1 . At a young age, Darrius Simmons fell in love with the piano. As he watched others play, he was _________ by the joy the piano gave them. He wanted to experience that, too, but knew for him it would be a/an _________.

“I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano, _________ it was going to take a little bit _________ work for me to learn,” Simmons says. “I knew most people had 10 fingers while I had four, yet I was pretty _________ I could make it work.”

The Warren, Ohio teenager was born with a genetic _________ called ectrodactyly (先天性缺指畸形). He has three fingers on his right hand and _________ finger on his left. But it didn’t _________ Simmons from following his _________. With no formal training, Simmons taught himself by ear how to play the piano. He practiced and practiced, finding a way to __________ the keys with four fingers while mastering the pedals with his prostheses(假肢).

Simmons knew he would have to __________ his own style of playing. “I couldn’t base it __________ the technique of somebody who has 10 fingers. It just wouldn’t __________.” He says. “That’s __________ it was hard for me to take piano lessons. It’s very __________ for somebody who has learned how to play with 10 fingers to adjust and teach me with only four.”

The now 18-year-old not only learned how to play and read music but also began composing.

His mother, Tamara Simmons, isn’t surprised by Darrius’ __________. She knows how focused and __________ he can be.

From mastering music to beating __________ challenges, Darrius Simmons sets out to __________ the world. “I like to be somebody’s __________,” he says. “If I play in front of a whole crowd and I see one person smile, that’s a job well done.”

1.

A．frightened

B．amazed

C．interested

D．disturbed

2.

A．challenge

B．opportunity

C．fortune

D．trouble

3.

A．while

B．but

C．and

D．therefore

4.

A．more

B．much

C．fewer

D．less

5.

A．surprised

B．worried

C．sure

D．glad

6.

A．condition

B．environment

C．situation

D．tendency

7.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．five

8.

A．encourage

B．prevent

C．remove

D．change

9.

A．actions

B．roads

C．instructions

D．passions

10.

A．reach

B．repair

C．remove

D．clean

11.

A．adopt

B．abandon

C．develop

D．change

12.

A．by

B．in

C．through

D．on

13.

A．support

B．run

C．operate

D．work

14.

A．why

B．because

C．when

D．whether

15.

A．easy

B．tough

C．funny

D．stupid

16.

A．ideas

B．creations

C．difficulties

D．achievements

17.

A．kind

B．determined

C．talented

D．generous

18.

A．spiritual

B．mental

C．physical

D．emotional

19.

A．please

B．persuade

C．inspire

D．cheer

20.

A．partner

B．symbol

C．aim

D．motivation

2 . I've come to the conclusion that I'm rubbish at saying “No”. For example, last Sunday I was sitting at my desk alone, totally ____ in my own business, when a colleague of mine phoned and asked me to get involved in ____ with her. I found myself getting all caught up in her enthusiasm and didn't want to ____ her. So I said “Sure, why not？” and before the call had ____, I found myself agreeing, without giving any ____ whether it was worth doing.

We are both window­shoppers and ___ a whole day in the street. Actually, I hardly have any time to spare because I am very busy ____ my normal job - I've also got a book to write, a business to ____ and a family to look after. And then there are my other projects to ____ - my voluntary work and a couple of other interesting investments that I want to ____. I'm going to have to be more ruthless (无情的) and not just agree to ____ people ask me to get involved in. In other words, I'm going to have to get ____ at saying “No”.Usually I hate saying “No”, because having to disappoint someone usually ____ me. Now I realize ____ I haven't learned to say “No”, I've been feeling very ____.

We had better do what we think is right and what we are ______ to do. Sometimes it does not seem that bad to ______ others. If I focus on the things I ______ want to be involved in, I'll reach a much higher standard and do it quite ______. I'll be enthusiastic and motivated (有积极性) and do something that is good for everyone and everyone will be happy. It'll be a win-­win ______. What's not good about that？So sometimes, we have to say “No”.

1.

A．experienced

B．absorbed

C．concerned

D．disappointed

2.

A．reading

B．discussion

C．shopping

D．travel

3.

A．displease

B．force

C．support

D．shock

4.

A．explained

B．announced

C．developed

D．ended

5.

A．thought

B．suggestion

C．idea

D．question

6.

A．lost

B．kept

C．enjoyed

D．wasted

7.

A．because of

B．regardless of

C．apart from

D．instead of

8.

A．visit

B．run

C．inspect

D．invent

9.

A．consider

B．fetch

C．catch

D．enlarge

10.

A．take in

B．work on

C．turn out

D．make up

11.

A．something

B．none

C．everything

D．either

12.

A．further

B．cooler

C．faster

D．better

13.

A．attracts

B．beats

C．upsets

D．puzzles

14.

A．after

B．because

C．if

D．although

15.

A．impressed

B．anxious

C．merciful

D．depressed

16.

A．likely

B．afraid

C．willing

D．proud

17.

A．join

B．refuse

C．invite

D．choose

18.

A．highly

B．hardly

C．suddenly

D．really

19.

A．patiently

B．well

C．seriously

D．accidentally

20.

A．situation

B．environment

C．appearance

D．spirit

3 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.

The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight. In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has other benefits. It is connected to better health.

It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it’s worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard-working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Solves explained this. Glasses soften their appearance. He said Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren’t found guilty.

Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip (时髦的). However, that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.

1. What does the new study show?

A．People wearing glasses are smarter.

B．People wearing glasses are healthier.

C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer.

D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ.

2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Shift.

B．Link.

C．Proof.

D．Consequence.

3. Why do some lawyers ask their clients to wear glasses in court?

A．Because it can create a moral image.

B．Because it can mislead the witnesses.

C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities.

D．Because it can prove the clients’ innocence.

4. What is the general attitude to those who wear glasses for fashion?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Mixed

D．Indifferent.

4 . Examples of effective conservation of places matter to the world. They range from the 1960s Nubian campaign to safeguard Ancient Egyptian monuments from the waters of the Aswan Dam to the removal in 2018 of the Belize Barrier Reef from the List of World Heritage in Danger. Conservation is the core purpose of the World Heritage Convention and it may also be its biggest challenge.

The following example shows how successes at specific sites now serve as models for conservation and sustainable (可持续性) development. A year after Vienna was included on the World Heritage List in 2001, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) expressed concerns about the architectural solutions and height of four planned towers of the Wien-Mitte project. This development project, close to the Historic Centre of Vienna in the site’s buffer zone, the one that lies between two or more other areas, affected the urban scale (规模) and visual effects in and around the property (地产). As a result of the Committee’s concerns, Vienna changed its building codes and launched a new design competition for the Wien-Mitte project to work out architectural plans with reduced size in keeping with World Heritage protection.

The successful practice inspired the government of the city to invite over 600 experts and professionals from 55 countries to an international conference on World Heritage and contemporary architecture, held in Vienna in May 2005. The global discussion that followed, detailing an approach to managing conservation and development, was recorded in the UNESCO Recommendation in 2011.

The Recommendation put forwards an all-rounded and combined approach to balancing urban heritage (遗产) conservation and economic development, arguing that active protection and management of urban heritage supports the goal of sustainable development.

The Recommendation supports the harmonious combination of contemporary involvement into the historic urban framework while holding on to values linked to history, memory and the environment.

1. Why does the author mention the Belize Barrier Reef in Paragraph 1?

A．To explain the goal of the organization.

B．To encourage the public to protect the world.

C．To show the positive effect of conservation.

D．To remind people of the environmental problems.

2. Why was WHC worried about the Wien-Mitte project?

A．It took up too much public land of the city.

B．It had a bad effect on the Historic Centre of Vienna.

C．Its original designs were not environmentally friendly.

D．Its architectural solutions couldn’t meet safety standards.

3. What did the global discussion focus on?

A．The ways to combine conservation and development.

B．The creation of the new UNESCO Recommendation.

C．The international urban management and development.

D．The styles of the contemporary architecture of Vienna.

4. What is the authors purpose in writing the text?

A．To examine the challenges faced by global urban planners.

B．To introduce alternative ways of protecting the environment.

C．To stress the importance of the value of history and memory.

D．To promote active conservation and sustainable development.

5 . China became the first country to clone a monkey using non-reproductive cells, reducing the need to keep lab monkeys and paving the way for more accurate, effective, and affordable animal tests for new drugs .

By December of 2017, Chinese scientists had created two clone macaques named "Zhong Zhong" and "Hua Hua" by nuclear transferring of somatic cells -- any cell in the organism other than reproductive cells. This was the similar technology used to create the famous clone sheep Dolly in 1996.

"Cloning a monkey using somatic cells has been a world-class challenge because it is a primate（灵长类）that shares its genetic makeup, therefore all of its complexity, with humans." Pu Muming said.

"For drug and other lab tests, scientists have to purchase monkeys from all over the world, which is costly, bad for the environment and produces inaccurate results because each monkey might have different genes, " Pu said.

"By cloning monkeys using somatic cells, we can mass produce large numbers of genetically identical（相同的）offspring in a short time, and even change their genes to suit our needs," he added. "This can save time, cut down experiment costs, and produce more accurate results, leading to more effective medicine."

"This achievement will help China lead the world research in an international science project related to neural（神经的）mapping of primate brains，," he said. However, bio labs from the United States, Japan, and European countries are also very able, and they will quickly catch up to China after the monkey cloning technology is made public, Sun added."This means we have to innovate（创新）continuously and work extra harder this year to stay ahead," he said.

1. What is special about China's cloning monkey?

A．It transferred cells in the lab.

B．Il creates two monkeys at a lime.

C．It adopts a method of embryo splitting.

D．It uses non-reproductive cells.

2. Why do scientists clone monkeys?

A．To keep monkeys from being endangered.

B．To test new medicines on them.

C．To find the side effects of medicines.

D．To find a cure for mental diseases.

3. What Sun said in the last paragraph suggests____

A．they are determined to catch up to America

B．they try to avoid competition from other countries

C．they aren't satisfied with what they have achieved

D．they have to keep the monkey-cloning technology a secret

6 . Nearly everyone has bad habits.That's because，try as we might，bad habits are hard to break.On the other side，good habits，such as eating more healthfully or exercising regularly，never seem to stick.As a result，most people throw up their hands and surrender．

But now a new book，Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by best-selling author Gretchen Rubin，offers some useful solutions.

Rubin，who became interested in habits during her research on happiness，which resulted in two popular books，The Happiness Project (2009) and Happier at Home (2012)，found that our inability to master unwanted behaviors was a major downer (令人沮丧的因素)．So，after guiding millions of readers down the path of true contentedness，Rubin turned her investigative skills toward habits.

Her most important find? Change is possible if we do some soul searching and identify how we respond to expectations.And，just about everybody falls   into   one   of   four   personality   categories：Questioners，Obligers，Rebels and Upholders.

Rubin believes herself to be a classic Upholder，someone who forms habits relatively easily because she responds well to both other people's deadlines and her own.As to the other types，Questioners will only form a habit if it makes sense to them; Obligers work hard to meet other people's expectations but often let themselves down.And Rebels resent (反感) habits.

“Think about the habit that you want to form and then think: “What's everything I could do to set myself up for success？” says Rubin.For example，if you want to exercise more and you're an Obliger，call your friend who lives across the street and meet at 6：30 every morning for a walk.

One common pitfall (陷阱)，says Rubin，especially when it comes to changing your diet，is lack of clarity (清楚)．“You can't make a habit out of eating more healthfully，” she says.Instead，your habit should be something like: “I'm going to pack a lunch every day and bring it to work instead of eating out.”

As for exercise，Rubin recommends a strategy called pairing—coupling two activities，one that you need or want to do and one that you don't particularly want to do.Rubin，for example，only allows herself to read magazines while on fitness equipment at the gym.

1. What does the underlined word “surrender” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Catch up.	B．Settle down.
C．Calm down	D．Give up.

2. Why did Rubin start to study habits?

A．She used to suffer from some bad habits.

B．Good habits make people successful.

C．Bad habits make people unhappy.

D．Her two books about habits sold quite well.

3. Which kind of people try to meet other people's expectations instead of theirs?

A．Rebels.	B．Questioners.
C．Upholders.	D．Obligers.

4. The pairing strategy________．

A．forces people to do something necessary

B．is used to make people more efficient

C．encourages people to enjoy themselves

D．can help people have a healthy diet

7 . Many shopping malls now have special areas that offer shoppers their first chance to experience “VR technology”. You may have entered one out of curiosity, or you may think it is just another piece of useless technology. Whatever your opinion, VR, or virtual (虚拟的) reality, is going to become a big part of our lives very soon.

2016 saw the introduction of many fancy products in the world of VR, including Microsoft’s HoloLens and Samsung’s Gear VR. All of them offer an exciting look at the new realities and opportunities that VR brings. These, however, are the early days of a technology that is expected to go from strength to strength. And 2017 looks like it is going to be the year in which VR technology really takes off.

For a start, using VR will become more normal in 2017. Microsoft and Intel have already discussed their plans for simpler and less expensive VR headsets.

“The idea of VR will stop being a sci-fi (science-fiction) idea, and instead it will turn into an industry of real products used as ways to show off imagination.” Said Andrew, a designer at US VR Company, Survios. It is also expected that VR products will play a part in more common and real-life fields like fashion and film. For example, to enjoy the atmosphere and energy of the front row experience at a fashion show, fans will no longer have to go along in the flesh. Instead people will be able to enjoy the experience by just wearing a VR headset at home.

You can also expect VR mirrors and fitting-rooms sooner rather than later. “This is an especially good opportunity for brands looking to offer very personalized experiences.” Said Roy De Young from US-based marketing agency, PMX.

As time goes on, there will be less discussion about whether people will accept VR technology. It will simply be a discussion of when.

1. Why do many shopping malls have areas for VR experiences?

A．To collect shoppers’opinions.

B．To meet the demands of shoppers.

C．To introduce the new technology to shoppers.

D．To entertain shoppers with new technology.

2. What does the underlined phrase “in the flesh” mean?

A．In time	B．In person
C．In line	D．In order

3. What can we know about VR products from the passage?

A．They are not expensive at present.

B．They will meet more personal demands.

C．They are being used almost everywhere.

D．They won’t be accepted for many years.

4. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．VR Meets Our Life Goal	B．VR Mirrors Are Coming
C．VR Takes over Fashion	D．VR Is Becoming Real

8 . Many United States companies have made the search for legal protection from import competition into a major line of work. Since 1980, the United States International Trade Commission(ITC) has received about 280 complaints alleging damage from imports that benefit from subsidies(补贴) by foreign governments. Another 340 charge that foreign companies “dumped” their products in the United States at “less than fair value”. Even when no unfair practices are claimed, the simple claim that an industry has been injured by imports is sufficient grounds to seek relief(救济).

Contrary to the general impression, this request for import relief has hurt more companies than it has helped. As corporations begin to function globally, they develop a complicated web of marketing, production, and research relationships. The complexity of these relationships makes it unlikely that a system of import relief laws will meet the strategic needs of all the units under the same parent company. Internationalization increases the danger that foreign companies will use import relief laws against the very companies the laws were designed to protect. Suppose a United States-owned company establishes an overseas plant to manufacture a product while its competitor makes the same product in the United States. If the competitor can prove injury from the imports—and that the United States company received a subsidy from a foreign government to build its plant abroad—the United States company’s products will be uncompetitive in the United States, since they would be subject to duties.

Perhaps the most shameful case occurred when the ITC investigated allegations(控诉) that Canadian companies were injuring the United States salt industry by dumping rock salt, used to deice roads. The bizarre aspect of the complaint was that a foreign conglomerate(联合企业) with United States operations was crying for help against a United States company with foreign operations. The “United States” company claiming injury was a unit of a Dutch conglomerate, while the “Canadian” companies included a unit of a Chicago firm that was the second-largest domestic producer of rock salt.

1. The passage is chiefly concerned with ________.

A．arguing against the increased internationalization of US corporations

B．recommending a uniform method for handling claims of unfair trade practices

C．warning that the application of laws affecting trade frequently has unintended consequences

D．advocating the use of trade restrictions for “dumped” products but not for other imports

2. What can be inferred about the minimal basis for a complaint to the ITC?

A．A foreign competitor is selling products in the US at less than fair market value.

B．A foreign competitor has greatly increased the volume of products shipped to the US.

C．The company requesting import relief has been banned from exporting products.

D．The company requesting import relief has been injured by the sale of imports in the US.

3. Which of the following is most likely to be true of US trade laws?

A．They will eliminate the practice of “dumping” products in the US.

B．Those applied to international companies will help to gain more profits.

C．They will affect US trade with Canada more negatively than trade with other nations.

D．Those helping one unit within a parent company won’t necessarily help other units.

9 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项中，选出适合填入对应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。

A wise man was visiting the Ganges, a river which flows through northern India, to take a bath. He found a group of family members on the ____ , shouting angrily at each other. He ____ his disciples(弟子), smiled and asked, “Why do people shout in ____ at each other ?” The disciples ____ for a while and one of them said, “ Because we ____ our calm, we shout.” “But, why should you shout ____ the other person is just next to you ? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a(n) ____ manner,” asked the wise man. Some disciples gave some other answers, but none ____ the other disciples. Finally the wise man explained, “When two people are angry at each other, there is a distance between their ____ . To cover that distance they must shout to be able to ____ each other. The angrier they are, the louder they will have to shout to ____ that great distance. What ____ when two people fall in love ? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, because their hearts are very ____ . The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small.”

The wise man ____ , “When they love each other even more, they do not ____ , but only whisper and they get even closer to each other. Finally they ____ need not whisper. They only look at each other and that’s ____ .That’s how close people are when they love each other.”

He looked at his disciples and said, “So, when you ____ , do not let your hearts get distant. Do not say words that distance each other more. ____ there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to ____. You may end up becoming enemies, for instance.”

1.

A．roof

B．platform

C．bank

D．street

2.

A．referred to

B．attended to

C．shouted to

D．turned to

3.

A．anger

B．excitement

C．disappointment

D．surprise

4.

A．thought

B．relaxed

C．listened

D．waited

5.

A．control

B．disturb

C．lose

D．enjoy

6.

A．as long as

B．in case

C．when

D．unless

7.

A．soft

B．impressive

C．weak

D．responsible

8.

A．encouraged

B．satisfied

C．entertained

D．bothered

9.

A．directions

B．bodies

C．goals

D．hearts

10.

A．hurt

B．attack

C．understand

D．hear

11.

A．keep

B．measure

C．cover

D．shorten

12.

A．matters

B．happens

C．works

D．succeeds

13.

A．close

B．huge

C．special

D．open

14.

A．doubted

B．continued

C．replied

D．promised

15.

A．pass

B．cry

C．care

D．speak

16.

A．sometimes

B．still

C．even

D．ever

17.

A．nothing

B．all

C．one

D．something

18.

A．argue

B．apologize

C．criticize

D．explain

19.

A．Worse still

B．Therefore

C．Or else

D．Besides

20.

A．beat

B．follow

C．walk

D．return

10 . Have you ever had to decide whether to go shopping or stay home and watch TV on a weekend? Now you _______ do both at the same time. Home shopping television networks have become a _______ for many people to shop without _______having to leave their homes.
Some shoppers are _______ of department stores and supermarkets —_____
the crowds, waiting in long lines, and sometimes having slight _______ of finding anything they want to buy. They’d rather sit quietly at home in front of the TV set and _______ a friendly announcer describe a product _______ a model shows it. And they can _______ around the clock, buying something ________ by making a phone call.
Department stores and even mail-under companies are ________ to join in the success of home shopping. Large department stores are busy ________ their own TV channels to encourage TV shopping in the future. ________ can ask questions about products and place ________ , all through their TV sets.
Will shopping by television ________ take the place of shopping in stores? Some industry managers think so. ________ many people find shopping at a ________ store a great enjoyment. And for many shoppers, it is still important to ________ or try on dresses they want to buy. That’s ________ specialists say that in the future, home shopping will ________ together with store shopping but will never entirely replace it.1.

A．must

B．should

C．shall

D．can

2.

A．programme

B．way

C．reason

D．purpose

3.

A．ever

B．never

C．still

D．once

4.

A．proud

B．fond

C．tired

D．careful

5.

A．fighting

B．striking

C．treating

D．stopping

6.

A．sense

B．doubt

C．hope

D．feeling

7.

A．see

B．watch

C．let

D．notice

8.

A．until

B．since

C．if

D．while

9.

A．shop

B．wait

C．turn

D．deliver

10.

A．suitably

B．cheaply

C．simply

D．hardly

11.

A．nervous

B．lucky

C．equal

D．eager

12.

A．putting up

B．making up

C．setting up

D．looking up

13.

A．Guests

B．Assistants

C．Managers

D．Customers

14.

A．orders

B．goods

C．books

D．answers

15.

A．lastly

B．finally

C．especially

D．fortunately

16.

A．Then

B．Yet

C．However

D．Therefore

17.

A．general

B．popular

C．real

D．true

18.

A．design

B．make

C．wear

D．touch

19.

A．how

B．why

C．what

D．when

20.

A．exist

B．practise

C．follow

D．appear