1 . I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one — it’s so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites.
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓) of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.
1. What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?

A．They are boring.	B．They are out of date.
C．They are attractive.	D．They are practical.

2. What does Nike’s logo stand for?

A．The goddess of victory.

B．The source of inspiration for soldiers.

C．The statue of the Greek goddess.

D．The wing of the Greek goddess.

3. We can learn that Apple’s present logo is ________.

A．the religious story of Adam and Eve

B．a bitten apple with only one color

C．Newton’s sitting under an apple tree

D．the rainbow-colored bitten apple

4. ________ stands for the rule of the land, the sea and the air.

A．Nike’s logo	B．Apple’s logo
C．The Mercedes logo	D．The Adidas logo

5. Which of the following time orders describes the births of the great logos?

A．Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple.

B．Nike – McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz.

C．McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz.

D．Nike – Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple.

2 . Public transport is declining in the rich world. To those who have to squeeze onto the number 25 bus in London, or the A train in New York, the change might not be noticeable. But public transport is becoming less busy in those places, and passenger numbers are flat or falling in almost every American city despite healthy growth in urban populations and employment.

Although transport agencies blame their unpopularity on things like roadworks and broken signals, it seems more likely that they are being outcompeted. App-based taxi services like Uber and Lyft are more comfortable and convenient than trains or buses. Cycling is nicer than it was, and rental bikes are more widely available. Cars are cheap to buy, thanks to cut-rate loans, and ever cheaper to run. Online shopping, home working and office-sharing mean more people can avoid travelling altogether.

The competition is only likely to grow. More than one laboratory is developing new transport technologies and applications. Silicon Valley invented Uber and, more recently, apps that let people rent electric scooters(滑板车) and then abandon them on the pavement. China created sharing-bicycles and battery-powered "e-bikes", both of which are spreading.

Transport agencies should accept the upstarts(新兴方式), and copy them. Cities tend either to ignore app-based services or to try to push them off the streets. That is understandable, given the rules-are-for-losers attitude of firms like Uber. But it is an error.

It is doubtful that most people make hard distinctions between public and private transport. They just want to get somewhere, and there is a cost in time, money and comfort. An ideal system would let them move across a city for a single payment, transferring from trains to taxis to bicycles as needed. Building a platform to allow that is hard, and requires much effort of traditional networks as well as technology firms. It is probably the secret to keeping cities moving.

1. What is the change in public transport in big cities?

A．It is becoming busier.

B．It is getting less popular.

C．There are fewer traffic delays.

D．There is more new transport.

2. In the author’s opinion, the reason for the decline of public transport is that ______.

A．there are roadworks and broken signals.

B．people are becoming healthier and employed.

C．cars and bikes are more and more available.

D．transport agencies are seemingly less competitive.

3. How does the author develop his idea in Paragraph 3?

A．By giving examples

B．By providing research results

C．By stating arguments

D．By comparing different approaches

4. According to the text, the key to keeping cities moving is ____________.

A．to develop an ideal system that satisfies everyone.

B．to provide people with more means of transportation.

C．to build a good platform that appeals to transport agencies.

D．to make traditional networks and technology firms cooperate.

3 . While bees hopping from one flower to another is vivid to watch, having bees disturbing a backyard barbecue certainly isn’t. They may seem like pesky creatures to get rid of, but there are quite a few things you may not know about bees, especially the impact they have on our livelihood.

The main purpose of bees, particularly honey bees, is to help pollinate the plants around them. According to the Department of Entomology at Pennsylvania State University, pollinators (such as bees) help to fertilize plants, which results in “the formation of seeds and the fruit surrounding seeds”. Pollinators are necessary for three-quarters of our major food crops, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts. An estimated 300,000 species of plants need pollinators. That’s around 80 to 95 percent of plant species. Without pollinators, the number of crops we have will take a serious hit.

Other pollinators can help out with this process including butterflies, beetles, and flies. Even some birds and bats can be pollinators. However, bees of various species are known for being natural pollinators for plants.

Unfortunately, for years there has been an alarming decline of bees around the globe. The University of Vermont published a study stating that 23 percent of the wild bee population declined between 2008 and 2013. 139 counties in parts of California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, west Texas and the Mississippi River valley have taken the worst hit in wild bee declines. Since 39 percent of U.S. croplands rely on pollinators for their crop including those beloved apple orchards and pumpkin patches in the fall, we are facing a serious threat.

By taking care of the bees, our world is able to benefit in terms of agricultural income and nutritious food supply. You may not be able to make a huge change on an industrial level, but as someone with a landscape of your own, why not help save the bees?

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Bees Is Disappearing?

B．How You Can Save Bees?

C．How Bees Help Pollinate the Plants?

D．Why You Shouldn’t Kill Bees in Your Yard?

2. What is the main purpose of bees?

A．To provide delicious honey.

B．To disturb backyard barbecue.

C．To get rid of some pesky creatures.

D．To help pollinate the plants around them.

3. Why does the author list the numbers in Paragraph 2?

A．To show the diversity of plant species.

B．To show how we depend on plants.

C．To prove the importance of pollinators such as bees.

D．To make a comparison between plants which need pollinators and which don’t.

4. Why does the author say “we are facing a serious threat”?

A．Because the bee population has decreased sharply.

B．Because lots of wild bees have been hit by people.

C．Because many people are attacked by wild bees.

D．Because the croplands have produced less crops in the fall.

4 . The moon may shine white above us most nights of the year, but how much do we know about Earth’s neighbor and what lies beneath its surface? Scientists are aiming to find out.

On Jan 3, 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon – a first for humanity. It released a small probe (探测器), Yutu 2, or Jade Rabbit 2, which began to search beneath the moon’s surface using Lunar Penetrating Radar. These radio signals can reach 40 meters underground, three times the depth of the Chang’e 3 lunar probe launched in 2013 for the near side of the moon, China Daily reported.

In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers found that the lunar soil’s top layer on the far side of the moon was much thicker than expected – about 40 meters. Other scientists only expected about 6 millimeters of soil based on NASA observations during the Apollo moon landings, according to The New York Times.

“It’s a fine, dusty, sandy environment,” said one of the authors of the study, Elena Pettinelli, a physics and mathematics professor at Rome Tre University, Rome.

Yutu 2 is specifically exploring the Von Karman crater (大坑), a large hole that’s 180 kilometers wide and also the landing site of Chang’e 4. It’s part of an even larger, older crater spanning more than 1,770 kilometers.

“The subsurface at the Chang’e 4 landing site is very complex,” said Li Chunlai, a research professor and deputy director-general of National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Observations suggest that the subsurface material is totally different than the previous landing site of Chang’e 3, she said.

Radar waves revealed various layers beneath the moon’s surface: grainy (颗粒状的) material, boulders (岩石), and further layers of fine and coarse (粗糙的) particles. This information is helping scientists to gain new understanding of the moon’s history and formation, as well as volcanic activity and lunar impacts.

Yutu 2 is the longest-working rover (巡视器) on the moon, but it won’t last forever. China plans to launch the Chang’e 5 probe later this year, Xinhua News Agency reported. The spacecraft is expected to bring pieces of the moon back to Earth for closer study.

1. What can we learn about the Chang’e 4 probe?

A．It was the first to land on the moon’s near side.

B．It explored areas as wide as 1,770 kilometers.

C．It is three times as large as the Chang’e 3 lunar probe.

D．Its signals could reach 40 meters beneath the moon’s surface.

2. What does the lunar soil’s top layer on the moon’s far side look like, according to the text?

A．It looks like a large hole.

B．It is about 6 millimeters thick.

C．It goes farther down than expected.

D．It is covered by boulders and fine and coarse particles.

3. What is the Chang’e 5 probe expected to do?

A．Bring lunar samples back to the Earth	B．Explore the Von Karman crater.
C．Replace Yutu 2 to explore the moon.	D．Identify the moon’s various layers.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A history of Chinese lunar missions.

B．A report on the Chang’e 4 probe’s findings.

C．A comparison of the Chang’e 3 and 4 probes.

D．How Yutu 2 explored beneath the moon’s surface.

5 . McNay Art Museum

Do not miss your chance to see Texas’ first modern art museum—the McNay Art Museum. There are more than 20,000 different and significant works. With beautiful Spanish gardens and the amazing architecture of the building, the art within the walls isn’t the only wonder to see.

Address: 6000 N. New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio

TEL:(210)8245368

San Antonio Art League & Museum

The San Antonio Art League & Museum is a great showcase for local artists and home to permanent exhibits, many of which express the history of the area. The museum houses both traditional and contemporary works.

Address: 130 King William Street, San Antonio

TEL: (210) 2231140

Guinness World Records Museum

The Guinness World Records has probably brought you amazing stories of all the record holders in the world. This museum is a good choice for the entire family, as it contains some of the most amazing oddities in the world.

Address: 329 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio

TEl: (210)2262828

Buckhorn Saloon and Museum

For a cowboy-style activity, head to the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum is located only two blocks from the Alamo, offering a convenient location to those who are visiting Downtown San Antonio. After being built over 130 years ago, the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum has become a unique place for locals and tourists alike to visit. Here, guests will be able to feast upon delicious dishes.

Address:318 E. Houston Street, San Antonio

TEL: (210) 2474000

1. What can we see in Texas’ first modern art museum?

A．traditional and contemporary works	B．Stories of record holders
C．Beautiful gardens	D．Cowboy-style activities.

2. Which museum has the most unusual exhibitions?

A．McNay Art Museum	B．Guinness World Records Museum
C．Buckhorn Saloon and Museum	D．San Antonio Art League & Museum

3. What can we know about the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum?

A．It only fits for local tourists.	B．It has a history of 100 years
C．It provides delicious foods.	D．It’s near downtown

6 . We all want to be successful in our work. But what happens when our achievements come at the risk of losing important friendships? If your friends didn't receive what they were hoping for, your success could make them feel like they've been “left in the dust”. But does that mean that we shouldn't enjoy our achievements in case we displease someone or that we should feel sorry for being successful when others aren't?

Those of us who value friendships and close working relationships might feel embarrassed for achieving more than our friends. But we deserve our success, and nothing should take it away. Jealousy is only natural, but It’s often unreasonable, too. Your success is probably not connected with your friends' progress, so you shouldn't feel bad about achieving your goals. If your friends stay unfriendly, don’t be afraid to keep yourself away from them. You are not responsible for their weaknesses, and nor should they treat you sharply for furthering your work.

On the other hand, your friends may think highly of your recent success while hiding their real feelings. They could be jealous, angry or sad that they are not progressing at the same rate. So, be careful not to boast. It's a thin line between pride and self-importance, and by crossing the line, you may risk losing team support.

Next time you want to boast about your end-of-year win, or high-class new office, consider your listeners. Maybe your friends narrowly missed out on a position-raising, or experienced pay cuts which meant they didn't get what they were expecting. If your work is on a rising path, it doesn't mean that's the case for everyone.

Perhaps a step forward in your work has meant that you don't spend as much time with your friends as you used to. If you've changed a post or moved to a new office, take the time to stay in touch with old friends. Chances are that in the build-up to your success you've built strong relationships along the way. Don't let that hard work go to waste by losing touch with them.

1. From the first two paragraphs, it can be inferred that ________.

A．we should enjoy our deserving success

B．our success will certainly hurt our friends

C．friends will surely help us achieve success

D．our success is connected with our friends’ progress

2. Which of the following best explains “boast” underlined in Paragraph 3?

A．Show up.	B．Stand out.
C．Talk big.	D．Keep silent.

3. What should we do if our friends support our success?

A．Improve ourselves further.

B．Consider their feelings.

C．Help them make progress.

D．Make them proud of us.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．How to share our success with friends.

B．How to enjoy our success to the fullest.

C．How to keep relationships between friends.

D．How to keep friendships while enjoying achievements.

7 . Zoos have traditionally been built in a certain way: Animals on the inside, humans on the outside, peering in. This separation is good in theory—humans and animals need to be protected from one another—but terrible in practice, as animals end up living in an environment far from a natural habitat. A new plan for a Zoo in Denmark wants to reverse those roles, giving animals more freedom in captivity while effectively placing humans inside protective barriers.

Called Zootopia, the conceptual design has the goal of turning the safari(野外观兽旅行)style zoo into a place where animals determine interaction—not humans. “Try to imagine if you asked the animals what they would like. What would they decide?” says the director of the project. “They want their nature back, so to speak, and we are going to try to create that”.

In Zootopia, animals will wander free around the perimeter while humans observe, hidden away from view in underground passageways and naturalistic architecture structures. Visitors can watch lions through an underground enclosure disguised as a hill. They'll peek out at giraffes through windowed houses built into the side of a hilly plains. Outside of the main circular entrance, there will be no traditional buildings. “We want to take away human influence,” said Zootopia's designers.

The main challenge, of course, is to design the zoo in a way that the enclosure is still there but it's not visible. The two-phase plan, which will cost around $200 million, is still in the improving and approval phase; it'll be at least five years until we see any work finished on the park, and it's likely to take upwards of 10 years before it opens. Can the animals wait that long?

1. Why does a zoo in Denmark plan to create Zootopia?

A．to protect animals from humans.

B．to provide animals with a natural habitat.

C．to provide humans with more freedom in the zoo.

D．to protect humans and give animals enough freedom.

2. Different from traditional zoos, in Zootopia         .

A．animals enjoy full freedom.	B．there will be no conventional buildings.
C．humans watch animals without being noticed.	D．humans can interact with animals at their will.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．It’s tricky to design the enclosure.

B．Zootopia is now under construction.

C．There is a long way to go before Zootopia operates.

D．Zootopia arouses people’s concern about animals.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．the future of Zootopia	B．the development of Zootopia
C．the fall of traditional zoos	D．the concept of a cage-free zoo

8 . One of the best uses of technology is to make life easier.

A new product from Microsoft Corporation can do just that for people who have trouble seeing. They may be blind or visually impaired. The product, an app, is currently available for free for Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The app is called Seeing AI. “AI” is short for artificial intelligence, a term for computers with an ability to think and learn like human beings.

Seeing AI uses both a camera and artificial intelligence to identify places, objects and people. The app then announces what the camera sees so users will know what is in front of them.

People can also use Seeing AI to learn words in English. With the app open, you can point your iPhone or iPad at any object and it will say what the object is. With Seeing AI, users can hear a description of not just objects, but other people. It can even tell you about their emotions. It will not just say that someone is smiling. The app will say that the person is happy. Or surprised. Or angry. People can use the app when going to a store or supermarket. It can read product bar codes so users will know whether a can is filled with fruit or dog food. Microsoft says Seeing AI will soon be able to identify banknotes so people know whether they are holding a bill that is worth $100 or $1.

At restaurants, diners can use the new app to hear a list of drinks and other menu offerings. It can recognize both food choices and prices. People can use the app to read signs and get directions, although Microsoft warns against using it for navigation（导航） purposes.

One of the more interesting tools of Seeing AI is its ability to read documents. The app can read documents aloud and even help a user position them on the center of the electronic device.

The app is currently available in just the US, Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore---however, Microsoft says that the app will be available in other countries and districts soon.

1. Who is Seeing AI intended for?

A．people working at the restaurant

B．people having visual disabilities

C．people buying goods in the supermarket

D．people having difficulty in learning languages

2. Microsoft warns users not to use Seeing AI for___________.

A．describing a person	B．navigating
C．reading documents	D．reading product bar codes

3. What can we infer about Seeing AI?

A．It was developed by Apple	B．It can be used on computers.
C．It identifies things only by the camera.	D．It makes blind people’s life easier.

4. What will happen to Seeing AI?

A．It will soon be available on Android.

B．It will replace people’s eyes.

C．It will have more new functions

D．It will only be used in European countries.

9 . We pick the upbeat tunes for parties and workouts, and save the low-key songs for romantic or sad moments. It’s hardly a new idea that music is mixed with our emotions. But how have our favorites changed over the decades, and what do these changes say about America’s shifting emotional landscape (景象)?

Researcher E. Glenn Schellenberg set out to examine songs popular in America during the last five decades, using a selection from Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 charts, hoping to learn how emotional cues (提示) in music, such as tempo (slow to fast) and mode (major or minor key), have changed since 1960.

The most striking finding is the change in key. Songs written in a major key tend to sound warm and high-spirited, while songs in a minor key can sound darker and more melancholic (忧郁的). Over the last few decades, popular songs have switched from major to minor keys. Broadly speaking, the sound has shifted from bright and happy to something more complex. The study also finds America’s popular songs have become slower and longer. Even more interesting, is that our current favorites are more likely to be emotionally ambiguous, such as sad-sounding songs being fast or happy-sounding songs being slow.

A possible explanation for the changes is that the more contemporary music reflects the hardships that our society has gone through. However, Schellenberg believes that the steady increase in length and decrease in tempo doesn’t support the idea of growing difficulties fully because it would mean our problems have increased steadily over the last fifty years. He suggests that popular songs have become more complex over time because Americans are becoming more diverse and individualized in their musical tastes.

Though we can only guess about the specific causes of this evolution in music, Schellenberg’s initial observations have helped to open the door to research on the link between emotion and music consumption. Perhaps someday we’ll learn more of the secrets behind the music we love and the times we live in.

1. Why did Schellenberg start the study?

A．To change music styles.	B．To explore changes in music.
C．To select America’s favorite music.	D．To examine the creation of music.

2. What can we learn from the findings?

A．Older songs were often more sad-sounding.

B．Popular songs have become warmer and shorter.

C．Recent hits are likely to be longer and more complex.

D．Current favorites tend to be composed in a major key.

3. What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A．The influences of the study.	B．The diversity of musical tastes.
C．The causes of the music changes.	D．The features of America’s society.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the study?

A．Positive.	B．Doubtful.
C．Disapproving.	D．Ambiguous.

10 . Robert Vallieres hikes for miles, often three times a week, climbing the high mountains, just to get a glimpse of his beloved birds.

Many years ago, as a young engineer in the army, Vallieres was struck in the head in a task in Gulf War, which ended his military career and left him fighting for his life. He was 28 years old and battled stress, survivor’s guilt and PTSD (创伤后应激障碍). “When you’re disabled and you really can’t move too much, you’re wondering if death is nearby.” he said.

Despite his condition, Vallieres still had to be a father to his little boy-a curious child who helped jump start his love for birds.

One day, his three-year-old son noticed a bird and asked his father what kind it was. Vallieres bought a bird identification book and started learning along with his son. He bought some small telescopes and the two began observing birds together near their home in New Hampshire.

Then came another turning point. Vallieres saw an ad in the newspaper for a birding trip in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and signed up.

Now it’s his joy and renewed purpose to track and save the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle-two species nearly wiped out by the chemicals used for killing pests. It’s hard physical work for anyone, which needs patience, keen observation skills and time. But Vallieres is a natural at it, because his military training made him a perfect match, especially in reading maps and navigating.

Vallieres says not only does his volunteering help with physical fitness, but also his mental state. “To find rhythm or purpose in life besides myself,” says Vallieres, “I shouldn’t get stuck on myself but have a way out.”

1. What led to Vallieres leaving the army?

A．Life failure.	B．Severe injury.
C．His son.	D．Love for birds.

2. How did Vallieres start his new rhythm in life?

A．By climbing mountains often.

B．By buying some small telescopes.

C．By strengthening the military training.

D．By signing up for protecting birds.

3. Why is Vallieres suitable for the volunteer work?

A．For his habit of reading.	B．For his experience in army.
C．For his devotion to career.	D．For his talent in drawing maps.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Volunteer’s Story of Saving Birds

B．An Inspiring Story of Self-motivation

C．A Soldier’s Story of Healing through Birds

D．A Moving Story Between a Father and His Son