1 . Every kid has their own favorites. Dolls, dinosaurs, remote controls and cellphones — they might have a toy box with a wide range of play things to keep them entertained, but there's firm favorite they always reach for first-cars. Although the sex difference in the toy world remains, it's not only little boys who are drawn to all things with wheels. That my 20-month-old daughter dotes on the red bus toy is the proof of this.
From age 0 to 2, children are in the sensorimotor (感觉运动的) stage of development, explains Alyssa Wilkins. “They are learning by absorbing everything through their senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing,” Wilkins says. “Toys and real-life objects like cars are very sensorily engaging. Kids can interact with toy cars, trucks, etc. through spinning (旋转) their wheels, watching them move in a variety of directions, or hearing the sounds they make.”
Plus, kids are just naturally drawn to loud and moving objects. “They see the lights on the cars and the rolling wheels, and hear the sound of the running engine. It's very engaging,” Wilkins says. “Kids will always be drawn to attractive and loud things because that is what engages their brain and sensory systems.”
Another appeal of toy vehicles is that they're typically small enough to fit in a child's hand Cars become the favorite of both boys and girls because they can put their cars in their pockets r carry them around. A car is also a cause-and-effect toy — it teaches children that their actions can make something happen. “It's super interesting and exciting for kids to learn that they can change something in their environment, and they may feel proud of what they have done,” Capanna-Hodge says.
Every child is unique in how they engage with toys, and the reasons for their play style may be diverse and complex. Ultimately, how your kids play with their toy vehicles could be a little window into what controls or excites them.
1. What does the underlined phrase “dotes on” in Paragraph I mean?| A．Turns down. | B．Goes in for. | C．Runs into. | D．Has control of. |
| A．The influence form parents. | B．The shape of toys vehicles. |
| C．The exciting sensory input. | D．The peaceful learning environment. |
| A．The smaller the toy vehicles are, the more the kids like them. |
| B．Boys perform better than girls while playing with toy vehicles. |
| C．The more toy vehicles the kids have, the more benefits the kids get. |
| D．Kids can gain a sense of achievement from playing with toy vehicles. |
| A．Why toy vehicles are kids' favorites |
| B．How toy vehicles can boost kids' five sense |
| C．Why parents choose toy vehicles for their kids |
| D．How parents can encourage kids to play with toy vehicles |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
2 . For many of us, good friends are the next closest thing to family. According to a new study, good friends are actually the next closest thing to family from the aspect of genes (基因).
U.S. researchers have found that we are more genetically similar to our friends than to any stranger. The study suggested that genes may affect how we choose our friends, reports the BBC.
The study looked at the gene information of nearly 2,000 people, who were chosen from a small U.S. town as part of a larger heart study. Nearly half a million single-letter markers from the genome (基因组) were studied, showing that friends share about 0.1 percent more DNA, on average, than strangers do. While that might not sound like much, it’s as if they shared a great-great-great-grandparent in common.
Except for providing DNA information, participants (参与者) in the study were also asked who their closest friends were. Because all of the participants were chosen from such a small community, it made this group particularly suitable for such studies.
However, the fact that all of the study was based on such a small community has also led to argument. Friendships in small communities might be more likely to be genetically related, because such communities have fewer types of genes in general.
“I wonder whether the methods used in the study can fully explain the causes known to drive friendships,” said Oxford’s Dr. Rory Bowden.
There was one interesting finding from the study. Some of the genes that friends are most likely to have in common are about smell. “You may really love the smell of coffee. And you’re drawn to a place where other people have been drawn because they love the smell of coffee too,” Fowler explained. “And so that might be the opportunity space for you to make friends. You’re all there together because you love coffee and you make friends because you all love coffee.”
1. What did the participants do in the study?| A．They named their closest friends. |
| B．They made friends from a small community. |
| C．They changed the methods of making friends. |
| D．They provided DNA information of their friends. |
| A．Coffee helps strangers come together. |
| B．Good friends will love the smell of coffee. |
| C．Genes about smell among friends are similar. |
| D．Smell may influence people in making friends. |
| A．A study on the relationship between making friends and genes. |
| B．The methods of carrying out different studies. |
| C．A way to choose participants in a study. |
| D．The similar genes between good friends. |
3 . Scientists have not found any signs of life on Mars yet,but they say a robotic vehicle called “Curiosity” is helping them learn a lot about the planet’s history and climate.
Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012 after travelling through space for more than eight months.It was sent to Mars by scientists from NASA in the United States.
Curiosity is about the size of a car and has six wheels.It also has a robotic arm,cameras,and instruments that allow it to examine things it finds on the surface.Then it sends the information back to the earth.
Curiosity’s main task is to find out if anything could live on Mars,either now or in the past.On Nov.2,NASA scientists held a press conference (新闻发布会) to discuss what Curiosity had found in its first two months on Mars.
Curiosity has found soil that is similar to the sand formed by volcanoes (火山) on the earth.Scientists say that studying the minerals in Martian soil will help them understand what conditions were like on the planet in the past.Curiosity also found smooth stones like the ones found on river beds and seashores on the earth,where their rough edges have been worn down by water.Mars is very cold and dry now,but scientists say the smooth stones tell them that a river used to run through the place where they were found.
Curiosity has been testing the atmosphere around Mars for a type of gas called methane (甲烷),but so far it has not found any.On the earth,most methane is produced by plants or animals.Methane on Mars might indicate that some type of tiny plants or animals lived there.
Curiosity is the fourth robotic vehicle to be sent to Mars.It will continue to explore the planet for about two years.
1. Which of the following descriptions about Curiosity is TRUE?| A．It landed on Mars in January 2012. |
| B．It is small in size and has four arms. |
| C．It took over eight months to arrive in Mars. |
| D．It was sent to Mars by scientists from Russia. |
| A．there’s no air on Mars | B．Mars is warm and wet now |
| C．the soil on Mars is rich | D．there used to be water on Mars |
| A．smooth stones | B．rivers |
| C．robotic vehicles | D．volcanoes |
| A．some tiny animals once lived on Mars |
| B．there are no plants or animals on Mars now |
| C．the atmosphere around Mars is full of methane |
| D．Curiosity is designed to test the atmosphere around the earth |
| A．Humans benefit a lot by going to Mars. |
| B．Scientists will stop the research on Mars soon. |
| C．It is possible to build an earth-like environment on Mars. |
| D．A robotic vehicle helps scientists get useful information from Mars. |
4 . Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference (参考) by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Often it happens that a place has two names： One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries---in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were at first from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named after former British military bases (军事基地). If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus--- obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel (人员).
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay (马来语). Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent (月牙) because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.
1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.| A．many places tend to have more than one name |
| B．the government is usually the first to name a place |
| C．a ceremony will be held when a place is named |
| D．people prefer the place names given by the government |
| A．Change suddenly. | B．Change greatly. |
| C．Disappear very slowly. | D．Disappear secretly. |
| A．Raffles Place. | B．Selector Airbase. |
| C．Piccadilly Circus. | D．Paya Lebar Crescent. |
| A．after a person | B．after a place | C．by its shape | D．after an activity |
| A．The way Singaporeans name their places is unique. |
| B．Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers. |
| C．Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain. |
| D．Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes. |
5 . Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If you're studying history, asking yourself the question "why is history important "is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest, or get you thinking about the significance of history.
History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study, and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse（一瞥）into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging, which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.
History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago. According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.
History makes us more empathetic（具有共情能力的）, Studying history can give us insight （洞察力）into why our culture does certain things, and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance （无知）. We're scared of the things that we don't understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.
History can inspire us to learn more. what's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19th century England, and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens, and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels, and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere, and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.
The value of history cannot be underestimated. We don't have to live in the past, but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.
1. The underlined part "where we are today" in Para. 2 probably means __________.| A．the turning point in our history |
| B．the present state of our nation |
| C．the location of our homeland |
| D．the total area of our country |
| A．The problems at present are similar to those in the past. |
| B．Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today. |
| C．The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors. |
| D．People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems. |
| A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers. |
| B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures. |
| C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore. |
| D．History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness. |
| A．Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature. |
| B．Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets. |
| C．reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period. |
| D．studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields. |
| A．How to Build Cultural Identity |
| B．Why Studying History Matters |
| C．Know the Past, Know the Present |
| D．History: a Way to Broaden Horizons |
6 . Some people say that friendship is the only channel through which human beings can ever experience the value of life. In our daily life, it is likely that you share some common interests with others — they may like the same sport, go to the same school or like the same kind of music as you do. Since you often meet them, they become your acquaintances. Although some people develop many acquaintances, only a few become their good friends in their lifetime because there are differences between acquaintances and friends.
It is said that true friendship begins when someone knows what you are really like, but still likes you anyway. A true friend shows loyalty from the very beginning of the relationship. A friend will go through challenges to help you without expecting anything in return. A “friend” today may probably become a “true friend” tomorrow when they get involved in unexpected circumstances together with you — for example, when you are going through a difficult experience and your friend is there to help you out. However, some acquaintances might leave you when you badly need their help. At this time, you can experience what true friendship is.
In our life, some people seem to go through life with plenty of friends. They may be funny or they may have a bright and pleasant personality. For these people, wherever they go, people seem to like them and welcome their company. But when they go through challenging life experiences, some of their friends are not there to help them. Therefore we can say some of their friends are not real friends and their friendship is just skin-deep.
However, others seem to go through life with no friends at all. They like to be alone, to travel by themselves or to do their own things. It’s a pity that few of these people find success in life because they have no friends. They lack the best gift in life — friendship.
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements about acquaintances is TRUE?| A．They have all of the same interests as you do. |
| B．You seldom meet them in your life. |
| C．They are sure to become your good friends. |
| D．Not all of them can become your friends. |
| A．go to the same school as your friend |
| B．get into trouble |
| C．enjoy the same kind of music as your friend |
| D．see your friend often |
| A．it doesn’t matter whether one has friends or not |
| B．people with bright personality are easy to have friends |
| C．people without friends are always unhappy |
| D．it’s easier to lose a friend than to get one |
| A．Very deep. | B．Not deep at all. |
| C．As precious as skin. | D．Hidden under the skin. |
| A．Interested. | B．Angry. |
| C．Hopeful. | D．Regretful. |
7 . Come and see the Snowman
Experience the magic of The Snowman in a whole new way this Christmas. Carrot Performers are the world’s most experienced performers of The Snowman film. They are delighted to be touring with their Christmas show again this December. The show will feature a live orchestra.
The concert will open with a Christmas Medley (集锦) followed by a fun introduction to the orchestra. All the instruments are presented in a fun way, offering young audience members the valuable experience of seeing – and hearing – the instruments individually.
Following this there will be one of two exclusive (独家的) films:
A Donkey’s Tale
The world premiere ( 首 映 ) of a brand new work created especially for us by Daniel Whibley. Set amidst the wild landscape (景色) of Connemara in the west of Ireland, it tells the heartwarming story of Dillon, an ordinary donkey with an extraordinary dream that takes him on a journey that will change his life.
The Bear and the Piano
This beautiful tale of music, friendship and adventure was first brought to the big screen in 2017. With music by Daniel Whibley played live by a professional orchestra, and a narration ( 旁 白 ) recorded by superstar Joanna Lumley this creation looks set to become a family favorite for the next generation.
● For CHESTER performances, please telephone: 01244 500959 (open 9-5 Mon-Sat)
● For WINCHESTER performances, please telephone: 01962 857275 (open 10-4 Mon-Fri, 11-4 Sat, closed Sunday and public holidays)
● For all other performances, please telephone: 0344 8000 410 (open 9-9 Mon- Sat & 10-5 Sundays and Bank Holidays. Calls will be charged at your local rate)
Tour dates & ticket prices
● Chester Cathedral (+A Donkey’s Tale)- 25/12/2018 2:00 pm
Center seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £15; Adult £21
Rear seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £11; Adult £19
Restricted (受限制的) view: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £9; Adult £15
● Winchester Cathedral (+The Bear and the Piano)- 26/12/2018 5:00 pm
General Tickets: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £16; Adult £19
Theatre Card Members: £16
● Beverley Minster (+The Bear and the Piano)- 27/12/2018 6:00 pm
Center seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £15; Adult £20; Senior (Over 60) £15
North Aisle (走道): Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £10; Adult £16; Senior (Over 60) £10
South Aisle: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £10; Adult £16; Senior (Over 60) £10
Rear seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £12; Adult £18; Senior (Over 60) £12
● Durham Cathedral (+A Donkey’s Tale)- 28/12/2018 7:00 pm
Front seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £16; Adult £20 Side Aisles: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £14; Adult £18 Rear seats: Child (18 Months to 17 Years) £11; Adult £16
1. What do we know about the performances on The Snowman tour?| A．You can see three films with one ticket. |
| B．Joanna Lumley narrates A Donkey’s Tale. |
| C．It’s the premiere of The Bear and the Piano. |
| D．The Snowman is played live by a professional orchestra. |
| A．01244 500959. | B．0344 8000 410. |
| C．01962 857275. | D．01962 500959. |
| A．At Winchester Cathedral. | B．At Durham Cathedral. |
| C．At Chester Cathedral. | D．At Beverley Minster. |
8 . Taller women may face a higher risk of many cancers than their shorter ones, according to a US study release Thursday.
Researchers looked at a sample (样本) of nearly 145,000 women aged 50 to 79 for the analysis published in the US journal Cancer Epidemiology. They found that each additional 10 centimeters of height was linked to a 13 percent higher risk of getting cancer.
“Finally, cancer is a result of processes having to do with growth, so it makes sense that hormones (荷尔蒙) or other growth factors that influence height may also influence cancer risk,” said lead author Geoffrey Kabat, senior epidemiologist (流行病学家) at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in New York.
After 12 years of following women who entered the study without cancer, researchers found links between greater height and higher possibility of developing cancers of the breast, colon (结肠), kidney (肾), thyroid (甲状腺), as well as multiple myeloma (骨髓瘤) and melanoma (黑素瘤).
“We were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height. In this data set, more cancers are associated with height than were associated with body mass index (BMI体重指数),” added Kabat.
Taller women even suffered a higher risk for some cancers, such as a 23 to 29 percent increase in the risk of developing cancers of the kidney rectum, thyroid.
None of the 19 cancers studied showed a lower risk with greater height. The study did not establish a certain height level at which cancer risk begins to rise, and Kabat said it is important to remember that the increased risk researchers found was small.
“It needs to be kept in mind that factors such as age, smoking, body mass index, and certain other risk factors have considerably larger effects,” he said, “The association of height with a number of cancer sites suggests that exposures in early life, including nutrition, play a role in influencing a person’s risk of cancer.”
1. What do you know about the research?| A．The participants are of the same age. |
| B．They chose most middle-aged and elderly women. |
| C．They found hormones are sure to cause cancer. |
| D．The participants must be American natives. |
| A．cancer has a bad effect on the physical growth |
| B．obesity is more highly associated with cancer |
| C．no women are aware of their unfavorable height |
| D．so many kinds of cancer are linked to the height |
| A．The lifestyle influences a person’s health heavily. |
| B．A poor habit will lead to a sudden growth. |
| C．A person’s life span depends on his height. |
| D．Good nutrition can ensure your good health. |
| A．the tall women are sure to suffer from cancer |
| B．many researchers disagree with Geoffrey Kabat |
| C．more evidence should be found in future |
| D．BMI is the main cause for 19 cancers |
| A．Cancer is Related to the Factors of growth |
| B．Tall Women May Face Higher Cancer Risk |
| C．Women Are Easily to Be Affected by Cancer |
| D．Tall Women are in poorer health than Short Ones |
9 . Each year, backed up by a growing anti-consumerist movement, people are using the holiday season to call on us all to shop less.
Driven by concerns about resource exhaustion, over recent years environmentalists have increasingly turned their sights on our “consumer culture”. Groups such as The Story of Stuff and Buy Nothing New Day are growing as a movement that increasingly blames all our ills on our desire to shop.
We clearly have a growing resource problem. The produces we make, buy, and use are often linked to the destruction of our waterways, biodiversity, climate and the land on which millions of people live. But to blame these issues on Christmas shoppers is misguided, and puts us in the old trap of blaming individuals for what is a systematic problem.
While we complain about environmental destruction over Christmas, environmentalists often forget what the holiday season actually means for many people. For most, Christmas isn’t an add-on to an already heavy shopping year. In fact, it is likely the only time of year many have the opportunity to spend on friends and family, or even just to buy the necessities needed for modern life.
This is particularly, true for Boxing Day, often the target of the strongest derision(嘲弄) by anti-consumerists. While we may laugh at the queues in front of the shops, for many, those sales provide the one chance to buy items they’ve needed all year. As Leigh Phillips argues, “this is one of the few times of the year that people can even hope to afford such ‘luxuries’, the Christmas presents their kids are asking for, or just an appliance that works.”
Indeed, the richest 7% of people are responsible for 50% of greenhouse gas emissions. This becomes particularly harmful when you take into account that those shopping on Boxing Day are only a small part of our consumption “problem” anyway. Why are environmentalists attacking these individuals, while ignoring such people as Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who has his own￡1.5bn yacht with a missile defence system?
Anyway, anti-consumerism has become a movement of wealthy people talking down to the working class about their life choices, while ignoring the real cause of our environmental problems. It is no wonder one is changing their behaviours—or that environmental destruction continues without any reduction in intensity.
1. It is indicated in the 1st paragraph that during the holiday season, many consumers .| A．ignore resource problems |
| B．are fascinated with presents |
| C．are encouraged to spend less |
| D．show great interest in the movement. |
| A．has targeted the wrong persons |
| B．has achieved its intended purposes |
| C．has taken environment-friendly measures |
| D．has benefited both consumers and producers |
| A．madness about life choices |
| B．discontent with rich lifestyle |
| C．ignorance about the real cause |
| D．disrespect for holiday shoppers |
| A．anything less than a responsibility | B．nothing more than a bias |
| C．indicative of environmental awareness | D．unacceptable to ordinary people |
10 . A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It's great first for what it contains：the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sports to business，from fashion to science, and the range of comment and special feature(特写) as well，from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art theatre and music.
A newspaper is even greater for the way one reads it：never completely, never straight through，but always by jumping from here to there, in and out, glancing at one piece，reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the text.
A good modern newspaper offers a variety(多样性) to attract many different readers, but far more than the reader is interested in. What brings this variety together in one place is its topicality(时事性), its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it also mean that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than transient(短暂的) value.
For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper：what each person does is to put together, out of the pages of that day's paper, his own selection and order, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need and without wasting time，demands skill and self-awareness as you change and apply the techniques of reading.
1. A modern newspaper is great for all the following EXCEPT its________.| A．wide variety | B．similar style |
| C．speed in reporting news | D．popularity |
| A．people look through the news they are interested in |
| B．different people prefer different newspapers |
| C．people are rarely interested in the same kind of news |
| D．people have different views about what a good newspaper is |
| A．apply reading techniques skillfully | B．jump from one newspaper to another |
| C．appreciate the variety of a newspaper | D．usually read a newspaper selectively |
| A．How to read newspaper? | B．Where to find a good newspaper? |
| C．What is a good newspaper? | D．Newspaper. |
| A．advertise | B．introduce |
| C．argue | D．compare |
