1 . It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for all appointment(约会)at 9:30. The nurse had him take a
Now I
| A．breath | B．test | C．seat | D．break |
| A．persuading | B．promising | C．understanding | D．telling |
| A．if | B．before | C．since | D．after |
| A．taking off | B．fixing | C．looking at | D．winding |
| A．very | B．also | C．seldom | D．not |
| A．turn up | B．show off | C．come on | D．go away |
| A．needed | B．forgot | C．agreed | D．happened |
| A．daughter | B．wife | C．mother | D．sister |
| A．late | B．well | C．around | D．there |
| A．lonely | B．worried | C．doubtful | D．hungry |
| A．so far | B．neither | C．no longer | D．already |
| A．recognize | B．answer | C．believe | D．expect |
| A．moved | B．disappointed | C．surprised | D．satisfied |
| A．only | B．then | C．thus | D．still |
| A．curiosity | B．tears | C．words | D．judgment |
| A．realize | B．suggest | C．hope | D．prove |
| A．agreement | B．expression | C．acceptance | D．exhibition |
| A．necessarily | B．completely | C．naturally | D．frequently |
| A．learn | B．make | C．favor | D．try |
| A．Adventure | B．Beauty | C．Trust | D．Life |
2 . A 2017 Gallup poll reported that 43% of employed Americans had spent at least some time working remotely, and the US Census data released in 2018 reported 5.2% of US workers being based entirely at home.
Even as working from home (WFH) becomes relatively commonplace, a new form of remote work is emerging: working from anywhere (WFA), in which employees can live and work where they choose, typically within a specific country, but in some cases, anywhere in the world with a reliable Internet connection. While many companies are just starting to consider allowing employees to work from anywhere, developed WFA programs can be found at firms such as Akamai Technologies Inc. and SAP SE.
Employees value the option to work remotely. A 2017 study even found that the average worker was willing to accept 8% less pay for the option to work from home. And with a work-from-anywhere policy, employers add even more value to employees by granting geographic flexibility. There is the significant difference: while a WFH employee can choose to pick the kids up from school or spend the lunch hour walking the dog, a WFA employee can do all of those and also relocate closer to aging parents or to a location with a lower cost of living.
In our experience, however, managers often worry about remote employees working less, multitasking, or mixing personal responsibilities with work. There are also concerns that allowing employees to work from anywhere could decrease communication and collaboration (合作) among co-workers and might limit the informal learning that typically happens in the office.
But one 2015 study by a Chinese travel agency found that when call center employees were shifted to working from home, their productivity increased by an average of 13%, apparently due to a reduction in break time and sick days combined with a more comfortable working environment. This finding raises the question: could employees in a work-from-anywhere program also benefit from similar productivity increases?
1. What does the underlined word “emerging” in the second paragraph mean?| A．Coming into existence. | B．Getting more popular. |
| C．Coming to an end. | D．Drawing attention. |
| A．Picking the kids up from school. | B．Relocating closer to aging parents. |
| C．Spending the lunch hour walking the dog. | D．Working more effectively. |
| A．It is more relaxing. | B．It is more flexible. |
| C．It is more productive. | D．It is more stressful. |
| A．What’s the difference between WFA and WFH? |
| B．Do you prefer WFA or WFH? |
| C．Is it time to let employees work from anywhere? |
| D．Who are suitable for WFA and WFH? |
3 . Most of us don’t reach for that gnarled (多节的) carrots when selecting our produce at the local supermarket. That’s exactly why Americans waste up to 40% of eatable food every year. This unbelievable number has caused the “ugly food” movement, and inspired many companies to sell misshapen fruit and vegetables to consumers, rather than throw them in the trash.
One San Francisco organization is taking a unique approach to this idea. The Salvage Supperclub hosts fancy dinners inside dumper truck (自卸车) where they serve dishes entirely prepared with food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
Josh Treuhaft, founder of these ugly food dinners, originally came up with the idea to make people realize America’s food waste problem. “There is undeveloped possibility that their food is going to waste for some reason, not to their own fault,” he told Seeker’s Laura Ling.
Treuhaft isn’t alone in his effort to reduce America’s food waste. A Change.org last year called for Whole Foods to become part of the ugly food movement. They sold misshapen fruit and vegetables in Northern California stores.
Selling imperfect produce is still relatively rare right now, which can be partially due to a supply issue rather than a lack of willing participants. Raley’s, a Sacramento-based grocery chain, started an ugly food pilot program called “Real Good”, but discontinued it after 90 days saying they had “some challenges getting the product”. A grower might have large amounts of ugly produce one year due to terrible weather, but much less the next year if the weather has been more ideal. Harvests constantly vary and retailers are more likely to buy ugly produce in large number rather than just a few pounds at a time.
This is why organizations like Imperfect Produce and Salvage Supperclub are playing an important role in the prevention of food waste. Salvage Supperclub takes it a step further by not only buying the ugly produce, but turning it into a good dining experience as well.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?| A．People usually prefer good-looking produce. |
| B．Gnarled carrots mostly appear in the supermarket. |
| C．Many companies find new business opportunities. |
| D．Americans eat less fruit and vegetables than expected. |
| A．To prove his fancy idea. | B．To advise people to dine in dumper truck. |
| C．To show waste can be eaten. | D．To remind people not to waste. |
| A．People should reduce the ugly food. |
| B．People should make full use of ugly food. |
| C．People should be more aware of food shortage. |
| D．People should develop their potential in producing food. |
| A．Retailers’ pursuing larger profit. | B．Lack of enough steady amounts of produce. |
| C．Bad harvests due to bad weather. | D．People’s unwillingness to buy imperfect produce. |
4 . We are living in a consumer society. What’s great about shopping is that it relaxes us. If you are curious about what we buy the most, then take a look at our list of some best-selling consumer products in the world.
Coconut oil
Have you already started using coconut oil? If you haven’t, you will probably find a way that suits you because the beauty of coconut oil is that it is very useful. You can use it for your skin, as a lip-balm (润唇膏), makeup remover, body cream, etc. You can use it for cooking, too. This natural organic product is certainly one of the most popular products this year.
Bluetooth speakers
Bluetooth speakers are quite popular lately, and this is due to the fact that they are easy to carry and allow you to enjoy songs from your phone or another device. You can take them anywhere you go, and that’s why they are one of the hottest selling products this year.
Phone power banks
What can we do when there’s so much to see on the Internet and so many people to talk to? In fact, we use our smartphones so much that we hardly have the time to charge them at home. That’s why we need phone power banks, which have proven to be one of the hottest selling items. This trending product will charge your phone anywhere anytime.
E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes are the best replacement for regular cigarettes because they are supposed to be less dangerous than old-fashioned smoking. They are sometimes referred to as vaporizers (蒸发器), and they are getting more popular among people who wish to lessen the damaging effects of tobacco.
1. What do we know about coconut oil?| A．It has no side effects. | B．It is used to cure diseases.. |
| C．It has many functions. | D．It is not popular among women. |
| A．travel a lot | B．have no cash |
| C．have no cellphones | D．want to be fashionable |
| A．Green. | B．Practical. | C．Advanced. | D．Healthy. |
5 . Taking a break during the workday is important but how often do we actually make the time to do it？For most, an eight-hour workday just doesn't seem like enough and we end up sacrificing moments of peace to make room for more moments of productivity, but according to a new study, skipping that lunch break could actually be hurting our performance.
Amazing as it may seem, taking time away from work to enjoy a short walk or a few minutes of mindful thought throughout the day can actually have positive effects on your end of day concentration and help you feel less tired after you are off work.
Scientists tasked workers in intellectually (智力上地) demanding fields-education, engineering and finance-with taking a short 15-minute walk or doing 15 minutes of mindful thinking during their lunch breaks every day for two weeks.The participants were asked to report how they were feeling near the end of the day during, before and after the study.They also filled out a short questionnaire every night, asking how much they enjoyed their lunch break The results：those who took a break to walk or mindfully relax were significantly less stressed and able to perform better at the end of the workday than those who took no breaks.Mindful relaxation in particular helped people feel less anxious at the end of the day.
According to the study, walk in nature can lead to"attention restoration"—recovery from cognitive（认知的）overload after focus and mindful relaxation can increase our positive feelings, relieve stress and start focus.
So the next time you think you should skip your lunch break to get that big project done, take a breath and consider giving yourself a moment of peace. It might just make you a more productive employee.
1. What phenomenon is mainly described in the first paragraph?| A．Overwork for productivity. |
| B．Better performance on jobs. |
| C．Inappropriate working ways. |
| D．Peaceful work environment. |
| A．Their walk with their colleagues. |
| B．Their good food for lunch. |
| C．Their timely relaxation. |
| D．Their whole devotion. |
| A．To check their physical health. |
| B．To see the effect of lunch break. |
| C．To see how long they relax daily. |
| D．To check if they live an active life. |
| A．To tell how to perform better. |
| B．To show the importance of attention. |
| C．To introduce the life of employees. |
| D．To advise people to take a lunch break during work. |
6 . In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of（用光了...） money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a restaurant and ordered a big breakfast.
After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had lost his wallet. The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the chair where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor and said, “Son, you must have dropped this,”the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, bought gas with the change, and headed West.
On the way out of town, he began to understand what the owner did. Maybe nobody dropped the money at all.“Maybe that fellow just knew I was in trouble and he helped me in a way that didn’t embarrass(使尴尬)me. So I just made a promise to help other people if I can.”
Later, he worked very hard and became a rich man. Now he lives near Kansas City. Each year he gives away thousands of dollars. He is known as the “Secret Santa” because at Christmas time each year, he personally hands money out to those on the street and at restaurants. Last year, he gave more than $50,000 away in Kansas City.
1. The young man was traveling across the country in 1971 to ______| A．look for a good restaurant | B．improve his life |
| C．show his new car to others | D．hand out dollars |
| A．It was very lucky of him to get his lost money back. |
| B．It was very honest of the owner to return his money |
| C．the owner helped him in a way that didn’t hurt his feeling |
| D．another person who had breakfast in the restaurant lost the money |
| A．the man did carry out his promise |
| B．the man was not successful in the end |
| C．the owner was paid back the money |
| D．Santa give the man money each year |
| A．One good turn deserves another |
| B．Where there is a will，there is a way |
| C．He who travels far knows much |
| D．Give love wings(翅膀) and it may fly higher |
7 . I grew up with a four-year gap（差距）between myself and my younger brother. It was an enough distance in age to keep us close as we got older, but also enough of an age gap to make sure we lived our own lives in completely different ways. Having a younger brother while I was a girl was a lot of work for there was a lot of fighting.
However, as we've got older, we've become closer, and I've learned several things in life from my younger brother that I didn't realize I needed before.
My younger brother is one of the most talented and creative souls I've known. He's constantly feeding his creativity with new art forms, new instruments. He always seeks to understand and learn more about the world around him. He's helped remind me through his actions and words that giving up on creativity is something a person should never do.
My younger brother has always been a more introverted type, and if you speak to him, you're lucky to get over three words out of him at a time. Because of this, he's certainly learned the whole “actions speak louder than words”thing. But, I've realized from my brother that I needn't speak to fill the silence. Sometimes, it's necessary to spend some of your time in silence and reflect in it. My younger brother has also been through hard times, but he's able to focus on learning from the hard times, unlike me, who tends to hold on to every little thing from my life. It's always been difficult for me to let things go and move on, but my younger brother has been an inspiration for me to try harder at letting go.
1. What does the author think of growing up as the older sister?| A．It is a great advantage. |
| B．It tends to be enjoyable. |
| C．It is troubling but inspiring. |
| D．It isn't always fun and easy. |
| A．She should focus on the past and the present |
| B．She should never stop feeding her creativity. |
| C．She should move on with the past kept in mind. |
| D．She should explain every little detail of something. |
| A．They are quiet. |
| B．They are quick. |
| C．They are noisy. |
| D．They are friendly. |
| A．The Good Relationships between My Brother and Me |
| B．The Inspirations My Younger Brother was Given |
| C．Lessons My Little Brother Helped Me Learn |
| D．The Great Qualities of My Little Brother |
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
1. Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to make a purchase. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
| A．Red. | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．The Meaning and Function of Color |
| D．Colors and Personal Experiences |
9 . In our twenties, we find it funny when we can't remember our neighbor's cat's name or a handsome actor who starred in a famous movie. In our thirties, we jokingly call it "brain freeze". In our forties, we laugh it off as a "senior moment" and follow up with one of these old-age jokes. But the reality is that there comes a point when being forgetful stops being funny and starts to seem a bit dreadful. You think, "Am I losing it?" Or worse, "Is this a sign of Alzheimer's disease (老年痴呆症)?"
Well, don't worry. The fact that you recognize your own forgetfulness may be a very good sign, at least in terms of the possibility of your developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The researchers in a new study show that it's not forgetfulness but not being aware that we're forgetful that we should fear.
The researchers began with the assumption that one common feature of Alzheimer's disease is a damaged awareness of illness. And they wanted to prove their theory that the lack of awareness can be used to predict whether someone with "mild cognitive (认知的) damage" will progress to full-on AD. For the study, "mild cognitive damage" was defined as someone whose mental state was considered healthy but who had either complained of memory loss or had suffered objective memory loss.
The researchers used existing data for 1,062 people between the ages of 55 and 90 that had been recorded over a 12-year period. The data included brain scans, which the researchers used to look for visual signs of reduced glucose uptake (葡萄糖吸收). It is an objective marker of the sort of reduced brain function that goes along with AD. As expected, glucose uptake was reduced in those with AD. What the researchers also discovered was that glucose uptake was reduced in those with mild cognitive damage who also showed evidence of reduced illness awareness. Finally, the researchers found that those who had reduced illness awareness were more likely to develop AD than those without.
1. What can be implied from paragraph 1?| A．Old people are most afraid of getting Alzheimer's disease. |
| B．The memory of the young is better than the old. |
| C．People can be forgetful at different ages. |
| D．It's a rare phenomenon when young people forget something. |
| A．Recognizing forgetfulness doesn't mean developing Alzheimer's disease. |
| B．Illness awareness has nothing to do with Alzheimer's disease. |
| C．Being aware all the time is a fearful thing. |
| D．Realizing forgetfulness must be a sign of developing Alzheimer's disease. |
| A．Reduced uptake of glucose. | B．Realizing others' forgetfulness. |
| C．Having higher intake of glucose. | D．Expected increase in brain function. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．A chemistry book. |
| C．A health brochure. | D．A science research. |
10 . Italian Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti was said to have spoken more than 38 languages fluently at the time of his death in 1849, a skill that would have been useful in today's globalized economy. Unfortunately, when it comes to the high school Spanish lesson in the decades, most people nowadays have remembered that there is nothing more complex than "Donde esta la biblioteca". So we set out to uncover what's involved in learning a foreign language and which methods work best.
Some advertisements say that some language learners believe they're just a 15-minute audio tape away from becoming UN interpreters. But experts say these get-fluent-fast programs are a complete sham. "Actually, there is hardly a shortcut that can do that," says Dekeyser, a professor of second language acquisition at the University of Maryland. "The only way to learn a language is to make quite a bit of effort on a daily basis."
Many experts agree that the ideal learning method for language learners really depends on the individual. "Find the method that works for you and stick with it," says Simcott, a polyglot who has professionally worked in over 14 languages at once for the British Foreign Service. "If audio works for you, do audio. If you like taking classes, do classes. But remember to keep practicing every day."
However, not all people are created equal. Some may have talent for language learning, but it doesn't mean they can passively await fluency "Practice is an effective learning method," says Davidson. "The more time that you spend during the day speaking your second language, the better at it you're going to be."
Learning from multiple people is also a good way, especially when you are attempting to cultivate a native accent, "When you are exposed to a lot of people, you get a much better sense of what the sound of word is supposed to be." says Davidson. "You avoid exposing yourself to what could be features in one individual's speech patterns."
1. What do the words "are a complete sham" in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Remain to be improved. | B．Are completely scientific. |
| C．Remain to be confirmed. | D．Are totally false. |
| A．Advanced learning tools. |
| B．Constant practice in learning language. |
| C．The talent for language learning. |
| D．Suitable learning surroundings. |
| A．It is easy to learn a foreign language for Italians. |
| B．It is difficult to learn Spanish for most people today. |
| C．Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti contributed to the development of language. |
| D．Joseph Caspar Mezzofanti was both an economist and a language expert. |
| A．The importance of learning a second language. |
| B．Some problems faced by language learners. |
| C．Some views and advice on language learning. |
| D．The necessity for people to learn a second language. |
