1 . Smart thermostats (温控器)have become the face of smart home technology for most, but depending on what your home is like, it's possible to say the Ecobee3 is superior.
Most of the smart thermostats carry the same benefits, including the Ecobee3. They can learn your preferences and schedules, and then adjust the temperature accordingly. They're better-looking and more enjoyable to use than the basic pieces of plastic that occupy most households. And once you're able to heat up or cool down your house from your phone, without having to get out of bed, you won't want to go back to the past.
If you live in a larger house, the Ecobee3 can be much more convenient—offering you a couple of more remote sensors (传感器). Yes it gets pretty expensive at that point. But having those gives you effective control over the temperature in different rooms around your house. In comparison, other thermostats' measurements are largely limited to the area in which they're installed (安装).
If you live in a smaller place, that's no big deal；the Ecobee3 still has distinct advantages. It is touch-enabled, making it less annoying when you want to enter a Wi-Fi passwords see weather information, and so on.
Still, all the smart thermostats are pretty great. Which one is best just depends on whether you need a whole-home solution or a simpler one. For now, if it's the former, go with the Ecobee3. Their presence will probably make you more conscious about saving energy. Ecobee3 Smarter Wi-Fi Thermostat with Remote Sensor is available at all shopping websites.
1. How can you control Ecobee3?| A．By installing Wi-Fi. | B．By replacing its sensors. |
| C．By using the relative phone. | D．By closing power supply. |
| A．Its size is different | B．Its price is lower. |
| C．Its password is simpler. | D．Its coverage area is larger. |
| A．It makes us enjoy travelling and work better. |
| B．It leads us to hope to open a shop online. |
| C．It leads us to build our own smart houses. |
| D．It helps us pay attention to environmental protection. |
| A．To show the future of Ecobee3. |
| B．To attract people to buy Ecobee3. |
| C．To introduce how to use Ecobee3. |
| D．To explain why Ecobee3 was invented. |
2 . Valentine's Day is supposed to be about love and romance. But unfortunately, it can be just the opposite. Because of that, Feb. 15th starts the busy season for divorce lawyers, as people who were unhappy with their marriages heading into the day often decide that they no longer want to be with the one they used to love.
A study of divorce filings (档案) in New York, Illinois and California by AttorneyFee. com, a legal referral (推荐) site, found that February is the busiest month of the year for divorce filings, up about 18% from the average month. And those seeking referrals for a divorce lawyer on the site increase 38% following the holiday, with the biggest rise on the day after Valentine’s.
Another legal site, Avvo. com, reports a 40% increase in those seeking information and advice about divorce in the period right after Valentine’s Day.
“There's a very large number of people who are considering the divorce all the time, deciding whether or not to file," said Richard Komaiko, a co-founder of AttorneyFee. “On Valentine’s Day, this thing is carefully considered.”
Komaiko said February has factors other than the holiday that could lead to an increase in divorces. January is the busiest month of the year for bankruptcy (破产) filings, highlighting the financial problems that often divide couples. In addition, the cold weather of February can keep couples that are having trouble indoors and closer to each other, adding to problems.
But Alton Abramowitz, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, believes the holiday itself often worsen the relationship for couples who are having trouble. "There’s always the clients who come in a day or two after saying ‘I can’t believe it. I made this beautiful dinner for my husband for Valentine’s Day, but he called to say he was stuck in the office and then didn't come home at all.’" Abramowitz said, “the day can create problems that lead to them finally getting caught."
1. What makes Valentine’s Day convey the meaning opposite to love and romance?| A．Valentine's Day won't bring people love and romance. |
| B．Many divorce filings change the nature of Valentine's Day. |
| C．Couples having troubles tend to break up after Valentine's Day. |
| D．Divorce lawyers dislike the atmosphere of Valentine's Day. |
| A．occurring most after the new year | B．less connected with Valentine's Day |
| C．more likely to be handled online | D．at the height of popularity in February |
| A．reflect on the divorce | B．take legal action |
| C．make negotiations | D．put the divorce aside |
| A．Because financial problems and cold weather may bring more problems. |
| B．Because the long winter holiday makes couples hard to get through. |
| C．Because the husband is too busy with work to spend the day with his wife. |
| D．Because Valentine’s Day gets couples into financial trouble. |
3 . AIDS may be one of the most undesirable diseases in the world. Luckily, there is now hope for AIDS patients.
According to a recent paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine，Chinese scientists have successfully used CRISPR technology -a method of gene editing-to treat a patient with HIV. While it may not have cured the patient fully, it still represents a huge step forward in fighting the disease.
The patient was a 27-year-old Chinese man who was diagnosed with both AIDS and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (淋巴母细胞白血病), a type of blood cancer. Despite his bleak situation, doctors offered him a little hope: a bone marrow (骨髓) transplant to treat his cancer and an experimental treatment for his HIV. They used this chance to edit the DNA in bone marrow stem cells (干细胞) from a donor before transplanting the cells into the patient.
Specifically, the treatment involved using the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to delete a gene known as CCR5, which encodes (给…编码) a protein that HIV uses to get inside human cells. Without the gene, HIV is unable to enter cells. Talking about the gene, lead scientist Deng Hongkui told CNN, “After being edited, the cells and the blood cells they produce have the ability to resist HIV infection.” Nineteen months after the treatment, the patients leukemia was in complete remission( 缓 解 ) and donor cells without CCR5 remained, according to the research paper.
Though the transplant didn't cure the man’s HIV, it still showed the effectiveness of gene-editing technology, as there was no indication of any unintended genetic changes-a major concern with past gene-editing treatment experiments. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in the United States, who was not involved in the study, praised the treatment. “They did a very creative experiment, and it was safe,” he told Live Science. “It should be viewed as a success.”
Deng believes gene-editing technology could “bring a new dawn” to blood related diseases such as AIDS and sickle-cell anaemia ( 镰 状 细 胞 贫 血 ). “Thanks to this new technology, the goal of a functional cure for AIDS is getting closer and closer,” he said.
1. The underlined word “bleak” in Paragraph3 probably means “______”.| A．hopeless |
| B．unstable |
| C．embarrassing |
| D．unique |
| A．By identifying and killing HIV. |
| B．By changing the structure of HIV. |
| C．By preventing HIV entering cells. |
| D．By removing a protein HIV feeds on. |
| A．Gene-edited cells are able to resist HIV infection. |
| B．The number of cells infected by HIV has decreased. |
| C．CCR5 and other genes in the patient's cells are changed. |
| D．Unintended genetic changes have taken place in the patient's cells. |
| A．It pointed out the problems of gene treatment. |
| B．It provided a new way to cure AIDS patients fully. |
| C．It could offer a safe treatment for blood-related diseases. |
| D．It was the first example to use gene-editing tool to treat AIDS. |
4 . When the company was small, Google cared a lot about getting kids from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. But Laszlo Bock, Google’s former Senior Vice President of People Operations, said it was the "wrong" hiring strategy. Experience has taught him that there are exceptional kids at many other places, from state schools in California to those in New York. "What we find is that the best people from places like these are just as good if not better as anybody you can get from any Ivy League school," said Bock, who authored a book titled "Work Rules!".
So what else does Google not care about:
Grades: Google’s data shows that grades predict performance for the first two years of a career, but do not matter after that.
Brain-teasers: Gone are interview questions such as: Why are manhole covers (井盖) round? How many golf balls can fit in a school bus? "Our research tells us those questions are a waste of time," Bock said. "They’re a really coachable skill. The more you practice, the better you get at it."
Here’s what Google does care about:
Problem solvers: Your cognitive (认知的) ability, or how well you solve problems.
Leaders: The idea is not whether you were president of the student body or vice president of a bank, but rather "When you see a problem, do you step in and help solve it?" and then critically, "Are you willing to let somebody else take over, and make room for somebody else? Are you willing to give up power?"
Googleyness: That’s what Google calls its cultural fit. It’s not "Are you like us?" Bock said. "We actually look for people who are different, because diversity gives us great ideas."
"What’s most important is that people are intellectually humble, willing to admit when they’re wrong, and care about the environment around them ...because we want people who think like owners not employees," Bock said.
1. What does Bock mean in Paragraph 1?| A．People from state schools can be as good. |
| B．Google prefers kids from Ivy League schools. |
| C．Hiring is a hard job for Google. |
| D．State schools are worse than Ivy League ones. |
| A．What are your grades like? |
| B．What is the significance of the "dead beef"? |
| C．How would you improve a Google product? |
| D．How would you solve homelessness in Seattle? |
| A．One eager for power. |
| B．One solving problems well. |
| C．One willing to step aside. |
| D．One operating an organization. |
| A．Being unique | B．Being diverse |
| C．Being qualified | D．Being loyal |
5 . Apple Seeds
Circulation(发行量): 1 Year, 9 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55
Price For You: $33.95
Product Description: Apple Seeds is an award winning magazine filled with stories for kids aged from 7 to 9. The cover is very soft, providing durability（耐用性） that allows each issue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Besides, there is a big surprise for you --- it's being sold at a more favorable discount than usual.
Better Life
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55
Price For You: $15.00
Product Description: Designed for those who have a strong interest in personal lifestyle, Better Life is America's complete home and family service magazine. It offers help with food, recipes, decorating, building, gardening, family health, money management, and education.
Humor Times
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $36.00
Price For You: $11.95
Product Description: Humor Times Magazine is for those who love to laugh! Full of cartoons and humor columns, it shows up in your mailbox once a month and keeps you smiling all year round! In today's world, you need a reason to laugh. So let's find it in Humor Times.
News China
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $47.88
Price For You: $19.99
Product Description: News China Magazine is the English edition of China Newsweek. The magazine covers the latest Chinese domestic news in politics, business, society, environment, culture, sports and travels, etc. It is the first comprehensive news magazine for readers interested in China.
1. What do we know about Apple Seeds?| A．You can receive it every month if you buy it. |
| B．The soft cover enables it to be read and kept long. |
| C．It offers the biggest discount among all the magazines. |
| D．The magazine is going to surprise you for many years. |
| A．People who have an interest in personal lifestyle of the Chinese. |
| B．People who have a strong sense of humor and love to laugh. |
| C．People who want to learn about China’s politics, business and culture. |
| D．People who are interested in news around the world. |
| A．Apple Seeds | B．News China |
| C．Better Life | D．Humor Times |
6 . History Fair Competition
Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!
This Year’s Theme
All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.
Individuals or groups may enter one of the follow ing categories:
• Performance
• Documentary (纪实作品)
• Essay Writing
Category Requirements
Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.
Doc umentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.
Essay Writing : An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 w ords. No illustrations ( 图解)are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.
Important Dates
February 5 Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script ( 剧本), or documentary highlights.
February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.
March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.
March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview
March 24 Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition
7:00 A.M. — 9:00 A.M. Participants signing in at the gym
10:00 A.M. — 6:00 P.M. Competition and judges’ review
7:00 P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic
1. What is the theme of this year ’s competition?| A．Technology advances science. |
| B．Science interacts w ith technology. |
| C．Science has made the study of history easy. |
| D．Technology has improved the life of Americans. |
| A．Include more information in the essay. | B．Remove the references. |
| C．Provide a cover for the essay. | D．Explain the details w ith illustrations. |
| A．Preview performances and documentaries. |
| B．Make comments on the materials. |
| C．Improve the participant’s first draft. |
| D．Collect a second proposal from the participant. |
7 . I work as the reception manager at my hotel.
A booking came in a few weeks ago with a note attached that a guest would be travelling with her deaf father. This note helped us in preparing for their arrival. As they would be here for a number of days, his daughter wanted to make his trip to Ireland as smooth as possible.
Upon seeing this note and knowing I would be the one to check them in, I decided to learn some very basic sign language. I greeted the guest in my usual fashion, asking for the surname on the booking. Once I heard the name，I immediately realized who was standing in front of me.
I had been learning for two weeks how to say: “Welcome to Ireland. My sign language is terrible, but please, if you need anything during your stay, just let me know and we will help you.”
I smiled at the father and daughter in front of me. Turning to the father, I greeted him in ASL (American Sign Language) and began the bit I had learned for him. His daughter broke down crying and told me I was sweet. But the father just smiled and was so happy. Honestly, seeing his reaction was enough for me. It was absolutely worth the last few weeks of learning basic ASL.
Sadly, I wasn’t working the day they checked out, but they left a gift for me, a small box with some chocolates and a book on ASL. Inside was a note saying: “Thank you very much for what you did. My father has been in amazing spirits from the time you checked us in and insisted we get you a gift before we left. You have no idea how much this meant to my father and me, and we can’t thank you enough. You've made his trip very special with one simple gesture.”
I cried for a solid five minutes when I came into work the next day and found this gift in my locker.
1. The daughter left a note when booking the hotel in order to __________.| A．ask for special service for herself |
| B．give some useful advice to the hotel |
| C．express gratitude to the hotel manager |
| D．make her father’s trip more comfortable |
| A．the author’s sign language was really terrible |
| B．her father was unwilling to live in that hotel |
| C．she appreciated what the author had done for her father |
| D．the author wouldn’t be working when they checked out |
| A．thankful | B．satisfied |
| C．disappointed | D．regretful |
| A．the author made the daughter’s check-out smooth |
| B．the author was deeply moved by an unexpected gift |
| C．the daughter cried for five minutes before they left |
| D．the daughter asked the author to learn sign language |
8 . “Birds” and “airports” are two words that, paired together，don’t normally paint the most harmonious picture. So it really raises some eyebrows when China announces plans to build an airport that is for birds.
Described as the world’s first-ever bird airport, the proposed Lingang Bird Sanctuary(保护区）in the northern coastal city of Tianjin is, of course,not an actual airport. Rather，it's a wetland preserve specifically designed to accommodate hundreds-even thousands-of daily takeoffs and landings by birds traveling along the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Over 50 species of migratory (迁徙的）water birds，some endangered, will stop and feed at the protected sanctuary before continuing their long journey along the flyway.
Located on a former landfill site，the 150-acre airport is also open to human travelers.(Half a million visitors are expected annually.) However，instead of duty-free shopping，the main attraction for non-egg-laying creatures at Tianjin’s newest airport will be a green-roofed education and research center, a series of raised “observation platforms” and a network of scenic walking and cycling paths totaling over 4 miles.
“The proposed Bird Airport will be a globally significant sanctuary for endangered migratory bird species, while providing new green lungs for the city of Tianjin.” Adrian McGregor of an Australian landscape architecture firm explained of the design. Frequently blanketed in smog so thick that it has shut down real airports, Tianjin is a city---China’s fourth most populous----that would certainly benefit from a new pair of healthy green lungs•
1. The underlined phrase “non-egg-laying creatures” in Paragraph 3 refers to?| A．Visitors. | B．Designers. |
| C．Endangered water birds. | D．Planes. |
| A．People cannot watch birds up close here. |
| B．It is located on a 150-acre landfill site. |
| C．It functions as an actual airport and a wetland preserve. |
| D．It provides migratory birds with food and shelter. |
| A．The airport will become a permanent home for birds. |
| B．Tianjin will win worldwide fame in the future. |
| C．Tianjin’s air quality will improve thanks to the airport. |
| D．Tianjin will be able to accommodate more people. |
| A．Airports shut down and open up. |
| B．China is to open the first Bird Airport. |
| C．Airports turn into green lungs. |
| D．Birds are no longer enemies to airports. |
9 . Housekeeping Services - A responsible, professional，experienced housekeeper is needed to take care of all cleaning details of a local business in Angwin. This person will be needed 2 or 3 times per week for about 8 hours per day. Please send an email for additional information and be ready to provide resume and work history. Driver’s license and the ability to lift at least 50 pounds are required. Pay will be $20-$25 per hour. To contact them，email recruitingangwin@gmail.com.
Caregiver Position-Looking for a caregiver to help with a 91-year-old woman who lives in Calistoga. She speaks both English and Spanish, but Spanish is her preference. She sleeps quite a bit during the day so there is time to do housework. She cannot be left alone because she is a fall risk. She walks with a walker on her own. Please call 925-785-8500 if interested.
Worship Music Leader -- First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Napa is looking for someone who will select songs and use media for church services on Sundays. Applicants must be able to commit 8-10 hours per week for service and meetings as well as being available every Sunday from 9:00am to 12:00 pm. The pay is about $18 an hour. Detailed job information will be posted on the Payroll Office’s window. If interested，send your cover letter and resume to David Stoker at david@fpcnapa.org.
Catering Company Oak Avenue is a most successful catering company in St. Helena searching for enthusiastic people to join their talented team of chefs and service professionals. Hours are flexible and positions are available for ambitious chefs，bakers，service helpers，and captains. Please send a brief cover letter and resume to Maritza@oakavenuecatering.com or call 707-963-9278 for more information.
1. To work as a housekeeper, one needs to .| A．be a local in Angwin | B．be able to speak two languages |
| C．work about 8 hours per week | D．be able to drive |
| A．She cannot walk by herself. | B．She has a poor memory. |
| C．She is likely to fall down. | D．She has difficulty in sleeping. |
| A．707-963-9278 | B．925-785-8500 |
| C．david@fpcnapa.org | D．recruitingangwin@gmail.com |
10 . Whatever happened to the familiar scene from the past of children playing “tag(捉人游戏)” in the streets while their parents chatted with the neighbors over the garden fence? This picture is fading fast today, as children are now leaving the streets in favor of a screen.
Several organizations are attempting to change this situation. One of these organizations is Play England, which aims to improve opportunities for children to play outside. A leading figure in the campaign is 50-year-old Adrian Voce, who has childhood memories of days spent in the “Big Woods” near his house with his older brothers. “We were given a packed lunch and told not to talk to strangers. I can still remember wandering in and out of each other’s houses.” he says.
However, it is not only the children that Mr. Voce and his organization have to convince. In many cases the parents themselves block his efforts. A survey in 2014 found that 85 percent of adults agreed that it was important for children to be able to play safely in the road or street where they live. However, many of them were not prepared to park their cars an extra 50 meters away from their homes.
Mr. Voce’s attempts to encourage children to play outside include the organization of campaigns like National Playday. Hundreds of communities all over the country take part in this effort, yet it can take a lot of people to give children a taste of what it is like to play in the streets. On one street in Aldershot last year there were five policemen, three community support officers, a traffic management crew, a closed-circuit television van, and a team of "play workers.”
Society today has changed to such an extent that children do not feel safe on the streets and their parents no longer feel comfortable about letting them play there. It is not only the appeal of computers and video games that has driven children inside, but also the presence of traffic, crime, and violent young people. However, thanks to the efforts of people like Adrian Voce, it may not be too late to turn back the clock.
1. What kind of feeling does Adrian Voce show when he looks back on his childhood?| A．Regret | B．Shame |
| C．Delight | D．Surprise |
| A．They don’t want their children to be outside. |
| B．They are worried about the safety of the streets. |
| C．They are not optimistic about Mr. Voce’s campaign. |
| D．They won’t make the street safer for their children to play in. |
| A．It has rapidly spread to other countries. |
| B．A lot of people are needed to make it work. |
| C．It has not lived up to the organizers’ expectations. |
| D．It aims to call on parents to play with their children. |
| A．Worried. | B．Hopeful. |
| C．Unclear | D．Shocked. |
