamas, a tech market researcher, noted that there could be challenges in handing out headsets. Some people get sick or dizzy while using virtual reality, and the headsets may get dirty or broken. There's also the task of quickly familiarizing people with using the headsets, especially since VR adoption has been so limited and the ways they are controlled can vary.

For now, Llamas said, he's concerned about privacy and security. What if, for instance, someone manages to back into a headset and insert some content into what you're watching?

Another potential issue is the managing of the headsets and software that goes along with them. This is likely not a complication for an office like Umber Realty's, where people can simply take a headset off if they feel something wrong. But it could be more of a problem if you're stuck in a dentist's chair. ''The last thing you want is that in the middle of extracting a tooth something goes wrong.'' Llamas said.

1. What does Denis's company use Virtual Reality for?

A．Improving the customers' experience.

B．Displaying the schedule of his company.

C．Relieving the staff's work pressure.

D．Saving the trouble of transportation.

2. How can the VR devices help the users by Denis?

A．Ignoring reality for the moment.	B．Improving their thinking.
C．Designing work for the company.	D．Investing in a new industry.

3. What does the author focus on in the last three paragraphs?

A．The potential problems with VR.

B．The privacy policy available for VR.

C．The management of these devices in the market.

D．The standards the VR technology is to follow.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．VR, a promising business in future!	B．Is VR always making us relax?
C．The adoption of VR needs investments.	D．Are we saying ''goodbye'' to VR?

10 . China is known for its long history, rich culture, and cute pandas. It’s also known for some of the worst air quality in the world. But the Asian country is now using a natural weapon against air pollution — trees.

In February, China’s government announced plans to cover at least 32,400 square miles with forest. That is about the size of Ireland. Some 60,000 soldiers will take charge of the tree-planting program. Most of the trees will be planted in Hebei Province. That is an area surrounding China’s capital, Beijing.

Huang Wei is an environmentalist who works for Greenpeace East Asia. She is optimistic about the plan. “Trees act as a sink to absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants,” she said. Carbon dioxide is a gas that traps the Earth’s heat. It contributes to global warming.

Why is China’s air filled with harmful chemicals? It’s because the country relies on coal-fired power plants. When coal is burned, PM2.5 is produced. PM2.5 is a pollutant. It can cause shortness of breath, heart attacks, and even death.

Just two years ago, pollution levels were so high in Beijing that schools and factories had to close. Huang hopes China’s tree-planting plan will reduce the nation’s suffering from air pollution.

The Chinese government is getting help from others in its drive to make the nation greener. Stefano Boeri is an Italian architect and urban planner. He is leading an effort to plant vertical (垂直的) forests in China.

Boeri’s designs have already taken root in the city of Nanjing, China. That’s where the Nan-jing Green Towers are under construction. The building has two towers. Thousands of trees and hanging plants will grow on the balconies and rooftops.

Boeri says his goal is to design buildings that help the environment and improve air quality. He also hopes to encourage a new generation of green architects.

1. What measure is China taking to improve the air quality according to the passage?

A．Planting more tress.

B．Closing the electricity factories.

C．Forbidding people to burn coal.

D．Designing new buildings.

2. What does Huang Wei think of the new plan?

A．Doubtful.	B．Uncertain.
C．Promising.	D．Ineffective.

3. Which of the following has the closest meaning to “contributes to” in paragraph 3?

A．Adapts to.	B．Results in.
C．Refers to.	D．Concentrates on.

4. Why is Stefano Boeri invited to China to design buildings?

A．Because his design can keep the polluted air outside the house.

B．Because his buildings are built in forest.

C．Because his design is special with two towers.

D．Because his design is environmentally friendly.