1 . As a young boy my family was very poor. I would often help do something for the neighbors to
One day I
I put my hands in the jar and
I was twelve years old when I moved from that neighbourhood. I will never forget the huge
| A．save | B．give | C．earn | D．change |
| A．turned | B．knocked | C．worked | D．looked |
| A．how | B．when | C．why | D．if |
| A．school | B．time | C．trouble | D．bed |
| A．bag | B．carpet | C．coat | D．sofa |
| A．allowed | B．forced | C．helped | D．stopped |
| A．punished | B．tested | C．praised | D．paid |
| A．set up | B．took out | C．talked about | D．put away |
| A．boring | B．new | C．fine | D．terrible |
| A．keep | B．make | C．remove | D．buy |
| A．visit | B．forgive | C．welcome | D．serve |
| A．recognize | B．reward | C．understand | D．protect |
| A．goals | B．stories | C．marks | D．ideas |
| A．room | B．money | C．food | D．time |
| A．grabbed | B．lost | C．borrowed | D．charged |
| A．rare | B．special | C．simple | D．enough |
| A．promised | B．discovered | C．knew | D．admitted |
| A．asked | B．required | C．showed | D．wrote |
| A．decision | B．progress | C．mistake | D．difference |
| A．courage | B．kindness | C．honesty | D．happiness |
2 . The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn’t exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.
Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.
Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.
1. Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?| A．The British often enlarge the fact. |
| B．The British try to understate something. |
| C．British jokes are connected with many different cultures. |
| D．British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries. |
| A．describing a process | B．using examples |
| C．following time order | D．making comparisons |
| A．telling funny stories |
| B．copying how others behave |
| C．making jokes about others’ accent |
| D．using his body movement and facial expressions |
| A．British Humor in Comedy | B．Humor in Different Cultures |
| C．Developing Your Sense of Humor | D．Understanding British Humor |
3 . Yesterday, a salesman called me to sell his phone plans. I was at work and while I usually don’t like spending time on those things, I
That’s what he did. So we talked about 20 minutes. He
Finally, he said the following to me: “Thank you, Olivier. You are the first person in a long time with whom I had an enjoyable conversation.
It set me thinking. He had been the
| A．found | B．excused | C．reminded | D．forgave |
| A．replied | B．agreed | C．suggested | D．ordered |
| A．explained | B．admitted | C．apologized | D．reported |
| A．stuck | B．involved | C．interested | D．lost |
| A．announce | B．ensure | C．confirm | D．imagine |
| A．impatient | B．discouraged | C．concerned | D．nervous |
| A．generous | B．reliable | C．cheerful | D．polite |
| A．Unexpectedly | B．Usually | C．Eventually | D．Similarly |
| A．meeting | B．interview | C．conversation | D．appointment |
| A．relaxed | B．slept | C．talked | D．played |
| A．annoyed | B．proud | C．touched | D．curious |
| A．proof | B．target | C．supporter | D．result |
| A．activities | B．exercises | C．disabilities | D．conflicts |
| A．Yet | B．Besides | C．Otherwise | D．Instead |
| A．responsibility | B．loss | C．relief | D．trust |
4 . Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, it has been held in more than 40 different cities. That gives Olympic fans quite a few possible travel destinations to choose from!
Beijing, China
Olympic fans should consider visiting the Beijing Olympic Park to check out the special buildings of the so—called “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”—the national stadium and aquatics center built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Popular historic places in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian’anmen Square.
Innsbruck, Austria
Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known as a great winter destination—which explains why it has hosted not one but two Winter Olympics. Known for its mountainous views, Innsbruck is the perfect stop for outdoor adventurers.
Mexico City, Mexico
This wonderful travel destination offers a wide number of popular museums, historic buildings, and public parks. People will love shopping for fresh meat and produce at the markets, taking a cooking class, and generally eating their way through Mexico City, which is especially known for its culinary(烹饪的)experiences that include both globally well—known restaurants and locally favored street carts.
Melbourne, Australia
Nearly half a century before Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, Melbourne became the first Australian host city in 1956. Head to the “cultural capital of Australia”, located in Victoria on the southeastern coast, for an energetic cafe culture and art scene. Melbourne offers something for every type of traveler and everyone can enjoy an evening at one of the city’s many rooftop bars or a day of wine tasting.
1. Where will you go if you are fond of adventure?| A．Beijing, China. | B．Mexico City, Mexico. |
| C．Innsbruck, Austria. | D．Melbourne, Australia. |
| A．Enjoy wonderful culinary classes. |
| B．Get profit from making delicious food. |
| C．Admire beautiful mountainous views. |
| D．Visit special stadiums for the Olympics. |
| A．It is famous for all kinds of wine. |
| B．It has many world—famous hotels. |
| C．It hosted the Summer Olympics twice. |
| D．It can satisfy different travelers’ needs. |
5 . We know music is very important in our daily life. Do you notice music playing at any of those places when you go somewhere? Today most stores, stations, restaurants and other places play music. You might even hear music in an office or on a farm?
Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave. They think that the sound of western classical (古典的) music makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend ever less.
Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes peoples eat faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This makes people eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money in this way.
Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.
Next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might influence the way you do things.
1. According to the text, scientists believe that music can_________.| A．affect people’s behavior | B．help us to form good habits |
| C．develop our interest in food | D．influence natural environments |
| A．Light music. | B．Rock music. |
| C．Sweet music. | D．Soft music. |
| A．slow in action | B．care about manners |
| C．active in study | D．worry about studies |
| A．Music and Behavior | B．Good and Bad music |
| C．Types of Music | D．Music in Restaurants |
6 . I was never very neat while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but my always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Overtime, Kate got neater and I got my merriser. She moved to push my dirty clothing over and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.
Who broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! why under my bed!” Suddenly I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.
The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up. She quickly crawled (爬) under her covers, crying. Obviously. that was something she could not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy (同情) rose up in my heart.
Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bad. Cleaned the suckers and swept the floor even on her side. I got so absorbed into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching. Her tears dried and her expression was such disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me. “Thanks.”
Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.
1. What made Kate so angry one evening?| A．She couldn’t find her books. |
| B．She heard the writer shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill. |
| D．She saw the writer’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．Because she was scared by Kate’s anger. |
| B．Because she hated herself for being so messy. |
| C．Because she wanted to show her care. |
| D．Because she was asked by Kate to do so. |
| A．By analyzing courses. |
| B．By showing differences. |
| C．By describing a process. |
| D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate. |
| B．Hard Work Pays off. |
| C．How to Be Organized? |
| D．Learning to Be Roommates. |
7 . In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack(非法侵入), and here millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cyber security may well be mapping your brain.
Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working on a biometric(生物特征识别的)system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your email or your social media accounts.
They started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects. The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes(电极)attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food — on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded.
The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched with their firsttime reaction. If the “brainprint” is cracked — like what happened with the fingerprint records — then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves. “Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo.
Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 percent accurate. So one of the more difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They’re also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down.
1. What does the underlined word “brainchild” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The brain function. |
| B．The fingerprint record. |
| C．The biometric system. |
| D．The online password. |
| A．To create their brainprints. |
| B．To check the brain’s reaction. |
| C．To match brainprints with pictures. |
| D．To connect brain waves to electrodes. |
| A．A spare one will be ready beforehand. |
| B．A new one will be set again. |
| C．The users’ security will be leaked. |
| D．The fingerprint record will replace it. |
| A．Making it user-friendly. |
| B．Improving its accuracy. |
| C．Recording more brainprints. |
| D．Increasing the number of electrodes. |
8 . Like any new ninth-grader on the first day of school, Joemar Class had ninth-grader- emotion (情绪). He’s not used to school in Hartford. He’s used to going to school in his home town of Florida, used to seeing his friends, used to having class in Spanish.
“Nervioso,” he said in Spanish.
We first met Joemar in mid-October in the San Juan Airport. His father, Guillermo Class, had sold his car to buy plane tickets to get his kids and fly them up from Puerto Rico. The island was almost destroyed (毁坏) by the deadly storm—Hurricane Maria.
Now, they are settling into their new home in Hartford’s South End. A week later, using his wife’s car, Class drove 16-year-old Joemar to his first day at Bulkeley High School. After a short ride, he got out in front of his new school. Inside, he met Gretchen Levitz—the school’s program director.
“I see you have new uniform,” Levitz said. “You look great. Are you ready for a good first day? ”
Then he met couple of teachers.
“Hello” they each said in Spanish. They asked where he was from, and told him they were happy to see him. Then Levitz took him on a quick tour of the school before classes began — to her office, the school store, the library, and the dining hall.
A total of 19 languages are spoken in Bulkeley High School. “We have so many new students coming here from other countries every single day,” Levitz said. “So it’s not like he’s the only one who has that feeling.”
“You could tell he’s little worried,” Guillermo said as we left. “But, at the same time, he’s expecting it.”
1. What kind of feeling did Joemar have on his first day of school?| A．Nervous | B．Excited | C．Annoyed | D．Amazed |
| A．His old school closed down. |
| B．He wanted to see his mother. |
| C．He expected to have a new life. |
| D．His town was hit by a terrible storm. |
| A．He had a long talk with his father. |
| B．He said hello to some of his classmates. |
| C．He learned some simple Spanish words. |
| D．He had a short look around his new school. |
| A．It has no library. |
| B．It is an international school. |
| C．It plans to open Spanish classes. |
| D．It requires all students to wear uniforms. |
9 . I came across quite a few language problems while spending holiday with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her “pants were dirty”. They looked at her in surprise, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, “pants” means underpants or knickers (内裤;衬裤), not trousers as it does back home.
Katie — From America
I went to stay with a friend on the west coast last summer. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn’t find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.
David — From Britain
When I asked for the “restroom” in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and “rest”. It took me years to get through to (使...明白)someone that I only wanted the toilet!
Tom — From America
1. Hearing Katie’s mother’s words, Katie’s friends were in surprise because ________.| A．Katie’s mother got mud on her jeans | B．Katie’s mother’s underpants were dirty |
| C．they mistook pants for underpants | D．they didn’t understand British English |
| A．phone the police for help | B．phone his friend for help |
| C．tell his friend he couldn’t visit her | D．apologize for his being late |
| A．he wanted to have a rest | B．he wanted to go to the toilet |
| C．he wanted to go to bed | D．He wanted to go to a department store |
10 . Human beings have used tools for a very long time. In some parts of the world you can still find tools that people used more than two million years ago. They made these tools by hitting one stone against another. In this way, they broke off pieces from one of the stones. These chips of stone were usually sharp on one side. People used them for cutting meat and skin from dead animals, and also for making other tools out of wood. Human beings needed to use tools because they did not have sharp teeth like other meat-eating animals, such as lions and tigers. Tools helped people to get food more easily.
Working with tools also helped to develop human intelligence. The human brain grew bigger, and human beings began to invent more and more tools and machines. The stone chip was one of the first tools that people used, and perhaps it is the most important. Some scientists say that it was the key to success of mankind.
Since 1960, a new kind of tool has appeared. This is the silicon chip (硅芯片). It is smaller than a finger nail, but it can store lots of information. It is an electronic brain. Every year these chips get clever, but their size gets smaller, and their cost gets less. They are used in watches, calculators and intelligent machines that we can use in many ways. In the future we will not need to work with tools in the old way. Machines will do everything for us. People will have plenty of spare time. But what will they do with it?
Human beings used stone chips for more than two million years, but human life changed very little in that time. But now life is changing faster every day. What will life be like twenty years from now? What will the world be like two million years from now?
1. From paragraph 1, we can know ________.| A．why early human beings cut skin from dead animals | B．how early human beings discovered the tools |
| C．what early human beings used the tools for | D．what food early human beings stored |
| A．was very important to the development of mankind |
| B．led to the invention of machines in the early time |
| C．developed cooking abilities of mankind |
| D．was one of the first tools of mankind |
| A．stress the importance of the silicon chip |
| B．introduce a new kind of tool |
| C．give an example of using tools |
| D．show that the ability of humans to use and create tools is improved |
| A．out of order | B．less colorful |
| C．hard to predict (=foretell) | D．full of meanings |
