1 . Linguist Nicholas Evans had heard the Kaiadilt people, an Aboriginal(澳洲土著的) group in Northern Australia, say “malji” on the beach many times. He knew the term meant “schools of mullet” and “holes of a fishing net”, but they would say it even when pointing at empty water. It wasn’t until he saw a local artist’s painting of malji that he realized the word also convey other meanings. This is never a rare occurrence in Australia.
The Kaiadilt’s native Kayardild vocabulary, as with many small remote cultures, got weakened by Europeans who conquered the area. Take Australia for example, as Kayardild and other Aboriginal tongues faded under British rule, the communities lost the ability to pass on their understanding of natural patterns and island ecology. In modern history, the tongue has never had more than a few hundred speakers. Today, according to UNESCO, approximately 40 percent of the world’s 7,000 languages are at risk of disappearing in the next century or two. Losing them means letting go of ancient knowledge about little-known places reflected within the words. “Each language holds clues that help us understand all people, but you don’t know until you look,” says Evans.
From a global perspective, anthropologist(人类学家) can study the evolution of speech patterns to help fill in our history. They can see how people moved across islands and discover when technologies like “canoes” came out by tracking the appearance of sailing terms.
On the individual level, working to save tongues offers a way to get back identity and share cultural pride. That’s been the case in Hawaii, where immersion schools(沉浸式学校) run jointly by Native Hawaiians and the state government helped the number of olelo-fluent speakers jump from a few dozen to 24,000 between 1985 and 2010. Elsewhere, international groups like the Endangered Language Fund are helping Aboriginal scholars launch their own campaigns. Each word they save makes the human experience complete.
1. What can we infer about langunges in Kaiadilt?| A．They are poor in the number of words. |
| B．One word can give different descriptions. |
| C．The author knows them very well. |
| D．Their situation is unique in Australia. |
| A．They are too weak to develop. |
| B．They reflects little about locals. |
| C．They suffered from cultural aggression. |
| D．They are dying out at a tolerant speed. |
| A．To show the troubles ancient tongues face. |
| B．To stress the importance of ancient tongues. |
| C．To describe the efforts of saving ancient tongues. |
| D．To indicate the success of learning ancient tongues. |
| A．Experts write history to preserve ancient tongues. |
| B．Experts study speech patterns to find identity. |
| C．Preserving ancient tongues is a combined effort. |
| D．The native schools alone can make a success. |
2 . It's no secret that inhaling(吸入)smoke is bad for your lungs. But now, scientists are suggesting smoke may also carry and spread infectious diseases. The theory, published in Science Magazine, is based on the research that found wildfire smoke is full of thousands of species of microorganisms(微生物).Some of these microorganisms, including bacteria and fungal spores(真菌抱子).are known to cause disease.
The new research suggests that when a wildfire burns plants or animal matter and disturbs soils, it exposes thousands of species of bacteria and fungi that otherwise might not easily become airborne. You might think the high heat from fire would kill these organisms, but one study mentioned in the article found that some bacteria even multiply after fires. Scientists say the organisms stick with smoke particulates(颗粒物), allowing them to travel thousands of miles across continents.
Dr. Peter Chen, director of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is interested in the theory but somewhat skeptical that the microorganisms in smoke would actually cause infections. Many bacteria and fungi don't cause lung infections, says Chen, but it's certainly possible that a significant number could worsen symptoms in someone with a preexisting lung condition. "I always thought it was the particulates in smoke that were causing these issues," says Chen. "But when I read this, I started thinking, could it be the microorganisms that are also worsening existing illnesses?"
Whether the microorganisms in smoke actually cause infections or simply worsen potential respiratory(呼吸的)issues, the article raises a new health threat that is "certainly alarming", says Kelsey Jack, an associate professor of environmental and development economics. This is especially true for lower-income populations, Jack says, because people with fewer protective means are often more exposed to the environment. If smoke is affecting the air quality in a certain area, the people who work outside, or who have to go to the office on foot or by bike will inhale more smoke than those who drive.
But until more research is done, Chen says the best thing people can do is just follow existing recommendations when air quality is poor-including staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, using HEPA filters and running air conditioning.
1. What can we know about the microorganisms from Paragraph 2?| A．Some could reproduce after fires. |
| B．They could be killed by high heat. |
| C．They could possibly travel through air by themselves. |
| D．Some could copy the smoke particulates. |
| A．They will cause lung infection. | B．They might worsen lung diseases. |
| C．They will destroy living environments. | D．They might damage respiratory systems. |
| A．They live in poor areas. | B．They drive to and from work· |
| C．They have suffered from lung disease. | D．They are exposed to polluted air more frequently. |
| A．To wait for the results of more researches. |
| B．To ignore the air quality and to work out outdoors. |
| C．To follow previous suggestions on dealing with poor air quality. |
| D．To avoid using filters and air conditioning. |
3 . Fou Ts'ong, a Chinese-born pianist known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin, Debussy and Mozart.died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years. He was 86.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fou began taking piano lessons when he was 7. Mr. Fou made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fou soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory(音乐学校)on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955.he practiced so diligently that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fou was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global prominence when he took the third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas(马祖卜舞曲). Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fou's recognition in a well-known international competition was proof that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters flocked to interview Mr. Fou, while many others sought out his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-rearing.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, primarily to Mr. Fou, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family, Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated(共鸣)long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
"My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist.'" Mr. Fou once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way."
1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?| A．Fou Ts'ong competed and toured in Beijing. |
| B．Fou Ts'ong first performed on the stage at 7. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong made great efforts for competitions. |
| D．Fou Ts'ong started learning music in Eastern Europe. |
| A．It earns Chinese art a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's talent for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Mr. Fu's words. | B．Young Chinese. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．Pursuing art is a long and painful process. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of the greatest importance for a pianist. |
4 . My doctor took me for a walk around the farm where she lives. I was physically and emotionally exhausted and discouraged by anxiety and depression. The place was full of life. There were insects, horses, rabbits and a cat. She told me to focus on my body in the environment. When I was ill I tended to retreat into my mind and disconnect from here and now. So, when I met a horse named Fira, I expected nothing.
As I got closer to Fira, she nuzzled(用鼻子安抚) her nose into my chest, putting a gentle pressure over my heart. Something happened inside me: I felt as if I had reached a wellspring of past hurts, fears and failings. I began to melt emotionally.I patted Fira’s nose and breathed in her smell. I found I didn’t have to concentrate on feeling better; Fira helped me feel loved and safe. I worked with Fira often, learning basic communication and leading methods to work together with her. Initially, I wasn’t sure exactly what one would do with a horse excepting riding it. But I knew that Fira had touched me in an uncommon way and had made me feel better. She connected with me by responding to my emotional state and reflecting it back to me in an open, affectionate way.
In my meetings with Fira, I found that I lost my usual self-consciousness, and I would focus entirely on communicating.I learned to live in the present, to focus on what was happening this day, in this moment, in this place. I learned to forget the past, with all its hurts. I learned to forget the future, which hasn’t happened yet. When you stand beside a horse, you exist completely in the moment.
With Fira by my side, I saw into a life in which trust comes first, and compassion follows. I found a deep peace in leading her along a path, by using my own power of intention to indicate whether to start, stop, turn left or turn right. I felt an inner quiet and even joy. My work with this horse was part of a journey out of a very dark night in my soul.
1. What do we know about the author from the first paragraph?| A．She loves animals very much. | B．She went to a doctor with high hopes. |
| C．She suffered from mental illness. | D．She often lost consciousness. |
| A．became grateful for her past pain | B．had an emotional breakdown |
| C．was curious about what would happen | D．felt deeply touched |
| A．Fira accepted the author’s emotions and reacted positively |
| B．Fira helped the author focus on her thoughts |
| C．the author recalled her past hurts, fears and failings |
| D．the author had to try hard to feel better |
| A．It is necessary to show compassion to others. | B．One shouldn’t be affected by emotions. |
| C．One should learn lessons from the past. | D．It is important to live in the moment. |
5 . It was a cold and dark November morning several years ago. My alarm clock had just gone off but I was having trouble getting out of bed. My Dad had died a few weeks before and I found myself just going through sadness and depression. I didn't feel ready to go on without him.
My Day had been my hero growing up. He had worked so hard all of his life to provide for us. He had a temper and would sometimes yell at me and my brothers, but he also had a kindness and gentle laugh that he would share with us as well. I always knew that he loved me. Still, he had been raised in an old fashioned way and raised us that way too. I couldn't remember ever being hugged by him after I reached a certain age.
After my granny passed away, his health began to rapidly fail and within a few months brain cancer had taken him from us. I remember thinking what I would have given for just one last hug from him.
I sighed and got out of bed. I turned on the lights and walked into the hallway. I saw my son Jones walking down the hall to meet me. Suddenly, he opened his arms and gave me a huge. And just as he did I heard my Dad's voice deep inside of me say, "Joey, this hug is from me!" I cried and smiled at the same time. At that moment, in the place where heart, mind, and spirit all meet I felt loved. I felt loved by Dad. And I knew that I couldn't give up on life. I still had a lot of things left to do and a lot of love left to, share.
1. Why was the author unwilling to get up that morning?| A．He worked too hard and was tired. |
| B．He couldn't face his father's death. |
| C．His alarm clock was out of order. |
| D．His father failed to wake him up. |
| A．He was bad-tempered but seldom shouted at his sons. |
| B．He was open-minded and raised children in new ways. |
| C．He embraced the author at his request in the end. |
| D．He wasn't good at expressing his love and care. |
| A．He met his bon all by accident. | B．He heard what his father said. |
| C．He truly felt the love at last. | D．He suddenly got his Dad's hug. |
| A．A Hug From Dad | B．Dad, My Hero |
| C．A New Life For Me | D．Share All Love |
6 . While known for its Pacific Ocean beaches and fashionable coastal towns, the Golden State is also home to many new and clean lakes where visitors can soak up the sun and cool off.
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake is the largest reservoir in California at 30. 000 acres wide. The Lake is in Northern California and is a three and a half-hour drive from Los Angeles. With 370 miles of shoreline, it's no surprise that renting a houseboat is a popular activity. Depending on their location , visitors can enjoy the view of Mt. Shasta, which has snow on its peak year-round.
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is another great option for those wanting to take a day trip from Los Angeles. It takes only two hours to drive there from downtown Los Angeles. Animal lovers can stop by the Big Bear Alpine Zoo to get an up-close look at the lake's namesake (同名物). The lake also has many hiking and biking trails, along with plenty of fishing spots.
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu is divided along the border of California and Arizona and is an oasis (绿洲)in the desert. It's a five-hour drive from Los Angeles and a two and a half hour drive from Las Vegas. Visitors can fish or go boating on the lake that was formed from the Colorado River.
Mono Lake
Mono Lake is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains and spans more than 70 miles. It's a five-hour drive from either Los Angeles or San Francisco. Visitors into fishing should head to a different lake because this body of water does not have any fish. It's a salty lake, which means that it's filled with saltwater and is two to three times saltier than the ocean.
1. What can we know about Shasta Lake from the text?| A．It's the biggest in America. |
| B．It's located in Southern California. |
| C．Visitors can watch snow there. |
| D．Visitors can look at bears there. |
| A．Shasta Lake. | B．Big Bear Lake. |
| C．Lake Havasu. | D．Mono Lake. |
| A．Travel | B．Geography. | C．Sport. | D．Education. |
7 . Scientist at University College London have discovered sets of regulatory genes, which are responsible for maintaining healthy hearing. The finding, made in fruit flies, could lead to treatments for age-related hearing loss (ARHL) in humans.
Globally, one-third of people aged over 65 experience hearing impairment, and while there are thought to be more than 150 genes that may affect hearing loss, there is no unified (统一的) view on how to use these to develop hearing loss treatments.
In the study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers are at the UCL Ear Institute assessed the hearing ability of the common fruit fly across its life span (around 70 days) to see if their hearing declines with age.
A fruit fly’s ears share many molecular (分子的) similarities with the ears of humans, making it an ideal tool for the study of human hearing loss.
Researchers found that the antennal ears of fruit flies also display ARHL with nearly all sensitive hearing measures starting to decline after 50 days of age. This made the researchers want to know if there were any “age-variable” genes in the flies’ inner ears which have kept the ears healthy for 50 days of their lives.
After closer examination, researchers identified a new set of regulatory genes-homeostasis genes. These genes are often responsible for picking up sound and the overall sensitivity of the ear. Using this information, scientists were then able to genetically modify (修改) the genes and prevent the flies from getting ARHL.
Professor Joerg Albert, lead author of the study, said: “While many studies have been conducted into the hearing function of fruit flies, ours is the first to look at the mechanistic and molecular detail of their auditory life course.”
“The fact that these genes are conserved in humans will also help to focus future clinical research in humans and thereby accelerate the discovery of new pharmacological or gene-therapeutic strategies.”
1. What did scientists at UCL discover?| A．One-third of people aged over 65 have hearing problems. |
| B．Homeostasis genes maintain one’s ability to hear. |
| C．There are regulatory genes that are related to aging. |
| D．Humans have over 150 genes that can affect hearing loss. |
| A．Their hearing system is similar to that of humans’. |
| B．Their hearing ability also declines with age. |
| C．They display ARHL during their lifespan. |
| D．They share many genes with humans. |
| A．The discovery of new treatments. | B．The significance of the study. |
| C．The result of the study. | D．The future commercial prospects. |
| A．Age-related hearing loss: fruit flies and humans |
| B．Hearing loss: a common problem for older adults. |
| C．Gene discovery could lead to hearing loss treatments. |
| D．The body’s ability can be unlocked to treat lost hearing. |
8 . If you've ever pulled a rolling suitcase through the airport, chances are that you've also been annoyed by this common occurrence: the suitcase starts rocking back and forth on each wheel and finally tips over.
"It's a very classic phenomenon in physics," said Sylvain Courrech du Pont, a physicist at the University of Paris Diderot. "So if you disturb the system it goes very easily unstable. This is shared by many, many phenomena in nature."
Courrech du Pont and his students wanted to get to the bottom of why luggage tips. So they built what looks like the structure of a wheeled suitcase, and then filmed it rolling on a treadmill (a machine for running). Then they modeled what they saw mathematically.
And here's what they found. Under normal rolling conditions, the forward motion of the suitcase is perpendicular(垂直的） to the wheels' axis of rotation（旋转轴）. All is good. But when you hit a bump or drag the handle fiercely and abruptly, one wheel lifts up. All of a sudden the pulling motion is no longer perpendicular to the still-rolling wheel's rotation axis, and the wheel corrects that by accelerating towards the center. But by that time the other wheel's coming down, the same thing happens, and now the suitcase is really rocking.
"And the first reaction you will have maybe is to slow down. But actually if you slow down you'll experience very big rocking. Therefore, the way back to a smooth ride is to keep up your speed," he says, "or move even faster, once rocking begins.
There are other solutions to suitcase instability—like doing a better packing job. "If you put heavy contents close to the axis of symmetry, then it will be stable, too."
And Courrech du Pont has one more piece of advice to avoid rocking in the first place: "If you go slow enough, it will always be stable." Keep that in mind, next time you're running to your gate.
1. What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?| A．Everyone has been upset by a rolling suitcase at the airport. |
| B．Physical phenomenon can be found in our daily life. |
| C．The disturbance of the system results from the instability of the suitcase. |
| D．The phenomenon of suitcase rolling is rare at the airport. |
| A．It hits a bump |
| B．One wheel lifts up. |
| C．One wheel falls down. |
| D．It is not perpendicular to the axis. |
| A．tip it over |
| B．accelerate its moving. |
| C．slow down its moving |
| D．drag its handle with great strength. |
| A．one | B．two |
| C．three | D．four |
9 . China's ban on the domestic sale and processing of ivory(象牙) and its products took effect on Sunday, at the very beginning of 2018, making good on a commitment Chinese authorities made last year.
The move, which effectively closes one of the world's largest ivory markets, has been supported by conservationists as a crucial step toward combating elephant poaching."This ban alone won't end the poaching of elephants," Ginette Hemley,senior vice-president of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a statement. "It's equally critical that China's neighbors follow suit and shut down ivory markets across Asia. Only then can we ensure the open trade doesn't simply shift to other countries for newly-poached ivory."
China's ban on the domestic ivory trade follows a similar measure adopted in the U.S. in 2016, when the Fish and Wildlife Service set a ban to reduce the movement of ivory within U.S. borders. Both the U.S. and China had been negotiating on their proposed ivory regulations since 2015.
An international ban on the commercial ivory trade was established in 1990 — but that rule hasn't exactly achieved all its aims."Wildlife experts had thought that the international ban on ivory trade would slow or even stop the killing of elephants for their tusks. However, the killing got worse. That's mostly because the ban didn't cover older ivory," Joyce, a journalist, reported, noting that ivory taken from elephants before the ban was still legal to trade. "So people are still killing elephants but passing off their ivory as old."That has had disastrous effects for elephants. Over the span from 2007 to 2014, for instance, there was a decline of roughly 144,000 animals in seven years.
Still, there have been some signs of hope for the campaign against elephant poaching: Prices for the animals' tusks in China had dropped from $2,100 per kilogram in 2014 to just $730 per kilogram in March 2017. And this, at least, is offering conservationists reason for cautious optimism — assuming the China’s ban is enforced effectively.
1. What did Ginette Hemley mean?| A．The poaching of elephants will never be banned. |
| B．China should put a more effective ban on ivory trade. |
| C．Other countries in Asia should ban ivory trade. |
| D．China’s neighbors will threaten China’s ivory market. |
| A．More old elephants were killed. |
| B．More ivory was sold as old ivory. |
| C．The number of elephants increased |
| D．People pulled off old elephants’ ivory. |
| A．The China’s ban will close the world largest ivory markets. |
| B．The measure in the U.S reduced ivory trade in China. |
| C．Prices for ivory have dropped about 65% in the last three years. |
| D．China is offering hope for the future of elephants. |
| A．It’s disappointing. |
| B．It’s promising. |
| C．It’s demanding. |
| D．It’s history-making. |
10 . THE 2018 VOYAGE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AND BEYOND
---A bestselling promotion by Reader Offers Ltd
12 NIGHTS DEPARTING 22TH FEBRUARY 2018
February 2018
Wed 22 Fly from London Gatwick or Manchester to Cape Town, South Africa.
Thu 23 Cape Town, South Africa
Upon arrival, transfer to the port and board Boudicca for your 21 night cruise beginning with overnight stay on board.
Fri 24 Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Africa and it's easy to see why. Ascend Table Mountain by cable car and enjoy breathtaking views of the city, surrounding suburbs and Atlantic Ocean.
Mon 27 Walvis Bay, Namibia
Walvis Bay is situated at a wide lagoon with innumerable sea birds. it's a great destination for hikings into the desert and dune regions, offering visions of unspoiled landscapes and compelling beauty.
Fri 28 Jamestown, St.Helena
The beautiful island of St.Helena is one of the world's most remote and secluded destinations. Here, history enthusiasts will enjoy hearing of the island's links with Napoleon-the French emperor was exiled here until his death.
MARCH 2018
Thu 2 Georgetown, Ascension Island
An isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, with beautiful views.
Fri 3 Praia, Cape Verde
Sun 5 Santa Cruz, Tenerife
Disembark and transfer to the airport for your flight to London Gatwick or Manchester.
Dates not mentioned will be spent relaxing at sea.
1. which of the following places may interest history lovers most?| A．Cape Town | B．Walvis Bay |
| C．Ascension Island | D．St. Helena Island |
| A．On Thursday 23 February | B．On Sunday 26 February |
| C．On Friday 24 February | D．On Sunday 5 March |
| A．A travel agency | B．A ship |
| C．An airline | D．A coach |
