1 . Watching the behaviour and body language of zoo animals could be the key to understanding and improving their welfare, new research suggests. Traditionally, zoos have focused on more straightforward measures such as whether animals are eating and sleeping.

The new review, by the University of Exeter and the University of Winchester, says zoos have made great improvements in recent years, but closer observation of animal behaviour — a method called Qualitative Behavioural Assessment, developed in farming — could show even more about their state of mind.

An animal’s positioning of its body, facial movements and activity levels are among the things that might tell whether it is excited, calm, interested, nervous, relaxed, etc.

“Zookeepers are knowledgeable about their animals, and they will often recognise an animal’s state of mind by its behaviour and body language,” said Dr. Paul Rose, of the University of Exeter.

“What we are suggesting is a more scientific method of this, carried out over time.”

“Certain behaviours will show certain moods (情绪) in an animal, and we should build our knowledge of this for different animals that live in zoos. For example, lions have a lot of facial expressions, and research on these expressions could help zoos understand the animals’ state of mind. This information could then be used to improve welfare by changing diets, feeding times or any number of other aspects of the way animals are kept.”

Dr. Rose carries out much of his research at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, and is now examining how the swans (天鹅) there might show their state of mind through their behavioural expression.

“We’re looking at how much time they spend exploring their habitat, which could show what they’re feeling,” he said. “When they’re unsure, they appear to move less and be more careful, and draw their feathers (羽毛) close to their bodies.”

The study suggests research opportunities for Qualitative Behavioural Assessment and practices that could be used by zoos. “Animal welfare in zoos has improved greatly in the last 10 or 20 years, and this method gives zoos another way to recognise and improve the welfare of animals,” Dr. Rose said.

1. What do the university researchers suggest?

A．More studies on the welfare of zoo animals.

B．Closer observation of zoo animals’ behaviours.

C．More attention to farm animals’ body language.

D．Greater improvements of farm animals’ welfare.

2. Why does the author mention lions?

A．To show body language differs in different animals.

B．To show the uncertainty of animal body language.

C．To show lions change their expressions easily.

D．To show lions are treated badly in zoos.

3. What has Dr. Rose found about the swans?

A．They have more facial expressions than lions.

B．They appear confident most of the time.

C．They move little in fearful situations.

D．They spend little time in their habitat.

4. What does Dr. Rose express in the last paragraph?

A．Animal welfare in zoos is worrying.

B．Qualitative Behavioural Assessment is purposeful.

C．Farm animals enjoy greater welfare than zoo animals.

D．Zoos do a good job in recognising animal body language.

2 . When Marybeth Hearn was 10 years old, she asked her parents to let her train a dog to become a guide dog. It turned into a lifelong thing. Over more than fifty years, Hearn has raised 56 dogs to help visually impaired (视力受损的) people. But her influence doesn’t end there — the longtime high school teacher has encouraged several of her family members and some of her students to train many more.

When she looked to her parents for support years ago, things were different from what she expected. Her mom didn’t like dogs, and her dad doubted she would be able to find any money to pay for the cost of the training. However, Hearn presented the project at a Lions Club and raised $2, 500. So on a sunny summer day in 1962, the family drove home with a black Lab named Letta, the first of a long series of dog trainees.

Two sons and a granddaughter have followed in Hearn’s footsteps, but her greatest influence has come from guiding student trainers, who since 1992 have worked through a school club with 170 dogs that ended up in different service posts. They spend 14 months with each dog teaching them skills. The dogs live full-time with the students, attending their classes and field trips to become socialized.

The dogs then go to trainers employed by Guide Dogs for the Blind, an organization that partners with the program, before graduating and being paired with two-legged companions. Those that aren’t up to the difficult task of helping the blind can become other kinds of service animals. Often students attend the graduations and help pass the dogs on.

“I love seeing the look on kids’ faces ... when they get to see that dog again after three or four months and the dog remembers them,” Hearn said. “It’s a great feeling.”

1. What has Hearn done since she was a child?

A．She has collected money for the blind.

B．She has trained dogs to help the blind.

C．She has petted and cared for many homeless dogs.

D．She has provided the blind with education for free.

2. What was the attitude of Hearn’s dad towards her plan?

A．Mad.

B．Uncaring.

C．Unacceptable.

D．Supportive.

3. If a dog fails to help the blind after graduation, it will _____.

A．continue to be trained

B．be taken away as a pet

C．live full-time with Hearn’s students

D．become another kind of service animal

4. Which of the following can best describe Hearn?

A．Honest and hard-working.

B．Strong-minded and caring.

C．Outgoing and careful.

D．Strict and creative.

3 . A new study shows that the household consumers (家庭消费者) are focusing more on reducing their energy costs by using technologically advanced home appliances. The lighting control held the largest share in the smart home market in 2016. The increase in the adoption (采用) rate of intelligent lighting controls by households worldwide has fuelled the growth of the smart home market. These have the ability to reduce electricity consumption because they adjust (调节) the artificial light according to the surroundings.

Four years ago, I was in a discussion about Nest Thermostat (恒温器), sharing my view that if a house is built properly, it doesn't need a smart thermostat. It probably wouldn't do much good there because with careful placement of high-quality windows, you seldom need to heat or cool it at all. Since then, other studies have shown that in a leaky old house, smart thermostats can be very effective and save energy.

But is smart lighting saving energy? A smart lighting system might turn off or adjust the brightness of a bulb (灯泡), but an LED bulb already uses very little electricity, say 7 watts per bulb. But when you make it smart, it is always connected, consuming a bit of power to talk to the controller or bridge; one guy with a meter tested it at 0.4 watts per hour, or 9.6 watts in a day. It means that if you have a pile of smart bulbs and devices, you are consuming a fair bit of electricity.

Except for smart thermostats in leaky houses, none in the smart market saves energy. Asking Siri, voice control on any of Apple devices, to turn off the lights is fun, but we would be better off in terms of energy and exercise if we got up and reached for a light switch. Rather than saving energy, the smart home is wasting it.

1. What does the underlined word “fuelled” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Controlled.

B．Promoted.

C．Predicted.

D．Detected.

2. What does the author think of smart thermostats?

A．They are well-designed.

B．They are energy-efficient.

C．They are not very useful.

D．They are not always automatic.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly want to tell us?

A．LED bulbs are very bright.

B．LED bulbs are of little value.

C．Smart lighting has developed quickly.

D．Smart lighting does little to save electricity.

4. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?

A．To use Siri for fun.

B．To improve smart lighting.

C．To give up smart thermostats completely.

D．To turn to the traditional way of turning off lights.

4 . When Alex Petrie went to stay with his father, he noticed that the 75-year-old walked around several times during the night. This was worrying: his father lived alone and had recently been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (路易体失智症).

“I was feeling quite nervous about it and wondered if he was doing it every night,” says Petrie. “It‘s not nice to think that he's worried or can't sleep properly.”

But Petrie had recently installed (安装) a smart home system, Howz, in his father's flat. It uses sensors to track movements, feeding the data into an app that family members and close friends can access. Once the Howz system has analysed and established someone's habitual way of doing things, it will send alerts (警报) to the app if there are any changes. For example, if a sensor usually senses movement before 8 am each day — signalling the time the person normally gets up — an alert will be sent if there has been no movement by that time. Relatives can then call in to make sure everything is okay.

Using the app, Petrie could see that his father usually got a good night’s sleep and very rarely walked about during the night. With this knowledge, he was able to provide the right kind of support and care when his father did have a sleepless night.

Howz, which was developed by Intelesant, a Manchester-based health tech company, aims to help people live independently in their own homes and provide peace of mind for their relatives.

Petrie set up two sensors in his father’s flat: one on the front door and another in the hall. “The door sensor is important as I can see whether his carers have visited. It doesn’t tell me who has visited but it’s easy to find out by the time of the day. The sensor in the hall covers the most commonly used area of the flat. It gives us a near-continuous view of whether he's up and about. It’s a little safety net,” says Petrie.

1. What was the problem with Petrie’s father?

A．He insisted on living alone.

B．He didn't like the care home.

C．He always went out for a walk at night.

D．He sometimes couldn’t fall asleep at night.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How Howz works.

B．How Howz is tested.

C．Who invented Howz.

D．Why Howz was created.

3. What does Petrie think of Howz?

A．It isn’t privacy-friendly.

B．It isn’t safe enough.

C．It is quite helpful.

D．It is big business.

4. What does the author want to tell us in the text?

A．Tech shortens the distance between people.

B．Tech is benefiting people’s daily life.

C．Tech affects the way people work.

D．Tech is slowing down aging.

5 . The Albuquerque Balloon Festival

Every autumn, the sky above the city of Albuquerque in the south-western United States turns into a mass of bright colours. This is the Albuquerque Balloon Festival, a nine-day event.

The first festival was held in 1972 to celebrate the 50th birthday of the local radio station. There were about 12 hot-air balloons and they took off from the car park in the middle of Albuquerque. From these small beginnings the festival has grown steadily. This year at least a thousand balloons are expected at its current out-of-town site.

What to do

The pilots light up the burners of their balloons at the same time. These are known as “balloon glows”. However, you must arrive just after night has fallen or before 5:30 am to see these “glows” as the balloons rise into the dark sky.

During the day, you can walk around among the balloons. The balloons come in all sizes and colours, some in the shapes of animals or cartoon characters.

In the afternoon, why not take to the sky yourself by booking a balloon flight with the Rainbow Ryders? This company is allowed to take guests during flight. Another possibility is to take the cable car (缆车) to the top of the nearby mountains and enjoy a bird's-eye view of the festival.

There are other attractions for visitors of all ages, including balloon races.

Practical advice

Tickets are available online. Buy them in advance and save yourself a long wait to get into the festival site. Wear several layers of clothing. At night and in the early morning it can be quite cool, but during the day sunglasses are necessary. Bring a flashlight for night-time events and, of course, bring your digital camera for evening and night-time pictures.

1. What do we know about the Albuquerque Balloon Festival?

A．It runs for nine days.

B．It started as a big event.

C．It takes place every two years.

D．It was held in memory of a pilot.

2. What can you do with the Rainbow Ryders during the festival?

A．Take a cable car tour.

B．Ride a hot-air balloon.

C．Enter balloon competitions.

D．Make balloons in different shapes.

3. What are you advised to do to attend the festival?

A．Wear cool clothes.

B．Buy tickets online.

C．Arrive in the early morning.

D．Take pictures in the daytime.

6 . What enables some people to get big creative breakthroughs while others only get small and non-creative breakdowns, blaming themselves and society? Are some people “gifted”? Are there other factors _______ work — factors that we have more control over than we think?

While nobody can deny the _________ that some people seem to be blessed with particular creativity, research shows that anyone can _______ their chances of coming up with new and original ideas _______ they would only engage themselves more in the process of _______. It’ s the old Thomas Edison thing about “discovery _______ 99 percent perspiration (汗水) and 1 percent inspiration.”

_______, the studies prove this: great creative breakthroughs usually happen only _______ intense periods of struggle. It is sustained effort towards a specific goal _________ eventually prepares for great creative insights.

This kind of sustained effort does not always ________ immediate results, a fact that not only separates the innovators (革新者) from non-innovators, but ________ leads some people to conclude that it is just not ________ for them. “Maybe I should have gone to medical school like my mother wanted,” they wonder when the breakthrough is __________ to be found. Alas, one forgets during inevitable encounters __________ self-doubt, that the big surprise is never ________. Indeed, it can happen at any time and place.

1.

A．to

B．in

C．at

D．by

2.

A．issue

B．problem

C．reason

D．fact

3.

A．miss

B．reduce

C．increase

D．lose

4.

A．because

B．if

C．while

D．whether

5.

A．creation

B．practice

C．production

D．achievement

6.

A．being

B．be

C．was

D．were

7.

A．Sooner or later

B．Some day or other

C．Every now and then

D．Time and again

8.

A．beyond

B．after

C．above

D．through

9.

A．that

B．who

C．what

D．as

10.

A．create

B．produce

C．inspire

D．encourage

11.

A．too

B．once

C．again

D．also

12.

A．good

B．difficult

C．possible

D．stupid

13.

A．anywhere

B．everywhere

C．somewhere

D．nowhere

14.

A．against

B．across

C．with

D．into

15.

A．far away

B．used up

C．cleared off

D．near by

7 . Sometimes I scratch my head when I read about the government’s efforts to improve schools: new standards and tests to be applied, strict teacher evaluations, and threats of school closures and job losses. They frighten the school employees, not to mention the students. Instead of making people unable to solve problems or try new ideas-which is what fear does to us-research on school reform strongly suggests that policy-makers should encourage school leaders to take a more humane approach. In their study on the reform efforts of twelve Chicago public schools, Bryk and Schneider found that enabling positive social relationships between the adults was the key to successful school improvement and that trust was at the heart of those relationships.

Trust in schools comes down to one thing: psychological safety or safety to speak one’s mind, to discuss with openness and honesty what is and isn’t working, to make collective decisions.

Yet this kind of safety doesn’t come easily to schools. According to Bryk and Schneider, the adults in school rely on each other to do their jobs correctly and with integrity (正直). The challenge is that our expectations are very diverse based on our unique backgrounds.

At one school where I taught, each teacher had different expectations about how much effort teachers should put into their work-a big difference between the teachers who left at the last bell and those who worked into the evening. And when expectations are unspoken, it becomes impossible for others to live up to them.

We also make assumptions about the intentions behind a person’s behavior. As we all know, assumptions are often wrong. For example, parents and teachers may think the principal takes particular decision based on his career advancement rather than that is best for the students, who don’t feel psychologically safe to question our assumptions, trust files out the window and our relationships suffer.

1. According to Paragraph 1, why does the author scratch his head?

A．Because he doesn’t know what to do once schools are closed.

B．Because he is not sure about the practicability of those new tests.

C．Because he is concerned that many teachers will lose their jobs.

D．Because he is not in favor of the government’ s reform efforts.

2. According to Bryk and Schneider, what was most important for successful school improvement?

A．New standards and tests in schools.

B．Positive social relationships.

C．Strict teacher and student evaluations.

D．Assistance of the government.

3. What is meant by trust in school?

A．Freedom to express one’ s views.

B．Extra effort teachers put into their work.

C．Independence of the teachers in schools.

D．Unconscious and unspoken expectations.

4. What does the author say about the assumptions made about the intentions behind a person’s behavior?

A．They should be trusted.

B．They are often bold.

C．They are often incorrect.

D．They should be encouraged.

8 . On a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working when he saw an old homeless man who wore no shoes. The officer ________ for a moment, and then returned with a new pair of shoes, and ________ the man to put them on.

A tourist ________ the act of kindness. He ________ a picture and posted it on the Internet, making DePrimo an overnight hero.

DePrimo was ________ at the attention as he didn’t expect that. “It was very________ and you could see the blisters (水泡) on the man’s ________,” he said. “To find out the man’s shoe size, we started talking.”

DePrimo went into a shoe store. The manager gave him a discount on a pair of all-weather shoes. DePrimo ________ the receipt (收据). He said, “This will remind me that sometimes people have it worse.”

“Sometimes people have it worse” is a great ________ to all of us. Many people intend to be ________, but they refuse to take daily chances to ________ other people. Often, we walk by ________ we’re too busy at the moment to stop and serve someone else’s needs. Deprimo saw a(n)________, and he exercised selflessness without looking for ________ for doing it. By the way, if we ________to get recognition each time we exercise selflessness, it may not be that selfless.

1.

A．waited

B．disappeared

C．thought

D．stopped

2.

A．helped

B．forced

C．encouraged

D．wished

3.

A．expected

B．chose

C．rewarded

D．noticed

4.

A．hung

B．took

C．drew

D．showed

5.

A．shocked

B．puzzled

C．upset

D．angry

6.

A．easy

B．common

C．cold

D．far

7.

A．eyes

B．arms

C．feet

D．hands

8.

A．hid

B．kept

C．signed

D．produced

9.

A．principle

B．explanation

C．suggestion

D．reminder

10.

A．selfless

B．confident

C．brave

D．grateful

11.

A．serve

B．respect

C．educate

D．entertain

12.

A．unless

B．though

C．because

D．before

13.

A．effect

B．advantage

C．chance

D．change

14.

A．conclusion

B．recognition

C．imagination

D．admission

15.

A．pretend

B．continue

C．agree

D．like

9 . Building large-scale (大规模的) wind and solar power plants (发电厂) doesn’t just have the power to provide the world with a huge amount of energy; it has the power to actually change the climate for the better. A new climate-modeling study has found that wind and solar power plants throughout the Sahara Desert (撒哈拉大沙漠) could increase rainfall across the area and benefit plants’ growth.

When it comes to the Sahara Desert, here come the opinions of the researchers. For one, there’s plenty of sunlight and plenty of wind over the sandy areas. It’s also close to Europe and the Middle East, which need great amounts of energy. What’s more, wind and solar power plants that cover about 9 million kilometers of the desert could provide about 3 terawatts (太瓦) and 79 terawatts of electricity separately. That would meet global energy needs several times over.

The researchers also tried to find out how such large power plants would affect the area’s climate and plants. It was found that temperatures would increase — which might sound difficult to understand in the desert — but this would also raise the amount of water in the air and double the amount of rainfall. That’s a fair trade, as this place could become green with even a little increase in rainfall.

“We found that the large-scale solar and wind power plants can bring more rainfall and help with plants’ growth in these areas. It’s great to think that instead of burning coal or oil and creating disastrous climate change, we could use clean energy to produce positive climate change and change a desert into a beautiful place with water and trees,” explained Eugenia Kalnay, a researcher of the study.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．How people affect the Sahara Desert.

B．Why we need large-scale power plants.

C．How power plants can be helpful to the surroundings.

D．Why the Sahara Desert is perfect for building power plants.

2. What will happen to the desert according to the study?

A．It will become colder.

B．It will attract more tourists.

C．The temperature will be higher there.

D．The trade there will increase greatly.

3. How does Eugenia Kalnay comment on building large-scale wind and solar power plants in the Sahara Desert?

A．It is a win-win chance.

B．It needs to be studied further.

C．It will face greater difficulties.

D．It will be achieved within decades.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Wind and solar power plants produce clean energy

B．Power plants could bring rains to the Sahara Desert

C．The Sahara Desert may disappear after a new project

D．The world will need more electricity in the future

10 . Army veteran (老兵) Charles Collier lives in a house in bad condition on his own in Lafayette, Alabama. Collier relies on his social security disability checks for basic necessities. There is little money left over to cover other costs.

However, Collier spent sleepless nights recently. Not having an air conditioner (AC) in the hot summer makes it harder for him to breathe. “You’re not supposed to be soft; you’re not supposed to be weak,” Collier said, “but once you grow old, you need to ask for help.” Collier called the Wal-Mart Supercenter in nearby Valley, Alabama to see if anyone could help him find an AC for his budget (预算).

After hearing Collier’s story, Donald Howard, the department manager of Wal-Mart Supercenter, felt in his heart that he had to help. “I have a soft spot in my heart for veterans,” Howard said. Howard told Collier he would help him take care of his problem. “You just come here. We’ll get you one.” By the end of his trip, Collier came home with a new AC to cool his bedroom.

Howard told Collier to pay what he could, and that he would cover the rest of the bill. “Howard made sure I had money in my pocket so I would have food,” Collier said. “That’s a true person who cares about people.”

It’s an act of kindness that the store manager Natasha Lane and Howard’s other co-workers want to celebrate. “I took pity on Collier when I heard his story, and hearing what Howard did to take care of the veteran just softened my heart,” said Lane.

Collier said he slept a little better, knowing there were people who cared about him.

1. What is Collier’s life like?

A．Sad and hopeless.	B．Hard and lonely.
C．Easy and peaceful.	D．Exciting and happy.

2. What has troubled Collier recently?

A．His house.	B．His illness.
C．Not getting his checks.	D．Not having an AC.

3. How did Howard help Collier?

A．He bought Collier an AC.

B．He made a proper budget for Collier.

C．He offered to pay partly for Collier’s AC.

D．He gave Collier a second-hand AC for free.

4. How did Natasha Lane feel about the story?

A．He was touched by it.

B．He felt proud of Collier.

C．He decided to help Collier.

D．He thanked Howard for his help.