1 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe 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 cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a 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 will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long 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. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?| A．To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
| B．To call for people to go walking without phones. |
| C．To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
| D．To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confident. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B．Bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．Daily life of phubbers. | D．Behaviours of phubbers. |
2 . Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16 - year - old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent - child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warm that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the "before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40 - year - olds, were on the ‘after’' side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
1. The underlined word gulf in Para. 3 most probably means ________ .| A．interest | B．distance |
| C．difference | D．separation |
| A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities |
| B．Parents put more trust in their children's abilities |
| C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs |
| D．Parents share more interests with their children. |
| A．follow the trend of the change | B．can set a limit to the change |
| C．fail to take the change seriously | D．have difficulty adjusting to the change |
| A．describe the difficulties today's parents have met with |
| B．discuss the development of the parent - child relationship |
| C．suggest the ways to handle the parent - child relationship |
| D．compare today’s parent - child relationship with that in the past |
3 . From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you can feel sweat (汗水)running down your body, even if you’re barely moving at all. That’s what most people in China felt like this summer. In fact, the entire northern hemisphere(半球 )saw high temperatures in July. The Arctic Circle(北极圈) was no exception(例外). Temperatures in the city of Norilsk, which is in the Arctic Circle, reached a record high of 32 ℃, The Atlantic reported. Temperatures there are usually just 10 ℃ at this time of the year.
The heat wave in the Arctic is mainly a long-term result of global warming, according to the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. In fact, while the whole world is getting warmer, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. This is called the polar amplification effect(极地放大效应).
The most direct impact(影响) of Arctic warming is the melting of Arctic ice. According to NASA, Arctic sea ice is now disappearing at a rate of 13. 2 percent every 10 years. NASA said that if this continues, the Arctic will have no ice by the year 2040. This has put some Arctic animals, like polar bears, in danger. The ice that the bears live on has shrunk(缩小), the Toronto Star reported.
Melting ice can also cause sea levels to rise in the long term. Since 1993, sea levels have risen at a rate of 3. 2 cm every 10 years, the Guardian reported. Some countries, such as Tuvalu(图瓦卢) in the South Pacific Ocean and Maldives(马尔代夫) in the Indian Ocean, are at risk of disappearing into the sea.
1. Which of the following is true?| A．Some countries in the ocean will disappear in 10 years. |
| B．China is the hottest in the northern hemisphere this summer. |
| C．The temperatures in Norilsk used to be lower than this summer. |
| D．The world gets warmer because of the heat wave in the Arctic. |
| A．The heat wave in the Arctic. |
| B．The result of global warming. |
| C．Getting warmer in the world. |
| D．The Arctic getting warm faster. |
| A．The polar will become dangerous. |
| B．Sea levels rise in the long term. |
| C．There will be an end of water shortage. |
| D．There will be no ice in the world by 2040. |
| A．Heat hits Arctic. |
| B．Arctic animals are in danger. |
| C．The world became hotter than before. |
| D．Some countries may disappear into the sea. |
4 . Nearly one in four Americans made money over the last 12 months by using their personal computers or other devices connected to the Internet. The Pew Research Center, an independent research group in Washington, found that people are using the Internet to find extra work. They go online to sell things such as used books and furniture or they offer to provide services such as babysitting, house cleaning or computer repairs.
Pew found that income earned on the Internet can come in many forms. Some said they had jobs that paid a few pennies each to take surveys. In these surveys, people are asked for their opinions of different products or well-known people. About two percent of Americans earned money from ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft. When drivers are ready to pick up passengers, they use their ride-share company’s app. The computer program lets them know when passengers are ready to be picked up and how to reach them. Some people make their homes, apartments, or rooms inside their homes, available for money to people visiting their cities.
About 60 percent of people say the income they earn is important to them. But just one in five people who sell things online say the income is enough to be important to their lives. Only 16 percent believe doing online work will lead to a meaningful career. But 37 percent say the extra income earned from online jobs helps them make up for shortages in money.
The number one reason people gave for taking online jobs was that the work gave them something to do and was fun. What kind of people work online or use online devices to find work?The answer appears to be: mostly people who already have jobs.
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?| A．How to sell used books. |
| B．How to find extra work online. |
| C．A new way of making money. |
| D．A new research on the Internet. |
| A．1. | B．2. |
| C．3. | D．4. |
| A．By listing numbers. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By telling stories. | D．By doing surveys. |
| A．Many people have found jobs using the Internet. |
| B．Those who have jobs enjoy making money online. |
| C．The future of the Internet is questioned. |
| D．More people will lose their job soon. |
5 . Last night Mr. and Mrs. Rojas stayed home. It was cold and rainy and they didn’t want to go out in the bad weather. Mrs. Rojas made some popcorn and ice tea. At 8:00, Mr. and Mrs. Rojas went into the living room, sat on the sofa and began the movie and ate and drank. At 8:15, Mr. and Mrs. Rojas realized they already watched the movie last year and they didn’t want to watch it again.
“Now what?” asked Mr. Rojas. “Let’s play cards!” answered Mrs. Rojas. At 8:30 Mr. and Mrs. Rojas started to play cards. They were playing for about 10 minutes when Mr. Rojas looked out the window. The rain changed to snow and the trees were covered in beautiful white snow. “I’m happy we stayed home tonight. It looks beautiful outside but this weather is very dangerous to drive in.” said Mr. Rojas. “You’re right,” said Mrs. Rojas, “but I’m bored. Let’s play some music and dance.”
Mr. Rojas was surprised. “Dance? But I really don’t ….”
“Oh come on!” Mrs. Rojas insisted. She put on a romantic CD and they both started to dance. They were dancing for about 1 minute when suddenly the music stopped and the lights went out. Mrs. Rojas laughed. “We’re just not very lucky tonight, are we?” she said. Mr. Rojas said, “Of course we’re lucky! We are together!” He kissed her and continued to dance with her, in the dark and without music.
1. Why did Mr. and Mrs. Rojas stay at home last night?| A．They wanted to stay together. | B．The weather was so terrible. |
| C．They had a dinner at home. | D．They planned to watch a movie. |
| A．making popcorn | B．watching a movie |
| C．playing cards | D．dancing to the music |
| A．It was a rainy day in summer | B．Mrs. Rojas cooked very well |
| C．Mr. Rojas loved to dance at first | D．Mr. Rojas was in love with his wife |
6 . Our solar system might be crazier than we once thought. Scientists say that deep within Uranus (天王星) and Neptune (海王星) it rains diamonds.
On Earth, diamonds form under extreme heat and pressure. The inside of Uranus and Neptune also has high temperatures and pressures. What’s more, the blue planets are largely made up of icy water and gases such as methane (甲烷).
So scientists have long believed that deep inside the two planets, the heat and pressure the methane into hydrogen (氢) and carbon (碳) Then diamond rain would form, falling toward the center of the planets.
But no one could prove that this would really work-until now. In a study published recently in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists say they were able to create this kind of “diamond rain” in a lab, reported The Guardian.
Scientists used high-powered lasers to create pairs of shockwaves through a kind of plastic. The plastic is made from hydrogen and carbon, much like methane. The shock waves created high pressure and heat, like that inside Uranus and Neptune.
“The experimental time is very short,” Dominik Kraus, lead author of the study, told The Guardian. “That we saw this very clear signature of diamonds was actually very, very surprising”.
The diamonds created in the lab were tiny, only a few nanometers (纳米) wide. Scientists believe that diamonds would be much larger within Neptune and Uranus. Then they might slowly sink toward the planets center because of gravity.
1. What factor is needed to form diamonds?| A．Extreme heat and pressure | B．Hydrogen and carbon |
| C．Icy water and gases | D．High-powered lasers |
| A．Unsuccessful | B．Small |
| C．Real | D．Natural |
| A．By giving examples | B．By stating argument |
| C．By explaining statistical data | D．By doing experiments |
| A．There are many high-powered lasers in Neptune and Uranus |
| B．Deep inside Neptune and Uranus could be full of diamonds |
| C．The shockwaves inside Neptune and Uranus crate high pressure and heat. |
| D．Scientists long believe that there are diamonds inside Neptune and Uranus |
7 . Eye Health Care Daily
Healthy habits mean healthy eyes. Here are some daily tips for eye health.
◆Clean your eyes with pure cold water regularly. This is one of the best ways to keep eyes healthy and disease free.
◆Avoid looking directly at the sun.
◆Roll your eyes up and down, then side to side. Then move your eyes in a circular motion (圆周运动). Exercise 5 to 10 times a day to relax your eyes.
◆ Keep a good distance from the computer screen-sit about 22-28 inches away from it.
◆Visit your eye doctor on a regular basis.
There are also some tips for healthy contact lens (隐形眼镜) wear and care to help prevent eye infections (感染). Please visit CDCS healthy contact lenses website and you can also follow them on social media (www.cdc.goy/contactlenses).
1. _____is not good for your eyes.| A．Eating vegetables | B．Wearing sunglasses |
| C．Wearing contact lens | D．Looking at the sun directly |
| A．Clean eyes with pure cold water. | B．Look at the sun directly. |
| C．Make eye movements. | D．Wear contact lens. |
| A．Education. | B．Health. |
| C．Entertainment. | D．Advertisement. |
8 . Tips for Dealing Holiday Parties When You Have Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is more than just being shy. Someone can be so uncomfortable in a situation where he becomes panicked or frozen.
Practice light conversation before the event.
Participate in small conversation during low-pressure situations, such as at the coffee shop.
Some people will choose to have a drink to calm down when they feel nervous. But if you are at a party and experience social anxiety, that’s not a good idea.
Bring a partner.
If it’s proper, ask a friend who makes you feel comfortable to go along with you to the event.
Write in a journal after the event.
After a holiday party, write down the good things you did at the party in a journal. Perhaps you finished the goal of saying hello to the host, or maybe you made friends with a co-worker at the office party.
| A．Limit alcohol intake. |
| B．Think about what you’re wearing. |
| C．You can ask the waiter how his morning is going. |
| D．Read on to learn how to deal with such occasions. |
| E．Pay full attention to what is going on in your surroundings. |
| F．Write down what you did and how you think you performed. |
| G．For work parties, ask a co-worker what his plan is for getting to the event. |
9 . The people of Chicago, Illinois, US, can thank three canals every time they drink a glass of clean water today. The building of the Illinois-Michigan Canal, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Cal-Sag Canal all helped the Chicago River start flowing in a different direction in 1892.
Since their construction over a century ago, these waterways have connected Lake Michigan and the Mississippi river network and ensured a regular flow of fresh water of Chicago.
However, some unusual and unfortunate side effects have also been created because of their construction. Asian carp(鲤鱼), also known as silver or flying carp, are threatened in their native habitat in the Chinese Heilongjiang, Yangtze, and Pearl River basins. But they have become increasingly successful at filling the Mississippi river network since first being introduced into Arkansas catfish farms in the 1970s to control algae(水藻). By swimming into the canals and spreading further across the country, there are now major fears that this introduced species may be able to access Lake Michigan and the wider Great Lakes - which store an incredible 21 percent of the entire world’s fresh water.
“The actual influence of Asian carp on the Great Lakes has yet to be explained clearly, and we think this uncertainty is part of the reason why they are such an obvious issue,” says Dr Cory Suski, Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Sciences at the University of Illinois. He points out that adult Asian carp are too large to be hunted by anything locally, that they have a prolific(多产的) reproduction rate, and they can steal food from the other native species in the rivers. “Could they survive in the Great Lakes or is there not enough food for them?” he asks.
Stopping the fish from spreading has therefore become a key concern for local lawmakers, who have made efforts such as building electric fences in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. However, any big efforts to stop the carp - such as allowing the Chicago River to once again flow in its original direction - would in turn threaten the security of the city’s water supply, replacing one big problem with another.
1. According to the text, the construction of the three canals .| A．changed the direction of the Mississippi river. |
| B．brought fresh water to the people of Chicago. |
| C．lasted for almost a century because of huge cost. |
| D．has been the largest construction project in US history. |
| A．have nearly become extinct in Chinese rivers. |
| B．have occupied large areas in the Great Lakes. |
| C．were introduced to the US to fight against algae pollution. |
| D．are likely to pollute the fresh water in the Great Lakes. |
| A．Its large size and fast reproduction rate. |
| B．The food shortage facing the species. |
| C．Its threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem. |
| D．Its natural enemies in the local areas. |
| A．US law makers knew little of the threat caused by Asian carp. |
| B．Electric fences might not be enough to stop the spread of Asian carp. |
| C．The Chicago River has changed its flowing direction many times. |
| D．People in Chicago will soon face a serious water supply shortage. |
10 . It is widely acknowledged that cities with some kind of functioning ecosystems make for better place for humans to live. More plants and animals in cities make for happier, healthier people.
A study conducted on green spaces in Sheffield, England, for instance, revealed that the greater the biodiversity (生物多样性), the greater the psychological well-being(健康) of the city’s citizens. In Paris, researchers found that getting citizens to take part in day-long activities involving urban wildlife opened their eyes to the natural world for a time, at least.
Few cities have been associated with urban ecology for as long as Berlin. “Slow economic recovery after the Second World War meant that reconstruction would take a long time. This provide local ecologist with the ideal conditions to develop an ambitious ecological research program in the bombed-out wastelands of West Berlin,” said Jens Lachmund, a sociologist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands.
The pioneering work in Berlin had several consequences, especially the formation of significant natural spaces within the city, such as the Sudgelande Nature. “Berlin has indeed benefited a lot from being a case study in urban ecology,” said Lachmund.
The recent research conducted by Mark Goddard, a biologist at the University of Leeds, and his colleagues confirmed the importance of natural space within an urban setting. Goddard and his team conducted a striking global analysis of bird and plant diversity, quantifying the influence of urbanization on levels of biodiversity around the world. “Functioning urban ecosystems will be extremely important to human health and well-being,” said Goddard.
Cities take up just 3% of the land surface area, yet according to the most recent figure from the United Nations, some 3.6 billion people (just over 50% of the global population) now live in urban areas. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 6.3 billion. Without animals and plants to keep us company, it is a dark future.
1. The findings in Paragraph 2 are mentioned to explain the link between .| A．Citizens and their well-being |
| B．green spaces and urban wildlife |
| C．urban ecology and citizens’ well-being |
| D．functioning ecosystems and the natural word |
| A．Cautious. |
| B．Admiring. |
| C．Uncaring. |
| D．Negative. |
| A．the negative effect of over population. |
| B．the importance of urban ecosystems. |
| C．the serious problems of city life. |
| D．the rapid growth of urban areas. |
| A．Should cities be for animals and plants too? |
| B．Should Berlin have more natural spaces? |
| C．Should more people live in urban areas? |
| D．Should the global population be controlled now? |
