1 . Choosing the right hiking equipment will make your walk safer and more comfortable. Getting it right is easy with our pick of the best. Don’t hesitate to grab them!

SMART SOCKS

Smartwool Women’s PhD Outdoor Light Print Crew Walking Socks (£16.09)

Built for mile after mile of trail, these socks are so light and seamless that you’ll barely notice you’re wearing them.

Darn Tough Kelso Micro Crew Light Cushion (£20)

Keep you cool while going the distance in these wool socks. They’re cushioned and silky soft.

1000 Mile Fusion Walking Sock (£15.99, twin pack)

Need extra comfort? The Fusion Walking Sock has a blister-free guarantee thanks to clever double-layer technology and padded zones.

LIGHTWEIGHT JACKETS

Smartwool Merino Smart Ultra Light Hoodie (£114.99)

This windproof layer packs away into its pocket.

Berghaus Women’s Skerray Smock (£70)

Stay warm if the wind gets up in this super-light, water-repellent smock jacket with a fitting hood. It packs away into the small pocket.

Finisterre Mistral Waterproof Jacket (£185)

Light yet fully waterproof, this cool high-quality jacket has zipped pockets and an adjustable foldaway hood.

SUMMER SHORTS

Jack Wolfskin Overland Zip Away (£115)

Always chilly when you set out but boiling by the time you’re climbing that hill? With these clever pants, you get a pair of soft-shell trousers and a pair of shorts in one.

1. What can we know from the passage?

A．Crew Walking Socks provide the most comfort of all.

B．All the equipment can pack away into its small pocket.

C．Both the Light Hoodie and Skerray Smock can keep out the wind.

D．Crew Walking Socks are the cheapest and of highest quality.

2. If you want to go hiking in a hot summer day, ______ will be the best choice.

A．Crew Walking Socks & Waterproof Jacket.

B．Light Hoodie & Fusion Walking Socks.

C．Overland Zip Away & Crew Light Cushion.

D．Fusion Walking Socks & Skerray Smock.

3. In which column can you find the passage?

A．New Technology.

B．Life Style.

C．Sports.

D．Advertisement.

2 . It was about 10 p.m. when Janice arrived at the train station. She jumped into her car and began the 20﹣minute drive home. She'd traveled the route so many times that she almost knew every bump on it. But out of nowhere on that awful night,a car T-boned her car,moving her backward onto the railroad tracks. She sat in her car，frightened by the impact and the vehicle's airbags.

As this happened，Peter was getting ready for bed. He'd just closed his book when he heard glass coming from not far outside his bedroom window. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher，Peter never stopped to think. He grabbed a flashlight and ran out of the door. "Any firefighter would have done what I did" he said. "We're always on duty."

The first car he came upon was the one that hit Janice. Once Peter concluded the driver was OK，he looked around and spotted Janice's car straddling(横跨)the railroad tracks. And then he heard the bells signaling an oncoming train and saw the headlight of the train.

Peter dashed to Janice's car and banged on the driver's side window. She just looked at him，her eyes unfocused. "I don't know where I am" she said.

"Honey，you're on the railroad tracks" Peter shouted. "We have to get you off right now!" He pulled on the handle，but the door was jammed shut. The train,traveling at 65 mph，was running toward them. Peter ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He pushed aside the airbags,grabbed Janice's arms，and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he could help her out and speed walk her to safety. Within six seconds,he estimated,the train plowed into the car. "It was like a Hollywood movie." Peter said.

1. What caused Peter to run out of the door？

A．The sound of a fire alarming.

B．The noise of glass flying in his direction.

C．The sound of two cars exploding.

D．The noise of his bedroom window broken.

2. How did Peter help Janice to the safety place？

A．He carried her out of her car.

B．He broke the driver's window and pulled her out.

C．He pushed her car off the tracks.

D．He pulled her out of car and supported her to safety.

3. What section in a newspaper is the text probably from？

A．Entertainment.

B．Travelling.

C．Society.

D．Education.

5 . How do top athletes handle defeat and disappointment? Can an athlete turn to his or her teammates for support or encouragement? The following top performers' responses will be helpful to you.

Think positively

Siri Lindley is a top triathlete（三项全能运动员）, competing in events that combine long-distance running, swimming and cycling. "I try to use what I learn from each loss to make me stronger and more determined," she says. "Then I pick my head up and start thinking positive, and I visualize myself succeeding the next time. Let the losses make you stronger.”

Stick with it

Allen Johnson won a gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 1996 Olympics, but he knows that he can't win every race. "When I don't win, I have to accept the fact that I made a mistake or that someone was better on that day," he says. "You can't be the best every day, but you can be the best on some day."

Pick yourself up

Figure skater Michael Weiss is one of the best in his sport, but there have been a lot of failures along the way. "I look at failing as a part of growing," he says. "When you lose and you are feeling down, without teammates to lift you up, you have to be strong enough to pick yourself up."

Learn from mistakes

Gymnast Shannon Miller has won several Olympic medals, including two golds. "If I make a mistake in the middle of a competition, I try to forget about it because I have to go on," she says. "If I do poorly over the course of an entire meet, I go back to the gym and figure out what went wrong. It's so important to learn from your mistakes."

1. What do we know about Allen Johnson?

A．He is a top triathlete.	B．He is a hurdler.
C．He is a figure skater.	D．He is a gymnast.

2. Who thinks it's important to learn from mistakes?

A．Siri Lindley.	B．Allen Johnson.
C．Michael Weiss.	D．Shannon Miller.

3. What can we infer about the athletes mentioned in the text?

A．They solve difficulties positively.	B．They ask teammates for help.
C．They compete in events freely.	D．They view themselves as the best.

6 . Who says inventions are only made by grown-ups and professionals? Over the years, children have also succeeded in making their useful contributions to the world. Here are a few inventions that came to life from the minds of young children.

Hero Helmet

Seven-year-old Samuel Meyer's invention is aimed at stopping people from riding their bikes or skateboards without using a helmet. The Hero Helmet features an inbuilt remote that controls a lock on the wheels which unlocks when the Helmet is being worn by the rider. Samuel says: no helmet, no bike.

Robotic Earthworm

The first thought that comes to mind is, why a robotic earthworm? Well, ten-year-old David Cohen had some useful applications in mind. He believed it could be used to find victims after a flood, earthquake or fire. The robot could get into small and dangerous places where search dogs and humans could not go.

B. E. A. C. O. N.

Fifteen-year-old Hannah Herbst's invention, which stands for Bringing Electricity Access to Countries through Ocean Energy, was inspired by her pen pal who lives in Ethiopia and did not have access to lights. So she came up with B. E. A. C. O. N, which absorbs energy directly from ocean waves. Her invention won the “Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge” in 2015 and other numerous awards.

Portable Wheelchair Controller

At only eight years old, Amelia Fox created the invention to help lift people in and out of their wheelchair. This invention was not just born out of the desire to create something. Amelia developed this controller for her brother, who had just got hip surgery and needed the wheelchair to move around.

1. Who is the youngest inventor?

A．Samuel Meyer.

B．David Cohen.

C．Amelia Fox.

D．Hannah Herbst.

2. Which of the following can be used as a rescue tool?

A．Hero Helmet

B．B. E. A. C. O. N.

C．Robotic Earthworm.

D．Portable Wheelchair Controller.

3. Why did Amelia Fox create the invention?

A．To give her brother assistance.

B．To benefit the earthquake victims.

C．To generate electricity effectively.

D．To protect bike riders from injuries.

7 . Amanda Kofoeds had found a strange lump in her arm one day and visited a doctor at a friend's urging. During this time, she was enrolled in school for education and was currently uninsured due to the expense. She planned to save money so she could get on her husband' s insurance and then seek medical treatment for the cancer.

Her friends and family didn't want her to postpone her treatment due to the expense. They took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign. The friend came up with the creative idea to spread the word and invite family, friends, and strangers who wanted to help to participate in a donation flash mob (快闪行动).The event started an outpouring of enormous generosity from the local community.

Amanda and her husband Clint teared up as the crowd passed by and the donations poured in. The generous act of kindness gave the family a comforting, and optimistic feeling during a time when all hope seemed lost. Clint said that Amanda struggled with the idea of asking for help. She felt guilty and undeserving compared to others who are also struggling.

In the time since, Amanda has enrolled in an insurance plan and has finished chemotherapy. Life for the family has started getting back to their normal routine.

Once Amanda got her strength back, she returned to school and completed her bachelor's degree in education. She is now a teacher. She said the experience motivated her to instill (灌输) the value of charity in her children. The family is now inspired to volunteer in their local neighborhood and contribute to crowdfunding (众筹) efforts. They are grateful for the opportunity to give back and help others as many have helped them.

The couple said they feel blessed by the strong support. PassItOn wants to celebrate those heroes during the family's darkest time. These individuals perfectly demonstrate the value of community. It is with the help of their generosity that the family is now happy, healthy and whole.

1. Why did Amanda Kofoeds postpone her treatment?

A．She was admitted to a school.

B．Her family couldn't afford the medical cost.

C．No good doctors could treat her cancer.

D．Her friends and family refused to assist her.

2. What did her friends do to help Amanda Kofoeds?

A．They started a donation flash mob.

B．They founded a community school.

C．They supported her through local hospitals.

D．They fought for assistance from the whole country.

3. Which word best describes the couple's feeling when strongly supported?

A．Guilty.

B．Satisfied.

C．Anxious.

D．Grateful.

4. What can we learn from Amanda Kofoeds' story?

A．Hard work pays off.

B．The value of charity is great.

C．Education is the key to success.

D．A friend is never known till a man has need.

8 . Good Schools to Learn English

Atlanta English Institute (AEI)

It is designed for academically oriented, non-native speaking adults from beginners levels to those seeking mastery. Each program in the school is specially designed for our students and based on their current English levels and their goals. a student may register anytime, not merely at the beginning of a course. But at the middle of the course, registration time depends on the availability of space in the classrooms.

Atlanta International Language Institute (AILI)

It provides the opportunity to learn how to read, write and speak English as a second language for those who have little knowledge of the English language. Courses include ten continuous weekly classes and the classes meet once a week for two hours. The curriculum of this language program is built for groups of three or more students who can complete the material in ten weeks.

TALK Atlanta English School (TAES)

Located in the heart of Atlanta's Midtown Center area on Peachtree Street, it opened in 2011. Atlanta is home to numerous industries, making the Midtown location perfectly suited for corporate programs. With ample covered street parking space, the school is designed in the popular Atlanta loft style and has 10 large classrooms, a large and welcoming reception area, devoted full-time teachers and staff for teenagers and adults.

Language Institute of Georgia (LIG)

It is a well-established school in Atlanta that offers English classes using Graded Reader Method. Our maximum class size is eight students. Class meets once a week for two hours for six weeks. Please check our schedule section for start dates. Refunds (退款) have to be requested within a week of the start date of the class.

1. How many hours does it take students to finish the courses at AILI?

A．Ten.

B．Twelve.

C．Twenty.

D．Twenty-four.

2. What should students who need a refund pay attention to at LIG?

A．The limited courses there.	B．The location of its reception area.
C．The deadline for a refund demand.	D．The requested levels of the students.

3. What do the four schools have in common?

A．They are located in the same city.	B．They all use Graded Reader Method.
C．They have the same registration time.	D．They are all intended for adult learners.

9 . Across the globe, we've developed a coffee addiction, and we've become addicted to single-use cups: 600 billion disposable cups are produced and sold annually. But there's a growing push to cut this down.

Here's the problem with disposable coffee cups: The thin, waxy, plastic coating inside makes it tricky to recycle or compost them. So, they most go into a landfill （垃圾填埋场）. More than that, it takes a lot of energy and resources to make them. Starbucks and McDonald's are trying to develop a disposable coffee cup that can be both recyclable and compostable. But that's easier said than done. The coffee giants have been dangling a million dollars to anybody who can crack the code.

The Rolling Stones are also thinking about the sustainable cups. If you see the Stones in concert this summer and go to get a drink, there may be no single-use plastic cup for you. The bands approached Michael Martin, who has produced a bunch of big Earth Day concerts, asking for help to eliminate plastic waste. He came up with a simple solution.

"When you come up to get your first beverage（饮料）, you put down a $3 deposit, you get a really high-quality Rolling Stones-branded cup," says Martin. "You use it throughout the night, and at the end of the event you can turn your cup in and get your $3 back or you can keep your cup." If you return the heavier plastic cup at the end of the show, it gets washed and used again. Or recycled.

But this idea — returning and reusing a cup — this is not that complicated. So why is this just being tried now? "That's a really good question," says Martin. "In America, we're a throwaway society, and so we're hoping we'll be able to wake people up and change things." He's starting with rock concerts because artists have a pretty powerful platform. I mean, if Mick Jagger tells his fans to stop abusing the planet, who's going to say no to that?

1. Why is there a growing push to cut single-use cups down?

A．Because too many people are coffee addicts.

B．Because disposable cups are hard to recycle and compost.

C．Because it takes a lot of energy and resources to recycle them.

D．Because Starbucks and McDonald's are dangling a million dollars.

2. What does the underlined phrase "crack the code" in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．develop a cup.	B．set up a recycling company.
C．find the password.	D．tackle the problem.

3. What can we infer from Martin's solution?

A．People will wash the cups at the end of the show.

B．People hand in the cup and get 3-dollar reward.

C．People can own the cup by paying 3 dollars.

D．People must pay 3 dollars and return the cup.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Artists have a great impact.

B．Martin is giving a rock concert.

C．Mick Jagger' fans are abusing the planet.

D．Mick Jagger' fans never disagree with him.

10 . Strange Museums You Never Know

Some museums hold stranger collections than others. Here's our list of the extremely unusual ones.

The Museum of Bad Art

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to the curators at the Museum of Bad Art, none of these pieces are beautiful. They're either bad pieces made by otherwise talented artists, or bad pieces made by untalented artists. The collection includes portraits, landscapes, and still life pieces.

International Banana Museum

You can find practically every object shaped like a banana at this museum in Mecca, California. Some examples ： staplers, statues, record players, and salt and pepper shakers. Even better, you can also eat practically any banana-flavored treat here, like banana ice cream, banana soda, and, of course, banana splits.

Busy Beaver Button Museum

Learn about the history of buttons. Appreciate a collection of political, humorous, and just plain entertaining buttons. You can even make your own button at this hidden Chicago museum. And you can get a reward if you complete some 18th century puzzles.

National Museum of Roller Skating

This museum in Lincoln. Nebraska, has the largest collection of historical roller skates, in the world. Some skates are almost 200 years old! There are also skating costumes, thousands of photos of skaters and programs from national and international roller skating competitions.

International UFO Museum and Research Center

Do aliens （外星人）exist? If so, what is their preferred mode of transportation? The IUFOMRC in Roswell, New Mexico, is dedicated to answering these questions and researching UFO activity. It includes exhibits on crop circles, Area 51 and other alien-related events. It even keeps an official record of UFO sightings across the country.

1. What can we do in the Busy Beaver Button Museum?

A．Learn about the museum's history.

B．Admire buttons of all kinds.

C．Find the hidden buttons in the museum.

D．Reward those who complete puzzles.

2. If you are crazy about outer space civilization, which museum could be your choice?

A．The Museum of Bad Art.

B．International Banana Museum.

C．National Museum of Roller Skating.

D．International UFO Museum and Research Center.

3. What do these museums have in common?

A．Rich history.	B．Practical impact.
C．Unusual exhibition.	D．International influence.