1 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.
Denmark: Break plates
A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.
Germany: Pouring lead
In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.
Spain: Twelve grapes of luck
In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.
Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything
In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.
1. What is believed to bring good luck for the coming new year in Denmark?| A．A red candle. | B．Round food. | C．Broken china. | D．A lead cross. |
| A．A way to make coins. | B．An act to keep power. |
| C．A desire to be popular. | D．An idea to gain profit. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Travel. | C．Culture. | D．Entertainment. |
2 . You may think that sailing is difficult, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, “Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?” You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let's start with the wind blowing from behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90° angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45°angle to the boat. It needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap. It shouldn't look like a flag on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can't go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking(作“之”字形航行). When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat.
1. What should you consider first while sailing?| A．Sailors' strength. | B．Wave levels. | C．Wind directions. | D．Size of the sail. |
| A．The sail. | B．The wind. | C．The boat. | D．The angle. |
| A．Move in a straight line. | B．Allow the sail to flap. |
| C．Lower the sail. | D．Tack the boat. |
| A．To advise you to go sailing. | B．To teach you how to go sailing. |
| C．To show the danger of sailing. | D．To tell the difficulty of sailing. |
3 . Learning a second language is difficult at any age and it only gets harder the longer you wait to open that dusty French book. Now, in a new study, scientists have pointed the exact age at which your chances of reaching fluency（流利）in a second language seem to rise： 10.
The study, published in the journal Cognition, found that it's "nearly impossible” for language learners to reach native-level fluency if they start learning a second language after 10. But that doesn't seem to be because language skills go downhill “It turns out you're still learning fast. It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old,“ says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne, an assistant professor of psychology at Boston College.
Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. "All learning involves the brain changing,“ Hartshorne says, “and children's brains seem to be a lot more skilled at changing. "
These findings may seem discouraging, but it was heartening for scientists to learn that the critical （关键的）period for fluent language acquisition might be longer than they previously thought. Some scientists believed that the brief window closes shortly after birth, while others stretched it only to early adolescence. Compared to those estimates, 17 or 18 when language learning ability starts to drop off——seems old.
“People progress better when they learn by immersion （沉 浸）rather than simply in a classroom. And moving to a place where your desired language is spoken is the best way to learn as an adult. If that's not an option, you can create an immersive environment by finding ways to have conversations with native speakers in their own communities," Hartshorne says. By doing so, it's possible to become conversationally fluent——even without the advantage of a child's brain.
1. What is the most important finding of the new study?| A．The best age to learn a second language. |
| B．The possibility of speaking fluent language. |
| C．The change of language skills over the time. |
| D．The great approaches to learning a language. |
| A．Their focus is language learning only. |
| B．They are more interested in languages. |
| C．They are more adaptable to new things. |
| D．Their brain always ignores big changes. |
| A．Joining friends in their learning. | B．Turning to immersive learning. |
| C．Studying in a quiet classroom. | D．Training the brain to a kid's brain. |
| A．Science. | B．Travel |
| C．Health. | D．Education. |
4 . To improve a high schoolers chance of getting into a top university, the summer programs allow young students to explore fields of interest and get a taste of college life.
Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)
TASP is a six-week program allowing high school freshman from around the world to grow their sense of interpersonal awareness and community responsibility. It's completely free, including the cost of tuition, books and even travel.
Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)
This week-long program aimed at all US high school students can help them develop the skills necessary for future job in engineering while learning about the value and reward of acquiring advanced technical degrees. MITES is free—the only expense is the transportation to and from MIT.
Clark Scholar Program (CSP)
High school students coming from across the globe are offered the unique opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in mathematics field while working one on one with teaching staff over four intense weeks. Everything is free for chosen applicants except their meals.
JCamp
The seven-week one brings high school freshman and sophomores from various backgrounds together for participating in sessions and workshops led by notable journalists where students can get hands-on training in journalism. JCamp is free if selected-participants only need to pay for the board.
1. What can be expected of MITES?| A．It is accessible to worldwide students. | B．It lays a foundation for career prospect. |
| C．It makes no extra charge for transportation. | D．It awards students advanced technical degrees. |
| A．TASP. | B．MITES. | C．CSP. | D．JCamp. |
| A．To seek for one-on-one instruction. | B．To develop a sense of social duty. |
| C．To get participants better prepared for college. | D．To advertise some majors of the top universities. |
5 . Drinking coffee as soon as one wakes up from a night's sleep greatly affects metabolism （新陈代谢） and blood sugar responses. Scientists published this in the British Journal of Nutrition,
In the study, the UK researchers let 29 healthy men and women take part in three different overnight experiments. In the first two scenes, participants were given a sugary drink upon waking first from a normal night's sleep, and then again after a greatly disturbed night's sleep. In the third, their sleep was similarly, but they were given a strong black coffee 30 minutes before having the sugary drink.
Blood samples from participants were taken following the sugary drinkin each experiment. Results showed that one night of disturbed sleep did not worsen the participants' blood sugar responses at breakfast when compared to a normal night of sleep. However, strong black coffee consumed before breakfast increased the blood sugar response by around 50 percent.
By drinking such kind of drink after breakfast, UK researchers found that our bodies, ability to break down our food healthily is completely improved. Examining the effects of broken sleep and morning coffee through a range of different metabolic markers, researchers found that, while one night of poor sleep had a limited effect on metabolism, drinking coffee before breakfast could have a negative effect on blood sugar control.
“We know that nearly half of us will wake in the morning and, before doing anything else, drink coffee-the more tired we feel, the stronger the coffee is. This study is important and has far-reaching health influences, and it indeed shakes some coffee drinkers. Up to now we have had limited knowledge about what this is doing to our bodies, in particular for our metabolic and blood sugar control, so we have a long way to go. "said Professor James Bette, co-director of the Centre for Nutrition at the University of Bath.
1. How did the UK researchers get the result of the experiment?| A．By theoretical analysis. | B．By comparative experiments. |
| C．By doing questionnaires. | D．By consulting journals. |
| A．A poor night sleep surely affects blood sugar responses. |
| B．Drinking coffee after breakfast does much harm to health. |
| C．Having strong drinks has a good effect on one's metabolism. |
| D．Drinking coffee at different time has different effects on health. |
| A．It makes no sense. | B．It is limited and blind. |
| C．It remains to be continued. | D．It is particular and precise. |
| A．Harms of drinking coffee before breakfast. |
| B．What weakens ones' blood sugar responses. |
| C．How much coffee one should drink a day. |
| D．The effective procedure for blood sugar control. |
6 . Music died here last spring，or rather，it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high school curriculum.
The committee decide that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts.Because the school system is running out of funding，it needs to make sure that students pass the test or even more money will be lost.If students fail the state standardized test，it is not the fault of drama and music classes.They are failing because the“academic”classes are in deficiency in a way.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing，acting，and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered.Many families cannot afford private music lessons，and many potential musicians and artists may not find their callings if they are not exposed to the arts in school.The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into well rounded people.It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through the arts—there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide.What happens after a test？Sure，a student might graduate，but they will have limited knowledge—certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
1. Music and drama are removed from the high school curriculum in that________.| A．some students fail the state standardized test |
| B．fewer and fewer students love to attend them |
| C．the school curriculum has been changed |
| D．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| A．Not enough. | B．Too many. |
| C．Too boring. | D．Not proper. |
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students roundshaped people in future |
| C．provide students with careful thinking |
| D．prevent students from graduating from high school |
| A．Humorously. | B．Bitterly. |
| C．Excitedly. | D．Mildly. |
7 . Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person.” said the 30-year-old man.
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19thcentury explorer John Muir once said. “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.
1. Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?| A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
| B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries. |
| C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
| D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
| A．you have to make things on your own. |
| B．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others. |
| C．you can only depend on yourself whatever happens. |
| D．it will finally build your character. |
| A．He started traveling alone at an early age. |
| B．He was once shot in the arm. |
| C．He used to work as a salesman. |
| D．His website will inspire others to travel alone. |
| A．Travel Abroad | B．Travel Alone |
| C．Travel Light | D．Travel Wide and Far |
8 . The Internet is a growing new world that has been developing ever since it was created many years ago. The only reason Internet sales are not taxed（征税）is because we did not know the Internet would be used to sell products when it was created. Internet sales are no different than going into the store to buy the exact same product except for the fact that Internet sales are not taxed.
When buying online， people cannot see and touch the product the same way they could in a store. To fix this， customers are going into the store to see the product. Then if they like the product， they buy it online to save money on the sales tax. This is a form of tax evasion（逃税）if you ask me！
Everyone has to pay the tax in the store so they should have to pay taxes online as well. Also，the added money brought in through Internet taxing could help the government to fund certain policies and other things that they could not do without the added funds. This could go toward the country's schools or other things necessary for society to function well. These funds could be extremely beneficial because of the recession（经济衰退）that the country is in at this point. Internet taxing is a way to increase those funds and in turn improve the quality of life for all who live in that country.
In conclusion， there are many more positives than negatives in the argument over taxing Internet sales. I do understand that I may have to pay more if I want to buy something online， but the funds stay within my society and help my country. The added cost may hurt me at first but in the end， the funds will help me and others in our country.
1. The text mainly discusses .| A．whether Internet sales should be taxed |
| B．why Internet sales are not taxed |
| C．why people love to buy things online |
| D．whether it is a good way to buy things online |
| A．they are different from store sales | B．selling online was unexpected |
| C．people don't know how to tax them | D．many people are against taxing them |
| A．Customers get better products at a lower price online. |
| B．Online shoppers find it difficult to buy satisfactory goods. |
| C．Online shoppers probably try to avoid paying tax. |
| D．Problems related to online shopping are hard to fix. |
| A．is good for all people |
| B．can help the country out of the recession |
| C．can help improve the quality of products |
| D．is beneficial to the development of Internet |
9 . The language Centers first Trivia Night tested students' knowledge on different languages and their histories last Friday at Douglass commons.
"We have decided to conduct this event when the weather is bad so that students who have nowhere to go and stay on campus can come and find a comfortable shelter during a cold winter day," Language Center Director, Teresa Valdez said. According to Valdez, the idea for Trivia night came a year ago from a junior and team-member called Elizabeth de Los Reyes. The event engaged students' interest in languages and showed the high-quality services that the Language Center provides.
Participants competed in small groups that each represented a different language and country. There were five teams in total: Russia, China, Japan, Spain and France. The competition consisted of four rounds with each round consisting of three questions relating to the following topics literature, language, geography, culture and history.
After a few warm-up questions about how people greet each other in different languages, what continent Turkey is found in, and who is the first man to fly to the moon, the questions became increasingly difficult. Each round offered an increasing amount of points a team could receive. The final question was worth 20 points. If a team did not answer it correctly, the points were taken from the total.
In the meantime, students enjoyed pizza, snacks, and drinks while sharing their linguistic (语言的) interest. Most of the participants knew two or three languages. Others knew more, such as first-year Bartek Jezierski from Poland, who can speak English, Polish, German, Spanish, and Russian.
The winners from first to third place were France, Japan and Russia respectively. All five teams were given some prizes—a blue shopping bag, a cup and stuffed toys. However, students believed the most important prize of the evening was the process of the competition—how students from diverse backgrounds and cultures were able to participate in a friendly competition, and shared their mutual (相互的) love of languages.
1. What is one of the purposes of Trivia Night？| A．To attract students to learn languages. |
| B．To help the students suffering from coldness. |
| C．To collect opinions from the students on its services. |
| D．To select the best students for the Language center. |
| A．3 | B．4. | C．12. | D．20. |
| A．Quiet. | B．Relaxing. | C．romantic. | D．Depressing. |
| A．Some snacks and drinks. |
| B．Various prizes for winners. |
| C．The course of the competition. |
| D．The services provided by the language center. |
10 . Every year, companies like GoPro manage to pack more and more functions into smaller and smaller action cameras that are less noticeable to wear. But a team of researchers from the University of Washington have managed to build a live-streaming wireless camera that’s so small that even an insect can wear it. It’s not quite small and light enough to be held to a fly, but at around 250 milligrams, the camera was successfully carried by a beetle.
Although the camera inside a modern smartphone is certainly tiny, it’s too large and heavy for an insect to carry once the batteries are added. Capturing millions of pixels（像素）with every shot requires a lot of image processing, which in turn requires a lot of power. Taking an alternate route, the researchers copied nature’s approach to how flies see the world. Their large compound eyes can not only detect motion across a wide field of view（it’s why they’re so difficult to hit）but also feature a small, high-resolution（分辨率）region that can focus on their targets, which helps reduce the load on their tiny brains.
Given its size and low-power approach, the camera’s streaming abilities are similarly limited, with a Bluetooth connection that maxes out at a distance of roughly 120 meters, requiring a remote operator to be fairly close to the camera at all times. However, battery life is surprisingly decent. The camera can run for up to two hours, but to extend that, the researchers included an accelerometer so that it’s only capturing and broadcasting images whenever the beetle is moving That can increase the camera’s battery life to over six hours.
The researchers acknowledge that their design certainly raises some privacy concerns, given how easy it is for insects to find their way into your home. But the camera could provide entomologists（昆虫学者）with new insights into how insects cross their environment, respond to threats in the wild, and even provide a closer look at their social structures.
1. What is the feature of the new camera?| A．It’s small-size and low-weight. | B．It takes much clearer pictures. |
| C．It can perform tasks in the open air. | D．It protects beetles from their enemies. |
| A．How to enlarge its vision. |
| B．How to capture the target. |
| C．How to save power of its battery. |
| D．How to make sharp turns during flying. |
| A．casual | B．adequate | C．beneficial | D．unsatisfactory |
| A．Critical. | B．Doubtful. | C．Favorable. | D．Objective. |
