1 . My parents and teachers-even some of my friends—think I’m quiet and shy, really smart but not very cool. In fact, that’s who I am when I am with them, but not who I really am. The real me comes out when I’m around guys who are more like me-like Tom Henderson and Graham Barry. I met Tom and Graham at a Young Scientist contest last y car. The three of us were among the five finalists. As soon as we met, we really hit it off.
As we talked about the conference, we discovered that all three of us were interested in space debris mitigation, which is the study of the prevention of space garbage damaging satellites and the new space station. It was great to meet other people my age who actually knew what I was talking about. When I talk about “space garbage,” most of the kids at my school just say, “Oh, you mean like asteroid-type (小行星之类的) things? I played a videogame about that once.”
Luckily, we met each other on the first day of the conference, so we were able to spend a lot of time together for the entire three days. We talked about everything from the best schools to go to, what degrees to get, and even the names of the best people in each field. We want to study with the pioneers. Both Tom and I want to study with Dr. Claude Phipps, the inventor of a project that developed a laser (光) that knocks down space garbage before it does any damage to expensive space vehicles. Graham wants to study under Didier Patrick Queloz, the physics Nobel winner from the University of Cambridge.
Even though the three of us don’t get a chance to see each other very often, we’re still the best of friends. We call each other a couple of times a month. I always feel happy when I talk with Tom and Graham. It’s like the other person in me wakes up. With them, I’m my “real shade.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “hit it off” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Competed seriously. | B．Prepared fully. |
| C．Got on well. | D．Stood out fast. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Confused. | C．Disappointed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He is a Nobel Prizewinner in physics. |
| B．He finds some asteroid-type things. |
| C．He reduces the price of space vehicles. |
| D．He contributes to dealing with space garbage. |
| A．A friend is a second self. |
| B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．A friend to all is a friend to none. |
| D．A friend is easier lost than found. |
2 . If sales generally feel hard to resist, the sale in front of Arron Schurevich was the ultimate test: a new car just like the one he’d loved. And it was more than a 20% discount. “I figured that I would be a fool not to take advantage of that,” says Schurevich. After he drove the car off the lot, the deal turned sour. The brand-new car quickly needed repairs. Schurevich now jokes that he paid a tax for being a fool.
Why is it so hard for the human brain to resist a discount? Spotting something you’d like to buy activates your brain’s reward circuitry (奖赏回路). It gets especially heightened if it’s something you’ve been fascinated by — say, the same car you’ve enjoyed for years. Additionally, the discount itself often registers as a win, delivering its own kind of joy, says Jorge Barraza, a consumer psychologist at the University of Southern California.
“Not only are we getting the product,” Barraza says, “but we’re also getting that reward that we discovered something; we’ve earned this extra thing.”
Stores, of course, know all this and try to push our buttons. “Limited-quantity, limited-time, scarcity-marketing promotions—they get people’s blood pumping,” says Kelly Goldsmith, who studies this as a marketing professor at Vanderbilt University.
It’s really hard to always approach sales rationally. One buying strategy experts recommend is to make a shopping list in advance and then, stick to it. Another is to research items — beforehand or on the spot, checking online — to weigh whether the sale is really a good deal.
“The human brain has essentially evolved to feel first and think next, which is why you need to give yourself time to cool off from your instant reaction when in front of a sale,” says Goldsmith.
1. What is the purpose of telling Arron Schurevich’s story?| A．To explain the way to promote sale. | B．To inform readers of an important test. |
| C．To introduce the topic of the passage. | D．To show the advantage of products on sale. |
| A．Brain’s reward circuitry needs activating. | B．It’s hard to resist a discount for some reasons. |
| C．Buying discounted products has consequences. | D．It’s worthwhile to approach sales rationally. |
| A．Stores are good at pushing buttons. | B．Stores tend to affect people’s health. |
| C．Stores help consumers earn extra things. | D．Stores know how to attract consumers with sales. |
| A．Calm down in front of a sale. | B．Make a shopping list ahead of time. |
| C．Research items on the spot or online. | D．Avoid buying any discounted items. |
3 . One of the easiest things in the world is to become a fault-finder. However, life can be great when you are not busy finding fault with it.
Several years ago I
Unfortunately, it took a horrible accident to change her
Perhaps most of us aren’t extreme at fault-finding,
Train yourself to “bite your tongue”, and with a little
| A．answered | B．received | C．expected | D．rejected |
| A．threatened | B．interrupted | C．spoiled | D．bothered |
| A．nothing | B．everything | C．something | D．anything |
| A．measure | B．plan | C．attitude | D．explanation |
| A．occasion | B．accident | C．event | D．adventure |
| A．memory | B．notice | C．choice | D．evidence |
| A．hear | B．contribute | C．admit | D．express |
| A．what | B．when | C．where | D．that |
| A．afraid of | B．aware of | C．curious about | D．confused about |
| A．life | B．family | C．career | D．education |
| A．so | B．or | C．for | D．but |
| A．proud | B．sure | C．critical | D．hopeful |
| A．face | B．create | C．ignore | D．solve |
| A．rarer | B．worse | C．stranger | D．better |
| A．pity | B．speech | C．rest | D．practice |
4 . “While extroverts (性格外向者) often make great first impressions with their outgoing manner and lively personalities in interviews, that value and reputation at work diminish (削减) over time.” says Corinne Bender, an associate professor of management.
“Extroverts disappoint us over time when they’re part of a team,” Bender says. “On a team you’re expected to work hard and contribute a lot. But they’re often poor listeners, and they don’t cooperate.”
“On the other hand, introverts (性格内向者) work hard on a team because they care what others think of them. They don’t want to be seen as not pulling their weight or contributing 100%,” Bender says.
So while companies may be attracted to hiring extroverts because they impress managers greatly in job interviews, bosses also may want to consider whether the extrovert they are considering will be a valuable team player, Bender says.
Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, two writers, agree and say managers should recognize the strengths of introverted employees, such as their ability to put themselves in others’ shoes.
“These team members are often easygoing, which can make them exceptional mentors (良师益友) to more junior staff or particularly good sounding boards when you interact with them in one-on-one situations,” Su says.
“Managers must try to help introverts find their voice,” Wilkins says. “Help them see that speaking up is not about self-promotion or being in conflict but rather about offering the team key insights, making better decisions or increasing the efficiency for all.”
What about those extroverts who never seem to be at a loss for words? Should managers cut them off? Managers definitely should weigh in on how an extrovert is affecting others. Wilkins suggests saying something in private to make adjustments.
1. What do we know about outgoing people according to Bender?| A．They are often good listeners. |
| B．They tend to perform well in interviews. |
| C．They often make great contributions. |
| D．They are often good at cooperating. |
| A．Doing their full share of work. |
| B．Making good choices. |
| C．Trusting others. |
| D．Trying to share their thoughts. |
| A．Critical. | B．Approving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Promote more introverts. |
| B．Learn to work more efficiently. |
| C．Avoid conflict among employees. |
| D．Encourage introverts to speak up. |
5 . The Symbolism of Chinese Foods
China is a country with a long history, and food has played an important role in the development of Chinese culture. Every year many traditional festivals and events are celebrated with special foods. Some of these foods have particular meanings, such as good luck, best wishes, unity and commemoration (纪念).
Chinese New YearSpring Festival(Chinese New Year)is the most important traditional festival in China. So New Year foods usually symbolize good luck and best wishes.
·Year cake (niángāo) means “increasing prosperity (繁荣)” because the name sounds the same as “year high” or “yearly increase”.
·Dumplings mean “wealth”, due to their traditional gold / silver ingot (锭) shape.
Lantern FestivalLantern Festival is the first full moon night in the Chinese calendar year, and the full moon as well as the food symbolizes family reunion.
·Sweet round sticky rice balls in soup (tāngyuán) mean “togetherness and reunion”.
Dragon Boat FestivalDragon Boat Festival is an important celebration in China to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous patriotic poet of China in ancient times.
·Glutinous rice dumplings (zòngzi) wrapped in bamboo leaves symbolize Qu Yuan commemoration.
Mid-Autumn FestivalMid-Autumn Festival is the second most important traditional Chinese festival. It is a time for family members and loved ones to get together to celebrate family reunion. Therefore, people celebrate it by preparing foods with family-reunion symbolic meanings.
·Mooncakes mean “family unity”, as they’re round, like the harvest moon.
·Pomeloes (yòuzi) mean “family unity” and “abundance”, as they’re round, too, and the Chinese sounds like the word for “to have”.
1. What makes dumplings symbolic?| A．The size. | B．The color. | C．The history. | D．The shape. |
| A．Chinese New Year. | B．Lantern Festival. |
| C．Dragon Boat Festival. | D．Mid-Autumn Festival. |
| A．Year cake. | B．Sweet round sticky rice balls in soup. |
| C．Glutinous rice dumplings. | D．Pomeloes. |
6 . You may have read that light coming into your eyes sets the body’s clock. Similarly, food changes the clocks in tissues in your liver, muscles, and fat. Human beings developed to eat only during daylight, which lasted 12 hours. That meant we didn’t eat for 12 hours a day. Sticking to that plan may help you stay healthier as well as thinner. However, it’s a surprisingly bad idea to ignore breakfast, eat lunch or dinner late, eat a big bedtime snack, or eat in the middle of the night.
In a study with 776 participants, people who ignored breakfast were 80 percent more likely to have obesity (肥胖症). People who ate lunch after 12: 30 (or dinner after 21: 00) were 60 percent more likely to have those extra pounds. That was true for both men and women at different ages and regardless of other factors that affect weight including your diet and exercise habits.
Odd hours seem to contribute to uncontrollable eating. When you eat late at night, you tend to eat more. Perhaps driven by hormone (荷尔蒙) increases, we long for sweeter, saltier food at night, research suggests. In one study, night eaters ate about 300 more calories each day.
“Eating late in the day aggravates reflux, writes Jamie A.Koufman, who specializes in voice disorders and acid reflux (胃酸倒流). Many of my patients find that eating late makes them suffer more from their allergies and diabetes symptoms,” he says. “Give your stomach at least three hours to digest before sleeping,” advises Jonathan Aviv, another specialist in acid reflux.
Eating breakfast late may also increase your breast cancer risk by about 17 percent for every hour you delay, according to a study of nearly 1,200 women with breast cancer in Spain, compared to more than 1,300 women who didn’t develop breast cancer. If you eat late at night, another research suggests, you may up the chance of breast cancer occurrence. While researchers work out the details of how our body clocks affect digestion and their downstream effects, one point is clear: Early is better.
1. What can be learned from the first paragraph?| A．Not eating for a half day may do good to your health. |
| B．What you eat makes no difference to your clocks. |
| C．Eating late may be more harmful than ignoring breakfast. |
| D．People gain weight because of their diet and exercise habits. |
| A．Comforts. | B．Worsens. | C．Weakens | D．Improves. |
| A．By concluding from some researches concerning eating habits. |
| B．By summarizing the data from only one survey. |
| C．By comparing the studies about the eating disorder. |
| D．By experimenting on people of different ages. |
| A．Ignore Breakfast to Lose Weight. | B．Night Eaters Are Much Healthier. |
| C．Eating More Damages Body Clock. | D．Eating Late Is Really Bad for You. |
7 . So, I did it. I moved back home, despite all the disapproval. I left my good job, my relationship, and the endless opportunities.
Some people questioned me, “Why did you move back?” It was hard at first to admit that I liked being home, and that, actually, I didn’t prefer New York City (as so many people do). But after time, it became easier and less of an issue. And when they asked me why I moved back home, I confidently said, “Because I wanted to.” Many people welcomed me back into the community.
The first few months home were the most relaxing of my life. Every day I wake up to birds chirping, and sunlight coming in from the window-no traffic sounds or people screaming on the streets. It sounds like a Disney movie, but it’s so true! There is something about the air here-it’s clean. It smells good. I can also see the Grand Mesa (the largest flat-top mountain in the world) from my bedroom window. My work commute (通勤) is a four-minute car ride. And on summer nights, my favorite thing to do is watch the sunset from my porch because it’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
I’ve been home for almost three years now, much to the surprise of my friends and family. Some friends even made bets on how long “this” would last. So far, I’m winning. But since I’ve been home my life has flourished. I realized that home, for me, is a place that inspires me. Because before, in the city, I felt like I had to compete with everyone to get ahead. Many times, forgetting what I was “fighting” for, I was clouded in competition and not passion. I lost touch with the other parts of myself, never quite realizing that the quiet country life provided that to me.
By coming home, I found myself again, the true me. I didn’t expect a city to give me opportunities because I could make my own.
1. Why does the author mention “a Disney movie” in Paragraph 3?| A．To introduce a new topic. | B．To provide more details. |
| C．To give a vivid description. | D．To support an argument. |
| A．By staying home longer than expected. | B．By getting used to country life quickly. |
| C．By wining competitions at workplace. | D．By leading a better life than in the city. |
| A．Bad work relations. | B．Few job opportunities. |
| C．Longer work commute. | D．Too much competition. |
| A．The goal she was fighting for. | B．Living to be her true self. |
| C．The chance of getting ahead of others. | D．A more comfortable life. |
8 . Proper questioning has become a lost art. The curious four-year-old asks a lot of questions-incessant streams of “Why?” and “Why not?“ might sound familiar-but as we grow older, our questioning decreases. In a recent survey of more than 200 of our clients, we found that those with children estimated that 70-80% of their kids’ dialogues with others were comprised of questions. But those same clients said that only 15-25% of their own interactions consisted of questions. Why the drop of?
Think back to your time growing up and in school. Chances are you received the most recognition or reward when you got the correct answers. Later in life, that motivator continues. At work, we often reward those who answer questions, not those who ask them. Questioning conventional wisdom can even lead to being distanced, or considered a threat.
Because expectations for decision-making have gone from ”get it done soon“ to ”get it done now“ to ”it should have been done yesterday, “ we tend to jump to conclusions instead of asking more questions. And the unfortunate side effect of not asking enough questions is poor decision-making. That’s why it’s vital that we slow down and take the time to ask more and better questions. At best, we’ll arrive at better conclusions. At worst we’ll avoid a lot of rework later on.
Aside from not speaking up enough, many professionals don’t think about how different types of questions can lead to different outcomes. We should lead a conversation by asking the right kinds of questions, based on the problem we’re trying to solve. In some cases, we’ll want to expand our view of the problem rather than keeping it narrowly focused. In others, we may want to challenge basic assumptions or confirm our understanding in order to feel more confident in our conclusions. Therefore, asking the right kinds of questions is what counts in achieving a goal.
1. What does the underlined word ”incessant“ in paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．Constant. | B．Random. | C．Noisy. | D．Innocent. |
| A．One poses a threat to the company if they ask questions. |
| B．Those who ask questions don’t necessarily get positive feedback. |
| C．One doesn’t have as many opportunities as they did in childhood. |
| D．Those who question popular beliefs don’t have interpersonal skills. |
| A．Redoing is unavoidable despite thoughtful questions. |
| B．Better questions can surely result in desirable outcomes. |
| C．Some people think it can’t be too fast to make a decision. |
| D．We’ll make reasonable decisions as long as we ask questions. |
| A．Proper questions that should be raised. |
| B．Important goals that we are to achieve. |
| C．Right kinds of answers to the questions. |
| D．The reasons for the loss of questioning art. |
9 . As computers become more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widely spread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking_stock_in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I’m writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”
“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one’s thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的), and in universities some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
1. What does the underlined expression “taking stock in” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?| A．Getting bored with. |
| B．Getting dependent on. |
| C．Becoming crazy about. |
| D．Getting curious about. |
| A．Because they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently. |
| B．Because they are usually asked to email their homework and essays. |
| C．Because they find it not easy to remember how to write a character. |
| D．Because computers have become a trend and fashion in China. |
| A．Handwriting contains the writer’s emotions. |
| B．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
| C．Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s selfconfidence. |
| D．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| A．To Type or to Handwrite |
| B．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing |
| C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters |
10 . The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya (弥勒大佛) in sitting posture. The Buddha is located in Sichuan Province, facing Minjiang, Qingyi and Dadu rivers. In December, 1996, the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage List (世界遗产名录).
The statue was begun in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty, and finished in the year 803. The Buddha is 71 meters high. The 8meterlong instep (脚背) is big enough for one hundred people to sit on and the 28meterwide shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground.
A monk called Hai Tong is connected with the Buddha forever. At that time, wild waters brought out many boat accidents and people just put the disaster down to the presence of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to make a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control. After 20 years’ begging from door to door, he finally collected enough money for the plan. When some local government officials tried to get this amount of money, Hai Tong said that they could get his eyeballs but not the money raised for the Buddha. After he dug out his eyeballs, these officials ran away in fear. The project was half done when Hai Tong passed away, and two of his disciples (门徒) continued the work. After a total of 90 years’ hard work, the project was finally completed.
Having such a long history, the Buddha was nearly destroyed by the wind and rain. The Chinese government began the repairing work in 1963 under the instructions of experts from UNESCO.
1. What’s the main idea of this passage?| A．To explain the Leshan Giant Buddha briefly. |
| B．To tell us how the Leshan Giant Buddha was built. |
| C．To say where the Leshan Giant Buddha is. |
| D．To mention how the Leshan Giant Buddha came into the World Heritage List. |
| A．By calling for donation. |
| B．By working on the river. |
| C．By asking the government. |
| D．By selling his eyeballs. |
| A．To make his temple more famous. |
| B．To show respect to the water spirit. |
| C．To protect the safety of the local people. |
| D．To get more people to believe in Buddhism. |
| A．Generous. | B．Cruel. | C．Easygoing. | D．Longsuffering. |
