1 . Did you know that the color of sports suits can influence(影响) the performance of an athlete? It may sound strange, but a study suggests this might be true.

Two British scientists studied the results of four sports in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where the athletes had been given either a red or a blue sports suit. They discovered that when there was a big difference in the score, color had no influence on the result. But if it is a close match, the athlete in a red sports suit was more likely to win. Then they looked at the sports suits of the soccer team at the Euro 2004 championship. Again, teams wearing red won more games.

The two scientists got their idea from earlier studies of wild animals. It had been discovered that when a male shows red on its body, it sends a signal(信号) of it power and strength. For example, in many kinds of monkeys, the more the male shows off its red scars(伤疤) the more females it can attract.

Based on (根据) this fact, the British scientists thought that the idea might work for humans, too. According to them, when an athlete sees a competitor in a red sports suit, he gets a feeling that his competitor could be stronger than him. And that kind of feeling may have a bad influence on the player’s performance in the actual game. Although the idea is interesting, most people don’t accept that color signals in the animal world can really be useful to human sports. They think that it is unreasonable to develop an idea based on such a small number of examples. Much more research has to be done to prove(证明) the influence of sports suit colors on the performance of athletes.

1. What did the scientists find out about the 2004 Athens Olympic Games:

A．Athletes played equally well in four sports.

B．Game results had a big influence on the athletes.

C．Athletes dressed in red scored more in a close match.

D．There was a big difference in red and blue team’s scores.

2. What may be the red scars of a male animal suggest?

A．It is quite strong.	B．It is a failure.
C．It is more powerful than other males.	D．It has attracted a lot of females.

3. The underlined part “ that kind of feeling” in Paragraph 4 refers to a feeling of ________.

A．weakness

B．pride

C．danger

D．shame

4. What is most people’s view on scientists’ idea?

A．Interested

B．Satisfied

C．Doubtful

D．Thankful.

2 . Ten years ago, I went on a vacation in Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.

Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.

Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that. Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway.

Now when I look at the photo, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.

This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who "ruined" it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured and frozen on some strangers bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don't even know has been immortalized (使永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.

Perhaps we all live in each other's spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us. That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?

A．Her camera stopped working.	B．A friend approached from behind.
C．Someone asked her to leave.	D．A woman blocked her view.

2. According to the author, the woman was probably ________.

A．losing her patience	B．enjoying herself
C．waiting for the sunset	D．thinking about her past

3. In the author's opinion, what makes the photo so alive?

A．The woman's existence in the photo.	B．The perfect positioning of the camera.
C．The rich color of the landscape.	D．The soft sunlight that summer day.

4. The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ________.

A．the need to be close to nature	B．the importance of private space
C．the shared passion for beauty	D．the joy of the vacation in Italy

3 . Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts, however, will tell you that you're never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language, though.

Children and adults learn new languages in different ways. For children, language is their life. They study for thousands of hours every year, because they need to learn languages to become part of their communities. Adults, on the other hand, are already part of a language community. Learning a new language means becoming part of another language community, and adults rarely get the chance to practise as much as young children do.

Moreover, children learning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives them freedom when learning to be daring and confident. Adults, however, often feel pressured to be perfect when learning a new language. This can discourage many people and make it even harder to learn a new language.

When young children learn a new language, they come to see various languages as a “normal” part of society. This mindset helps them embrace learning a new language without feeling like they're doing something unusual or “too hard”．

So if you want to learn a new language, go for it! It's never too late to learn a new language. If you're older, it may take more work, but it can be done. If you're a young child, though, now is the time to step out and learn a new language!

1. By saying “language is their life” in Paragraph 2, the author means that children ________．

A．can't live without language	B．lead a happy life every day
C．practise a new language a lot	D．are taken good care of by adults

2. What may make it hard for the old people to learn a new language?

A．They are afraid of being laughed at.	B．They usually have too many interests.
C．They think making mistakes is natural.	D．They always make different kinds of mistakes.

3. Which of the following shows the difference between children and adults in learning a new language?

A．The behaviour they have.	B．The learning attitudes.
C．The future plans they have made.	D．The materials they are using.

4. According to the author, a new language ________．

A．can never be learnt by the old people	B．can be grasped by the old people easily
C．can be understood only by the old people	D．can be learnt by both the old and the young

4 . When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, clothes and cars.

A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines(确定)who we are and keeps us connected. It is a treasure we should protect. Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you'll have disagreements. And the result can be what you don't want—an end to the relationship.

The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. First, don't let your pride get in your way. Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open. Second, apologize when you're wrong—even if you've been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend's point of view(观点). And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion: Consider the friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and nurture(培养).

1. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Easy Ways to Make Friends

B．Ups and Downs in Friendship

C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship

D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends

2. “Wronged person” underlined in the text refers to a person________.

A．who has been mistaken for another

B．who has been blamed unfairly

C．who has treated friends badly

D．who has admitted his mistakes

3. According to the text, a friendship can last long only if________.

A．we have much in common

B．we know our friends' mistakes

C．we treat our disagreements wisely

D．we have known one another for long

4. What should we do if we follow the author's second suggestion?

A．Stick to our own point of view.	B．Avoid making mistakes.
C．Make an apology first.	D．Change our lifestyles.

5 . My mother was a nurse and often took me along to visit the families she was caring for. Among them was a woman who had a _______ disease and was always lying on the bed.

One afternoon, my mom told me that we needed to visit the woman at her home, and that we needed to be there to _______ treatment, and we would stop at a store on the way. I thought we would stop at a _______ store, where we can buy some pills, but we pulled up to a _______. My mom headed to the make-up area and bought the most expensive bottle of perfume they _______. To my surprise, she also bought a _______ nightdress. When I asked my mom who these things were for, she said they were for her patient. My mom further explained that although this woman was older and unable to _______ her bed, she was still a lady, and she still _______ dignity (尊严) and beauty. She _______ to me that when we care for someone, we should look past the ________ or the illness and we look into the soul of the human so we can connect with them with sympathy.

I ________ realized that my mother’s great strengths and abilities were ________ the very young and the very old, those who can not ________ out their needs and hope for themselves, and need trustworthy and loving care providers. Under the influence of my mother, I knew in the 9^th grade I would become a ________. Today, my dream has come true. I work as a clinical psychologist, working hard and remembering what my mom taught me, and I’m not ________ that I find my work filled with patients who are very and very old.

1.

A．serious

B．active

C．rare

D．common

2.

A．help with

B．deal with

C．learn from

D．focus on

3.

A．fruit

B．drug

C．clothing

D．food

4.

A．supermarket

B．restaurant

C．factory

D．garage

5.

A．produced

B．bought

C．offered

D．made

6.

A．comfortable

B．cheap

C．useful

D．beautiful

7.

A．approach

B．make

C．touch

D．leave

8.

A．managed

B．wanted

C．starved

D．requested

9.

A．turned

B．reported

C．explained

D．wrote

10.

A．advantage

B．condition

C．disability

D．shortcoming

11.

A．soon

B．even

C．never

D．again

12.

A．caring for

B．looking for

C．waiting for

D．setting for

13.

A．look

B．put

C．speak

D．take

14.

A．writer

B．patient

C．chemist

D．doctor

15.

A．positive

B．pleased

C．silent

D．surprised

6 . “The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence（篱笆）.”That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live.“Let’s go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!”We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.

Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Beijing Opera, quick meals on the streets, and even Jay Chou! And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.

Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it's fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!

1. The author thinks young Chinese ________.

A．are ignoring our own culture	B．are foolish in learning our own culture
C．are interested in our own culture	D．are hating our own culture

2. In some young Chinese’s eyes, which of the following is not the “greener grass”?

A．Japanese cartoon books.	B．Korean soap operas.
C．The Mid-Autumn Festival.	D．Christmas.

3. In the author's opinion, what is the best feature of Chinese culture?

A．Hard-working.

B．Friendly.

C．Brave.

D．Honest.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese culture and western culture	B．Simple young Chinese
C．Interesting western culture	D．That grass is not always greener

7 . Four Free Mobile Apps to Help You Learn English Faster

Have you realised that you can put your smartphone to really good use for learning English? Here are 4 free mobile apps that will help you do just that.

Hello English

It covers all the aspects of language learning, including vocabulary, translation, grammar, spelling, speaking and reading skills. It uses interactive games to teach different English lessons and offers new audiobooks, the latest news, and books. However, you should already understand basic English structures and the alphabet, for the app can't help you learn English from scratch（从零开始）.

Duolingo

If you want to learn English from scratch, then this is the app you are looking for, Duolingo uses interactive games to help you learn English. For beginners, the app focuses on helping you learn verbs, phrases and sentences.

Lingbe

If you are ready to practise your spoken skills in the real-world communication, you'll need Lingbe. It's a community-based app where people help each other and share their native languages. It connects you with real people on call who are native English speakers.

HelloTalk

HelloTalk is similar to Lingbe as it connects you with native speakers to help improve your language skills. However, it adds a few extra functions that might interest you. You can view the information about users to find a match that interests you. Additionally, you can also send text and audio messages, and even make video calls with other people.

If you are a beginner, start from Duolingo and then use Hello English to have a good command of the language. For fluent spoken English learners, you can try out Lingbe or HelloTalk.

1. What should you already understand to use Hello English?

A．Good reading and writing skills.

B．Basic listening and speaking tips.

C．Different English lessons and books.

D．English letters and basic structures.

2. Which app is the best choice for an English beginner at first?

A．Hello English.	B．Duolingo.
C．Lingbe.	D．HelloTalk.

3. What can you do on Lingbe?

A．Read the latest news.

B．Enjoy the interactive games.

C．Practise your spoken English.

D．Talk with native speakers face-to-face.

8 . It was just a normal day for Ruth Miller, a 63-year-old woman until everything went horribly wrong. She was walking to her car after shopping when the unthinkable happened.

Right as she was unlocking her car, a man quickly came up behind her and tried to wrestle her purse away. She was in a state of shock. Luckily she remembered she had her Safe Personal Alarm (SPA) on her purse, and since she was too scared to scream for help, she quickly reached for the alarm and pulled the pin (保险栓). Immediately her SPA started just screaming. The man didn’t know what to do! He froze for a second, and then ran away like a bat out of hell!

SPA is a safety device capable of creating a 125 dB sound that attracts attention and scares away potential attackers. To compare, it’s the same volume as a military jet during take-off.

Paul Davidson, the inventor of SPA, knows all too well the type of situation that Ruth found herself in. But that’s not the only type of situation that SPA helps protect against. Parents can give it to their kids as an extra means of protection. Teenagers can use it so they can feel safe walking home. Women can know ifs there when they have to use the parking lot at night. “My mother, who is 76 years old, carries it around in case she falls and needs to ask people for help. I only wish I’d have thought of it earlier,” said Paul.

The police have been recommending SPA since it first hit the market. In fact, since its launch, SPA has been in a state, shifting between in stock and sold out nearly every other week, and it’s also got tons of loyal followers worldwide.

1. What does the underlined part “the unthinkable” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．An attempted robbery.	B．A wrestling match.
C．An angry argument.	D．A car accident.

2. How did Ruth react to the unexpected situation?

A．She fought violently.	B．She froze in great fear.
C．She cried desperately for help.	D．She sounded her safety device.

3. Why does Paul mention his mother?

A．To imply the elderly need more care.	B．To suggest he cares about his mother.
C．To show SPA can be widely used.	D．To make an advertisement for SPA.

4. What can be learnt from the text?

A．SPA is well received in the market.	B．People hesitate to pay for security.
C．SPA was sold out in the first two weeks.	D．The police seldom recommend products.

9 . Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.

Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’re connected to the Internet, there are a lot of things you can do. You can send e­mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can communicate with your friends through social software such as QQ, WeChat, Facebook and so on. You can also deal with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).

There are many different types of computers now. They all can be linked to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.

There are lots of places for you to surf the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can explore the Internet to search for useful information or knowledge in your classroom. However, in order to prevent yourself from playing with computer games, you should use it in limited time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.

Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, receiving and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want through the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The Internet.

B．Information.

C．Computers.

D．English.

2. According to the passage, you can do all the following things through the Internet except for.

A．Sending and receiving e­mails	B．Chatting with your friends
C．making and producing things	D．Dealing with information

3. Who is the owner of the Internet?

A．The headmaster.

B．The government officer.

C．The user.

D．No one.

4. What does the writer try to tell us in the last two sentences?

A．The Internet is more and more popular.

B．English is important in using the Internet.

C．All of the information on the Internet is in English.

D．Every computer must be joined to the Internet in English.

10 . Press your fingers into the back of your head,just above your neck. If you feel a small bony bump, you may find evidence of human evolution:it could be your body responding to common smartphone use in the 21st century.

According to a recent study,published in Scientific Reports,young people increasingly have bony bumps at the base of their skulls,right above the neck.Medical professionals call them enlarged external occipital protuberances (EEOPs, 枕外隆突).

Australian health scientist David Shahar,author of the study,told the BBC that over the past 10 years he's seen more and more patients with EEOPs. Together with other researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast,Australia,they examined 1,200 skull x-rays from people aged 18-30. They also measured the bumps and noted each person's posture.

They found that one in four people had developed these growths. This led to their theory that smartphones are the cause.

According to their research,looking down at our phones adds stress onto the top of our spines(脊柱）。 To prevent damage to our spines, Shahar believes our bodies add fresh bony bump to help reduce the extra stress.

Most of the EEOPs measured just a few millimeters. However,several subjects were found with EEOPs as large as 30 mm.

In his report,Shahar said the results “highlightedthe need" for intervention. In other words, we need to change our posture while using our phones.

Many people assume our bones are solid and unmoving once we reach adulthood. In reality, they are alive and covered with blood vessels, which allows them to develop in unique ways for each person.

Aside from EEOPs, other noticeable recent changes in human bodies include shrinkingjaws, narrower elbows and generally smaller skeletons(骨骼）。The human body is adapting to modern life, so who knows what people in the future might look like?

1. What did the recent study find about EEOPs?

A．They grow on one's neck.

B．They may stop growing when you reach 30.

C．They could lead to many health problems.

D．They increasingly occur among young people.

2. What is the main cause of EEOPs?

A．Gene problems.

B．Aging bone layers.

C．Cellphone use.

D．Extra stress.

3. Which of the following would Shahar probably agree with?

A．EEOPs increase the stress on our spines.

B．EEOPs are actually beneficial to our spines.

C．Young people's bones adapt in similar ways.

D．Young people should exercise to improve their posture.

4. What's the main purpose of the text?

A．To persuade readers to protect their spines.

B．To recommend some healthy habits of using phones.

C．To explain why human bodies develop EEOPs.

D．To show some recent changes in human bodies.