1 . When I first got the bird, it must have only just been hatched. Its mother had disappeared, leaving it alone and shivering in the face of the north wind. I decided to take it straight back and build it a new home.

At that time, we grew a great many flowers in our house. Next to one hanging orchid (兰花) I hung another empty flowerpot and it was in this pot that the bird was to have its new home. When Dad got home, he immediately discovered the new addition to our family. Without saying a word, he turned around and left the house. After some time, he returned and I saw that he had a handful of grass and pine needles. Obviously, Dad thought the nest I had made was far too rough and so he had decided to decorate it himself.

“A bird born at this time of year won’t survive the winter.” In spite of this prediction on the bird’s future, Dad very carefully fashioned the nest himself. Soon I found “Nuo Nuo” (Dad had named him) had started to grow feathers. They looked like such fine little hairs that you could only notice them if you looked really closely. I only discovered them because every day I would cup him in my hands and look at him.

Dad probably realized that he had been a little cruel in his prediction. You see, he had already started training Nuo Nuo to walk. As you know, Nuo Nuo lived in a flowerpot, not a cage or anything. When he had nothing else to do, he walked around his little home. There were times when he was a bit naughty too and he jumped down onto our dining table.

It was obvious that Nuo Nuo didn’t realize he was a bird. He perhaps thinks he was one of the family. But it is not enough for a bird to walk, it must fly as well. Dad soon began attempting to make him learn this new ability, but it was not an easy task. After all, nobody in our family had mastered the art of flying. we didn’t even have wings. How could we ask Nuo Nuo to do something that we had no means of doing ourselves?

The flying lessons went on regardless. Dad jumped off a chair, waving his arms as if his life depended on it, in an attempt to encourage Nuo Nuo to shake his wings. Surprisingly, this stupid action of Dad’s did actually have an effect. Nuo Nuo began to shake his wings and started to rise.

Everything is hard at the beginning. But seeing as what we had already started, the fact that Nuo Nuo couldn’t fly was no reason not to continue trying. Nuo Nuo learnt to fly finally and he survived the winter as well.

1. According to the text, what is the new addition to the family?

A．one hanging orchid	B．another empty flowerpot
C．the little bird	D．a handful of grass

2. Why is it not an easy task to make the bird learn to fly?

A．Because the bird was raised in the cage.

B．Because the bird was one of the family.

C．Because the family didn’t want to teach him to fly.

D．Because the family didn’t have relevant experience.

3. What’s the family’s attitude towards the bird?

A．Cruel	B．Considerate
C．Tolerant	D．Unconcerned

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．All the predictions may come true.

B．Nothing is difficult at the beginning.

C．Everything deserves a try though hard.

D．There is always a reason to do something.

2 . To walk is to be human. We' re the only creature that gets around by standing up and putting one foot in front of the other. In the more than 4 million years that humanity' s ancestors have been u-sing only two legs for walking, our ability to walk upright has allowed humankind to travel great distances and survive changing climates, environments and landscapes.

But walking is more than just transportation. It also happens to be really good for us. Countless scientific studies have found that this simple act can provide a number of health benefits and help people live longer. In fact, a walking routine-if done properly-might be the only exercise people need.

How much walking should one aim for? You’ve likely heard we need 10,000 steps a day. That’s about 5 miles. But contrary to popular belief, this recommendation doesn’t come from science. Instead, it stems from a 1960s advertising campaign to promote a pedometer(计步器)in Japan. Perhaps because it's a round number and easy to remember, it stuck.

Since the 1960s, researchers have studied the 10,000 - steps - a - day standard and have turned up mixed results. Although 10,000 steps is certainly a healthy and worthwhile goal, it’s not a one - size - fits - all recommendation.

For instance, a recent Harvard University study involving more than 16,000 senior women found that those who got at least 4,400 steps a day greatly reduced their risk of dying early when compared with less active women. The study also noted that these benefits continued up to 7, 500 steps before leveling off. This 7,500 mark isn't surprising: It’s in line with common public health recommendations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate (适度的) physical activity a week for adults.

Research has shown that picking up the pace might be a good idea, too-fast enough to raise your heart rate, even if just for a short burst.

1. Which statement will the author believe?

A．Walking 10000 steps a day fits us all who lack exercise.

B．Walking is the only exercise that unhealthy people need.

C．To be healthy, walking great distances is strongly suggested

D．The benefits of walking depend on frequency, intensity and duration

2. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．A walking routine	B．A round number
C．The popular belief	D．The pedometer Ads.

3. How much walking should one aim for according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

A．4,400 steps a day.	B．7,500 steps a day.
C．10,000 steps a day.	D．150 minutes a day.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．The Only Exercise You Need-Walking

B．10,000 - Step Goal Is More Marketing Than Science

C．Walking Is One Of The Best Exercises For Health

D．Walk Often, Walk Fast And Walk Long

3 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.

Denmark: Break plates

A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.

Germany: Pouring lead

In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.

Spain: Twelve grapes of luck

In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything

In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.

1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?

A．A red candle.

B．Round food.

C．Broken china.

D．A lead cross.

2. What inspired the New Year’s tradition of eating grapes?

A．A way to make coins.	B．An act to keep power.
C．A desire to be popular.	D．An idea to gain profit.

3. Which section of a magazine is the text probably taken from?

A．Fashion.

B．Travel.

C．Culture.

D．Entertainment.

4 . The world's largest iceberg (冰山)is floating toward the island of South Georgia in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Scientists fear the iceberg could crash into the island and block major feeding areas for a large population of penguins (企鹅)and seals.

Satellite images show the iceberg has remained in one piece. It is estimated to be about 150 kilometers long and 48 kilometers wide. It is traveling at one kilometer an hour and is on a path to hit South Georgia in around 30 days.

The British Antarctic Survey says it is concerned that if the iceberg hits the island, it could prevent the penguins and seals from reaching food supplies.

Professor Geraint Tarling, an ecologist with the Antarctic Survey, says right now is the time of year when seals and penguins spend a lot of time caring for their young. This means the distance that parents have to travel to find food is important.

"That means they have to go a lot further, they have to go around the iceberg, or to actually go further to find sources of food," Tarling said. "And that time is quite important at this particular period of their life cycle."

The breaking off of icebergs from Antarctica is a natural process. But the process is changing with climate change. " What we 're seeing with models and some observations now is the rate at which this is happening is increasing. And so, this might become more of a usual thing into the future," Tarling said.

The iceberg also could damage South Georgia's valuable fishing industry. Fishers pay for the rights to catch Patagonian toothfish, icefish and krill (磷虾)in waters off the island.

Officials are hoping that changing weather patterns could direct the iceberg out into the open ocean, where it would, in time, break up and melt.

1. What will happen if the iceberg hits the island of South Georgia?

A．Wildlife will lose their homes.

B．The iceberg will remain in one piece.

C．The island of South Georgia will disappear.

D．Feeding will be challenging for penguins and seals.

2. What can we learn from what Tarling says?

A．Icebergs are coming off faster than before.

B．Penguins and seals' birth rates are increasing.

C．The iceberg's breaking off is caused by human.

D．It's unusual to see the iceberg melting is speeding.

3. What does the last paragraph tell us?

A．The present situation is beyond hope.

B．The weather patterns are controllable.

C．The iceberg is bound to melt very soon.

D．The crash of the iceberg may be avoidable.

4. What's the main theme of the passage?

A．The changing climate in Antarctica.	B．The potential problems of the iceberg.
C．The island of South Georgia.	D．The population of sea animals.

5 . You may think that sailing is difficult, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.

First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.

Let's start with the wind blowing from behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.

If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45°angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap. It shouldn't look like a flag on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.

Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can't go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking(作“之”字形航行). When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.

1. What should you consider first while sailing?

A．Sailors' strength.

B．Wave levels.

C．Wind directions.

D．Size of the sail.

2. What does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The sail.

B．The wind.

C．The boat.

D．The angle.

3. What do you have to do when sailing against the wind?

A．Move in a straight line.	B．Allow the sail to flap.
C．Lower the sail.	D．Tack the boat.

4. What's the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To advise you to go sailing.	B．To teach you how to go sailing.
C．To show the danger of sailing.	D．To tell the difficulty of sailing.

6 . Learning a second language is difficult at any age and it only gets harder the longer you wait to open that dusty French book. Now, in a new study, scientists have pointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency（流利）in a second language seem to rise： 10.

The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's "nearly impossible” for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second language after 10. But that doesn't seem to be because language skills go downhill “It turns out you're still learning fast. It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old,“ says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College.

Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing,“ Hartshorne says, “and children's brains seem to be a lot more skilled at changing. "

These findings may seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that the critical （关键的）period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than they previously thought. Some scientists believed that the brief window closes shortly after birth, while others stretched it only to early adolescence. Compared to those estimates, 17 or 18 when language learning ability starts to drop off——seems old.

“People progress better when they learn by immersion （沉 浸）rather than simply in a classroom. And moving to a place where your desired language is spoken is the best way to learn as an adult. If that's not an option, you can create an immersive environment by finding ways to have conversations with native speakers in their own communities," Hartshorne says. By doing so, it's possible to become conversationally fluent——even without the advantage of a child's brain.

1. What is the most important finding of the new study?

A．The best age to learn a second language.

B．The possibility of speaking fluent language.

C．The change of language skills over the time.

D．The great approaches to learning a language.

2. Why do kids seem better than adults at learning new languages?

A．Their focus is language learning only.

B．They are more interested in languages.

C．They are more adaptable to new things.

D．Their brain always ignores big changes.

3. What is Hartshorne's advice on becoming fluent in a second language?

A．Joining friends in their learning.	B．Turning to immersive learning.
C．Studying in a quiet classroom.	D．Training the brain to a kid's brain.

4. From which part of a newspaper is the text most probably taken?

A．Science.	B．Travel
C．Health.	D．Education.

7 . To improve a high schoolers chance of getting into a top university, the summer programs allow young students to explore fields of interest and get a taste of college life.

Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)

TASP is a six-week program allowing high school freshman from around the world to grow their sense of interpersonal awareness and community responsibility. It's completely free, including the cost of tuition, books and even travel.

Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)

This week-long program aimed at all US high school students can help them develop the skills necessary for future job in engineering while learning about the value and reward of acquiring advanced technical degrees. MITES is free—the only expense is the transportation to and from MIT.

Clark Scholar Program (CSP)

High school students coming from across the globe are offered the unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in mathematics field while working one on one with teaching staff over four intense weeks. Everything is free for chosen applicants except their meals.

JCamp

The seven-week one brings high school freshman and sophomores from various backgrounds together for participating in sessions and workshops led by notable journalists where students can get hands-on training in journalism. JCamp is free if selected-participants only need to pay for the board.

1. What can be expected of MITES?

A．It is accessible to worldwide students.	B．It lays a foundation for career prospect.
C．It makes no extra charge for transportation.	D．It awards students advanced technical degrees.

2. Which program is suitable for a UK high schooler with up to 5 spare weeks?

A．TASP.

B．MITES.

C．CSP.

D．JCamp.

3. What is the shared goal of the programs?

A．To seek for one-on-one instruction.	B．To develop a sense of social duty.
C．To get participants better prepared for college.	D．To advertise some majors of the top universities.

8 . If you are planning a tour to France, September is one of the best choices. Not only will you get to enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm weather, but the tourist season is beginning to wind down-which means cheaper airfares, lower prices at hotels, and fewer crowds. If this is your first trip to France , here is some handy information to help you!

Visiting Museums

Many museums in France have extended opening hours   during the summer to adapt to the extra tourists from home and abroad, and some museums also have extended opening hours into September. Wandering around the Louvre（卢浮宫）will take you into a wonder world, where you can enjoy world- famous art. Going out of the Louvre, you can walk to the modern and fashionable Chumps Elysees to do some shopping.

Taking a Cruise（乘船游览）

The temperatures are slightly lower, but plenty of sunshine makes for perfect conditions to enjoy a barge cruise on the canals of France. Willi such comfortable weather and beautiful scenery   at this time of year, nothing equals hanging out on the deck of a barge.

Wine Tasting

September is the beginning of the grape harvest season in France meaning there are plenty of wine- related events and festivals around the country. So September is a great time to visit the vineyards(葡萄园） around the country and go wine tasting. The Bordeaux, Loire and Burgundy regions are all lovely and great places to visit vineyards. Besides that, going to the castles of the Loire region between visiting vineyards on such warm and sunny days is also very enjoyable.

Besides the above, riding a bike through France's villages is also a welcome activity for young visitors in September. So, don't hesitate and start to plan your September trip to France now.

1. When do many French museums extend their opening hours?

A．In Jan. & Feb..	B．In Apr. & May .
C．In Aug. & Sep..	D．In Nov. & Dec..

2. Where should you go if you want to visit both vineyards and castles?

A．Bordeaux.

B．Loire.

C．Burgundy.

D．Champs Ely sees.

3. How do you like France in September?

A．Warm but crowded.	B．Cool but much noisy.
C．Cold and less noisy.	D．Sunny and less crowded.

9 . "Confidence" is probably one of the most noticeable quality in the Americans. They show confidence in the way they talk, the way they smile, the way they dress and the way they walk. Living and competing with all these confident American students, I find it extremely important to be confident as an international student and teacher. As a student, being confident means you should dare to raise your hand whenever a question or a point comes to your mind. Don't mind if it sounds simple or silly. Otherwise you will never get a chance to speak in class at all. What's worse, the professors may think you are not prepared for the discussion or you do not have your own opinion on the topic — this is the last comment any gradate would not like to receive.

Being confident for me as a foreign teacher means calmly asking the student to repeat what he or she has said if I did not get it. Pretending to understand what you actually did not may just bring yourself uneasiness or even shame. But the time I most need to be confide is when my students come to my office and bargain about the grades I have given for their speeches (The course I'm teaching here is Public Speaking.) Modesty is a quality highly valued in China, but it won't be of much help here if you want to survive and succeed in a good American graduate program.

1. What should we do most if we want to compete with American students?

A．Be quite confident.	B．Be polite and friendly.
C．Have more discussions.	D．Know what they think about.

2. A professor will have the worst opinion of a student who         .

A．gives a silly or simple answer	B．tries to seize any chance to speak in class
C．shows no interest in the	D．is considered to have no opinion of his own

3. The author is most likely to feel uneasiness if         .

A．he asks a student to repeat what he has said	B．the students bargain with him
C．he pretends to know what he doesn't	D．he has to give a speech

10 . Some people are using old books to create works of art, including sculptures. They can change the shape of a hardcover book so it becomes 3-D. The resulting sculpture has not only a length and width, but depth. The process can be very simple, and the result is often beautiful.

There are many kinds of book folding. Artists fold, bend, and sometimes, cut a book's pages while keeping them together. The art works can be hung on a wall or placed on a table. "They look impressive on the wall," says writer Candice Caldwell. "A group of six of these on the wall together can look really beautiful, and they're just really simple folds."

In 2003, Caldwell started making clocks from old books when she saw plans for a simple book-folding project in a do-it-yourself magazine. She has since taught several friends and her mother how to create wall art from books.

Caldwell operates a blog. She writes about reshaping everyday objects like books for uses other than what they were designed for.

Clare Youngs, who is an illustrator (插图画家), has written a book called Folded Book Art. She says book folding is easy. From her home in England, she told the Associated Press by email that "It looks as if it is complex and unachievable, but it is really easy to do. You just don't tell anyone how easy it is and they will be amazed at your creations."

Youngs began making art from book pages several years ago when she saw pictures of folded books at the website Pinterest com. She also watched some videos on You Tube that tell how to create art from books.

Youngs suggests folding cooking recipe and photography books. She says that "If it's really visual and really colorful when you start to fold them, you get a whole new look on the wall."

1. What does Caldwell write about online？

A．Creating everyday objects.

B．The works of art on the wall.

C．A project in a do-it-yourself magazine.

D．Changing the shape of daily items for other purposes.

2. What does Youngs think of book folding？

A．It is boring.	B．It is dangerous.
C．It is unnecessary.	D．It is not complex.

3. Where did Youngs learn to make art from book pages

A．In the library.	B．From friends.
C．On the internet.	D．From cooking recipes.

4. What does the text mainly tell us？

A．Recycling old things.	B．Ways to fold various books.
C．a new use for old books.	D．The goal of book folding.