1 . Did you know that the color of uniforms can influence 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 uniform. They discovered that when there was a big difference in the score, color had no influence on the result. But if it was a close match, the athlete in a red uniform was more likely to win. Then they looked at the uniforms of the soccer teams at the Euro 2004 tournament. 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 show red on its body, it sends a signal of its power and strength. For example, in many kinds of monkey, the more the male shows off its red scars, the more females it can attract.
Based on 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 uniform, 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 animals world can really be useful to humans in 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 the influence of uniform 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. |
| A．It is quite strong. | B．It is a failure. |
| C．It has power over other males. | D．It has attracted a lot of females. |
| A．weakness | B．pride | C．danger | D．shame |
| A．Interested. | B．Satisfied. | C．Doubtful. | D．Thankful. |
2 . I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (给贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. So we both got tired of each other.
War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened,I saw my shoes flying at me.I jumped to my feet and started yelling (叫喊). 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 (爬行) under her covers (被子), sobbing (哭啼). Obviously, that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart. Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so 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 meaning of 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 author shouting loud. |
| C．She got the news that her grandma was ill |
| D．She saw the author’s shoes beneath her bed. |
| A．she was scared by Kate’s anger | B．she hated herself for being so messy |
| C．she was asked by Kate to do so | D．she wanted to show her care |
| A．By showing differences. | B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By describing a process. | D．By following time order. |
| A．My Friend Kate | B．Hard Work Pays Off |
| C．Learning to be Roommates | D．How to be Organized |
3 . If you walk through the doors of one of the Smithsonian Institution’s museums in Washington, D.C., you may be greeted by an unusual guide. A Japanese tech company recently sent 25 humanoid robots to the Smithsonian. All of them are named Pepper.
Each Pepper stands 4 feet tall and has a computer screen attached to its body. Built by SoftBank Robotics, the robots are programmed to share information about the museum in which they are based.
“Pepper is basically an experiment,” Goslins, director of the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Museum, said. “The idea is to explore and see how a robot performs in this kind of environment.”
Museum visitors communicating with Pepper. The robot can tell stories and answer basic questions. People even take pictures and dance with it.
“The robot draws big crowds,” said Allison Peck, director of marketing at the Hirshhorn. “People just love Pepper.”
According to the Smithsonian Institution’s website: “Pepper gives our museum workers a new way to reach and serve visitors.” For example, Pepper teaches Swahili words to visitors of the “World on the Horizon” exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.
Pepper also has the special ability to draw guests to less-visited areas of the Smithsonian’s museum. When Pepper is placed in a spot, crowds are attracted to that place.
When not educating museum visitors, Pepper stays in the Smithsonian offices, getting charged and programmed. After being charged, Pepper can run for about 8 hours at a time.
Pepper plays an important role, but the robot“ is not meant to take away human jobs at the museum, ” Goslins explained. “It is meant to give our visitors a more enjoyable experience while they are here with us.”
1. What do you know about Pepper?| A．It measures 4 feet in width. | B．It serves as a guide. |
| C．It is named after a robot. | D．It is made in the US. |
| A．Draw pictures. | B．Take pictures. |
| C．Ask questions. | D．Tell stories. |
| A．Reasonable cost. | B．Pepper’s appearance. |
| C．Workers’service. | D．Attractive scenery. |
| A．To please visitors. | B．To replace humans. |
| C．To perform programs. | D．To educate visitors |
4 . “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (柠檬水).” It is a good saying, but life throws at us more serious problems than lemons, doesn’t it? What do we do when we lose a family member? What do we do when we have been through events that leave us feelings? Can any failure be turned into success?
Most of us realize we can learn one or two things from failure. When we fail, we think, “Well, I won’t try that again! ”or “I won’t trust anyone again! ”But this is not useful learning. It is suggested that we ask challenging questions. For example, “How could I try that again?” There are a lot we can learn and get from failure if we keep asking good questions on how to do better next time.
Failure or pain can be good for developing our character if we choose to face it in a positive way. Our own suffering often makes us understand others better. It can give us wisdom or knowledge to share with others, which can prevent them from similar failure. If we have been hurt by others because of another person’s poor character, it may improve us to be better persons.
Failures can make us experience many things that we didn’t experience before. If you lose your job, it doesn’t mean you lose everything and probably you may get more. As we know, no job often leads to self employment; no job has been the beginning of many highly successful businesses. It is common that we don’t like changing, but change, even unfortunate change, brings new opportunities. Sometimes only failure brings us better opportunities or greater success.
1. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 means that ________.| A．any lemons can be made into lemonade |
| B．problems always bring us lots of trouble |
| C．problems can never be avoided in our life |
| D．failure can also be turned into a success |
| A．We should learn more when we fail |
| B．We must be careful to trust anyone |
| C．We must ask questions when we fail |
| D．We should deal with failure positively |
| A．avoid hurting others in the same way |
| B．find a better way to hurt him bravely |
| C．try to prevent him from hurting others |
| D．thank him for making you more perfect |
| A．Failure Decides success | B．Failure Creates Opportunities |
| C．Failure Brings Everything | D．Failure Makes a Perfect Person |
5 . You may have been told before not to be afraid of anything. Fear is often associated with weakness. Fear is something to be avoided. But that’s not true, according to Time For Kids magazine. Fear can be good for us. Fear tells us about danger. Without fear, we wouldn’t know to run away from a tiger or step back from a cliff (悬崖).
In a study published in the Justice Quarterly journal in August, researchers from Michigan State University said that a healthy fear of crime keeps teenagers away from potentially dangerous people, places, and activities. Fear makes us jump, scream and sweat. But interestingly, sometimes we make ourselves feel fear on purpose. Think about scary books and movies, and also the long lines for a scary roller coaster ride (过山车).
Margee Kerr, a US sociologist, explained why to Time For Kids. Fear fills our brain with healthy chemicals, especially endorphins and dopamine, and these things create feelings of happiness and excite us, according to Kerr. In addition, when you’re scared, your body produces a chemical which helps people bond with each other.
“Watch people walking out of a haunted house (鬼屋), and you’ll see lots of smiles and high fives (击掌),” Kerr told Time For Kids. That also explains why schools and companies organize challenging trips and physical activities to build up team spirit. People experience and deal with fear in different ways. If you happen to be a “coward” who gets scared easily, don’t worry. There is some evidence that being scared can help a person manage stressful situations.
Kerr said that things like giving a report in front of your class or performing in a school play help build a sort of endurance (忍耐力) to fear that makes us more confident. “You become more comfortable with the physical experience of fear, and so you’re better able to work through it during tense situations,” said Kerr.
So learn to love your fear. It only grows when we forget how helpful our fear is trying to be.
1. What’s the best title for the passage?| A．Ways to build up team spirit. | B．Different ways to deal with fear. |
| C．Love your fear. | D．Fear, a sign of weakness. |
| A．Experiencing fear helps us to build a sort of endurance to fear. |
| B．People who get scared easily have no chances to get changed. |
| C．Fear is harmful to our health. |
| D．Fear is something to be avoided. |
| A．fight against | B．look down upon | C．be more careful with | D．get closer to |
| A．Attend challenging trips or physical activities. |
| B．Take some medicine containing endorphins and dopamine. |
| C．Read scary books or see scary movies. |
| D．Take a scary roller coaster ride. |
6 . In general, people talk about two groups of colors: warm colors and cool colors. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people: people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors.
The warm colors are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, who like to be with others, like red. The cool colors are green, blue and violet. These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing. Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors. He suggests that a warm color, such as red or orange is a good color for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly. Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool.
However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow.
1. Which of the following colors belong to cool colors?| A．Blue, violet and green. | B．Yellow, green and violet. |
| C．Black, blue and red . | D．Brown, white and orange. |
| A．Sociable people like warm colors. |
| B．Cool colors can make people relaxed. |
| C．People who like to be spend time alone don’t like blue. |
| D．Where there are warm colors, people want to be active. |
| A．Red or orange for offices. | B．Orange for dining-rooms. |
| C．Blue for bedrooms. | D．Red for factories. |
| A．Two Groups of Colors. | B．Sociable People Like Warm Colors. |
| C．Places and Colors . | D．Colors and People. |
7 . Summer holidays are coming. Here are two posters for members of English Club in the schoolyard:
| Science and Technology Museum Opening hours Sunday--Wednesday : 10:00am--5:30pm Charge:$5 What’s on Ancient Technology—the ground floor Modern Technology— the first floor Space —the second floor The silk road: trade and travel — the second floor Please note The museum is closed for 3 days during the Spring Festival every year． Contact us Information desk:73238299 Email:stm99@1,63．com | To all climbers! Place: Castle Peak Indoor Climbing Centre Date: 8: 30 am, July, 15 Do: Sign in when you come to the centre. Climb with a partner. Wear a hard hat at all times. Wear the correct climbing shoes. Don’t: Don’t eat or drink anywhere except in the café. Don’t listen to personal music players while climbing. Don’t light fires. Good practice: Use a locker to store your things. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Wearing jewellery can cause accidents. Talking on a mobile phone while climbing can be dangerous. |
| A．downstairs | B．on the ground floor |
| C．on the second floor | D．on the first floor |
| A．10:00 am,Saturday． | B．2:30 pm,Saturday． |
| C．8:30 am,Sunday． | D．2:00 pm, Sunday |
| A．wear the correct climbing shoes | B．stay alone all the time |
| C．1isten to personal music players | D．talk on a mobile phone |
| A．wear a soft hat at all times | B．wear jewellery |
| C．eat something when you feel weak | D．keep your things in a locker |
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1. This passage is mainly about _____.| A．how people should keep fit | B．why people should keep fit |
| C．a healthy diet program | D．ways to lose weight |
| A．become shorter | B．become thinner |
| C．become fatter | D．become taller |
| A．this program makes a change in your lifestyle |
| B．this program can stop you from feeling hungry |
| C．this program tries to tell us what people should do to become slim |
| D．this program allows you 1,700 to 2,000 calories for each meal |
| A．the content of this program | B．some other programs |
| C．some interesting foods | D．some products you can buy |
9 . I’m Grace, 13 years old and in seventh grade in Florida. I was in the six grade last year. That school year was
When my
No matter what, I made sure to
After our
| A．normal | B．long | C．unusual | D．painful |
| A．walking | B．driving | C．flying | D．painting |
| A．shocked | B．closer | C．bored | D．weaker |
| A．family | B．classmates | C．team | D．teachers |
| A．And | B．So | C．But | D．Or |
| A．wheel | B．space | C．gas | D．horsepower |
| A．guide | B．hotel | C．friend | D．home |
| A．fit | B．turn | C．look | D．lead |
| A．who | B．that | C．when | D．which |
| A．large | B．open | C．small | D．empty |
| A．actually | B．possibly | C．hardly | D．recently |
| A．clean up | B．look for | C．look out of | D．fix up |
| A．strange | B．similar | C．ordinary | D．different |
| A．people | B．language | C．food | D．custom |
| A．missing | B．troubling | C．finding | D．helping |
| A．off | B．in | C．on | D．down |
| A．simplest | B．best | C．funniest | D．clearest |
| A．business | B．dream | C．trip | D．story |
| A．happy | B．calm | C．regretful | D．nervous |
| A．imagination | B．suffering | C．relationship | D．experience |
10 . Architect Daniel Libeskind is the designer of some global landmarks such as New York’s One World Trade Center and Berlin’s Jewish Museum. In his new book, he reviews his life’s work and its inspirations — including these books.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. I love Lewis Carroll; he’s a total genius (天才). His two classic works are children’s books for grown-ups because they show aspects of the creative mind that we all have but seldom use in adulthood. Inspired by Carroll, I make a habit of trying to learn seven amazing things before breakfast.
Ulysses by James Joyce. Joyce once said that if Dublin were destroyed, you could recreate the entire city from this novel. You can’t do urban planning without Ulysses because it is a labyrinth (迷宫) you can never leave.
In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Proust’s great novel is really a book of reflections about how architecture — our living spaces — creates a blueprint (蓝图) for our dreams, our desires, our emotions, and our memories. Where we have lived, what we have eaten, and what kind of cups we use — all of those aspects are examined here in minute detail.
Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium about Emily Dickinson’s work. From childhood onward, Dickinson collected, pressed, and classified the plants she grew in her garden in Amherst. Through the pictures in this book, you can see how her poetry — all her symbols, all her metaphors (隐喻), the colors she mentions — mirrors nature. You don’t even have to read her poetry to see what a great artist she was.
1. Which of the following books is set in Dublin?| A．Ulysses. |
| B．In Search of Lost Time. |
| C．Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass. |
| D．Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium. |
| A．James Joyce. |
| B．Emily Dickinson. |
| C．Marcel Proust. |
| D．Lewis Carroll. |
| A．They are all novels. |
| B．They are written for children. |
| C．They offer inspirations to Daniel Libeskind. |
| D．They focus on the power of nature. |
