1 . Scientists have solved a puzzle about modern humans, after research showed that a famous skull of a human ancestor found in South Africa is a million years older than experts thought. This discovery has changed what we know of human history.

The skull, which scientists have named “Mrs Ples”, is from an ape-like human relative from a species called Australopithecus africanus (南方古猿). It was found near Johannesburg in 1947 and, based on evidence from its surroundings, was thought to be between 2. 1 and 2. 6 million years old. This puzzled scientists, because although Mrs Ples looks like a possible early ancestor of early humans, the first true humans had already evolved by the time she apparently lived. For this reason, scientists had decided that Australopithecus afarensis, a similar species from East Africa that lived about 3.5 million years ago, was our most likely ancestor instead.

To get a more accurate age for Mrs Ples, a team led by Professor Darryl Granger of Purdue University in Indiana, US, used a new method to date the sandy rocks where the skull lay. They measured the amount of certain chemicals in rocks, which form at a steady rate when they are exposed to cosmic rays (宇宙射线) on Earth’s surface. Once rocks are buried, these chemicals stop forming and slowly disappear;the surviving amount reveals how much time has passed since the rock (or bones) were on the surface.

The new study shows that Mrs Ples and other australopithecine bones nearby are between 3.4 and 3.7 million years old. This means they lived at the same time as their East African relatives, so that either group could have given rise to modern humans. However, team member Dr Laurent Bruxelles pointed out that over millions of years, at only 2,500 miles away, these groups had plenty of time to travel and to breed with each other. In other words, the groups could quite easily have met, had children together and both been part of the history of modern humans.

1. What can we learn about Mrs Ples from the first two paragraphs?

A．It is a skull found in East Africa.

B．It is the most possible ancestor of humans.

C．It is a million years older than scientists expected.

D．It is proved to live between 2.1 and 2.6 million years ago.

2. How did scientists get the accurate age of “Mrs Ples”?

A．By studying the effect of cosmic rays.

B．By calculating the forming rate of chemicals.

C．By locating the sandy rocks where the skull lay.

D．By measuring the surviving amount of chemicals.

3. What can we infer from the new study?

A．Modern humans came into being in East Africa.

B．Mrs Ples travelled and had children with East African relatives.

C．The history of modern humans might begin 3.5 million years ago.

D．Ape-like species from Africa could have interacted with each other.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Historical Puzzle Unsolved	B．Ancestor Mystery Solved
C．Mrs Ples: The Earliest Human Being	D．Mrs Ples: A Famous Skull

2 . My grandmother has been gone for many years now and while she was alive, we were not particularly ________. I lived in suburban and only saw her once each year or so. My grandmother lived alone, far away in an apartment in a splendid building which my brother, sister and I ________ “the castle”. She was ________ educated as she could speak several foreign languages.

On each Christmas morning, my brother, sister and I would run down the stairs and see a beautiful tree ________ by brightly wrapped package. We would dive into the pile with great ________, ripping the paper and revealing all the latest toys. ________, I would see an odd-looking package deep under the tree that I knew could only be from grandmother. “Another ________, just like every year!”

Although I was not interested in school, I had enormous ________ with younger children. Slowly the idea of becoming a teacher ________ and I decided to give college a try. Having a ________ made things easier for me and I began to apply myself. One day, during my favorite class of Children’s Literature, my professor ________ a list of books on a projector (投影仪) that included ________ that had been awarded a Newbery Medal or were Caldecott winners. Suddenly, memories came flooding ________.

________ a handwritten copy of my teachers’ list of classics, I raced home and ran down to the ________. There in the corner on a ________ shelf sat the most amazing collection of children’s books any teacher could hope to have. As I ran my ________ across the covers of these books, I saw my grandmother’s ________ handwriting that read, “To Elizabeth Rose, with love, from Grandmother.” Now I saw how ________ she had been and how each book was so carefully ________ at different times of my life.

1.

A．friendly

B．happy

C．close

D．distant

2.

A．pictured

B．imagined

C．called

D．played

3.

A．poorly

B．well

C．better

D．good

4.

A．occupied

B．surrounded

C．painted

D．protected

5.

A．amusement

B．honour

C．delight

D．satisfaction

6.

A．Eventually

B．Suddenly

C．Gradually

D．Instantly

7.

A．package

B．book

C．toy

D．tree

8.

A．expectation

B．patience

C．confidence

D．pleasure

9.

A．took root

B．took apart

C．took place

D．took on

10.

A．goal

B．life

C．dream

D．gift

11.

A．produced

B．flashed

C．performed

D．referred

12.

A．titles

B．outlines

C．headlines

D．themes

13.

A．away

B．back

C．across

D．through

14.

A．Filled with

B．Covered with

C．Armed with

D．Loaded with

15.

A．basement

B．garage

C．classroom

D．bedroom

16.

A．wooden

B．large

C．clean

D．dusty

17.

A．toes

B．cheek

C．fists

D．fingers

18.

A．informal

B．strange

C．familiar

D．terrible

19.

A．clever

B．lovely

C．wise

D．careful

20.

A．selected

B．sent

C．packed

D．read

3 . When I was four years old, my life as I know it now began. I have Selective Mutism. This is a ___________childhood illness in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I spoke___________to my parents and certain other people, but was ___________at school and in social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a ___________at school.___________, I might whisper to a friend.

At that time, we did not even have a name for what I had. I _________ silently through school until one day I was asked by a doctor what I wanted most in the world. He explained that I was going to be given a(n) ___________to work for it. I couldn't believe my good luck, _______________I could not answer. I just stood there, ___________ to tell. __________, I whispered the answer in my mother's ear. "A __________ ," was all I could say.

____________, before my dream came true, I had a list of weekly tasks I had to ________. I did everything that was asked of me and the day came when I got the horse. His name was Sequoia. He was perfect, of course, and I fell in love____________.When I was together with Sequoia, I ____________ all about my problems and felt __________ and secure. He was silent too, but ____________ at the same time, which gave me the strength I needed __________a reason to push myself.

I am taking a(n)____________ part in society these days. My horse and I made it through a master's degree(硕士学位) and then law school. Now, I am a lawyer, who even make court（法庭） appearances. I feel grateful to the horse. He has given me the best __________ I could ever imagine, my life.

1.

A．severe

B．rare

C．common

D．slight

2.

A．occasionally

B．clearly

C．normally

D．differently

3.

A．silent

B．lonely

C．shy

D．afraid

4.

A．sound

B．partner

C．smile

D．friend

5.

A．At least

B．At most

C．At no time

D．At times

6.

A．studied

B．suffered

C．tried

D．talked

7.

A．opportunity

B．task

C．way

D．direction

8.

A．so

B．even if

C．although

D．but

9.

A．unwilling

B．struggling

C．expecting

D．managing

10.

A．Finally

B．Thoughtfully

C．Simply

D．Suddenly

11.

A．present

B．chance

C．horse

D．surprise

12.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．However

D．Anyway

13.

A．clarify

B．learn

C．make

D．accomplish

14.

A．ahead of

B．all of a sudden

C．apart from

D．at once

15.

A．remembered

B．considered

C．forgot

D．solved

16.

A．calm

B．strong

C．comfortable

D．pleased

17.

A．powerful

B．gentle

C．understanding

D．amazing

18.

A．rather than

B．as well as

C．instead of

D．or

19.

A．active

B．different

C．important

D．special

20.

A．lesson

B．future

C．gift

D．magic

4 . A lifetime of active exercise will let you keep the body of a 20-year-old well into your 70s, scientists have found.

The physical decline (衰退) thought to be an unavoidable part of ageing is actually the result of not exercising enough, according to the research, which found that regular cyclists kept the muscles, lungs, and even the immune system (免疫系统) of people years younger. Besides, many serious health problems could be prevented if people became more active, researchers insist.

Janet Lord, a leading researcher, said, “Our findings prove the false belief that ageing automatically(自动地) makes us weaker. We now have strong evidence that encouraging people to do regular exercise throughout their lives can solve the problem that we are living longer but not healthier.”

She looked at 125 cyclists aged 55 to 79 who had been exercising regularly for 25 years and compared them with 75 ordinary people of a similar age and 55 people aged 20 to 36. On a series of physical measures, the cyclists showed no difference from people much younger in their immune systems and making T cells.

Now Professor Lord aims to discover how much exercise people need to do to stay young. “You needn’t work out a lot. It may be intensity (强度) that helps—like going up and down the stairs ten times a day.”

While there is no magic method of staying mentally and physically fit in later life, the benefits of keeping active can never be ignored, whatever your age or state of health.

1. According to the research, what is the reason for physical decline?

A．The failure of lungs.	B．The lack of regular exercise.
C．The poor state of health.	D．The increase of physical activity.

2. Which of the following statements would Professor Lord probably agree with?

A．The intensity of exercise matters in slowing down ageing.

B．People need a large amount of exercise to stay young.

C．Ageing automatically makes people increasingly weaker.

D．What people need to stay fit in later life is a magic method.

3. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To discuss the benefits of regular cycling.

B．To explain the effects of the immune system.

C．To introduce the ways to stay healthy.

D．To stress the importance of being physically active.

5 . Seven years ago, our daughter, Alle Shea, was born. All of our family were excited with the new arrival. After she was given to me by a nurse from the delivery room, I _______ her cautiously, wondering how_______ life was.

However, our joy_______ for just several seconds. We noticed that she was crying weakly and refused to _______. We went to have the doctor check on her health. After the _______, the doctor told us our daughter was_________with the rare bone disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (成骨不全症). At birth Alle Shea’s skull looked like a_________   egg on the x-rays.

Watching my daughter _________was the greatest pain. After being terribly tortured（折磨）for a long time, my wife and I_________take our five-week-old daughter off life support, by far the most__________decision of our life. The day Alle was leaving us, we were able to take her outside on the hospital deck and hold her in our arms until she __________.

We had two ________ that day: we could have let the sadness overtake us, or we could turn it into a __________. Since that day, my wife and I have worked ________ volunteering our time hosting special events, and talking to others about Osteogenesis Imperfecta(OI). We even________ hospitals to join us and this is the battle we are still________. Over the seven years, we have __________ thousands of hours. In February of 2015 we __________ OI Care for You program. Ever since, we have been sending stuffed animals to children with OI. Each present brings them a smile and__________. Many OI families thank us for doing what we do and giving them another way to show __________ for a family member with OI.

1.

A．held

B．pulled

C．lifted

D．pushed

2.

A．surprising

B．unforgettable

C．miraculous

D．mysterious

3.

A．left

B．lasted

C．stopped

D．waited

4.

A．smile

B．speak

C．sleep

D．walk

5.

A．cure

B．examination

C．experiment

D．treatment

6.

A．born

B．equipped

C．filled

D．infected

7.

A．fried

B．boiled

C．opened

D．cracked

8.

A．suffering

B．yelling

C．sleeping

D．tolerating

9.

A．hurried to

B．refused to

C．had to

D．longed to

10.

A．delightful

B．painful

C．powerful

D．regretful

11.

A．grew up

B．calmed down

C．gave in

D．passed away

12.

A．choices

B．opportunities

C．reasons

D．decisions

13.

A．blessing

B．positive

C．disadvantage

D．difficulty

14.

A．tirelessly

B．aimlessly

C．carelessly

D．helplessly

15.

A．allowed

B．instructed

C．contacted

D．forced

16.

A．winning

B．enjoying

C．fighting

D．overcoming

17.

A．wasted

B．volunteered

C．saved

D．donated

18.

A．started

B．controlled

C．invented

D．delayed

19.

A．solution

B．success

C．comfort

D．life

20.

A．support

B．envy

C．pride

D．gratitude

6 . You may have heard the term self-awareness, but what is it and why does it matter?

Being self-aware can influence how you feel in your job and in your personal life. Daniel Goleman takes that connection much further, saying self-awareness is the key to success. He describes self-awareness as “knowing one’s internal (内在的)states, preference and resources”, and then monitoring that “inner world” information as it comes up. If you can be as aware of your feelings and thoughts, you’ll be better able to deal with new situations. Because you know yourself better, you’ll be more accepting of yourself, your thoughts and your feelings, Goleman says.

But self-awareness doesn’t stop at how you see yourself. It’s also understanding and acknowledging how others see you. Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist, explains that self-awareness has two parts — internal and external (外部的). Internal self-awareness means we can clearly see our own values, thoughts, passions and feelings. External self-awareness is clearly seeing how others see us. People who are externally self-aware tend to be better leaders.

So how do you know if you’re self-aware or not? Eurich developed a short online quiz to help. You’re not the only one who has to take it. Someone who knows you well also has to answer questions about you.

In a recent TED Talk, Eurich refers to self-awareness unicorns. This group makes up only a small part of all the people she has studied. These are people who not only believe they are self-aware, but other people who know them would agree. Additionally, these unicorns would say they have improved their self-awareness in their lives and again, those who know them well would agree.

Thankfully, anyone can become more self-aware, as long as they’re willing to devote some time and effort to the cause.

1. According to Daniel Goleman, a self-aware person ________.

A．feels dissatisfied with his life	B．has a burning desire for success
C．avoids challenging new situations	D．handles his self-information well

2. In Eurich’s theory, what helps make a better leader?

A．External self-awareness.	B．Clear thinking.
C．Sharp understanding.	D．Internal self-awareness.

3. How does Eurich’s quiz assess one’s self-awareness?

A．By setting criteria for answers.

B．By measuring others’ reactions.

C．By analyzing only quiz-takers’ questions.

D．By matching internal and external opinions.

4. What can be inferred about unicorns from the 5^th paragraph?

A．They are born experts.	B．They fail to get approval.
C．They are rare talents.	D．They try to please others.

7 . One day, I was sitting in a local coffee shop, and staring at this man in a wheelchair. He could move his head and parts of his fingers but nothing else. He had a servant who cut up his food and placed it on a special mechanically powered fork that he would use to eat.

He saw me staring at him and invited me to join him at his table. His name was Stephen. For several hours we sat at that table and we got to know each other on a deeply personal level. I had never known a man who was more radiant (容光焕发), more energizing to talk and get to know than Stephen.

Stephen used to be a very successful businessman in Denver. He was in the natural gas business. Thirteen years before, when he was forty, he was waiting for news of a natural gas discovery to occur any moment.

He said, “I had so much nervous energy. I saw the storm clouds gathering, and I decided to clean out the gutters (檐沟）rather than sitting around waiting for this gas well to come in.”

He climbed up the ladder to clear the piles of pine needles on the roof. As he backed up, he accidentally fell off the roof. He landed on his back. He was paralyzed (瘫痪) for the rest of his life, except for his head and his hand.

I asked him, “How do you do it all? How do you suddenly stop hiking, fishing, and running marathons?”

He said, “There are three things you have to do when something like this happens. The first thing you have to do is adjust. The second thing you do is adjust. And the third thing you do is adjust.”

He said, “By adjusting to your abilities, Bill, you have to change your self-expectations. If you can’t be a physical athlete any longer, then perhaps you can be a spiritual athlete.” He was.

1. The author noticed Stephen at the coffee shop because________.

A．he cut up his food	B．he ate in a special way
C．he was staring at the author	D．he looked very energetic

2. How did Stephen adjust to his disability?

A．He accepted himself as he was.	B．He turned to the author for help.
C．He gave up exercising regularly.	D．He made new friends everywhere.

3. “A spiritual athlete” Stephen mentioned in the last paragraph might be________.

A．humorous and sensitive	B．sympathetic and caring
C．faithful and easygoing	D．optimistic and open-minded

8 . Brave dog wasn’t always his name. When we   ________ him first, he was all ________ and skinny-ribbed（皮包骨头的）， ________ worth a second look. But Mattie walked straight, “What a pretty dog!” The dog looked unsure, ________ he was not used to being spoken to kindly. “ ________ that Stray Dog,” I cried. “You know ________ Dad feels about stray dogs.” “Don’t call him Stray Dog,” said Mattie. “He’s a pretty dog and I’m ________ him. ”

To Mattie, he was Pretty Dog. She talked to him, played with him and fed him. He followed her everywhere. Both ________. One day, Dad discovered him. “Mattie! Get away from That Dog!” Dad ________. So Stray Dog became That Dog.

One cold winter day, Dad went ________. Mattie wanted to go, but Dad didn’t ________ .

A few hours later, Dad came home with some fish. “Where is Mattie?” Dad asked. Mom and I were in confusion(困惑地), both ________ Mattie was with the other. “Maybe she went after you.” “ ________ she never came to the lake. Come on, we must find her.”

We were so ________ about her safety that we hurried out. ________, we didn’t find her.

Suddenly, some dog barks(犬吠) ________. “It’s That Dog!” Following the barks, we found Mattie ________ under a fallen tree. We felt relaxed. Mattie said, “We got lost. Then I fell and hurt my foot so I couldn’t ________. Pretty Dog kept me ________.” I don’t remember who started calling him ________, but that was his name from then on.

1.

A．ignored

B．greeted

C．saw

D．liked

2.

A．pretty

B．stubborn

C．smart

D．dusty

3.

A．hardly

B．usually

C．actually

D．really

4.

A．even if

B．as if

C．so that

D．even so

5.

A．Leave

B．Keep

C．Touch

D．Catch

6.

A．that

B．what

C．how

D．why

7.

A．keeping

B．helping

C．studying

D．walking

8.

A．secretly

B．specially

C．entirely

D．carefully

9.

A．shouted

B．asked

C．added

D．advised

10.

A．fishing

B．shopping

C．boating

D．hiking

11.

A．realize

B．refuse

C．allow

D．care

12.

A．thinking

B．seeing

C．remembering

D．saying

13.

A．So

B．And

C．Unless

D．But

14.

A．concerned

B．crazy

C．angry

D．serious

15.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Finally

D．Anyway

16.

A．came

B．went

C．began

D．rose

17.

A．standing

B．jumping

C．playing

D．lying

18.

A．walk

B．follow

C．run

D．go

19.

A．asleep

B．warm

C．happy

D．calm

20.

A．Pretty Dog

B．That dog

C．Clever Dog

D．Brave Dog

9 . TOKYO - A powerful typhoon is heading northeast to Japan’s main island of Honshu on Sunday after sweeping parts of the country’s southern islands with heavy rains and winds that caused flooding and some light injuries.

Typhoon Tapah was passing near Nagasaki in southern Japan on Sunday afternoon, after hitting other parts of southern Japan, including Okinawa, the two former days. Okinawa government had made an evacuation advisory(疏散警告) to nearly 334,000 people.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the storm was moving northeast at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, with the strongest winds of 162 km/h. It would travel through the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula before moving toward northern Japan on Monday, when it is expected to be weak and slow the pace, the agency said.

More than 400 flights were stopped because of the storm, according to NHK. The typhoon hit Okinawa on Friday and Saturday and left 21 people with not serious injuries. The storm upset air and train travel in this area during what is a three-day weekend.

In Nobeoka City in Miyazaki, a strong dangerous wind believed to have been triggered by the typhoon damaged at least one house and injured two people a little, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The coming typhoon also caused fears in parts of Chiba, near Tokyo, which was hit hard by another typhoon earlier this month. That typhoon damaged many houses and electrical power stations, causing widespread electricity’s being cut off in the area.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2 and 3?

A．Few people in Okinawa suffered from the typhoon.

B．Tapah passed Okinawa after it swept Nagasaki in southern Japan.

C．The storm had traveled in Japan for three days before it headed towards north.

D．Tapah would slow down on Monday according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

2. Which of the following best explains “triggered” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．caused.

B．hit.

C．damaged.

D．weakened.

3. Which result caused by Typhoon Tapah is not correctly stated?

A．People in parts of Chiba, near Tokyo, became concerned.

B．Lots of houses and electric stations were damaged.

C．Many flights and trains had to be stopped in Okinawa.

D．The electricity was cut off in some train stations in Miyazaki.

4. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel journal.

B．A newspaper.

C．A diary.

D．A nature magazine.

10 . This holiday season, it’s expected that more than 45 million people will get on airplanes by the time the year ends. With that many people on the move, delays are not able to be avoided, and with them come upset and unhappy passengers.

That space between happy passengers and unhappy passengers is where Fred Taylor Jr. worked for 15 years in customer relations with Southwest Airlines.

“My job was to say sorry by sending letters to customers whose flights have been put off or stopped,” the 47-year-old said. His daughter Olivia tells her friends he is “the Sorry Man.”

I don’t think I can explain reasonably to you for the delays that happened with your December 1st flight from ...

“For me, I’m used to saying ‘I’m sorry’ ,” Fred told his wife, Julie. “It’s been a way of life.”

Of course, you have to know your audience, he explained.

“You know, there are some travelers who may get upset pretty quick,” he said. “If an engine shuts down because parts of the fan blade(风机叶片) break and you can see plumes of(一缕缕) fire, there will be fears, worries, regrets or other emotions. My job was to calm them down: Hey, this wasn’t as serious as what it may have seemed like.”

And I know whatever I say now cannot change the poor service you were given that tiring day ...

But Fred has other ways to turn sadness into joy.

“When my dad died and you wrote a eulogy(悼词), I can remember hearing the people behind me crying. And then you started with the funny stories, and I could hear the people behind me laughing. It was just perfect. You put people at ease.” Julie said.

“So, you’re more than just ‘the Sorry Man,’ ”she said with a laugh.

1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the topic of Fred’s job.

B．To tell us that the world is becoming smaller than before.

C．To show us the wide use of airplane in today’s world.

D．To show that people are always upset about their flights.

2. Why does Olivia call her father “the Sorry Man”?

A．Because she is tired of her father.

B．Because she wants to make fun of her father.

C．Because her father’s job is to say sorry by sending letters.

D．Because her father often makes mistakes.

3. What can you infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．Julie thinks Fred is a wrong man.

B．Julie thinks Fred is just “the Sorry Man”.

C．Julie looks down upon Fred.

D．Julie praises what Fred has done.