1 . No student of a foreign language needs to be told that grammar is complex. By changing the order of the words and by adding a range of auxiliary verbs (助动词) , we are able to communicate variations in meaning. We can turn a statement into a question, state whether an action has taken place or is soon to take place, and perform other word tricks to convey delicate differences in meaning. Besides，grammar is universal and plays a part in every language， no matter how widespread it is. So the question which has confused many linguists is: who created grammar?
At first, this question would appear impossible to answer. To find out how grammar is created，someone needs to be present at the time of a language’s creation, documenting its emergence. Some linguists are able to trace modern complex languages back to earlier languages, but to know the forming of complex languages, the researcher needs to observe how languages are started from scratch. Amazingly, however, this is possible.
Some recent languages evolved due to the Atlantic slave trade. At that time，slaves from different nations were forced to work together. Since they could not learn each other’s languages. they developed a pidgin. Pidgins are strings of words copied from the language of the landowners. Little grammar is found in them，and in many cases it is difficult or a listener to infer when an event happened, and who did what to whom. Speakers need to use circumlocution (迁回曲折的说法) in order to make themselves understood. Interestingly，however, all it takes for a pidgin to become a complex language is for a group of children to be exposed to it. Slave children did not simply copy words from their elders, they adapted them to create a language. It included new word orders and grammatical markers. Complex grammar systems merging from pidgins are termed creoles, which are invented by children.
Some linguists believe that many of the world’s most established languages were creoles at first. The -ed ending in English past tense may have evolved from “did”,”It ended”, which was first used by kids, may once have been “It end-did”. Therefore. it would appear that even the most widespread languages were partly created by children. Children appear to have been born with grammatical machinery in their brains. which can serve to create logical, complex structures, even when there is no grammar present for them to copy.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us?| A．Language learners know that grammar is of complexity. |
| B．One cal do a lot with his good command of grammar. |
| C．Grammar is both complex and universal in languages. |
| D．Linguists face a question in creating confusing grammars |
| A．from the very beginning |
| B．in ancient cultures |
| C．by copying something else |
| D．by using written information |
| A．It contained a complex grammar system. |
| B．It was first created by the slaves’ landowners. |
| C．It was based on a lot of different languages. |
| D．It was difficult to understand, even among slaves. |
| A．The English past tense system is inaccurate. |
| B．English was probably once a kind of creole. |
| C．Linguists have proven that English was created by children. |
| D．Children use English past tenses differently from adults. |
2 . Does your ideal vacation include going skiing across frozen ice, spying the northern lights, and playing in the snow? Then you’ll want to skate straight to these winter spots.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Alaska is a good choice for a great winter getaway. For winter fun, head to Fairbanks, where you can stay at a new cottage with glass-ceiling domes for aurora (极光) viewing in comfort and then head out ice fishing and snowmobiling. Want even more adventure? Consider a guided adventure that combines northern lights, cross-country skiing, and dog mushing.
Kirkenes, Norway
The Kirkenes Snow hotel here welcomes visitors to its ice-sculpted rooms. Besides, you can jump on a sled (雪橇) pulled by dogs or bring your appetite for a King Crab Safari. First, you’ll be on a sled pulled by a snowmobile across the icy sea. Then crab fishermen drill into the ice to create a hole to pull up the large crabs. Another quick sled trip and you’ve reached a cozy cottage where crab claws as long as your forearm are served up minutes after being pulled from the cold waters, tasting of salt water. A rich reward for braving the cold.
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Skiing down the Alps is obviously a highlight here, but did you know that night skiing in this Swiss town is some of the best in the world? Picture it: Clear sky, full moon, inky quiet, and a sky full of stars. If you need energy for skiing, you can always refuel with pizza from the wood-fired oven at Murtèl middle station. You can keep skiing until the last cable car at 1:40 a. m. Then, check into your room at the Carlton Hotel, where there are a series of daylight activities.
Quebec City, Canada
In the summer months, Quebec City is an excellent destination thanks to its French features and historic old port. But in the winter, don’t miss the Winter Carnival, the Carnaval de Quebec, the largest winter carnival in the world. During 17 days the Carnival offers more than 200 activities and welcomes nearly 500,000 people (upcoming dates are January 26 to February 11, 2018, and February 1 to 17, 2019).
1. What is considered to be the most adventurous activity in Fairbanks, Alaska?| A．Going snowmobiling. |
| B．Going ice fishing. |
| C．Appreciating aurora viewing. |
| D．Conducting a guided adventure. |
| A．Living in ice-sculpted rooms. |
| B．Having a sled trip. |
| C．Tasting the freshly-cooked crabs. |
| D．Having a taste of salt water. |
| A．Skiing down the Alps. | B．Night skiing. |
| C．Watching stars. | D．Tasting pizza. |
| A．It’s second to none in the world. |
| B．It lasts throughout the winter. |
| C．Few people show interest in it. |
| D．It is famous for its French features. |
| A．A diary. | B．A novel. |
| C．A tour brochure. | D．A textbook. |
3 . eXp Realty is one of the world's fastest-growing and most successful real estate （房地产） companies. It has become famous not for investing in actual real estate, but for focusing on
virtual reality offices that allow its agents and brokers （中间商）to interact and socialize from anywhere around the globe.
Glenn Sanford, eXp Realty's founder and CEO, founded the company a decade ago, soon after the real estate market collapse of 2007. He couldn't afford to buy or rent office space. What's more important, he figured that focusing on a system that allowed his team to work remotely would help the company avoid possible real estate crises in the future. So eXp Realty relied on services like Google Docs, project management solutions like Trello, and communications app Slack to help its workforce work together in virtual reality. "The virtual campus is a big part of our growth engine. If we were limited to actual offices, the growth we've had simply wouldn't be possible," Scott Petronis, chief technology officer of eXp Realty said.
Having a virtual campus in the virtual world rather than in the real one apparently has several major advantages. For the most important one, eXp Realty can hire whatever talent they like, no matter where they are. As long as they have Internet connection, they can interact with their colleagues and the company management like avatars （虚拟人）because they can walk around the campus, enter various virtual facilities, and interact with each other. While the main focus is on work and brainstorming, eXp Realty is constantly adding fun stuff as well, like riding on a virtual lake and enjoying a drink at the bar.
At the beginning of 2018, eXp Realty had around 6,500 brokers, but till today that number has increased to over 12,000. They are operating in 300 markets across the US and Canada. If that isn't enough to convince you, the company was recently listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, with first-day market capitalization of over $1 billion. But it doesn't own or lease any more physical space than what is required by law.
1. What do we know about eXp Realty?| A．It relies much on technology. |
| B．It was founded by accident. |
| C．It's famous for its large offices. |
| D．It's a branch company of Google. |
| A．He could work closely with famous online services. |
| B．He is quite professional in the field of information technology. |
| C．Virtual offices can enable him to avoid potential real estate crises. |
| D．The starting base for the virtual real estate market was low at that time. |
| A．Agents and brokers can communicate timely. |
| B．It helps attract talents regardless of their location. |
| C．Companies can cooperate with high-tech avatars. |
| D．Employees can have a relaxing work environment. |
| A．is really a success |
| B．has some illegal businesses |
| C．is expanding its business worldwide |
| D．has poor performance in the stock market |
| A．Why Does Real Estate Industry Grow So Quickly? |
| B．Billion Dollar Real Estate Company一eXp Realty |
| C．Virtual Reality Office Vs. Physical Office Space |
| D．What Can Virtual Reality Do to Our Business? |
4 . My father was raised in a fatherless home at a time when the family of five struggled to survive, which caused my father to be extremely tightfisted (吝啬)with money. When we children became
He didn't
One spring morning I was on the bus home from
The row of privet hedge (树篱)came into
It was the top of my father's head. I
Upon reaching home, I found my father innocently in his chair “So! It's you!" he said, his face lengthening into surprise.
1.| A．aware | B．certain | C．surprised | D．excited |
| A．attempt | B．suggestion | C．trouble | D．plan |
| A．spend | B．earn | C．survive | D．raise |
| A．strengthen | B．soften | C．take | D．show |
| A．neither | B．each | C．all | D．none |
| A．bicycle | B．car | C．train | D．bus |
| A．especially | B．only | C．even | D．once |
| A．refused | B．complained | C．cried | D．intended |
| A．strangest | B．lowest | C．scariest | D．softest |
| A．on | B．in | C．by | D．for |
| A．work | B．home | C．town | D．college |
| A．led | B．made | C．found | D．proved |
| A．treated | B．received | C．met | D．greeted |
| A．stop | B．house | C．street | D．corner |
| A．stepped off | B．went off | C．jumped on | D．climbed on |
| A．mind | B．view | C．flower | D．leaf |
| A．shining | B．flying | C．failing | D．moving |
| A．supposed | B．thought | C．imagined | D．realized |
| A．since | B．after | C．until | D．though |
| A．after all | B．above all | C．in advance | D．in total |
5 . Many parents worry that showing negative emotions in front of their children will cause them to suffer. For example, children may end up thinking it's their fault or simply "catch" the emotion. Indeed, this worry has a sound basis — the phenomenon of “emotional contagion"（情绪感染）is real, and one recent study found that parents can transfer their fear of going to the dentist, for example, to their children.
On the other hand, there is the natural idea that we should “be real" with our children, and that they will benefit from watching a parent who struggles and eventually deals with their negative emotions like any other human being.
There are three concepts to consider when it comes to emotional display in front of children: suppression （压抑），"uncontained" expression, and talking about emotions. Suppression of emotion is when you hide the outward signs of an emotion. Unfortunately, it doesn't work very well — the act of suppressing your emotion actually increases your blood pressure. Observers can pick up on your distress despite your efforts to hide it, making them feel stressed. The recent research has also found that when parents feel negative emotions and keep them from their children, they experience lower relationship quality and decreased responsiveness to their child's needs.
On the other hand, “uncontained" expression of anger and sadness by the parent is also not salutary for the child. Uncontained means high intensity emotion, with no attempts to regulate or take ownership of it. Shouting, smashing （摔）things and blaming someone else for "making you angry" are all example of this .
So, what is the middle ground? That would be talking about emotion taking ownership of them and showing your child that you are trying to deal with them. Classic research found that six-year-old kids had better emotional understanding and perspective-taking skills if their mothers had talked to them about their emotions at the age of three. In fact, the more the mothers had talked, the better the outcome would be.
So next time you feel sad, angry or frustrated and your child is watching you expressing emotion, do explain what's going on in terms they can understand.
1. The author uses the example of going to the dentist mainly to _______.| A．explain parents' common fear |
| B．introduce the topic of negative emotions |
| C．show children may catch parents' emotions |
| D．present the consequences of transferring negative emotions |
| A．she will not make her kids feel stressed |
| B．she can hide her emotions from her kids |
| C．she will often shout at her kids for no reasons |
| D．she can't respond effectively to her kids' needs |
| A．Enough. | B．Beneficial. |
| C．Necessary. | D．Reliable. |
| A．To encourage parents to "be real" with our children. |
| B．To call on parents to develop a positive attitude to life. |
| C．To inform parents of the consequences of negative emotions. |
| D．To recommend parents to talk about negative emotions with children. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
6 . Average age is rising around the world——a demographic （人口统计）change that may pose a significant challenge to efforts to slow down climate change.
Hossein Estiri at Harvard University and Emilio Zagheni of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany, have found that energy use increases as we get older, and not just because we tend to get wealthier. An ageing population could mean a greater proportion of society with higher energy use, their study suggests.
They combined two decades, worth of data from thousands of US households and used this to build a model to reveal how energy use varied across 17 age groups between 1987 and 2009. They found that, on average, children's energy consumption （消耗）climbs as they grow up, before dipping slightly when they leave home. Consumption then rises again when people hit their 30s, before briefly dropping after 55, and then beginning to climb again. The study involved factors such as income, local climate and the age, type and size of a person's home. The increase in energy use at various points in our lifespan （寿命）seems to be the result of life style and how our needs change as we age.
Why does demand grow so much in our 30s? “We need more of everything. More space, a bigger TV two fridges," says Estiri. The study found that, in warmer parts of the US, energy use increases in people over the age of 65—probably as a result of increased use of air conditioning, This suggests that there is a feedback effect between climate change and an ageing population that will only make matters worse.
Heat waves have become more common in the US in recent years and are expected to become more frequent due to global warming. More older people using more electrical energy to keep cool as temperatures rise could add to emissions （排放），and thus drive more warming until our energy supply becomes entirely fossil fuel-free.
“This confluence （汇集）of population, ageing and climate change on energy demand is really important to start thin king about," says Estiri. Benjamin Sovacool at the University of Sussex, UK, says the work shows the importance of demographics when it comes to cutting carbon emissions. Most modelling of climate change mitigation （减缓气候变化的模型） assumes people's energy consumption either stays the same or only changes by a small amount over time.
"This study directly challenges that entire body of research by forcing it to fight with the temporality and complexity of the consumption of energy, says Sovacool.
Catherine Mitchell at the University of Exeter, UK, says the research could have an important influence on policy makers. "What the paper says is that there is a lot of work about how buildings use energy, but probably not enough about how the people in them use energy," she says.
1. By saying “not just because we tend to get wealthier" in Paragraph 2, the writer probably means that .| A．poor people can't bring down the high demand for energy |
| B．a comfortable life is not the main cause of in creased energy use |
| C．there are some other reasons leading to the increase in energy consumption |
| D．people being wealthy or not has nothing to do with the rise of energy consumption |
| A．Children consumes more energy when they leave home. |
| B．Energy consumption drops briefly before people hit 55. |
| C．The researchers built a model to study the data from US households. |
| D．Energy consumption varies with the change of lifestyle and demand at different ages. |
| A．Energy will stop increasing when people get older. |
| B．His research could inspire policymakers to change current polices. |
| C．Various factors influencing energy consumption should be considered. |
| D．Old people should use fossil fuel-free rather than electrical energy to keep cool. |
| A．It is expensive and difficult to promote. |
| B．It overestimates the household energy consumption. |
| C．It did not take climate change adaptation into account. |
| D．It regards energy consumption as stable or as only slightly changing. |
| A．More emphasis should be put on people's energy use. |
| B．The government can't do much without the support of the study. |
| C．It is the buildings, not the people in side, that consume the majority of the energy. |
| D．Policymakers have been working on how to cut down people's energy use. |
| A．Health. | B．Environment. |
| C．Human. | D．Technology. |
7 . The Hope Diamond is one of the world’s most famous jewels. It was in the possession of a series of people: kings, bankers, rich women and thieves, before its arrival 60 years ago at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
As a rare blue diamond, it has a complex social history, to be sure. But, far more so is its geological history, researchers say in a new report. This is the first time anyone has come up with a fact-based study or model for how blue diamonds form.
The group looked at 42 blue diamonds, including one from South Africa that recently sold for $25 million in 2016. Researchers could tell where the stones were formed based on the very small minerals trapped inside.
Diamonds are a hard, clear form of pure carbon called a crystal (结晶). They form under extreme heat and pressure. Blue diamonds crystallize alongside water-bearing minerals that long ago were part of the floor of the sea. But these minerals were pushed deeper underground during the movement of the Earth’s plates.
Scientists already knew these diamonds received their blue color from the element boron (硼). The study says that boron had once been in ocean water but was eventually pushed into the seafloor rock. Over millions of years, the boron continued to move deep underground.
Many diamonds appear colorless. Often, however, they have some yellow color. Still others have a light brown, pink or green color. About 99 percent of all diamonds form somewhere between 150 to 200 kilometers underground, a far shallower birthplace than their blue relations. “These diamonds are among the deepest ever found,” Carnegie Institution for Science geochemist Steven Shirey said of the blue diamonds.
The public can see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
1. By saying the underlined part in Paragraph 2, the researchers mean the blue diamond ________.| A．was formed in extreme weather |
| B．has a very complex forming history |
| C．has a far-reaching influence in society |
| D．used to be very popular among rich people |
| A．By observing their colors. |
| B．By studying their structures. |
| C．By referring to where they were found. |
| D．By examining tiny substances in them. |
| A．The water. | B．Extreme heat and pressure. |
| C．A special matter. | D．The seafloor rock. |
| A．They contain several colors. |
| B．They form in much deeper underground. |
| C．They come into being in a different way. |
| D．They are found near the earth’s surface. |
| A．The social status of the Hope Diamond. |
| B．The discovery of the Hope Diamond. |
| C．The formation of the blue diamond. |
| D．The diversity of diamonds. |
8 . Imagine a school that expected its students to become literate without any formal instruction. Most parents would be alarmed by such an approach, which would leave their children confused and with gaps in their understanding. This, however, has been the philosophy on character development in many of our schools. Why is the development of character seen as somehow different from the other skills that we teach?
Of course there will always be learning by osmosis (耳濡目染) in any school, but as a teacher and primary school head I have found that a child’s moral literacy is strengthened when they acquire the building blocks of good character such as consideration, courage and honor: qualities which are commonly known as virtue.
I personally find that exploring a virtue over a two-week period provides a simple and effective program that allows for the creative input of both teacher and student and a chance for the virtue to embed (使融入) itself. Once a lesson on a virtue such as honesty has been completed we need to allow time for children to practice this concept just as would be the case with fractions or verbs. Allowing children to role play a situation such as making up excuses to cover a mistake can be enormously interesting, and the drama can be frozen allowing the characters to be questioned about their feelings and motives. It’s also a safe way for children to experience for themselves how a lie usually goes out of control.
Our role as educators is also to look for opportunities to help our students as they attempt to strengthen their characters. When something goes wrong we guide the young person to the virtue that will prevent it from happening again. For instance, when a student thoughtlessly disturbs the calm atmosphere of the library, instead of a response such as, “that was really disrespectful and selfish of you!” we draw out from them the required virtue: “When you’re walking through the library, what virtues do you need to use?”
1. The underlined word “philosophy” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.| A．study | B．subject |
| C．motto | D．viewpoint |
| A．there tends to be disagreement about what character education is |
| B．most parents are not satisfied with the teaching methods adopted in schools |
| C．the approach to character education is generally considered different from the approaches to other skills |
| D．more and more schools are adopting strategies to improve school attendance |
| A．they have gradually learnt to imitate. |
| B．they have learnt the importance of role play. |
| C．they have learnt specific moral qualities one by one. |
| D．they are given enough time to practice. |
| A．Story readings and discussions. | B．Osmosis. |
| C．Taking every opportunity to teach character. | D．Role play. |
| A．Teaching morals and values has been a frequently discussed topic in the past few years. |
| B．The author advocates putting virtues into lessons and school life to encourage character development in children. |
| C．Kids throughout the population face the same needs, the same challenges, and the same realities in their lives. |
| D．Role plays are an excellent way of getting students to practice their English. |
9 . A review from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) warns that the oceans are facing multiple threats. They are being heated by climate change, turning slowly less alkaline (碱性的) by absorbing CO2, and suffering from overfishing and pollution.
The report says, “We have been taking the ocean for granted. It has been shielding us from the worst effects of accelerating climate change by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere.”
Although the temperature increases may be experiencing a pause, the ocean continues to warm regardless. For the most part, however, the public and policy makers are failing to recognize — or choosing to ignore — the severity of the situation. Coral reefs, for instance, are suffering from the higher temperatures.
IPSO, funded by charitable foundations, is publishing a set of five papers based on workshops in 2011 and 2012 in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The reports call for governments all over the world to halt (暂停) CO2 increase at 450ppm, and also urge much more focused fisheries management and a priority list for tackling the key groups of chemicals that cause most harmful effects. They want the governments to negotiate a new agreement for the sustainable fishing in the high oceans to be monitored by a new global high seas enforcement agency.
The IUCN's Prof Dan Laffoley said, “What these latest reports make absolutely clear is that delaying action will increase costs in the future and lead to even greater, perhaps permanent losses. “The UN climate report confirmed that the ocean is bearing the pressure of human-induced changes to our planet. These discoveries give us not only more cause for alarm, but also a roadmap for action. We must use it.
1. According to the passage, _______ are NOT the reason why the oceans become slowly less alkaline.| A．various pollutions | B．higher temperatures |
| C．bad fishing practices | D．destroyed coral reefs |
| A．warning | B．protecting |
| C．showing | D．cooling |
| A．To appeal to world governments to halt CO2 increase at 450ppm. |
| B．To tell us that the ocean is bearing the pressure of human-induced changes to our planet. |
| C．To ask the governments to carry out new measures for the sustainable fishing in the high oceans. |
| D．To advise the governments to make a priority list for tackling the key groups of chemicals that cause most harm. |
| A．The reports warn us that we need to take actions right now. |
| B．Coral reefs are weakened by bad fishing practices and pollution. |
| C．The global temperature is increasing and the ocean continues to warm as well. |
| D．It seems that the policymakers are trying to ignore the severity of the ocean situation. |
| A．To tell us that the oceans become less alkaline. |
| B．To advise us to negotiate a new agreement for the sustainable fishing. |
| C．To tell us that global warming has a great effect on the oceans’ temperature. |
| D．To warn us that the oceans are in danger and immediate measures should be taken. |
10 . You can choose happiness regardless of your circumstances. You can choose to be happy no matter what challenges life brings you. Let the following simple strategies guide you back to your natural happy state.
Make lemonade when life gives you lemons.
Besides happiness, trouble will also be part of life. It’s how you choose to react to your situations that make the difference. If you look at something hard enough, you’ll see the positive side of it.
Do what you love doing.
Do you have a lifelong dream or desire? If so, start working towards it. Taking baby steps towards a goal will help you feel like you’re accomplishing something. You’ll find drive and determination to reach that goal when it’s something you love doing.
Use one of your talents.
One reason why so many people are unhappy is that they’re not doing what they’re called to do with their God-given talents. Each of us has a purpose in life. You have natural talents to help you achieve your purpose, so use your talents effectively.
Call a friend who you know is positive and cheerful.
Talk about your feelings and listen to their advice. Usually, people allow themselves to go deeper and deeper into self-depression. The truth is that you don’t have to be sad. You can decide to be happy. You just have to make up your mind to do so.
Gratitude is the quickest cure for sadness.
When you focus on what’s wrong with your life, you forget to look at what’s right and good. Take a step back and reflect on your life. Do you have children or family to be thankful for? Yes, they may not be the person we’d like them to be, but imagine life without them. Now, be thankful that you have them in your life.
Let your feelings out on paper.
Often you’ll find that just getting your feelings down on paper will allow you to work through them, helping you feel better about yourself and your beautiful life!
1. The first paragraph is used to _______.| A．expect readers to ignore themselves |
| B．start a discussion among readers |
| C．introduce the topic to readers |
| D．carry out a challenge among readers |
| A．trouble is part of life |
| B．lemonade is very delicious |
| C．life is full of sweetness and bitterness |
| D．lemons can only be used to make lemonade |
| A．diverse | B．natural |
| C．excellent | D．learned |
| A．Be grateful. | B．Do many activities. |
| C．Call a cheerful friend. | D．Use one of your talents. |
| A．excited | B．depressed |
| C．bad-tempered | D．kind-hearted |
