1 . The summer before my 10th birthday my father moved our family of nine kids to a farm. We had always lived in a small city, in the house my dad had gotten from my grandparents, who had wanted fresh air, green food and lots of room for their children but failed. My father held the same will. He’d worked multiple jobs and saved for many years... and could finally afford a place in the countryside. Now a minor concern: the house had no running water or electricity. But there were 150 acres to run around in.

That first year my dad put in electricity, because my mom simply announced, “I won’t have oil lamps with children running around!” Indoor plumbing(管道系统) had to wait another year. Different friends, who my dad knew from work, asked if he’d take their large dogs who couldn’t run free in the city. So we all now played with a big orange-brown boxer and a sporty German Shorthaired Pointer, who we named Billy and Molly.

Minimalism was our goal, and also our only choice. Absolutely our clothes were hand-me-downs. Bananas and oranges were rare “imported” fruit we’d seen at holiday. We felt we were younger than peers (同龄人) -there was ONE birthday party a year! We’d take turns…once every 9 years a child would have his/her own party!

While money was so scarce, we had joy to hand all the time. My mother was always singing, yelling, or hugging. And she told us we owned plenty! To this day, each of us remembers those years as an abundance of things, laughter, arguing, making peace, and playing together! Every challenge was a game to defeat, and any failure was a chance to learn there.

1. Why did the author’s father move their family to a farm?

A．To carry out the wish of his parents.

B．To start a brand new life in a luxury house.

C．To improve the children’s living environment.

D．To get rid of the heavy workload in the city.

2. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．There was no electricity in their rooms.

B．Two dogs became part of the author’s life.

C．The author’s mother had a sharp tongue.

D．Their rural life became the envy of friends.

3. What is the author’s tone in paragraph 3?

A．Hopeful.

B．Upset.

C．Amazed.

D．Amusing.

4. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “scarce” in the last paragraph?

A．Practical.

B．Accurate.

C．Tight.

D．Essential.

3 . They say everything is bigger in Texas. While that may be true, some of the best things in Texas are quite small. Case in point: tiny Mount Vernon, a town of just under 3,000 people. But if you do come across Mount Vernon, you might just get an intention to stay. That happens a lot around here, and it’s worth noting how remarkable that is.

Tom Wilkinson was born in Mount Vernon 87 years ago and moved back after he retired from his career as a college English professor in Dallas. Like many of his neighbors, Wilkinson can track his ancestors back to the pioneers who settled here in the 1870s. And like many, he values the simple life you can’t easily find in big cities. “People are still polite. They hold the door open for you.” he says, “We grow strong roots here!”

Preserving and honoring the past has been key to helping Mount Vernon survive. The residents have restored and reopened some of the empty stores, including the old barbershop, built more than 100 years ago. An old general store was turned into a combination space. Wander in on any given day and you might find a book club discussion, a Coffee Ladies meet-up, or a work session for the local genealogy(家谱) group among the tables of people chatting over cups of coffee and plates of food.

Mount Vernon has the kind of big hearts you tend to find in a small town. For instance, when a local policeman was diagnosed with cancer last year, ten-year-old Lola McKellar set up a lemonade stand to raise money for his treatments. In 2015, when a 350-year flood sent water rushing into local homes, an army of volunteers showed up to get a wheelchair-bound neighbor and his wife to higher ground, and then came back to help rebuild.

1. What does the author think of Mount Vernon?

A．Remote.	B．Wealthy.
C．Primitive.	D．Attractive.

2. Why did Tom Wilkinson come back to Mount Vernon?

A．He preferred the simple and natural life.	B．He could continue his language teaching.
C．He could live together with his ancestors.	D．He could meet more neighbors of his age.

3. What can we infer about people’s way of life in Mount Vernon from Paragraph 3?

A．It is in danger of extinction.	B．It is quickly changing over time.
C．It is conservative but harmonious.	D．It is being disturbed by the outside world.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The history of Mount Vernon.	B．The humanity of Mount Vernon.
C．The volunteers of Mount Vernon.	D．The reconstruction of Mount Vernon.

4 . The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme(酶) PETase have now created a new enzyme called “cocktail” , which can digest plastic up to six times faster.

PETase breaks down PET back into its building blocks, creating an opportunity to recycle plastic and reduce plastic pollution. PET is the most common thermoplastic(热塑性塑料) used to make single-use drinks bottles, which takes hundreds of years to break down in the environment, but PETase can shorten this time to days. The initial discovery set up the prospect of a revolution in plastic recycling, creating a potential low-energy solution to tackle plastic waste.

Now, the same trans-Atlantic team have combined PETase and its “partner”, a second enzyme called MHETase, to generate much bigger improvements: simply mixing PETase with MHETase doubled the speed of PET breakdown, and engineering a connection between the two enzymes to create a “super-enzyme”, increased this activity by a further three times.

The team was co-led by the scientists who engineered PETase, Professor John McGeehan and Dr Gregg Beckham. Professor McGeehan said: “Gregg and I were chatting about how PETase attacks the surface of the plastics and MHETase chops things up further, so it seemed natural to see if we could use them together. Our first experiments showed that they did work better together, so we decided to physically link them. It took a great deal of work, but it was worth the effort — we were delighted to see that our new enzyme is up to three times faster than the separate enzymes.”

The original PETase enzyme discovery indicated the first hope that a solution to the global plastic pollution problem might be within grasp, though PETase alone is not yet fast enough to handle the tons of PET bottles. Combining it with a second enzyme, and finding together they work even faster, means another leap forward has been taken towards finding a solution to plastic waste. PETase and the new combined MHETase-PETase both work by digesting PET plastic. This allows for plastics to be made and reused endlessly, reducing our reliance on fossil(化石) resources.

1. What can we learn about “cocktail” from the text?

A．It doubles the breakdown of plastics.

B．It takes hundreds of years to break down.

C．It contributes to breaking down plastic quickly.

D．It deals with the plastic waste three times faster.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．A new study of PET.	B．The breakdown of PET.
C．The discovery of PETase.	D．The functions of PETase.

3. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Co-leading the trans-Atlantic team.	B．Combining PETase and MHETase.
C．Attacking the surface of the plastics.	D．Talking about conducting experiments.

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．PET pollution is no longer a difficult problem to deal with.

B．New enzyme is speeding up our reliance on fossil resources.

C．MHETase-PETase makes the world free from plastic pollution.

D．Plastic-eating enzyme “cocktail” promises new hope for plastic waste.

5 . Human societies developed food preferences based on what was available and what the group decided it liked most. Those preferences were then passed along as socially learned behaviors, values, knowledge and customs that make up culture. Besides humans, many other social animals are believed to exhibit forms of culture in various ways, too.

In fact, according to a new study led by Harvard scientist Liran Samuni, bonobos(倭黑猩猩), one of our closest living relatives, could be the latest addition to the list.

The researchers studied the hunting and feeding habits of two neighboring groups of bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Analyzing the data, they saw many similarities in the lives of the two bonobo groups—the Ekalakala and the Kokoalongo. They also both have the access and opportunity to hunt the same kind of prey(猎物). This, however, is precisely where researchers noticed a striking difference.

The groups consistently preferred to hunt and feast on two different types of prey. The Ekalakala group went after an anomalure(鳞尾松鼠). The Kokoalongo group on the other hand, favored a duiker(小羚羊).

“It’s basically like two human cultures exploiting a common resource in different ways,” says Samuni. “Think about two cultures living close to each other but having different preferences: One prefers chicken while the other is more of a beef-eating culture.”

Using statistical modeling, the researchers found that the only variable that could reliably predict prey preference was whether the hunters were team Ekalakala or team Kokoalongo.

The researchers haven't yet investigated how the bonobo groups learned this hunting preference, but through their analysis they were able to rule out ecological factors or genetic differences. Basically, it means all evidence points toward this being a learned social behavior.

“If our closest living relatives have some cultural traits(特征), then it's likely our ancestors already had some capacity for culture,” Samuni says.

1. What do paragraphs 3 and 4 mainly talk about?

A．The background of the study.

B．The process of the study.

C．The findings of the study.

D．The challenges of doing the study.

2. How does Samuni perceive the two bonobo groups’different hunting preferences?

A．They are an unusual phenomenon.

B．They are a learned social behavior.

C．They contradict human cultures.

D．They show bonobos’high intelligence.

3. Which of the following could influence the bonobos' prey preference?

A．The timing of hunting.

B．Their hunting techniques.

C．The communities they belong to.

D．Their surrounding environment.

4. What might the findings of the bonobos' hunting preference indicate?

A．When human society was born.

B．How human society developed.

C．What helped human culture change.

D．How human culture first appeared.

6 . Shortly before Christmas last year, Brazilian piano player Joao Carlos Martins invited his friends to a bar near his home. He wanted to show them the best gift he had received in many years: A new pair of gloves.

They are not just gloves, however. The specially made bionic devices are letting the 79-year-old play with both hands for the first time in more than 20 years.

By his retirement last March, he had undergone 24 medical procedures to try to reduce pain caused by a progressive disease and from a series of accidents. Before the gloves, which were especially developed for him, Martins could only play songs slowly with his thumbs and, sometimes, his pointer fingers.

However, one designer believed Martins' retirement had come too early. That designer, Ubirata Bizarro Costa, created special bionic gloves for Martins' hands. The gloves help move his fingers up after they press on the piano keys. Costa said he created early models based on images of Martins’ hands. But he said those models were “far from ideal”. He then decided to tell Martins about his efforts. Costa and Martins then spent several months testing different models. The perfect match came in December, and cost only $ 125 to build.

These days, Martins never takes off his new gloves—even when he goes to sleep. Martins said he has received more than 100 devices in the last 50 years as possible solutions to his hand problems. None worked well or long enough. “But these gloves do,” he said.

The new gloves have given Martins a new goal. He hopes to play the piano at New York's Carnegie Hall in October. He is already set to conduct a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of his first appearance there.

1. What can we guess about Joao Carlos Martins?

A．He enjoyed playing the piano in a bar.

B．He has received the most valuable gift in his life.

C．He has just retired from a music company.

D．He often discussed with his friends about music.

2. What can we infer about this special pair of gloves?

A．It has existed for over 20 years.

B．It was developed mainly for the disabled.

C．It can be worn to reduce the physical pain.

D．It realizes Martins' dream to play the piano with two hands.

3. How did Costa create this special pair of gloves?

A．By pressing Martins’fingers against the piano keys.

B．By conducting many tests to find the ideal model.

C．By working with other designers and companies.

D．By repeatedly examining images of Martins’ hands.

4. What's the best title for the text?

A．Technology Improves People's Life

B．Magic Gloves Let Brazilian Pianist Play Again

C．Costa Creates the Special Gloves for Martins

D．Martins Receives the Best Christmas Gift

7 . There can be magic in the touch of a hand that loves you. It brings comfort and a silent promise that says, “I am here and you are not alone.”

I memorized every detail about my children. As babies, they reached for me whenever they were hungry or tired or just needed to be held. Sometimes, if they woke in the night, just the touch of my hand would ease them back to sleep. They clung to me when they took their first steps and we held hands when crossing streets and walking from the car to their classroom on their first day of school.

As they grew older and more independent, I noticed that they didn't hold my hand much anymore. I told myself it was part of growing up, and I should just be glad they could do things on their own now.

But when you've been needed so much for such a long time, it's hard to step back and feel unnecessary.

Then one day, I was visiting my oldest son in New York, where he was working as an actor on a TV show. As we were about to cross a busy street that was filled with traffic, he grabbed my hand and shouted, “Hang on to me, Mom,” then led me safely across.

At that moment, I realized two things. First, my boy had become a man. Second, it was clear that our roles had changed. We still needed each other, but in different ways than before.

That scene has replayed in various ways with each of my three children. They have all taught me to lean on them just as they once leaned on me, and that we can always lean on each other. We live miles apart, but stay in touch every day. There is magic and comfort and healing in the touch of a hand that loves you, even if it “touches” you from afar.

1. How did the author get along with her children when they were young?

A．She was very strict with them.	B．She overprotected them.
C．She was too busy to take care of them.	D．She developed a close bond with them.

2. How did the author feel when her kids became more independent?

A．She felt lonely when living apart from them.

B．She was worried that they couldn't manage themselves.

C．She felt a little uncomfortable when not needed so much as before.

D．She was pleased to be able to step back and enjoy herself.

3. The author's visit to her son in New York made her realize________.

A．her son had become mature and reliable

B．time with children is always fun

C．she needed her son more than before

D．she was unwilling to accept the change in their roles

4. What is the author's main purpose in writing the text?

A．To explore how to interact with children.

B．To describe the growth of her children.

C．To show the power of the touch of a hand.

D．To present how parents influence their kids.

8 . The best and most-commonly used sources for the pills we have are oily fish like salmon（畦）， mackerel and sardines. Many environmentalists fear that some species are being over fished for this purpose. We may have an endless voracity for fish oil, but we don't have an endless supply of fish.

Menhaden, which is described as “a big-headed, smelly, foot-long fish" , is in great danger. Although prized for dinner in the 18th century, the species has become the unknown victim of the fish oil business ₉ which presents us with potential sea fish. Menhaden filter-feed almost entirely on algae （海藻）and is especially good at changing it into-3 fatty acids, which make them a good target for fish oil companies.

One particular company, Protein of Houston, has been fishing 90 percent of the country' s menhaden. It's become such a big problem that 13 of the 15 Atlantic states have banned the company * s boats from their waters. Yet the company is still allowed to fish in North Carolina and Virginia, as well as federal waters; the company * s efforts result in the removing of half a billion menhaden every year.

Aside from running out a public natural resource for a company，s private profit, the damage to the ecosystem is cause for alarm. The muddy brown color of the Long Island Sound is the direct result of lacking water nitration （过滤）一a job that was once done by menhaden.

Menhaden keep the ocean waters of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts clean. A menhaden filters four to six gallons of water of algae in a minute, which prevents underwater dead zones.

Measures should be taken to avoid the over fished situation. Plant seeds such as flax seed, chiaseeds, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds — and particularly their oils — are good vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids, although the mix of specific acids is different from which one can get with fish.

1. Why does menhaden become a good fish for companies to make pills?

A．It is good at forming-3 fatty acids.

B．It feeds mainly on the harmful algae.

C．It is well-known for its rich protein.

D．It is relatively easy for companies to catch.

2. What does the underlined word "voracity" in paragraph 1 mean?

A．trouble	B．shortage
C．resource	D．appetite

3. What does the author intend to suggest us in the last paragraph?

A．To grow more plants for their seeds to make oil.

B．To use some substitutes instead of more fish oil.

C．To call on the government to make laws in fishing.

D．To take part in more activities to protect the environment.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The broken natural ecosystem.	B．The process of making fish oil.
C．Bad effects of fish oil making.	D．How to use natural resources.

9 . Walk past any Bath & Body Works store and you' ll see a colourful display of popular antibacterial soaps. Sold in thick plastic containers with heavy foam （泡沫）—producing pumps on top and loaded with nice smell, these liquid soaps are seen everywhere. Besides their plastic packaging, they are ' antibacterial, ' as are so many other soaps, body scrubs（磨砂膏）,and lip sticks these days, not to mention household cleaners and even mattresses. The world has gone crazy for antibacterial products-but, unfortunately, antibacterial is bad.

Keep in mind that antibacterial soap is no more effective at killing germs than regular soap. Using antibacterial soap may even lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to the products antimicrobial agents-making it harder to kill these germs in the future.

The problem is that they leave a surface leftover after being washed or wiped away. This leftover is supposed to continue killing afterwards, but it can also promote the growth of resistant bacteria, which are stronger than the original bacteria. Triclosan （三氯生），a common mixed material in antibacterial soaps and hand washing liquids, is a probable human carcinogen （致癌物）.Triclosan, also known as Microban, has been found in breast milk and exists in 60 percent of American waterways, which opens a pathway for potential pollution of food. In 2009, the Canadian Medical Association called on its government to ban all antibacterial products but was unsuccessful.

As unexciting as it is, plain old bar soap is the way to go. Regular soap works by loosening dirt, oil, and microbes so they can be washed away. Effective hand washing requires vigorous washing of all surfaces and should last at least 20 seconds. A bar of soap requires little to no packaging, and the greenest option is one with a vegetable glycerine base, free from chemical smell and harmful materials.

1. What does using antibacterial soap result in?

A．Making things cleaner.	B．Killing more germs.
C．Keeping things more healthy.	D．Promoting the development of bacteria.

2. What' s the author '   s attitude towards the antibacterial soaps?

A．supportive

B．anxious

C．opposed

D．uninterested

3. What does the underlined "they"in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Original bacteria.	B．Antibacterial soaps.
C．Household cleaners.	D．Antimicrobial agents.

4. What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?

A．Using regular soaps is the best option.

B．Washing hands needs longer time than ever.

C．Buying soaps with no packing and chemicals.

D．Keeping antibacterial soap is beneficial to health.

10 . Do you want to have an interesting summer picnics with your family? Here we offer four of the top picnic areas across the US.

Cumberland Islands, Georgia

Just hours south of Savannah, this national seashore is an ideal picnic place. It' s not a destroyed place in the Deep South with over 50 miles of hiking trails (路线).Covered in Spanish moss (苔藓)，the paths are lined with trees and since it' s still a rural area, the stars gather for a spectacular show at night and create the perfect evening starlit picnic opportunity.

Grant Park, Chicago

Go for a taste of a 20-day lakefront for delicious food in Chicago, because food festival happens in October each year. Take a spot near the fountain to enjoy your picnic, appreciate the city scenery and lake views and relax with family and friends. If you are there on July 1st, make sure to plan the day to include the fireworks display at the Navy Pier.

Cranberry Islands, Maine

Here, you'll enjoy natural picnics with island views. The islands are a delightful group of islands about 20 minutes offshore from Acadia National Park. You can visit the islands by private boat. Bring a picnic basket along for the ride as it 's a romantic picnic area to go for a family outing to visit the islands.

Big Sur, California

The Point Lobos State Reserve is a small gem (胜地).Besides the coastal wildlife there are rare plant communities, and unique geological formations. It's good to have a picnic there. You are recommended to bring a telescope, because much of the wildlife can be seen only at a distance.

1. What can we know about Cumberland Islands?

A．You can go there by boat.

B．You can't have a picnic in the evening.

C．It is developed into a beautiful scenery.

D．It attracts lots of people for its splendid stars.

2. Which of the following attracts wildlife lovers most?

A．Big Sur.	B．Grant Park.
C．Cranberry Islands.	D．Cumberland Islands.

3. Where is the text most probably from?

A．A personal diary.	B．A travel magazine.
C．A science report.	D．A geography textbook.