1 . I believe that my actions show my beliefs, not my words.
I wrote a letter to my kids a few years ago. It’s three pages long, and it sums up my life experience of four decades. By the time they reach adulthood, they will have heard most of their father’s advice in that letter: live in the moment, do not attach yourself to physical things, treat others the way you would like to be treated, etc. I sealed the letter in a white envelope, and wrote instructions that nobody should open it unless something horrible happened to me.
As a police officer, I have seen life disappear in an instant. I realize that could happen to me at any time. Yet knowing that letter is there in my locker makes me more comfortable with my own death.
Every day, when I open my locker, I see the letter. It makes me aware that I should be careful at work, and show my children and the people I have connection with that I try to practice everything I have written. If that day comes and my children finally read the letter, I hope that because of my actions, they will take my written beliefs to heart and improve upon my example.
But for me, it’s not enough to write down my beliefs. I try to be the best person I can be every day-even in very difficult circumstances. I am more successful some days than others, but sometimes I curse too much. Sometimes I am cynical, unwilling to believe that people have good and honest reasons for doing something. I also get stressed and upset, yelling at my kids sometimes, and sometimes I am not as loving or as sympathetic as I should be. In fact, I am far from perfect, but I hope my children will eventually realize that perfection is an illusion. What really matters is that, instead of just writing down our beliefs, we all take action to be the best humans we can be.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author?| A．Humorous. | B．Interesting. |
| C．Selfless. | D．Considerate. |
| A．He wanted to confirm his beliefs. | B．The letter served as a reminder. |
| C．He kept adding something new to it. | D．His kids asked him to check it. |
| A．Doubtful about others’ motivations. | B．Curious about everything around. |
| C．Worried about his future life. | D．Unsatisfied about his profession. |
| A．Parents should care for children. | B．To become a successful father. |
| C．To be better today than yesterday. | D．Bad guys deserve to be punished. |
2 . Mercury(水星) is the closest planet to the sun. It is a planet slightly larger than the Earth’s moon. It is covered in craters. Some craters have ice in them, even though the planet is hot. Sunlight never touches some parts because of the planet’s special position. Without air, there are great temperature differences between the coldest and hottest parts. Mercury days are so long that there are big differences between temperatures on the daylight side and the night side.
Mercury was created billions of years ago, when big rocks ran into each other. After these accidents, the planet was frequently visited by meteorites (流星) for several hundred million years. There were also many volcanic eruptions. As the planet cooled, the thin, rocky outside shell reduced in diameter(直径) by about 3 kilometers.
The Caloris Basin is one of the largest craters on Mercury. This big crater is 1, 300 kilometers wide and was formed when a large rock, about 100 kilometers across, knocked into the surface. Beethoven, another large crater, is 643 kilometers across.
The cliffs on Mercury are up to 2 kilometers high and hundreds of kilometers long. The cliffs were formed when the thin surface fell apart, as volcanic activity slowed down and Mercury became cooler.
One Mercury day lasts about 59 Earth days. Mercury takes about 88 Earth days to have a complete year, instead of the 365 days that we have on the Earth. Mercury speeds around the sun so that there are three Mercury days every two Mercury years! Mercury has a strange relationship with the Earth. Every 117 days, when Mercury is closest to the Earth, it always has the same side facing us.
Mariner 10 is the only spacecraft to visit Mercury. It made three visits to Mercury in, the 1970s, taking photos of many cliffs and craters. Although the first three visits answered many questions, they have raised others.
1. What is the surface of Mercury like?| A．It’s generally flat. | B．It’s hot everywhere. |
| C．It’s bright everywhere. | D．It’s cold in some parts. |
| A．A drop in temperature changed its size. |
| B．A great many meteorites ran into it. |
| C．It got out of shape as time passed. |
| D．Lots of surface rocks fell off. |
| A．One Mercury day lasts about 88 Earth days. |
| B．It turns around the sun faster than the Earth. |
| C．Six Mercury days are two Mercury years. |
| D．It has more cliffs than large craters. |
| A．Another spacecraft visited Mercury. |
| B．New cliffs and craters were formed. |
| C．New signs of volcanic activity appeared. |
| D．Lots of new puzzles needed to be solved. |
3 . Student Scholarships
5 Strong Scholarship
Application Deadline： August 20th
Scholarship Description： The 5 Strong Scholarship Foundation is a team of experienced educators that have over 30 years of experience in helping minority nationality students get into college. We have teamed up to form a foundation that's going to be devoted to building groups of 5 college ready scholars and placing them on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Contact： Andrew H. Ragland； 770-873-6621
$ 1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship
Application Deadline： October 8th
Scholarship Description： The $ 1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship is a virtue-based competition that is open to 7th—12th graders and college students and non — traditional students. Applicants must be juniors or seniors or adult students.
Contact： Adrian Monk； 650-319-8441
ACF Andrew Piech Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadline： July 9th
Scholarship Description： One or more scholarships are awarded each year to New Mexico graduating high school seniors and continuing college students. Students must go after a degree or certificate from a non-profit public or technical professional institution including community college.
Contact： Daniel White； 505-883-6240
“Species On The Edge 2. 0” Social Scholarship
Application Deadline： September 19th
Scholarship Description： Conserve Wildlife Foundation invites high school student from across the state to submit an original social media campaign showing why wildlife is important to protect. The fun and educational contest provides students with the opportunity to show their talent, creativity and love for nature. The students may get scholarships if they perform well.
Contact： Stephanie Dalessio； 609-984-6021
1. What's the $ 1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship mainly based on?| A．Certificate. | B．Virtue. |
| C．Protecting wildlife. | D．Helping black students. |
| A．Stephanie Dalessio. | B．Adrian Monk. |
| C．Daniel White. | D．Andrew H. Ragland. |
| A．5 Strong Scholarship. |
| B．$ 1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship. |
| C．ACF Andrew Piech Memorial Scholarship. |
| D．“Species On The Edge 2. 0" Social Scholarship. |
4 . To see the world is one thing. To have someone to share it with is another. Indeed the travel becomes more interesting when you have a travel partner. A travel partner can be a close friend, a family member, a pal you’ve met online, or a business
You can have someone to talk to
Traveling alone is fun，but wouldn’t you feel lonely? Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of loneliness. This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place you, re traveling to. You don’ t have to ask any information from the locals, and you can increase the time you spend in the country.
One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved. You can’t simply ignore the rising price of hotels or plane tickets. You should also think about your daily needs, such as your food. Of course, you can’t simply go back without bringing any souvenirs (纪念品)to your friends and family. All these can ruin your budg- et(预算).However, when you have a travel friend, you can have someone to share the expenses with.
You can meet a good friend
Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner. You can never count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other’s heart while traveling together in another country.
You can have someone to watch out for you
When you’re in a foreign land, you’ll never be really safe. You don’t know the rules as well as the culture of the people. A travel mate will be perfect to remind you of your duties in the country and to watch your back just in case you get lost. So why don’t you find a travel companion now?
Let’s find out how ...
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?| A．To introduce a travel company. |
| B．To encourage us to have a travel partner. |
| C．To explain how to be a perfect travel partner. |
| D．To tell an interesting experience with a travel partner. |
| A．You can have someone to share the expenses with. |
| B．You can know the local culture well. |
| C．You can enjoy food with your partner. |
| D．You can save money by bargaining together. |
| A．Traveling alone is not fun. |
| B．Buying souvenirs isn’t necessary. |
| C．Many people fall in love when traveling. |
| D．It’s better to choose a stranger as a travel partner. |
| A．how to get along with a travel partner |
| B．how travel can benefit people |
| C．what we can learn from travel |
| D．how to find a travel partner |
| HIKING CLUB Join us for a 10-mile country walk On Saturday, October 5th Children at the Market Square at 2 p.m. Call Jeff on 3338651 | SINGLES’ CLUB A club for single people looking for friends. Aged 25 — 40. ACTIVITIES: Parties, meals, swimming, concerts… We meet every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Tel: 7026449 E-mail:singleclub@yahoo.com |
| SUMMER JOB Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? Do you want to work for a magazine? Then come and work for us as a reporter. Please call Karen at 5558823. | |
| WANTED A 2-bedroom house in the city center. Under ￥800 a month. Call Tony at 3802692. |
1. Mr. Green wants to go hiking with his children. They should meet at the Market Square ______.
| A．at 2 p.m. on October 5th | B．on Saturday morning |
| C．at 8: 30 a.m. on October 5th | D．on Sunday morning |
| A．in the countryside | B．in the city center |
| C．near the station | D．next to the school |
| A．send an e-mail to Singles’ Club | B．join the Hiking Club |
| C．make a phone call to Karen | D．call Tony at 3338651 |
6 . When her classmates were having a good time, Molly sat at the picnic table alone. She remained embarrassed around her classmates. She seemed unsure of what to do or say, yet I could see her eyes longing for acceptance. Many students had already decided that her friendship would not be worth（值）the energy required to overcome the embarrassment. Others laughed at her. Most ignored her—except for one.
Brianna was making the other students laugh, as usual. “Brianna, do you see Molly down there? Would you mind walking down there and inviting her to come up here with the rest of us? I said.
Brianna sighed. I could tell she didn’t want to waste her precious time to do what I was asking of her, but I also knew her heart. She often thought of others before herself—a rare character for anyone, much less a kid.
Knowing this choice was hard for her, I pulled out a D-buck, our class currency（货币）. Though this was not the ideal way to deal with this situation. I needed her cooperation（合作）. “Here, I’ll pay you for your time.” I said to her. She offered an insincere smile, grasped the green paper, and headed down the hill.
As the rest of the children screamed and laughed, my eyes locked on Brianna as she neared the picnic table. Molly could be difficult to get along with, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she sent Brianna back alone, refusing her invitation. When she encouraged herself to a standing position, I sighed with relief.
Minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Here. Mrs. D.” Brianna handed me the D-buck. “Why?” I asked. “I shouldn’t keep this.” Her eyes fell to her feet, guilt showing from her quiet voice. “I don’t want Molly to think I only went to get her so I could earn the money. She’s my friend.”
A moment later, they were all laughing again, and who should I see among them, laughing for the first time that week? Molly.
1. According to the author, what was Molly like?| A．She ignored the jokes from other kids. |
| B．She felt embarrassed at being laughed at. |
| C．She desired to be accepted by other kids. |
| D．She had no interest in making friends. |
| A．Her talent. | B．Her cooperation. |
| C．Her honesty. | D．Her kindness |
| A．Worried. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Excited. | D．Confused. |
| A．To avoid losing it one day. |
| B．To get a pure friendship with Molly. |
| C．To make friends with her teacher. |
| D．To escape from being punished by her teacher. |
7 . As much as seventy years ago, in the city of Boston, there lived a small girl who had the naughty habit of running away.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alcott, from first to last, had had a good many frights about this flyaway Louisa. Once when she was only two years old they were traveling with her on a steamboat, and she darted away, in some moment when no one was noticing her, and crawled into the engine-room to watch the machinery. Of course her clothes were all grease and dirt, and she might have been caught in the machinery and hurt.
Except for this one fault, Louisa was a good child, so she felt much ashamed that she had caused her mother, whom she loved dearly, so much worry. She made up her mind that she would never frighten her so again. No-she would cure herself of the running-away habit!
After that, whenever she felt the least desire to slip out of the house without asking permission, she would hurry to her own little room and shut the door tight. To keep her mind from bad plans she would shut her eyes and make up stories-think them all out, hers, you know. Then, when some of them seemed pretty good, she would write them down so that she would not forget them. By and by she found she liked making stories better than anything she had ever done in her life
Her mother sometimes wondered why Louisa grew so fond of staying in her little chamber the head of the stairs, all of a sudden, but was pleased that the runaway child had changed into such a quiet, like-to-stay-at-home girl.
It was a long time before Louisa dared to mention the stories and rhymes she had hidden in her desk but finally she told her mother about them, and when Mrs. Alcott had read them, she advised her to keep on writing. Louisa did so and became one of the best American story-tellers. She wrote a number of books, and if you begin with Lulu's Library, you will want to read Little Men and Little Women and all the books that dear Louisa Alcott ever wrote
1. What does the underlined word “darted away” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．disappeared | B．left quickly |
| C．lost herself | D．hid herself |
| A．Because she wanted to watch the machinery. |
| B．Because she wanted to make her parents frightened |
| C．Because she liked to make Jokes. |
| D．Because otherwise, she might have been hurt. |
| A．She asked permission before going out of the house |
| B．She found making stories more interesting and gave up her run-away plan at once. |
| C．Her mother made her enter her own room and shut the door tight. |
| D．She made up stories and then wrote them down |
| A．Caring. | B．Ambitious |
| C．Strong-minded. | D．Demanding. |
8 . A robot created by Washington State University (WSU) scientists could help elderly people with dementia (痴呆) and other limitations live independently in their own homes.
The Robot Activity Support System, or RAS, uses sensors installed in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities. It navigates (定位) through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen.
“RAS combines the convenience of a mobile robot with the activity detection technology of a WSU smart home to provide assistance in the moment, as the need for help is detected,” said Bryan Minor, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Currently, an estimated 50 percent of adults over the age of 85 need assistance with every day activities such as preparing meals and taking medication and the annual cost for this assistance in the US is nearly $2 trillion. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, researchers hope that technologies like RAS and the WSU smart home will relieve some of the financial strain on the healthcare system by making it easier for older adults to live alone.
RAS is the first robot researchers have tried to incorporate into their smart home environment. They recently published a study in the journal Cognitive Systems Research that demonstrates how RAS could make life easier for older adults struggling to live independently.
“While we are still in an early stage of development, our initial results with RAS have been promising,” Minor said. “The next step in the research will be to test RAS’ performance with a group of older adults to get a better idea of what prompts, video reminders and other preferences they have regarding the robot.”
1. How does RAS serve elderly people?| A．Through sensors. | B．Through objects. |
| C．Through a mobile robot. | D．Through their daily activities. |
| A．It is the first robot used in daily life. | B．Its function remains to be tested. |
| C．It can locate people and do any task. | D．It can cook for owners on its own. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Elderly people leave the nursing home. |
| B．Smart Home Tests first elder-Care robot. |
| C．RAS, the first robot to make home smart. |
| D．Older adults have benefited from RAS. |
9 . The World Happiness Report, a United Nations agency report, measures (估量) how happy people are, and why. Norway is the happiest place on Earth—beating neighbour Denmark from the number one position.
Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic came last. Western Europe and North America took up most of the places at the top of table, with the US and UK at 14th and 19th.
The World Happiness Report mainly depends on asking a simple question of more than 1,000 people every year in more than150 countries. “Imagine a ladder (梯子), with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top,” the question asks, “The top of the ladder is the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder is the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?”
The average result is the country’s score—from Norway’s 7.54 to the Central African Republic’s 2.69. But the report also tries to explain why one country is happier than another. It looks at reasons including economic strength (经济实力) social support, freedom of choice, and generosity.
This year’s report also has a text titled “restoring (恢复) American happiness”, which examines why happiness levels in the United States are falling, despite continually-increasing economic improvement. “The United States can and should raise happiness by solving America’s social problems- rising inequality and distrust-rather than focusing mainly on economic growth,” the authors said.
Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which published the report, said President Donald Trump’s policies were likely to make things worse.
1. Which of the following is the correct order of the countries in terms of happiness levels?| A．Denmark, the UK, the US, the Central African Republic |
| B．Denmark, the US, the UK, the Central African Republic |
| C．the US, Denmark, the UK, the Central African Republic |
| D．Denmark, the US, the Central African Republic, the UK |
| A．By asking a question. | B．By having a conversation. |
| C．By doing scientific research. | D．By carrying out an online survey. |
| A．Its people live an unhappy life. |
| B．Its economy is going downhill. |
| C．Its social problems are hard to solve. |
| D．It has a lower happiness level than before. |
| A．To explain the reason for being happy. |
| B．To introduce the World Happiness Report. |
| C．To talk about America’s social problem. |
| D．To discuss the policies by Donald Trump. |
10 . An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.
Fragile items, like those made of glass are easily broken and should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them on cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. When there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly and not on you.
There is a strong chance of short circuits (短路) and fire breakouts during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.
During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the stairs at all times.
If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.
If trapped in debris (瓦砾堆), cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself. Do not move about or kick up dust.
1. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers _____.| A．the damage caused by earthquakes |
| B．the rescue work after earthquakes |
| C．what to do about earthquakes |
| D．how to prevent earthquakes |
| A．easily broken | B．easily found | C．expensive | D．heavy |
| A．go out the building at once |
| B．turn off electricity and gas immediately |
| C．take shelter under a tree |
| D．drive to a safe place quickly |
| A．Cover their mouth with a handkerchief. |
| B．Tap on a pipe or wall for help. |
| C．Use a whistle for help. |
| D．Light a match for help. |
