1 . There was a man playing the piano in a bar. He was a good piano player and always performed in this bar. People came in just to hear him play. But one night, a customer told him that he didn’t want to hear him just play the piano any more. He wanted him to sing a song.
The man said, “I don’t sing.”
But the customer was persistent(执着的). He told the bar manager, “I’m tired of listening to the piano. I want that man to sing！”
The manager shouted across the room, “If you want to get paid, sing a song. Our customers are asking you to sing！”
So he did. He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the first time. And everyone was surprised by his song Mona Lisa. He got lots of applause(掌声) that night.
He had such a talent for singing, but he just had been sitting on his talent for the past years! If without such a chance, he may have lived the rest of his life as a noname piano player in a noname bar. However, now he has become one of the bestknown singers in America.
You, too, have skills and abilities. Maybe your “talent” is not as great as the singer above, but it may be better than you think! And with effort, most skills can be improved. So, in your life, you should be brave enough to try doing different things and find out what talents you really have!
1. Why did the man start to sing?| A．Because he wanted to make more money. |
| B．Because the bar manager said he liked his song. |
| C．Because the manager asked him to sing at the request of a customer. |
| D．Because he wanted to show everyone that he had a talent for singing. |
| A．Strict. | B．Rude. |
| C．Patient. | D．Kind. |
| A．Some people really have no skills or abilities. |
| B．None of us is as great as the singer. |
| C．Sometimes through effort we can know our talents. |
| D．No skills can be improved even if you try your best. |
2 . It was late one evening. I can’t remember what it was about, but my dad and I had a very big argument when my mom was away. We both said things we didn’t mean, and in the end I said, “I’m leaving.” And he said, “Good. The sooner, the better.”
I threw a few things in a suitcase and closed the door angrily behind me, not knowing where I was going. After walking aimlessly for about 20 minutes, I stopped at a local supermarket. Then my phone rang. It was my mom calling. She said, “Hey, Mary. Where are you？Dad is worried about you.”
“How can he worry about me？I’ve been away for nearly half an hour, but he didn’t call,” I said with annoyance(气恼). My anger returned and I remembered all the hateful things he’d shouted to me. “Listen, Mom. You can tell Dad that I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow,” I said and hung up.
I walked around the store, trying to get my thoughts together. By the time I paid for my purchases, it had been much later than I used to be out alone. When I left the supermarket, a large piece of white paper was in front of me. On the piece of white paper were these words: “Please come home! I miss you and I’m worried about you！”
Then a car pulled up beside me. Hanging out of the window was my dad. Beside him, smiling gently, sat my mom. And that’s when I started laughing. I laughed so hard that I cried. Despite my best efforts to run away from home, my father finally managed to track me down. I couldn’t leave now, not with him sitting there with caring eyes.
1. Hearing Mary decided to leave home, Mary’s father was very ________.| A．worried | B．nervous |
| C．angry | D．surprised |
| A．became angrier than before | B．gave in to her father |
| C．cried and calmed down | D．agreed to go home |
| A．Actions Mary regretted. | B．Goods Mary bought. |
| C．Telephone calls Mary made. | D．Lessons Mary learned. |
| A．Mary’s mother hated her father. | B．Mary still refused to go home. |
| C．Mary’s father became angry again. | D．Mary returned home happily. |
3 . Coca-Cola, which reportedly produced more than 3 million tons of plastic packaging in 2017, announced Thursday it wants to “help fix the world’s plastic waste problem one community (社区) at a time.”
The soda giant is doing so by providing $ 5.4 million for recycling programs in cities like Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Houston. In these cities, partners, like The Green Blue Institute and The Recycling Partnership, which receive the money, will work together to improve recycling rates.
“We focus on areas where we have the ability to make the biggest influence on communities through the funding and expert skills of Coca-Cola employees,” Carlos Pagoagoa, Coca-Cola’s group director of community partnerships, said in a statement. “In each city, local partners will work together to identify barriers to recycling on a local level and test a range of solutions,” he added. “We hope the learnings from these ‘model markets’ can offer solutions to other cities facing similar challenges.”
As part of the effort, The Recycling Partnership and the city of Atlanta, where the cola company’s headquarters are based, will send street teams out to open recycling carts and leave citizens cards informing them what they can and can’t recycle, and let them know how their efforts work.
“Two of the most urgent problems with recycling in the U. S. today are lack of access, followed by pollution in recycling,” Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, said in a statement. “We know from the success of Atlanta in 2017 that the citizens want to recycle, and that communicating with them in the street works.”
Last year, Coca-Cola announced its task to collect and reuse a bottle or can for each one it sells, and increase the amount of its products out of recycled materials to 50% by 2030. The brand also aims to make all its packaging fully recyclable by 2025.
1. What does Coca-Cola company intend to do in the program?| A．Produce less packaging. |
| B．Help deal with plastic waste. |
| C．Pick up waste in communities. |
| D．Build a plant to recycle plastic waste. |
| A．How Coca-Cola conducts its program. |
| B．What organizations participate in the program. |
| C．How Coca-Cola chooses cities for the program. |
| D．What the local people do in Coca-Cola’s program. |
| A．Sort out various waste in the city. |
| B．Look into the cause of pollution. |
| C．Instruct local people what to recycle. |
| D．Hand cards to the locals in person. |
| A．Promising. | B．Difficult. | C．Pioneering. | D．Costly. |
4 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?| A．Cycling around a lake. |
| B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. |
| D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages around the world. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
| A．it is an outdoor sport |
| B．it improves our health |
| C．it uses fewer resources |
| D．it is recommended by experts |
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．encourage us to go in for green sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
5 . Do you jump out of bed early, wide awake and ready to start your day？If so, you would be called an “early bird”. Perhaps, you hate the sound of your alarm clock each morning and have little energy until afternoon. If so, you're probably a “night owl”．
Most people can be divided into such two groups, but what makes us this way？And is one better than the other？There are different opinions.
Usually, early risers have been praised as hard-working while those who prefer to get up late are considered lazy. Most people believe the early bird catches the worm.
Yet some scientists now believe “night owls” can really focus(集中) longer and produce more than early risers.
Research has found that the early bird does not always get the worm. In a Belgian study, both “morning people” and “evening people” were watched during their normal asleep and awake routines(常规)．After 10 hours of being awake, the “evening people” became more alert(思维敏捷的). However, the “morning people” became sleepy and less focused. Researchers believe the reason for this difference is that night owls receive a last-minute increase from their brains. This added energy allows them to stay alert for longer periods of time.
Environment, lifestyle, activities and childhood routines all may have an effect on sleeping habits, yet genetics(遗传学)may play the biggest role.
It is possible to change your sleeping habits through regular bedtimes, early exercise and by avoiding midnight snacks. But if you're happy rising early or staying up late, you're probably doing what works best for your own personal body clock.
1. The author introduces the subject by ________.| A．telling an interesting story |
| B．giving different opinions |
| C．showing research results |
| D．asking a question |
| A．Those who get up early achieve their goals. |
| B．Early to bed, early to rise is good for health. |
| C．“Night owls” can focus longer than “early birds”. |
| D．“Early birds” are as hard-working as “night owls”. |
| A．Late risers become sleepier than early risers. |
| B．Early risers become as focused as later risers. |
| C．Late risers can think quickly after being awaken for 10 hours. |
| D．Early risers can think clearly after being awake for 10 hours. |
| A．People should get up early. |
| B．Whatever time suits you, it’s OK. |
| C．Staying up late is good for health. |
| D．It’s impossible to change one’s sleeping habit. |
6 . Charlie is a teacher and his wife, Maria is an artist. The night before last, just before the longest day of the year, Charlie was sitting in a deckchair enjoying the warm summer air when Maria touched his shoulder and he could tell immediately she was a little worried about something. He asked her what the matter was and she replied that there was a strange thing on the jacket that was hanging in the bedroom. They had both lived in the West Indies (西印度群岛) and had seen a lot of strange creatures in their house before. But now they were living in England and so Charlie just laughed and said he would have a look at the “thing”.
He walked to the bedroom. He saw a jacket hanging in the bedroom and went up to it to have a closer look at the “thing”. The moment he touched it, the thing sprang into life. Now Charlie experiences fear like the rest of us but when this creature opened its wings, he jumped out of his skin and ran screaming from the room like a small child doing about 100 miles an hour.
For a moment the next-door neighbours thought that Charlie was murdering his wife because of the noise they could hear. In fact, it was a bat that frightened Charlie.
Eventually Charlie managed to trap the bat in a box and took it to the garden to let the bat fly. Maria, who had been playing the guitar while Charlie was upstairs, asked Charlie if he had found out what the thing was. “Oh, nothing to worry about”, he said casually hoping that the terror could not be seen in his eyes, “it was just a bat.”
1. Why was Maria a little worried one night?| A．Because she couldn't find her guitar. | B．Because she saw something strange. |
| C．Because it was too hot for her. | D．Because she had quarreled with her husband. |
| A．stood up | B．was very frightened |
| C．threw off his clothes | D．was very excited |
| A．It was killed by Charlie. | B．It was badly wounded. |
| C．It was set free by Charlie. | D．It was kept as a pet. |
| A．Charlie was afraid that his wife would laugh at him if she knew the truth |
| B．the neighbours would report to the police about Charlie murdering the bat |
| C．the bat wouldn't come to Charlie's room again because it was frightened |
| D．Maria heard her husband screaming downstairs and became frightened |
7 . Some educators told us that more years of school could help students get higher scores on intelligence tests.That was a finding of a study of teenage males in some countries.Now，another research shows that physical activity may help students do better in their classes.
The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education.They are using the time instead for academic(学术的) subjects like math and reading.The studies appeared between 2008 and 2014.They included more than 55,000 children，aged 6 to 18.
Amika Singh：“According to the results of our study，we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance.There are，first，Physiological explanations，like more blood flow，and so more oxygen to the brain.Being physically active means there are more hormones(荷尔蒙) produced like endorphins(内啡肽)．And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved，which means you also perform better.”
Also，students taking part in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them.This could improve their classroom behavior and help them keep their mind on their work.
The study leaves some questions unanswered，however.Ms Stash says it is not possible to say whether the amount or kind of activity affected the level of academic improvement.This is because of differences among the studies.
The researchers said they found only two highquality studies.They needed more highquality studies to confirm(证实) their findings.They also pointed out that “results for other parts of the world may be quite different”．
Still，the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school.Ms Singh says schools should consider that finding before they cut physical education programs.Her paper on “Physical Activity and Performance at School” is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
1. The passage mainly tells us that .| A．a research on physical education has been done by the researchers |
| B．there is a possibility that physical activity leads to higher grades |
| C．the amount or kind of activity directly affects academic level |
| D．the research shows that the children aged 6 to 18 don’t do sports |
| A．Being mentally active is good for academic subjects. |
| B．The more hormones you have，the more stressed you will get. |
| C．The researchers have found many highquality studies to prove the research. |
| D．The educators in some countries think studies,not exercise,mean much to students. |
| A．good marks result from highquality study |
| B．findings are probably different in different areas |
| C．physical activity will spread all over the world |
| D．academic performance depends on the surroundings |
| A．To call our attention to the sports at school. |
| B．To introduce all types of physical activities. |
| C．To represent the academic performance. |
| D．To improve students’ health. |
8 . The UK has a wellrespected higher education system and some of the top universities and research instructions in the world.But to those who are new to it all，sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar.Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers.It’s a great opportunity to make new friends，join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However，having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind，the prospect(前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nervewracking(令人焦虑不安的)．Where do you start？Who should you make friends with？Which clubs should you join?
Luckily，there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot.So just take it all in slowly.Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here is some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
•Learn rules.Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节)．Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
•Be kind.Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
•Be sociable.The more active you are，the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room.
•Bring a doorstop.Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort，Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon yon’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your door. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week. |
| A．courses | B．freshers |
| C．neighbors | D．challenges |
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
9 . A loving father lost much weight after being shamed into dieting when he became so fat that he couldn't play with his young daughter. Chris Willis, 47, tipped the scales at 172 kg following a lifetime of fatty foods.
The dad cut out all the fatty foods he had enjoyed, and began exercising. He now weighs 105 kg after losing 10 kg every month since July. Chris had to take long pauses just to climb the stairs or walk more than a few yards, saying, "The hardest thing was seeing my little girl in the garden and not being able to join in because I was so unhealthy. But now I am making up for the lost time-we do so much together and it is just great."
Before switching to a healthy lifestyle, Chris would eat five slices of bread for breakfast as a mid morning meal before a full English breakfast. He would then eat a sandwich, a large pack of crisps and a pasty for lunch before chewing a whole packet of biscuits in the afternoon. For dinner Chris would demolish a curry, and ice cream, and also four pints of beer before feeding on fatty snacks all evening.
Chris said, "At 13, I was 118 kg and I remember a teacher pointing this out to the whole school. From then on I was picked on and bullied(欺负). My weight went up and up. But I now have a new-found freedom. My family and friends have been so supportive and my wife and daughter are so pleased for me. In fact it's them that I did it for more than anyone else. The whole journey has been amazing and I am still shocked myself that I have managed to lose so much weight." Chris is now aiming for a new target weight of 96kg.
1. What was the main reason for Chris losing weight?| A．He was bullied by others. |
| B．He weighed as much as 172kg. |
| C．He wanted to switch to a healthy lifestyle. |
| D．He was too unhealthy to play with his daughter. |
| A．Many years. |
| B．About 6 months. |
| C．About one year. |
| D．Since he was 13. |
| A．drink |
| B．absorb |
| C．consume |
| D．destroy |
| A．Power of father's Love |
| B．Harm of Fatty Foods |
| C．Importance of Health |
| D．Benefit of Exercise |
10 . Average humans can consume 15 or more drinks in plastic bottles a month. If you were born after 1998, and live until 80 years old, you will leave behind a minimum of 14, 4000 plastic bottles on this planet. These bottles take hundreds of years to break down into tiny pieces of plastic, never to completely disappear. Most of the waste is consumed by fish and birds, which has shortened their lifespans greatly.
The Plastic Bottle Village is just a great idea that might finally save us from being buried in plastic. It5s a community in Panama that is going to be made of used bottles. The design process begins with building steel frames, which are then filled with these bottles. Once this step is complete, and electrical and plumping lines are put inside, the plastic walls are covered with concrete (混凝土)—both inside and outside. So no one will actually be able to tell that the walls are made of plastic. Besides, the material will keep the house 17℃ cooler than the outside, which is the biggest benefit to people living inside.
The village is the idea of Robert Bezeau with the intention of setting up several environmental projects. Having started a recycling program four years ago, during which a number of plastic bottles were collected, he started to think of how they could be put to use. Soon enough, he decided to use them to build houses, and came up with a basic idea for the construction process.
The project hopes to make people conscious of the waste that these bottles create so that they can do more to protect the environment. The village will also create an education center that will teach individuals from the world how to reuse plastic bottles as construction materials for shelter. Recycled bottles could neutralize (使……无效) the negative effect of your passage on this planet, and move closer to leaving only your “footprints”.
1. What do the figures in the first paragraph show?| A．The reason for buying fewer drinks. | B．The seriousness of plastic pollution. |
| C．The amount of plastic waste. | D．The difficult situation of wildlife. |
| A．They’re green buildings. | B．They’re 17℃ warmer inside. |
| C．They stop plastic pollution. | D．They’re entirely made of plastic bottles. |
| A．Plastic bottles are difficult to break down so that they are liked by fish and birds. |
| B．Robert Bezeau is leader of a community in, Panama responsible for the project. |
| C．The project of the Plastic Bottle Village can raise peopled environmental awareness. |
| D．Individuals can learn how to produce plastic bottles without polluting the environment. |
| A．An Eco-Friendly Plastic Bottle Village |
| B．The Negative Effects of Plastic Bottles |
| C．How to Collect Deserted Plastic Bottles |
| D．How to Popularize the Use of Plastic Bottles |
