1 . That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was a wonderful chance to work from home, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning. I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had Googled for the nearest Department of Children's Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?| A．Lacking of motivation. | B．Filled with challenge. |
| C．Highly motivating. | D．Unusually Demanding. |
| A．She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew. |
| B．She wanted to make a difference in other people. |
| C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children. |
| D．She experienced training to raise children properly. |
| A．The child to be adopted. | B．The need to get trained. |
| C．The approval of adoption. | D．The official at the hospital. |
| A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere. | B．To receive another adopted child. |
| C．To make the adoption officially legal. | D．To begin the kids' adoption in her home. |
2 . Nowadays technologies benefit us a lot in our daily life, but if not properly used, they can affect our health．The bed is supposed to be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep．
Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment．For five days in a row, the people read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep．Their sleep patterns were monitored all night．Before and after each trial period, the people took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin（褪黑激素） was in their blood at any given time．
When subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning．People also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion（分泌） was delayed by an hour and a half．
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed．Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note "Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk"．
However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter（过滤） short wavelengths．While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research．
1. In Charles Czeisler's experiment, what were all the subjects asked to do?| A．Sit in a row and receive the strict tests． |
| B．Have their sleep patterns observed all night． |
| C．Read a paper book and an iPad at the same time． |
| D．Have their blood tested per hour during the trial． |
| A．They felt less sleepy and tired in the day． |
| B．They fell asleep more easily after reading． |
| C．They became less energetic the next morning． |
| D．They had a lot more melatonin secretions． |
| A．It can remove the blue light from your devices completely． |
| B．It can help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelengths． |
| C．It can weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading． |
| D．It can be used in all the e-things widely and safely． |
| A．Wrong behaviors before bedtime． | B．New software for night e-readers． |
| C．No games on the iPad in bed． | D．No e-reading in bed before sleep． |
3 . Think about what you did this morning. You get out of bed and get yourself ready for the day.Many people take for granted the fact that they are able to do this independently. Imagine for a moment that you couldn't dress yourself or make your own breakfast. Now imagine if this is how you will wake up for the rest of your life. For Ivy Krause, this is her reality.
Ivy has a medical condition known as Epidermolysis Bullosa (表皮溶解水泡症)，or EB, where the slightest touch can blister and even remove her skin. Ivy has the most severe form of EB where her skin is affected both externally and internally. Simple tasks like going to the toilet and getting dressed are made very difficult. Mobility is limited as Ivy's skin has become tight, and her fingers have fused together, with the only way to reverse this being surgery. EB is a very painful condition, and what is most heartbreaking is knowing that this beautiful, smiling, little girl is living in constant extreme pain.
This is where carers and trained babysitters come in. Yvonne McMullan has been caring for Ivy for the past 3 years, and said it has been both the worst and best experience. "It's hard. For her, especially at this age, she needs continuity of care. By having the same nurses treating her, Ivy knows that we love and care about her as much as she loves us. But without being there, you don't know just how sorrowful it is to see her in pain. It's heartbreaking."
Ivy is a fighter in almost every sense of the word. She has encouraged so many people to give back to the community and donate to charities who support the families of young children living with disabilities, even just to show appreciation to the gift of life and opportunity. Even though she is covered with bandages, her strong will for life is moving and inspiring, just like a butterfly, facing so many barriers which still does its best to come out of the chrysalis (蝶蛹).
1. What is wrong with Ivy Krause?| A．She doesn't know how to cook. | B．She can't live on her own. |
| C．She is particular for food. | D．She is too lazy. |
| A．The reason for Ivy's illness. | B．The symptom of Ivy's EB. |
| C．The cures of treating EB. | D．The research on skin. |
| A．Generous and encouraging. | B．Optimistic and grateful. |
| C．Ambitious and caring. | D．Independent and unselfish. |
| A．A heartbroken babysitter | B．A strange case ever found |
| C．A butterfly beneath the bandages | D．The appreciation to the gift of life |
4 . A simple piece of clotheslines hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors. On one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the "what-I-can- do environmentalism”
But on the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations(HOAs) across the US to stop outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws be passed to protect the choice to use clotheslines. So far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines.
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-friendly person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But several days ago, the HOA in North Carolina told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard "Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands," says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors complain.
North Carolina lawmakers say that stopping clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can" even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, "The clothesline is beautiful Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.
1. Supporters of clothes dryers are trying to stop clothesline drying because .| A．clothes dryers can save money | B．clothes dryers are energy-saving |
| C．clothesline drying reduces home value | D．clothesline drying is not allowed in US |
| A．He is a warm-hearted man. | B．He is an impolite neighbor. |
| C．He is an inexperienced gardener. | D．He is a man of social responsibility. |
| A．Housing businesses. | B．Environmentalists. |
| C．Homeowners Associations. | D．Reck's dissatisfied neighbors. |
| A．Opposing Opinions on Clothesline Drying | B．A Way to Save Energy and Money |
| C．Different Varieties of Clotheslines | D．A Lost Art to Be Discovered. |
5 . You’re enjoying a quiet evening at home when suddenly your neighbor’s dog starts barking(吠叫)and doesn’t stop. Sure, dogs need to bark every now and then, but if the barking is getting in the way of your daily life, you need to do something.
“Before you take action, make records of when the dog is disturbing,” says expert Sharon Schweitzer. “Record the dates and time when the barking appears to find out the features of the barking. Check them carefully and get your facts straight. You might notice the barking only happens when the owners are at work, or during thunderstorms.”
After two to three weeks, visit your neighbors with the facts. “Since you’re trying to keep a good relationship, you can’t go when you’re angry and frustrated,” says Schweitzer. Plus, your neighbors might not even realize the barking is a problem, for the worst noise may happen when they’re gone.
Explain the time when the barking gets bad, then suggest a way to solve the problem. “You can sit and complain all day, but that will go nowhere,” says Schweitzer. Ask if the dog can stay inside during the storm, or suggest a dog training class. Be open to compromise(妥协)because the owners might have other ideas about how to deal with the noise.
Befriending the dog could help. Have your neighbors introduce you to their dogs. “If they become more comfortable in your presence, they’re less likely to bark when they see you or when they’re in the backyard,”says Schweitzer. You might even be able to use commands such as “quiet” once the dog trusts you.
Avoid gossiping(说长道短)with other neighbors about the dog.“That’s when things escalate.” After all, most people will want to solve the problem.
1. What can you do first when the barking of your neighbor’s dog influences your life?| A．Bring the dog to a training class. |
| B．Show it to your neighborhoods. |
| C．Drive it out of your neighborhood. |
| D．Record the dates and time of the barking. |
| A．They may like the barking. |
| B．They all think their dogs are friendly. |
| C．They have been used to the barking of the dogs. |
| D．They may be out when the worst barking happens. |
| A．Become better. |
| B．Become worse. |
| C．Remain unchanged. |
| D．Become more personal. |
| A．Love me, love my dog. |
| B．Barking dogs seldom bite. |
| C．Good communication is a must. |
| D．Treat violence with violence(暴力). |
6 . If you are aiming to master anything quickly, you can learn from Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman. They offer practical advice you can use to improve your learning.
According to Einstein, improving your intellectual capacity should be fun and enjoyable —— happy learners are quick learners. In 1915, he wrote a letter to his 11-year-old son (Hans Albert) who was learning the piano and said:
“I am very pleased that you find joy with the piano. This and carpentry are in my opinion for your age the best pursuits, better even than school, because those are things which fit a young person such as you very well. Mainly play the things on the piano which please you, even if the teacher does not assign those. That is the way to learn the most when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes.”
To learn anything faster or better, choose topics you will enjoy — if you have control over what you are learning. Make the learning relevant. You should be able to answer the question “Why am I learning this?” at any point.
Richard Feynman won a Nobel Prize and always wanted to know more and to learn more. Known as the “Great Explainer”，he was famous for his ability to explain complex topics in simple ways.
The Feynman Technique, his approach to improving learning, features explaining or teaching what you learn to others. It can help you learn better and keep more of what you learn. According to Feynman, it is significant to have the ability to explain things simply — so simple, in fact, that you could explain it to an eight-year-old. Einstein agrees. He once said, “If you can't explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
For thousands of years, people have known that the best way to understand a concept is to explain it to someone else. “While we teach, we learn,” said the Roman philosopher Seneca. Learners keep a greater percentage of what they learn when they explain or teach the concept to someone else, or use it immediately. Your ideas will never be more effective than your ability to make others grasp them. When you share, you remember better.
1. Einstein wrote the letter to his son in order to _.| A．encourage Hans to play the piano well |
| B．share some useful advice on how to play the piano |
| C．support Hans' learning the piano with enjoyment |
| D．suggest Hans taking teachers* assignment seriously |
| A．Teaching what you learn to others. | B．Explaining your things thoroughly. |
| C．Choosing enjoyable topics. | D．Understanding things well enough. |
| A．To provide advice on how to teach concepts. |
| B．To illustrate the significance of teaching others. |
| C．To impress the readers with his meaningful quotes. |
| D．To show people’s exploration of concepts in history. |
| A．Secrets of Learning Faster. |
| B．Benefits of Teaching Others. |
| C．Contribution of Great Explainers. |
| D．Importance of Learning with Enjoyment. |
7 . Our house was directly across a popular hospital. We rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the clinic. One summer evening, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man, his face lopsided from swelling, red and raw. He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but he had no success. “I guess it’s my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…”
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.” I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. Before he left for his bus, haltingly, he said, “Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him he was welcome to come again.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us. There was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. “You can lose roomers by putting up such people!”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude.
1. When the author’s children saw the old fisherman, how did they react to him？| A．They felt at home. | B．They were bothered. |
| C．They were terrified. | D．They felt normal. |
| A．He suffered from a back injury. | B．He had a small body but a strong mind. |
| C．He was cured of his disease. | D．He felt hopeless about life. |
| A．Because he wanted to sell them to the author |
| B．Because he wanted to pay the rent with them |
| C．Because his garden had a good harvest |
| D．Because he wanted to thank the author |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. | B．Misfortune can be a blessing in disguise. |
| C．Never judge a book by its cover. | D．Honesty is the best policy. |
8 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger” (视频博主). The survey, carried out among 1,002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.
This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience of the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.
In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.
However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and fortune. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.
Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his enthusiasm, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job. |
| B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’career choice. |
| C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios. |
| D．Young Britons can not find jobs without the Internet. |
| A．Vloggers can earn greater fame and more money on the Internet. |
| B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business. |
| C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business. |
| D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star. |
| A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy. |
| B．A vlogger can not earn fame and fortune. |
| C．People often see the bright side of being a vlogger. |
| D．Dreams will always remain dreams. |
| A．Learn from others. | B．Become an online hit. |
| C．Hold running races. | D．Combine jobs with hobbies. |
9 . Most people hate change, which is sad since We often go through intense changes in life. And for some of us, even the smallest changes can upset our day. So the question is: Why do most of us find making adjustments to our lives so hard?
Fear of change is nothing new. Over a century ago, the Parisians were unhappy over a particular addition to their city: the Eiffel Tower. In fact, the citizens were so angry about the plans for the tower that they protested its construction. As strange as it may seem, their anger was completely natural. They were given no choice about the huge change that was going to be made, so they became angry.
But we get upset over changes even when we do have a say in the matter and think about them carefully. Changes are brought about every day by the decisions we make: which school to attend, which job to take, whom to marry. Voluntary changes also make most of us uneasy because we don't know how those changes will affect our future.
People have discovered that the key to overcoming the fear and anger associated with change is to be flexible. When they are flexible, people can adapt to new situations more easily. Being flexible is especially important in the 21st century as technology makes change occur faster than ever before. Those who oppose change, especially with technology in the workplace, may find themselves out of a job.
When change comes, and you have no choice but to face it, embrace it. A positive attitude helps a lot. In fact, the change may turn out to be the best thing for you. That new job you got may end up being much better than your old one. You may make the best friends of your life in the new city you moved to. Don't merely focus on how you feel about change; instead decide to accept the change. The change is the reality, and it's up to you whether the change will be a success or a failure. You never know—your next change may be your life's Eiffel Tower!
1. Why did the building of the Eiffel Tower make the Parisians unhappy?| A．Because they didn't like the design of the Eiffel Tower. |
| B．Because they couldn't avoid accepting the Eiffel Tower. |
| C．Because it was no use building the Eiffel Tower. |
| D．Because the Eiffel Tower seemed strange. |
| A．We are not supposed to face the changes and let them alone. |
| B．We should actively accustom ourselves to the new circumstance. |
| C．We should not take the changes seriously and avoid them as much as possible. |
| D．We should know that the changes merely bring us bad influence. |
| A．The change will probably make you fail like the Eiffel Tower. |
| B．The change is like the Eiffel Tower which is not good for our future life. |
| C．Your future life is never known just like the Eiffel Tower unknown to the Parisians. |
| D．Your future life is likely to be a great achievement due to the change. |
| A．The Psychology of Change |
| B．The ways to Overcome the Fear |
| C．Changes That Disturb Us |
| D．The Bad Effect of Changes |
Be careful what you say around your dog．It might understand more than you think．
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany．The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child．Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee．
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects．Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back．In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right．As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words．
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew．The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before．
The correct object was chosen in seven out of ten tests, suggesting that the dog had worked
out the answer by process of elimination（排除法）．A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive．
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog．For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed （品种）known for its mental abilities．In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months．
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say．Even if they do, they can't talk back．Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then．You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1. From paragraph 2 we know that __________．
| A．animals are as clever as human beings |
| B．chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills |
| C．dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees |
| D．dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children |
| A．Rico is smart enough to get all commands right |
| B．Rico can recognize different things including toys |
| C．Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics |
| D．Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them |
| A．Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training． |
| B．The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities． |
| C．The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects． |
| D．Rico is born to understand its owner's commands． |
| A．To train your dog． | B．To talk to your dog． |
| C．To be careful with your dog． | D．To be friendly to your dog． |
