1 . Facebook was running my life.

But what killed Facebook for me was when I posted a photo, and five minutes later my son asked me how many “likes” it had got. His question was a wake-up call.

“Likes” are signs of acceptance and approval(赞同). I had forgotten that acceptance and approval need to come from within and had unknowingly set him a bad example.

Before absorbed in Facebook, I spent a lot more time reading books and magazines. I checked in with friends through texts, emails and phone calls.

To set a healthier example to my son, I deactivated my Facebook account.

I’d been in the habit of checking Facebook many times a day, so I had to come up with some new habits. I carried a novel and a crossword puzzle book around with me. I rediscovered knitting. I started taking yoga classes.

I started to remember a few things. My body is fine just the way it is. I have friends who will help me out when I’m in trouble, and I will help them out. I do my best to be a good mother, and our son is happy and healthy. We are very lucky to be able to afford two vacations a year.

I stopped looking at the world through my cellphone. I felt completely present in the moment. The break left me feeling better about myself, my family, my home and my life.

After a few weeks, I returned to Facebook. Now I look at the photos of my friends’ kids growing up and treasure how social media allows me to keep in touch with family. I no longer have the desire to post updates often.

It is not an addiction(上瘾) any more.

1. What made the author begin to realize she should do something to control her time on Facebook?

A．Her poor health.

B．Her son’s question.

C．Her not receiving “likes”.

D．Her mother’s phone call.

2. The underlined word “deactivate” in Paragraph 5 probably means ________.

A．to close

B．to update

C．to keep

D．to check

3. What did the author do to change her life?

A．She traveled around a lot for a year.

B．She developed some healthy habits.

C．She tried to make money for her holidays.

D．She went to the gym as often as she could.

4. What did the author think of her break from Facebook?

A．It was good for her eyes.

B．It stopped her getting news.

C．It distanced her from her friends.

D．It gave her time to find beauty in life.

5. What is the author’s attitude toward social media?

A．She supports them completely.

B．She is strongly against them.

C．She thinks they are useful but shouldn’t be overused.

D．She thinks they are not harmful at all.

2 . I’ve always taught piano lessons in my spare time. Over the years I found that children have _________ musical abilities. Although I’ve taught some gifted students, I’ve also met so-called “musically _________” pupils. One such student is Robby.

Robby was already 11 years old when his mother sent him for his first _________ lesson. I prefer that students begin at an earlier age. I _________ it to Robby, but he said it had always been his mother’s _________ to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student.

_______ Robby tried very hard, he didn’t have the basic sense of music. However, he _________ and he would always say, “My mom’s going to hear me play some day.” But it seemed _________, and I was disappointed by his slow progress. Then one day Robby didn’t come. He _________ me his mother was sick. I was glad that he stopped coming, since he was really a bad __________ for my teaching!

Several weeks later I was __________ my students for the music show when Robby came and said, “Miss Handorf, I’ve wanted to play.” I don’t know what made me __________ him to do that. Maybe it was his __________ that touched me.

The night for the show came. It went well. Then Robby came up on stage. I was __________ when he said he had chosen one of the most difficult pieces of Mozart. But I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys. They __________ danced on the keys. He played so well that everyone was __________ excitedly.

In tears I __________ up to stage. “Oh, Robby! How would you do it?” “Well, Miss Handorf, I __________ practicing at home. Remember I told you my mom was sick? In fact she had cancer and passed away this morning. And she was born __________, she could never hear me play the piano, but tonight was the first time she ever heard me. I wanted to make it __________.”

1.

A．strange

B．low

C．local

D．different

2.

A．challenged

B．breathed

C．encouraged

D．inspired

3.

A．drawing

B．dance

C．piano

D．handwriting

4.

A．examined

B．promised

C．explained

D．answered

5.

A．comment

B．dream

C．hobby

D．personality

6.

A．Although

B．Once

C．Unless

D．Because

7.

A．continued

B．created

C．contacted

D．caught

8.

A．careless

B．hopeless

C．homeless

D．selfless

9.

A．asked

B．invited

C．guided

D．telephoned

10.

A．position

B．example

C．distance

D．schedule

11.

A．preparing

B．renting

C．protecting

D．regretting

12.

A．strike

B．select

C．allow

D．force

13.

A．function

B．section

C．determination

D．memory

14.

A．limited

B．satisfied

C．calmed

D．surprised

15.

A．indeed

B．even

C．actually

D．either

16.

A．sitting

B．cheering

C．walking

D．eating

17.

A．dragged

B．drove

C．ran

D．picked

18.

A．kept back

B．kept off

C．kept on

D．kept from

19.

A．shy

B．weak

C．blind

D．deaf

20.

A．special

B．humorous

C．similar

D．famous

3 . It has been four years since Grandma Joy told her grandson that she had never seen the most beautiful views of America. Since then, they have gone on many cross-country trips.

Brad Ryan had been feeling tired of studying in a vet school when he visited his 85-year-old grandma in 2015. He hoped that spending some quality family time would help lift his spirits.

As he was telling his grandma stories of his travels, however, he was heartbroken to hear that she had never seen the ocean or mountains. Ryan then asked his grandmother if she would like to go hiking with him. Needless to say, she was more than happy to agree.

They have since visited 29 different national parks across America---from the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado to the Acadia National Park in Maine. Over the four years, Ryan and his grandma have driven 25,000 miles through 38 states. And it has greatly affected his quality of life. “Seeing it through my grandmother’s eyes, who every morning wakes up and   is thankful to be alive has taught me how to live,” Ryan said. “With her, I’ve had to slow down and see life in a different way, which has made it a lot richer.”

“I love my grandma so much, and it’s just really giving me a lot of peace when she passed away. I can go back to these places, feel her spirit, and feel connected to her,” he added.

Ryan posted all of their trips on Facebook. He hopes more young people will spare time to be with their elders. “I want young people to know that hanging out with your grandparents is cool. And there’s so much we can learn from our elders,” Ryan said.

1. Why did Brad Ryan visit his grandma in 2015?

A．To cheer himself up.

B．To please his grandma.

C．To take his grandma to travel.

D．To share his travelling experiences.

2. How did Brad Ryan feel when he heard his grandma had never seen the ocean or mountains?

A．Shocked.	B．Sad.
C．Doubtful.	D．Excited

3. What influence did Brad Ryan’s grandma have on him?

A．She made him live a better life.

B．She helped him find his life goal.

C．She told him to have peace of mind.

D．She gave him a lot of encouragement.

4. What is Brad Ryan’s purpose of posting their trips online?

A．To advise young people to take a trip.

B．To share his joy of travelling with his grandma.

C．To encourage the young to keep their elders company.

D．To show young people what they can learn from their elders.

4 . Life affects friendships. As we grow, marry, fight in wars, move across the country or change jobs, old friendships fall away and new ones form. As long as we live, the things around us change, and as long as things change, friendships are affected.

When we were children, we had best friends. No matter what happened we were still friends. We live our lives, however, and do what life calls for us to do, and as we get older, memories fade, faces blur（变得模糊），and even friends’ names from childhood are forgotten.

Do you have a question about friendship？Do you wonder what to do with a friend who is no longer friendly？ Perhaps you will see that you can’t control others. If some   people want to be your friends, it is their choice. All you can do is treat them well and do the best for them when you are with them. Then you wish them well when they leave.

You can talk to old-timers and they will tell you that life is full of incredible（难以置信的）joy and incredible sorrow, and that what bothers you today will one day become a memory and the pain will be gone. Seniors might tell you that you will learn more as you get older. They will tell you that friendships come and friendships go. Sometimes when they go it will hurt you, but you will be okay with it. It’s theway life works, after all.

1. According to the text, what can we learn about friendship？

A．Friendship cannot be easily affected by one’s family.

B．Friends are always around us and will never go away.

C．Friends in childhood are sometimes forgotten by us.

D．Friends in childhood are the best no matter what happens.

2. In the author’s opinion, what should we do with friends who are no longer friendly？

A．Care about them and do the best for them when we are together.

B．Forget them and make new friends who have a lot in common with us.

C．Find the reason why our friendship has changed.

D．Do our best to control them and make them listen to us.

3. What the old-timers and seniors in the last paragraph tell you about friendship will ______.

A．make you have no good friends

B．help you have healthy understanding of friendship

C．remind you to always help your friends

D．lead you to be a powerful man WNIW HH

4. Which of the following could be the best title of the passage？

A．How to share happiness with friends

B．How to deal with unfriendly people

C．How to make good friends

D．How to face the changes in friendship

5 . I shared one of the lifeboats with the chief engineer, Tom Fenton. I don't _______ the exact circumstances, but the storm continued into the second night. In some _______, we were able to avoid being _______ into the sea. Then as quickly as it had come, the _______ passed. The wind died down and the stormy sea became _______, the clouds drifted away, and the _______ came out in the clear sky above. We didn't know where we were or what would happen to us but it was a marvelous(令人惊异的) feeling, just being _______. At night the little boat _______ in the open sea while Tom and I _______ soundly. We were both exhausted. The next morning, I was ________ by brilliant sunshine. At first the bright sun made it impossible to see, but as my ________ became used to the light, I was able to look around. There was nothing but the deep blue ________ of the Pacific in all directions. The other lifeboats were gone.

________ the danger of the storm was over, I began to ________ our other problems. All our supplies were ________. We had no food, no fresh water, and we were somewhere in the South Pacific, ________ hundreds of miles from land. Perhaps we would drift here in the quiet ________ for weeks. It was a frightening thought. My ________ was still sleeping. I was about to ________ him up when I saw something in the distance. ________ away from the sun towards the west, I thought I saw the blue shape of land in the distance.

1.

A．remember

B．recognize

C．doubt

D．see

2.

A．areas

B．ways

C．troubles

D．cases

3.

A．pulled

B．carried

C．thrown

D．put

4.

A．shadow

B．cloud

C．wind

D．storm

5.

A．quiet

B．unusual

C．rough

D．deep

6.

A．sun

B．stars

C．rainbow

D．lightning

7.

A．crazy

B．bored

C．sad

D．alive

8.

A．sank

B．returned

C．drifted

D．appeared

9.

A．slept

B．talked

C．played

D．ate

10.

A．shocked

B．hurt

C．awakened

D．heated

11.

A．body

B．face

C．ears

D．eyes

12.

A．shape

B．water

C．bank

D．sky

13.

A．Now that

B．Although

C．As if

D．Unless

14.

A．get around

B．worry about

C．work out

D．give up

15.

A．important

B．ready

C．gone

D．broken

16.

A．possibly

B．successfully

C．luckily

D．mostly

17.

A．forest

B．island

C．ocean

D．river

18.

A．wife

B．doctor

C．patient

D．companion

19.

A．ring

B．wake

C．dress

D．bring

20.

A．Keeping

B．Turning

C．Getting

D．Looking

6 . GOING TO UNIVERSITY is supposed to be a mind-broadening experience. That statement is probably made in comparison to training for work straight after school, which might not be so encouraging. But is it actually true? Jessika Golle of the University of Tübingen, in Germany, thought she would try to find out. Her result, however, is not quite what might be expected. As she reports in Psychological Science this week, she found that those who have been to university do indeed seem to leave with broader and more inquiring minds than those who have spent their immediate post-school years in vocational (职业的) training for work. However, it was not the case that university broadened minds. Rather, work seemed to narrow them.

Dr. Golle came to this conclusion after she and a team of colleagues studied the early careers of 2,095 German youngsters. The team used two standardized tests to assess their volunteers. One was of personality traits, including openness, conscientiousness（认真）and so on. The other was of attitudes, such as realistic, investigative and enterprising. They administered both tests twice—once towards the end of each volunteer’s time at school, and then again six years later. Of the original group, 382 were on the intermediate track, from which there was a choice between the academic and vocational routes, and it was on these that the researchers focused. University beckoned for 212 of them. The remaining 170 chose vocational training and a job.

When it came to the second round of tests, Dr. Golle found that the personalities of those who had gone to university had not changed significantly. Those who had undergone vocational training and then got jobs were not that much changed in personality, either—except in one crucial respect. They had become more conscientious.

That sounds like a good thing, certainly compared with the common public image of undergraduates as a bunch of lazybones. But changes in attitude that the researchers recorded were rather worrying. In the university group, again, none were detectable. But those who had chosen the vocational route showed marked drops in interest in tasks that are investigative and enterprising in nature. And that might restrict their choice of careers.

Some investigative and enterprising jobs, such as scientific research, are, indeed beyond the degreeless. But many, particularly in Germany, with its tradition of vocational training, are not. The researchers mention, for example, computer programmers and finance-sector workers as careers requiring these traits. If Dr. Golle is correct, and changes in attitude brought about by the very training Germany prides itself on are narrowing people’s choices, that is indeed a matter worthy of serious consideration.

1. Which of the following can best replace “beckoned for” in Paragraph 2?

A．Examined.	B．Attracted.
C．Organized.	D．Recognized.

2. What can we learn from the research?

A．The degreeless have not changed in personalities.

B．Going to university is a mind-broadening experience.

C．Working straight after school narrows people’s minds.

D．College students pride themselves on their education.

3. According to the last two paragraphs,          .

A．college students enjoy a very good public image

B．the undergraduates have changed significantly in attitude

C．the degreeless are much better at dealing with challenging tasks

D．people show less interest in investigative jobs due to vocational training

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the finding?

A．Concerned.	B．Optimistic.
C．Unclear.	D．Sceptical.

7 . A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It's great first for what it contains：the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sports to business，from fashion to science, and the range of comment and special feature(特写) as well，from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art theatre and music.

A newspaper is even greater for the way one reads it：never completely, never straight through，but always by jumping from here to there, in and out, glancing at one piece，reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the text.

A good modern newspaper offers a variety(多样性) to attract many different readers, but far more than the reader is interested in. What brings this variety together in one place is its topicality(时事性), its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it also mean that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than transient(短暂的) value.

For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper：what each person does is to put together, out of the pages of that day's paper, his own selection and order, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need and without wasting time，demands skill and self-awareness as you change and apply the techniques of reading.

1. A modern newspaper is great for all the following EXCEPT its________.

A．wide variety	B．similar style
C．speed in reporting news	D．popularity

2. According to the passage, the reason why no two people really read the same newspaper is that ________.

A．people look through the news they are interested in

B．different people prefer different newspapers

C．people are rarely interested in the same kind of news

D．people have different views about what a good newspaper is

3. It can be concluded from the passage that newspaper readers________.

A．apply reading techniques skillfully	B．jump from one newspaper to another
C．appreciate the variety of a newspaper	D．usually read a newspaper selectively

4. Which can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．How to read newspaper?	B．Where to find a good newspaper?
C．What is a good newspaper?	D．Newspaper.

5. The author wrote the passage to_________.

A．advertise	B．introduce
C．argue	D．compare

8 . Food sometimes gets poisoned(中毒) with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.

Certain microorganisms(微生物) cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release(释放) poisons that make people sick.

Some chemicals(化合物) can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.

Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.

When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.

Most people recover from food poisoning after a few day of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Food when poisoned can make people sick.	B．Food poisoning means death.
C．Food poisoning comes in varieties.	D．Food poisoning can be serious.

2. We know from the passage that the symptoms of food poisoning   ____.

A．are always accompanied by a fever	B．are too common to be noted
C．can be noticed within hours	D．can he ignored

3. Food poisoning can be caused by all the following EXCEPT ____.

A．some chemicals	B．low temperatures
C．some tiny living things	D．certain natural materials

4. From Paragraph 5,we can learn that   ____.

A．mushrooms should not be eaten

B．vegetables are safer than meat and seafood

C．natural poisons are more dangerous than chemicals

D．different types of food should be handled differently

9 . Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.

Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.

The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴). The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.

In time, other colonies(殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.

1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated     .

A．in spring	B．summer
C．in autumn	D．in winter

2. The first to celebrate thanksgiving were     .

A．some people from England	B．the American Indians
C．Sarah Josepha Hale	D．Governor Bradford

3. We can infer from the passage that New England must be     .

A．in the U. S. A.	B．in Great Britain
C．in Canada	D．on some island off the Atlantic

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest.

B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations.

C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God.

D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

5. The passage mainly tells us     .

A．how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.

B．how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated

C．that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday

D．how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places

10 . On a number of drives throughout my childhood, my mother would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle from tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.

Though Mother’s Day follows the Earth Day, for me, they have always been related to each other. My mum has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift(节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, mum saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and reuses her plastic bags.

Mum creates a kind of harmonious relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to avoid the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it is likely that they will be knocked down by a family of raccoons(浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house and are caught in juice glasses will be set loose in the garden.

I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for dandelions(蒲公英)to fly in the wind; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mum didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came mercy and an instinct for protection.

I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet. It is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and reuse packing envelops. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other in the trees above my house.

Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with a sweetness. I immediately wanted to share with my mum.

1. Why does the author say the Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?

A．Because Mother’s Day always falls shortly after the Earth Day.

B．To stress that all the women in her family are environmentalists.

C．To stress how much her mother cares about the environment.

D．Because her mother shows her concern to nature on Mother’s Day.

2. Which of the following in NOT related to Mum’s “green life”?

A．Rescuing a beetle from a certain tragedy.

B．Saving glass jars, empty cheese containers.

C．Setting a caught spider free in the garden.

D．Picking dandelions on busy streets.

3. We can infer from the article that .

A．the author realizes that she should teach her children by example as well

B．the author’s mother knows how to get rid of the wildlife in her yard

C．the author believes that only by learning to slow down can we enjoy life

D．the author’s mother used to lecture her to protect the environment

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．Tomatoes make the author think of her mother.

B．The author likes eating tomatoes planted by herself.

C．Planting tomatoes is a way of protecting environment.

D．The author really appreciates her mother’s teaching.