1 . Every day on her walk to school, Khloe Thompson, a nine-year-old girl, kept noticing the same homeless people and couldn’t help but feel troubled. She kept asking her mom why or how they were there, and at the end of the conversation she always wondered, “What can I do to help?” Seeing these struggling individuals in her community, Khloe made a resolution to create her own charity devoted to improving the lives of local homeless people. After Khloe made the decision firmly, she quickly began to effect change in the homeless community, raising spirits while lending some much-needed assistance to those living on the street.
“No dream is too small or too big!” writes Khloe on her GoFundMe page, which was set up by Khloe and her mom Alisha and has raised $14,000 in the two months since it was established, exceeding its original $10,000 goal. “Any funds raised on this page will go toward our charity filing fees and any future volunteer projects. The more we raise, the more people we can help!”
The charity, called Khloe Kares, is a community service-oriented organization that plans different projects to give some assistance to those in need. Khloe’s first project was Kare Bags, which are intended to help the homeless. “I like to give them a nice sturdy bag that they can have forever,” says Khloe, “Sometimes they give me hugs and then they say thank you.”
“As a parent, you’re going to be concerned about her walking up to random strangers,” says Alisha, who accompanies Khloe when she hands out her Kare Bags. After seeing people’s positive reactions, she said “People really warm up to her quickly.”
As Khloe strives to help those near her, homelessness has become an increasingly pressing issue. For Khloe, Kare Bags are just the beginning. She is currently planning a toy drive for kids living in group homes, which will take place on July. She has collected about $1,000 worth of toys to give out, and additional voluntary gifts will go towards The Raise Foundation of Orange County, whose goal is to stop child abuse and neglect.
1. Khloe created her own charity to .| A．collect money for children’s toys |
| B．help homeless people of the local area |
| C．protect more children from abuse and neglect |
| D．improve the living condition of the community |
| A．is a community service-oriented organization |
| B．was set up by Khloe and some local volunteers |
| C．plans different projects to help those people in need |
| D．raises fund for filing fees and future volunteer projects |
| A．Devoted and open-minded. |
| B．Humorous and strong-willed. |
| C．Determined and warm-hearted. |
| D．Knowledgeable and hard-working. |
| A．No Life is Easy |
| B．The Road to Success |
| C．The Power of Volunteers |
| D．Lend a Hand to Strangers |
2 . More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation app such as Apple Maps or Amap. This raises the age-old question we meet with any technology: What abilities is our brain losing to these apps? But also, importantly: What abilities are we gaining?
Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.
But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I'm so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.
In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as go north for three blocks and──then west’’ make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up, none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys(小巷) that cross with newer avenues at many angles. In such places, you’d better turn to the locals. In the countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask. In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.
Which brings me back to my original question: While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes a door, we should also look for the doors it opens.
1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset?| A．They are interested in reading paper maps, |
| B．They don’t know how to use navigation, apps. |
| C．They are limited to a single smart phone app. |
| D．They are confused by digital maps’ direction. |
| A．Asking local people the way. |
| B．Following the navigation app. |
| C．Getting familiar with the city rules. |
| D．Looking for street names and house numbers. |
| A．Cautious | B．Ambiguous |
| C．Favorable | D．Critical |
| A．Benefits of Navigation Apps |
| B．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps |
| C．My World Opens Up by New Technology |
| D．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain? |
3 . We humans love to stare into our smart devices. We gaze for hours-about 10 hours and 39 minutes a day-at our computers, smartphones,tablets and televisions. Is all this staring bad for us? It might be mainly because as we stare at our devices we are exposing ourselves to blue light.
Blue light is a type of electromagnetic(电磁的) radiation with a very short wavelength that produces a high amount of energy. While it’s true that light can damage our eyes under certain circumstances, there’s no scientific evidence suggesting that blue light is harmful to our eyes. But many people still think it is, which is why blue-light-blocking glasses are so popular. So do the glasses work?
“Everyone is very concerned that blue light may be causing damage to the eye, but there’s no evidence that it may be causing serious damage,” Dr. Rahul Khurana, clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology,told Business Insider.
Blue light exposure is nothing new. In fact,the sun is the largest source of blue light. Moreover, blue light is also present in LED light. But if blue light isn’t harmful, then why are we constantly rubbing our eyes when we’re looking at our screens? The answer is eyestrain(眼疲劳): More than 60 percent of people experience eye problems associated with digital eyestrain. And blue light, it seems, isn’t the cause. Instead, our eyes are so strained because most of us blink less when we stare at our digital devices. So if eyestrain is the issue, blue-light-blocking glasses are probably of little use.
1. What do we know about blue light?| A．It is a kind of nuclear radiation. |
| B．It has the shortest wavelength. |
| C．It may come from electronic devices. |
| D．It consumes a great deal of energy. |
| A．Evidence of their benefits to eyes. |
| B．Belief in blue light's harmful effect. |
| C．Widespread use of smart devices. |
| D．Scientific understanding of blue light. |
| A．Blue light exposure is hardly avoidable. |
| B．Eye problems are not easy to deal with. |
| C．Blue light may connect with tired eyes. |
| D．Rubbing eyes makes people strained. |
| A．tiring | B．harmful |
| C．useless | D．beneficial |
4 . What kind of amusing activities will you participate in during your life? Will you be spending your free time doing safe sports with little danger or will you always be one of the first people to try the next popular extreme activity? Scientists have been interested in finding out why some people seem to prefer dangerous activities.
Although there are exceptions, researchers have found that in most cases men are less cautious than women. Men often try to impress women by proving that they are courageous and fearless, and they are more likely to take risks when women are watching them or when they are competing against other men.
Research also shows that as people get older they usually behave more responsibly and avoid taking unnecessary risks. In addition, when people are in stable relationships, they seem to be less attracted to daring activities.
Some people seem to be more daring than others, but there are many different types of risks and some people take one type of risk, but not another Psychologists have identified a number of categories of risk. These include financial risks, risks related to health and safety, amusing risks and social risks. Psychologists discover that some people will take risks in one area, but not in another. Just if a person enjoys bungee (蹦极) jumping, it doesn't mean he or she will take chances when investing (投资) money or that he will tell a joke to a group of strangers.
Interestingly, research shows that women take more social risks than men. They are more likely to make career changes as they get older and to express unpopular opinions in business meetings.
Yet, at the end of the day, the likelihood of particular people taking a risk depends on their personalities. In general, optimistic people are more likely to take risks because they focus on the possible positive outcomes of their actions. On the other hand, those with opposite personality are much more likely to avoid taking a chance.
1. What have researchers discovered about women?| A．They are always changing jobs. | B．They are good at doing business. |
| C．They are more willing to take risks. | D．They are more conservative than men. |
| A．To attract women to watch them. | B．To have favorable effects on women. |
| C．To announce risks are too dangerous. | D．To show their strength to the competitor. |
| A．The potential consequences. | B．Their characters. |
| C．Their problems of finance. | D．The focuses of their work. |
| A．People's sense of taking risks. | B．Risks at people's different ages. |
| C．Different types of people's risks. | D．Risks between men and women. |
5 . One day, a little monkey and a little fox went out to play. They saw an apple tree on the other side of the river. There were many big and red apples on it. But there was no bridge over the river. The monkey thought hard and had an idea. They pulled down a tree and put it over the river as a bridge.
The monkey said, “My old friend, you go there first.” But after the fox went to the other side, he kicked(踢) the tree into the river and ran to the apple tree. “How can I get there without the tree?” cried the monkey. The fox laughed and said, “You just stand there and watch me eating the apples.” The monkey was very angry.
Suddenly it began to rain. The water level(水位) in the river rose（上涨） and tree flew away with the water.
“You can eat all the apples. But you can’t come back,” shouted the monkey.
The fox stopped eating and looked at the monkey sadly.
1. The little monkey and the little fox wanted to _____ on the other side of the river.| A．build a bridge | B．eat the apples |
| C．pull down a tree | D．play games |
| A．eat all the apples by himself | B．share the apples with the monkey |
| C．get the apples first | D．play a joke on the monkey |
| A．the monkey had taken away the tree | B．he was angry with the monkey |
| C．it began to rain | D．the tree had flown away |
6 . Have you ever heard of blogs (博客)? If you haven’t, you should have. It’s here, it’s growing and it’s having an influence on our life. Surf the Internet and you’ll find blogs everywhere. A blog, shortened from “weblog”, is a public Internet journal（日志） written by one person or a group of people. It is a website in which a person or a group can place news, personal thoughts, text, photos, video or audio files, or links upon that visitors can comment (评价). A blog lets you post on the Internet without having to know web design or be technical. You are given an environment to make dated entries on the topic of your choice which are “published”, so other people can read them.
Authoring（批准，授权）a blog, maintaining（维护） a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called “blogging”. Blogging has revolutionized(革命化的) Internet publishing in the last several years because it gives everyone with Internet access the opportunity to become an online writer. Objects, such as “text and photos” in a blog can be called “blog posts”( 博客帖子), “posts”, or “entries”(词条). The person who posts these entries is called a “blogger”.
Now, somewhere around the world, a blog is created almost every 6 seconds. Because it’s great potential, Bill Gates views it as important as e-mail, BBS, and MSN. He’s trying to make blogs the important tools for future business communications.
1. A blog is .| A．a comment | B．an Internet journal |
| C．a design | D．a link |
| A．talk to others | B．give comments |
| C．read articles | D．enjoy photos |
| A．Bill Gates will invent some tools for blogs |
| B．blogs will be an important business communication tool in the future |
| C．so far, only a few persons have created blogs |
| D．blogs will replace e-mail, BBS and MSN in the future |
| A．give everyone the chance to be an online writer |
| B．can be created by people without much knowledge of computer technology |
| C．enable a blogger to place news, personal thoughts, text and photos and give comments |
| D．all of the above |
7 . Unlike China, where the majority of society belongs to the Han ethnic group, the United States is home to people from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, creating great diversity within its lively society.
However, historical events that created this diversity also led to racial disputes and prejudice that have lasted until today. Around days like Martin Luther King Day, people in the US are especially sensitive to racist comments and behavior.
Recently, a Facebook message posted by a white student at my boarding school started a wave of anger among African American students and started heated conversations about minority groups at the school.
The students posted an article written by someone else who stated that Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general during the US Civil War, should be commemorated(纪念). As the Confederates broke from the Union in order to keep slavery in their states, they were usually seen as racists. The post received a flood of comments from both white and black students within minutes, and conversation about the topic spread across campus quickly.
A fishbowl conversation was organized the evening the article was posted, and students and faculty (学院) members talked about their feelings and opinions. During the discussion, students from minority groups, including African American, Jewish, Asian and Indian students, spoke up about how they felt about living in a society mainly made up of people who are different from them. It turned out that many people felt isolated because of their differences from other people.
The diversity of society can open up interesting opportunities, but the great differences between people can also create huge gaps and misunderstandings if they are not treated carefully. Thus, effective communication is essential.
After the fishbowl conversation, the atmosphere in the school seemed to be changing, at least from my point of view. Students seemed to be talking and acting more freely than before, and the expressions of judgement were seen less on their faces.
1. The main purpose of Paragraph 1 is to ______.| A．draw attention to the fact that racial problems still exist in America. |
| B．show that the United States has a wonderfully diverse culture. |
| C．explain how sensitive people in the US are to racist comments and behavior. |
| D．point out the differences between American culture and those of other countries. |
| A．The post was offensive to black students. |
| B．The post was aimed at African American students. |
| C．The author of he post was strongly in favor of slavery. |
| D．The author of the post held a negative attitude toward minority groups. |
| A．figure out whether the article should be posted or not. |
| B．educate students on how to express their opinions appropriately. |
| C．improve the lives of people who belongs to minority groups on campus. |
| D．get people to communicate how they felt and thought about the post. |
| A．We should learn to live with others’ differences. |
| B．We should always feel free to share our feelings. |
| C．Effective communication is very important in a diverse society. |
| D．If there is no difference, then there is no misunderstanding. |
8 . Body language is the “silence language” of every culture. It is important to know the body language of every country, or we may be misunderstood.
In the United States, people greet each other with a handshake in a formal introduction. The handshake must be firm. If the handshake is weak, it is a sign of weakness or unfriendliness. Friends may place a hand on the other’s arm or shoulder. Some people, usually women, greet a friend with a hug.
Space is important to Americans. When two people talk to each other, they usually stand about two or a half feet away and at an angle, so they are not facing each other directly. Americans get uncomfortable when a person stands too close. They will move back to have their space. If Americans touch another person by accident, they say “Pardon me” or “Excuse me”.
Americans like to look the other person in the eye when they are talking. If you don’t do so, it means you are bored, hiding something, or are not interested. But when you stare at someone, it is not polite.
Learning a culture’s body language is sometimes confusing. If you don’t know what to do, the safest thing to do is to smile.
1. Suppose you are meeting a customer from United States, how will you greet him?| A．Greet him with a hug | B．Stare at him |
| C．Place a hand on his arm | D．Shake his hand firmly |
| A．face you directly | B．move back |
| C．Say “Pardon me” | D．stare at you |
| A．Americans stand side by side when talking with friends. |
| B．Americans show their respect by shaking hands weakly. |
| C．Americans say “Excuse me” to each other when talking. |
| D．Americans like to look the other person in the eye when talking. |
| A．listen carefully with no expression | B．hide your opinions |
| C．smile | D．stare at others |
9 . An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters． It may cause great damage． So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members．
Fragile items， like those made of glass should usually be placed on a lower surface， near the ground instead of placing them on cupboards higher up． Never place them near your bed， sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down． When there is a strong movement，these pieces will fall on the floor directly and not on you．
There is a strong chance of short circuits （短路） and fire breakouts during an earthquake． Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens．
During an earthquake， lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged． Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you． Never use the elevator to go down． Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside． Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out． Use the staircases at all times．
If you are outdoors， do not take shelter under a tree， streetlights， electric poles or tall buildings． If you are driving， stop your car and stay in a safe place． Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object．
If trapped in debris （瓦砾堆）， cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing． Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you． Use a whistle （哨子） if one is available． Never shout for help． Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust． Do not light a match because you may burn yourself． Do not move about or kick up dust．
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers ．| A．the damage caused by earthquakes |
| B．the rescue work after earthquakes |
| C．what to do about earthquakes |
| D．how to prevent earthquakes |
| A．easily broken |
| B．easily found |
| C．expensive |
| D．heavy |
| A．go out the building at once |
| B．turn off power and gas immediately |
| C．take shelter under a tree |
| D．drive to a safe place |
| A．Cover their mouth with a handkerchief． |
| B．Tap on a pipe or wall for help． |
| C．Use a whistle for help． |
| D．Light a fire for help． |
| A．take shelter under a tree |
| B．stop your car and stay in a safe place |
| C．park your car under a tree |
| D．park your car under a tall object |
10 . Many people have tried to simplify （简化） the spelling of English words． Unlike other languages， English sometimes spells the same sounds in very different ways． For example， there is "light" but "white"，"loan"but"phone" ，and there are at least seven different ways of pronouncing "ough"： "though"， "through"， "bough"， "cough"， "enough"， "ought" and"thorough"．
The American President Theodore Roosevelt almost succeeded in simplifying English spelling． In 1906， Andrew Carnegie started the Simplified Spelling Board． He was one of the richest men in the United States of America． The board's plan was to make the spelling of words nearer to the way they sound． For example， the word "though" would be spelt "tho" and "through" would become "thru"． Other people on the board were Melvil Dewey， the head of the New York libraries， and Professor Brander Matthews of Columbia University． They explained their idea to President Roosevelt， who thought that it was indeed logical． He immediately asked the government printer to use simplified spelling in all government letters．
But people didn't like the change， even if it made life easier． So the new simpler spelling was not popular． More importantly， when the American politicians （政客） discussed the plan， they did not like it either． Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians， he changed his mind and told the printer to go back to the old way of spelling．
Since then no one in any government has dared to simplify English spelling． However， people do simplify some words， mainly in advertisements． For example， we often see "tonite"instead of"tonight"and"thru"instead of"through"．
1. Many people have tried to simplify English spelling because ．| A．English words are too long to remember |
| B．there are many mistakes in English words |
| C．lots of words are spelt in many different ways |
| D．sometimes the same sounds have different spellings |
| A．Andrew Carnegie． |
| B．Melvil Dewey． |
| C．Theodore Roosevelt． |
| D．Brander Matthews． |
| A．Worried． |
| B．Supportive． |
| C．Uncertain． |
| D．Doubtful． |
| A．failed in the end |
| B．proved quite successful |
| C．won wide support |
| D．influenced English greatly |
| A．Because people didn't like the change． |
| B．Because politicians did not like the new simpler spelling． |
| C．Because Roosevelt did not want to have any problems with the politicians． |
| D．Because Roosevelt did not like the new simpler spelling． |
