1 . This spring’s best page-turners

Run Towards the Danger

by Sarah Polley

Director and actor Sarah Polley last examined her personal history in her 2012 documentary, Stories We Tell. Her first book, a collection of biographic (传记的) essays, reconstructs her difficult childbirth, injuries, stage fright, and how she deals with these memories in order to move past them.

The Candy House

by Jennifer Egan

This new novel involves many of the same characters as Egan’s 2011 bestseller, A Visit from the Goon Squad. The new novel describes a social media network which allows users to upload and download their memories using futuristic technology. Egan lives up to her unpredictable reputation, writing chapters as series of tweets, emails and dialogues.

Trust

by He man Diaz

Anyone in need of an escape from reality will enjoy Diaz’s story set in the 1920s. It’s about Benjamin and Helen Rask, a pair of wealthy, strange business people in Jazz Age New York whose tricks and secrets threaten to destroy their lives.

This Time Tomorrow

by Emma Straub

Emma Straub’s novels offer fresh twists (转折) on the everyday relationships that form the glue of our lives. Her latest adds a fantasy to the mix. Alice is a middle-aged school admissions officer who’s transported back into her 16-year-old body, giving her the opportunity to reconnect with her father and correct the mistakes that separated them.

1. Who works in the acting industry?

A．Sarah Polley.

B．Jennifer Egan.

C．He man Diaz.

D．Emma Straub.

2. What kind of book is The Candy House?

A．A folk tale.

B．A biography.

C．A sci-fi story.

D．A detective story.

3. Which book focuses on family relationships?

A．Stories We Tell.	B．A Visit from the Go on Squad.
C．Trust.	D．This Time Tomorrow.

2 . There are so many uses of GPS tracking that people don’t think of’ every day. From the military to searching for treasure, we use GPS for a wide variety of activities, both serious and fun. Of course, the most important benefits of GPS technology are the life-saving ones, one of those uses is in search and rescue missions. More people than ever have a GPS device right in their pockets, which makes them safer than ever when they run into a dangerous situation.

Many hikers equip themselves with GPS devices because they know that anything can happen when they go out on the trail. A working GPS device is equally as important as any of their other tools. A lot of hikers have found their GPS devices helpful in their rescue. There are many stories of GPS technology saving hikers who have run into trouble on or off the trail.

Kidnappings (绑架) arc a tragedy whenever they occur. The US Department of Justice found that in one year, 797,500 children were reported missing. Only some parents equipped their children with GPS devices to protect them in the event of a kidnapping. GPS devices aren’t only useful for kidnappings but can also be applied if children simply wander off and gel lost. Many are equipped with a panic button so children can warn their parents as soon as they feel they are in danger.

Everyone has heard of planes disappearing and never being heard from again. With GPS tracking, this no longer has to be a reality. GPS tracking can find planes that have disappeared in most cases and even rescue passengers in the event of a crash. It is an important technology for air travel to keep airplanes from crashing into one another in mid-air.

1. What is the biggest use of GPS?

A．Keeping us safe.	B．Offering more fun.
C．Doing military tasks.	D．Tracking hikers’ position.

2. What is the purpose of showing the number of missing children?

A．To look into the tragedies in the US.

B．To tell us GPS devices sometimes fail to work.

C．To show how important GPS technology is for kids.

D．To explain why the parents didn’t use GPS devices.

3. How can we find a plane more easily in an airplane crash?

A．By using position tracking.	B．By searching more widely.
C．By learning more experience.	D．By developing more new technologies.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Important life-saying tools.

B．GPS tracking’s benefits to saving lives.

C．Everyone should be equipped with GPS devices.

D．How to keep safe in a dangerous situation?

3 . The San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most diverse places in America, a wonderful place filled with people from all backgrounds. Each of them drew something different from their own experience. Their stories are the focus of Status Update, an exhibition of 14 projects offered by Dundon and former WIRED contributor Pete Brook. The show at SOMarts uses personal tales to show the Bay Area’s culture.

The Bay Area is a microcosm (缩影) of the national melting pot, a place where people of color comprise 58 percent of the overall population and are a majority in four of the region’s five countries, San Francisco in particular is the type of place where you can’ t walk down the street without hearing another language. Yet the change is not all for the better. The gap between rich and poor is widening at a frightening speed, and San Francisco is becoming less diverse as minorities escape from the city for more affordable communities elsewhere in the region.

Status Update reflects these changes and the challenges they bring. Joseph Rodriguez’s Faces of Foreclosure features quiet images of people like Ethel Gist, who lost her home in the East Bay suburb of Brentwood six years ago. Photographer Sam records Oakland resident Shannon and his efforts to provide for his daughter. And Laura Morton documents millennials (千禧一代 )hoping to make their way to the top in Silicon Valley in her series Wild West Tech.

Status Update starts a conversation about how the Bay Area is changing, and what people can do to build up a more just equitable (公正的) society. “I hope people walk away from this show with a little more respect for our neighbors and communities and the ways we depend on one another.” Dundon says. “we’re all out here together”

1. What are the artworks in Status Update mainly about?

A．The real lives of people in the Bay Area.

B．The beautiful construction of the Bay Area.

C．The friendliness of people in the Bay Area.

D．The technological development of the Bay Area.

2. What is happening in San Francisco?

A．It is facing a rapid economic slowdown.

B．The population has been falling in recent years.

C．More and more local people tend to speak the same language.

D．It is getting harder and harder for minorities to afford their lives.

3. What’s the most suitable subject of Status Update?

A．Sharing the successful experience of the Bay Area.

B．Recording the diversity and change of the Bay Area.

C．Introducing the long and rich history of the Bay Area.

D．Showing the past, the present and the future of the Bay Area.

4. What does Dundon expect of visitors?

A．They can know more about themselves.

B．They can open their hearts to other people.

C．They can respect the people around them.

D．They can develop an interest in diverse cultures.

5 . Lacking connection can increase the risk for early death to levels comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to a report, released by the US Surgeon General on Tuesday. The report also notes that about half of US adults are experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.

“The consequences of loneliness can be devastating, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia (痴呆) for older adults,” it warns.

“In the last few decades, we’ve just lived through a dramatic pace of change. We move more, we change jobs more often, and we are living with technology that has greatly changed how we interact with each other. We can feel lonely even if we have a lot of people around us, because loneliness is about the quality of our connections,” said Surgeon General Dr. Murthy. “Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why we issued this report to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.”

The study finds that, across age groups, people spent less time with each other in person than two decades ago and this was most obvious in young people aged 15~24 who had 70% less social interaction with their friends.

“I know that for some kids, being online has been a way to find community at a time when many of them have not been able to,” Murthy said. “What we need to protect against, though, are the elements of technology, and social media in particular, that seek to maximize the amount of time that our children are spending online at the expense of their in-person interactions.”

The report calls on workplaces, schools, community organizations, parents and other people to make changes that will strengthen the country’s connectedness. It advises people to join community groups and put down their phones when they’re catching up with friends. It also asks employers to think carefully about their remote work policies.

1. Which of the following best explains “devastating” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．Serious.

B．Beneficial.

C．Lasting.

D．Unavoidable.

2. Why do many Americans feel lonely according to Dr. Murthy?

A．They are too busy to see their friends in person.

B．They fail to build up high-quality connections.

C．Most of them have to live alone or work remotely.

D．Many of them do not have access to the technology.

3. What does Dr. Murthy most probably suggest lonely children do?

A．Stay away from digital technology.

B．Make best use of the time spent online.

C．Don’t find community on the Internet.

D．Avoid getting addicted to social media.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The American Lifestyle Can Be Very Bad for Our Health

B．A Study Says That Americans Are the Loneliest People on the Planet

C．A New Report Calls for Combined Efforts to Handle the Loneliness in the US

D．Smoking Can Be Far More Harmful for Our Health Than Lacking Connections

6 . Down the Central Valley in California, the roads are still destroyed by rainwater and farms are still flooded. But the benefits of the state’s destructively wet winter are on full display: a sea of colorful wild flowers spreading across the landscape like a wonderful painting.

“This is definitely one of the benefits to a wet year like we just had,” said Gabe Garcia, the head of the Bureau of Land Management. “Last year, this area looked like a lifeless desert. Now the flowers reach my knees.”

But the new life comes at the expense of thousands of Californians who have suffered in recent months. Estimates for economic damages from a series of storms in early January alone are in the billions of dollars. The state has already declared states of emergencies for 47 counties since the start of February.

“When you’re driving through the Central Valley and see water spread across the landscape, you’ll think of this as a really negative thing. However, I try to look at it as opportunities,” said Carson Jeffres, a researcher at the University of California. “It is an opportunity to show the value of wetlands in flood control during wet years like this. Most important of all, it is an opportunity to see what once it was.”

For centuries, Native Americans have learned to live in harmony with nature. But the landscape has been dramatically changed. Most wetlands have been long cut from the rivers and streams that nourished (滋养) them. Snow water from the southern Sierra Nevada mountains is channeled to a vast network of farms. The big floods are just recreating the wetlands that were here historically.

“This year, the few remaining wetlands are getting their share of water up and down the Central Valley, helping reduce the flood risks to the towns and farms that are slowly displacing them.” he continued.

1. What can we learn about the Central Valley in California?

A．It was extraordinarily dry in history.

B．It seemed like a lifeless desert last year.

C．It is usually very wet in winter and spring.

D．It is known for colorful flowers every year.

2. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The flower.

B．The wetland.

C．The desert.

D．The flood.

3. What does Carson Jeffres mainly talk about in the last paragraph?

A．The wetlands’ great value.	B．The damages caused by floods.
C．The mismanagement of the farms.	D．The sufferings for Native Americans.

4. What does the author most likely want to tell us?

A．It is a good time to visit California now.

B．We should see bad things in a positive light.

C．We should learn to live in harmony with nature.

D．More lands should be returned to Native Americans.

7 . The owners of a Dairy Queen in Phoenix remain puzzled—and slightly amused—as to why someone would steal their huge red spoon that decorates their restaurant.

“What are they going to do with such a huge spoon?” Puja Kalra, one of the owners, said on Wednesday. “But getting another spoon made, delivered and then fixed would cost us over $7,000.”

Puja Kalra and her husband, Raman Kalra, said the spoon was stolen sometime between late Friday and early Saturday. The 4.5-meter-tall spoon stood against the side of the building with the handle fixed to the wall. Their security camera caught two people taking it down very quickly and carrying it away on a motorbike. The couple reported the theft to Phoenix police and no suspects have been identified yet.

The Kalras, who are Indian immigrants, moved to Phoenix from Minnesota in 2007 and decided to join the fast food chain, Dairy Queen, which now owns 34 restaurants across the US that carry a standardized menu and decoration. This Phoenix one is the only Dairy Queen with the towering red spoon.

“With the spoon big enough to hold a small child, it was a popular photo spot,” Puja Kalra said. “Now, it looks empty and incomplete without that spoon.”

Meanwhile, they’re trying some creative strategies to spread the word about the spoon theft. Workers at the Phoenix location will start wearing “Where’s my spoon?” T-shirts with a red spoon and the Dairy Queen logo (徽标). They’ll also send out similar posters all around Phoenix.

The reward? One Blizzard treat from every flavor of the standard summer menu.

In all seriousness, the couple would love to have the red spoon suddenly be returned. “We appeal to the persons. This spoon is too big to eat anything,” Rarnan Kalra said. “We want you to bring it back. We will not ask any questions.”

Dairy Queen is known for sending out free samples of their featured Blizzard ice cream in summer to promote sales.

1. How do Puja Kalra and her husband feel about the spoon theft?

A．Angry.

B．Happy.

C．Confused.

D．Amazed.

2. What sets the Kalras’ restaurant apart from the other Dairy Queen branches?

A．Its unique menu.	B．Its Blizzard ice cream.
C．Its Indian flavor.	D．Its decorating red spoon.

3. What is the author’s attitude to the owners’ handling of the spoon theft?

A．Favorable.

B．Disapproving.

C．Doubtful.

D．Objective.

4. What did Raman Kalra promise to do if the thieves offer to return the spoon?

A．Ask them to pay $7,000.	B．Forgive them immediately.
C．Give them more ice cream.	D．Hand them over to the police.

8 . Are you seeking adventures in the Alps this summer? These new guidebooks will help you explore the unique natural beauty of the great mountains.

Great Escapes by Angelika Taschen

Price: £40

Angelika Taschen follows the footsteps of 18th-century travelers and visit the Alps’ historic places ranging from ancient hotels to mountain camps. These include Schatzalp in Davos and Camp du Montenvers high above Chamonix, where mountain climbers stayed overnight more than 140 years ago.

A Natural Companion by Jim Langley and Paul Gannon

Price: £20

A detailed guide to the geology (地质) and flowers of the Alps by science-focused authors Jim Langley and Paul Gannon, it not only shows, with photographs and maps, where to find those unique flowers and plants but also explains how the mountains are formed.

Wild Swimming by Hansjörg Ransmayr

Price: £19

Discover more than 150 “secret” bathing and swimming spots from family-friendly waterfalls to mountaintop challenges for true adventurers. Offering detailed descriptions and tips on safety and access, this guide includes inspiration for places to picnic by beautiful forest lakes, the chance to swim in the icy waters of an underground lake set at an altitude of 10,500ft.

High Mountains in Motion by Andreas Fischer

Price: £30

The Alps are a place of high drama—extrene weathers, changing seasons, snowstorms that contrast with times of peace. An experienced photographer of the Alps, Andreas Fischer brings together the best of his collection, showing the breath-taking beauty of the mountain range as climate change increasingly disrupts the region’s natural cycle, with informative texts and inspiring travel tips by mountain experts.

1. Who are the authors of A Natural Companion?

A．Jim Langley and Paul Gannon.	B．Paul Gannon and Angelika Taschen.
C．Paul Gannon and Andreas Fischer.	D．Jim Langley and Hansjörg Ransmayr.

2. How much should you pay for two copies of Wild Swimming?

A．£19.

B．£20.

C．£38.

D．£40.

3. Which book is suitable for tourists interested in the effects of climate change?

A．Great Escapes.	B．A Natural Companion.
C．Wild Swimming.	D．High Mountains in Motion.

9 . Elephants can no longer maintain themselves with the small amounts of food they find in forest areas and parks. They come into the fields abutting their nature reserves and eat the crops. Dozens of elephants are getting wiped out by farmers every year. One solution that has been proposed is electric fencing but that is extremely expensive and the electricity itself can kill the elephant and every other animal. A much better idea has been put forward.

Elephants are frightened of bees. Bees enter and attack their sensitive trunks inside, causing a pain that elephants never forget. Generations of elephants have learned to associate bees with pain and they even run away when they hear the sound of the bees. Beehive fences were invented in 2002 when scientists from the Save the Elephants discovered that elephants avoided trees with beehives. University of Oxford zoologist Lucy King designed the fence and it was tried out in 2008 in Kenya.

Supported by Save the Elephants, University of Oxford, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, scientific studies concerning the theme by Lucy King have led to the establishment of a project called The Elephants and Bees Project, which teaches farmers how to build beehive fencing near fields to prevent elephants entering. More than ten African countries have now followed suit.

The bees pollinate (授粉) farmers’ crops and the nearby plants, providing an ecological and economic boost to the surrounding area. Elephants perform essential services like digging waterholes in dry river beds, spreading hundreds of fruit tree species with their dung which also feeds dozens of insects and small animal species, and making forest paths that act as firebreaks.

And even more exciting, the raw honey is sold by the farmers to markets all over the world. Beehive fences are the first fences that have been invented to make the farmers more money than what it costs to maintain the fence.

Elephants could bring in a lot of eco-tourism money. Every year, Africa has calculated that each elephant brings in nearly $ 23,000 in tourism.

All this helps the ecology of the region and the additional income of beehives gives farmers even more motive to keep the elephants alive.

1. What does the underlined word “abutting” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Different from.	B．Next to.
C．Similar to.	D．Far from.

2. How did scientists come up with the idea for beehive fences?

A．By observation.	B．From experts.
C．From books.	D．By experiments.

3. What is the author’s attitude towards beehive fences?

A．Doubtful.

B．Intolerant.

C．Unclear.

D．Favorable.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．The bees and the function of the elephants

B．Measures to save elephants from extinction

C．An advantageous solution to save elephants

D．The history of an organization to save elephants

10 . Sharing could be giving somebody a gift, helping someone by donating some money, sharing your food with a poor and hungry person. It can simply mean giving some time to help others.

When you receive something from others, it makes you happy. On the other hand, when you give something to others, it makes both you and the receiver happy. From the outside, sharing seems to give away a part of your time, resource or space to others. But when you share something with others, you can get all kinds of positivities inside and outside yourself. It can enhance your mood, reduce your stress level, decrease your blood pressure, and have a long-term effect on your life and longevity (长寿).

Sharing makes you bigger inside and in your society as well. Take knowledge and love for example, the more you share, the more you get. If you make sharing a part of your life and practice it in your daily life, you will get more out of your life directly or indirectly, like help, support, love, cooperation, and a lot more from others even at a time when you are not expecting it. This is why it makes you bigger and happier when you share something with others.

We are living in a global village where each one of us is related to each other in some way or other. When you volunteer, you give away your time or wealth or knowledge to a person or a group of people. You will realize that you are not alone in the big world. As a result, you won’t feel left out in your society. Sharing advances cooperation and social connection. To live harmoniously, we should learn and practice sharing our life with others. Sharing could be one of the ways to build an ideal society.

So, what are you waiting for? Start giving a part of yourself to others and see how your life becomes more beautiful, positive, lovely and satisfying. Giving makes you better, bigger, and brighter inside you, in your society, and even in the entire global village.

1. What can be learned about sharing from paragraph 2?

A．It only benefits the receivers.

B．It takes a lot of time and energy.

C．It has nothing to do with emotion.

D．It is good for physical and mental health.

2. Why does the author mention knowledge and love in paragraph 3?

A．To say what is important in life.	B．To tell us how to find happiness.
C．To show sharing makes us better.	D．To remind us how to live happily.

3. What makes volunteering very important in today’s world?

A．Greatly improved awareness.	B．Highly developed technology.
C．Great dependence on each other.	D．Convenient means of transportation.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To inspire the readers to share.

B．To introduce an instructive book.

C．To give the definition of sharing.

D．To make others better and happier.