1 . The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from coming into reality in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their cars in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology may change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is managed.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars, policymakers should be talking more about how self-driving cars can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient and affordable choices to move around. The arrival of driverless cars is a chance to make sure that those cars are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy or even worsen the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own their self-driving cars. They accept long, slow journeys to and from work on crowded highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride. They take their driverless car to a date and set the empty car to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing (网约车) services. Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless cars doesn't worsen the transportation system we have today. The coming technological development presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Self-driving cars are not allowed in the real world. |
| B．Driverless taxies will be seen everywhere on the road in a short term. |
| C．California is not alone in testing driverless cars. |
| D．Self-driving technology will definitely benefit transportation system. |
| A．how driverless cars can help deal with transportation-related problems |
| B．how driverless cars can travel safely |
| C．how driverless cars can travel faster |
| D．how driverless cars can move more people |
| A．Journeys to and from work become longer. |
| B．More and more people abandon public transportation. |
| C．There is no place to park them. |
| D．They may result in traffic jams. |
| A．Preparing Cities for Robot Cars | B．Future Technology Underway |
| C．Transportation System in the Future | D．Robot Cars on the Road |
2 . Have you ever been to the following places?If not,try to find a chance to visit them.
Fez,Morocco
Fez,about 240 miles northeast from Marrakech,a wonderful scene is taking root slowly.It started with immigrants building castles,and continues as hotels and restaurants.The biggest news is that the Hotel Sahrai is completed with a bar and 50 rooms,many overlooking a pool.
Catskills,New York
The region that welcomed Jewish families in the 50s,hippies in the 60s,and soon,casino gamblers（赌博者）. Many stylish B&Bs have opened.Among them are the Hotel Dylan in Woodstock,the Arnold House in Livingston Manor,with its bar and diminutive spa（水疗中心）.So now is the time to enjoy fly-fishing,hiking and other peaceful experiences.
Rotterdam,Netherlands
The constantly unfolding city center in Rotterdam has become one amazing explosion of style,which surprised the tourists greatly.The latest attraction,and reason enough to visit,is the MVRDV-designed Markthal,an igloo（圆顶冰屋）-like horseshoe that houses 20 shops,nine restaurants and 228 apartments.It also happens to be Holland's largest artwork.
Chengdu,China
Famous for its 1,600 pandas,most of which still live in the wild,Chengdu has introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy that makes it easier for Americans to drop in on one of the city's three major panda research facilities.But it's worth sticking around longer to experience what's doing in Chengdu,a city on the rise.One of the shiniest attractions is New Century Global Centre,the world's largest building,complete with an artificial beach.
1. What can a tourist do in Catskills?| A．Go fishing and hiking. |
| B．Design igloos with tourists. |
| C．play with the pandas in the wild. |
| D．Join the local people in building castles. |
| A．The Hotel Sahrai. |
| B．The Hotel Dylan. |
| C．Markthal. |
| D．New Century Global Centre. |
| A．It improved its quality of service. |
| B．It built the world's largest building. |
| C．It introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy. |
| D．It completed a building with an artificial beach. |
3 . Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an "English teacher",since almost all pupils study English from their third year.Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school.But my first English teacher is no other than my father.Looking back,I can see that,when I was only a little girl,he created an English environment by providing me with flashcards（识字卡）,fun English-language toys and even dolls which can sing English songs!My interest in English had certainly been awakened（唤起）when I began to learn English at school.Just imagine,he went a step further and asked me to learn New Concept English by myself!I was confused（迷惑不解）and had much anger.I could not understand why a father could be so strict with his little girl.All the same,he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his ideas.At first,I read stories with tears in my eyes and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me.In the end,I came.to love the funny stories and,to be honest,my father was always there with a helping hand.I am sure that my English would never have got so far without his support.And that's why my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher.He is the one who awoke my interest,who gave me confidence and who offered me much needed help.
1. Which of the following wasn't used by the father to create an English environment?| A．Flashcards. | B．Fun English-language toys. |
| C．Dolls singing English songs. | D．English books. |
| A．Happy. | B．Angry. |
| C．Excited. | D．Amazed. |
| A．the author's father is an English teacher |
| B．the author was interested in English after she learned New Concept English |
| C．the author's English wouldn't be so good without her father's help |
| D．the author had no difficulty when she first learned New Concept English |
| A．My First and Lifelong English Teacher | B．Different Ways to Learn English |
| C．My Good English | D．Learn English or Not? |
4 . The word "OK" is the most frequently spoken all-purpose expression on the planet—and it's turning 176 years old on March 23,2015.The term was born during a 19th-century abbreviation（缩写）craze and went on to international fame with its own hand gesture.
Last year,Henry Nass,a 64-year-old retired English teacher,a New Yorker had spent the last few weeks handing out cards championing "Global OK Day" in advance of the coming anniversary.
"No matter where people are from they use the word 'OK,'but they don't know where it comes from,"says Nass. "The problem is because it's just,you know,OK."
The word is OK,perhaps,but its history is definitely better than average.Late etymologist Allen Walker Read traced the two-letter word to 1839,when editors at the Boston Morning Post signed off on articles as “all correct” with a simple word "OK".
The word made it into print on March 23 of that year,during an article against a rival editor in Providence who had stated wrongly that a band of Bostonians heading to New York would pass through the Rhode Island capital.
"We said not a word about our team passing 'through the city' of Providence,"the Morning Post reported."O.K.—all correct."
The humor of the Providence-Boston joke has been lost to history—but the word OK took off from there,soon connoting（隐含）agreement,acceptance,averageness,quality or likability.
By 1840,it served as a slogan for President Martin Van Buren's unsuccessful reelection campaign."Old Kinderhook is OK,"posters stated,a reference to the eighth president's birthplace and his supporters’ belief in his satisfactory performance.
1. Why did Henry Nass hand out cards?| A．To let people understand the history of the word "OK". |
| B．To call on people to use the word "OK" properly. |
| C．To appeal to people to celebrate OK Day. |
| D．To attract people's attention. |
| A．The history of the word "OK" is known to average people. |
| B．The history of the word "OK" is unfamiliar to people. |
| C．People frequently use the word "OK" in history. |
| D．People are fond of the word "OK" in history. |
| A．Got off | B．Set up |
| C．Moved off | D．Become popular |
| A．the name | B．the birthplace |
| C．the policy | D．the belief |
5 . I was born and raised in Minnesota, the USA, but as an adult I have mostly lived in Europe and Africa. I teach cross-cultural management at the International Business School near Paris. For the last 15 years, I’ve studied how people in different parts of the world build trust, communicate, and make decisions especially in the workplace.
While traveling in Tokyo recently with a colleague, I gave a short talk to a group of 20 managers. At the end, I asked whether there were any questions or comments. No hands went up, so I went to sit down. My colleague whispered to me, “I think there actually were some comments, Erin. Do you mind if I fry?” I agreed, but I guessed it a waste of breath. He asked the group again. “Any comments or questions?”
Still, no one raised a hand, but this time he looked very carefully at each person in the silent audience. Gesturing to one of them, he said, “Do you have something to add?” To my amazement, she responded “Yes, thank you.” and asked me a very interesting question. My colleague repeated this several times, looking directly at the audience and asking for more questions or comments.
After the session, I asked my colleague, “How do you know that those people had questions?” He hesitated, not sure how to explain it, and then said, “it has to do with how bright their eyes are.”
He continued, “In Japan, we don’t make as much direct eye contact as you do in the West. So when you asked if there were any comments, most people were not looking directly at you. But a few people in the group were looking right at you, and their eyes were bright. That indicates that they would be happy to have you call on them.”
I thought to myself I would never have learned from my upbringing in Minnesota. Since then, I try to focus on understanding behavior in other cultures I encounter, and keep finding the bright eyes in the room.
1. What can we conclude from the first paragraph?| A．Life in Minnesota has made the author worn out. |
| B．The author enjoys traveling around the world. |
| C．Different cultures are kind of familiar to the author. |
| D．The author may start his own business in the future. |
| A．went back to his scat and got seated |
| B．knew his colleague had some questions |
| C．owed a big debt of gratitude to his colleague |
| D．thought his colleague would get nowhere |
| A．Japan. | B．America. |
| C．Africa. | D．France |
| A．Focusing on Behavior in Cultures. |
| B．Looking at Another Culture in the Eye. |
| C．Sharing Different Cultures in Tokyo. |
| D．Admiring the Beauty in the Eye. |
Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!
______ — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!
1. While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.
| A．give him or her some advice |
| B．just listen unless asked |
| C．calm him or her down |
| D．share your feelings as well |
| A．try to do everything for them |
| B．put them before ourselves |
| C．change their bad habits first |
| D．ignore their faults |
| A．Life without a friend is death. |
| B．A friend is easier lost than found. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| D．A man is known by his friends. |
When Albert was five years old, his father gave him a compass. Albert was filled with wonder when he discovered that the compass needle always pointed in the same direction ---- the north. He asked his father and his uncle what caused the needle to move. Their answers were difficult for Albert to understand. Yet he spent a lot of time thinking about them. He said later that he felt something must be hidden behind things.
Albert didn’t like school. The German schools of that time were not pleasant. Students couldn’t ask questions. Albert said he felt as if he were in prison..
One day Albert told his uncle Jacob how much he hated school, especially mathematics. His uncle told him to solve mathematical problems by pretending to be a policeman. “You are looking for someone,” he said, “but you don’t know who he is. Call him X. Find him by using your mathematical tools.”
Albert learned to love mathematics. He was studying the complex mathematics of calculus while all his friends were still studying simple mathematics. Instead of playing with his friends he thought about things such as “What would happen if people could travel at the speed of his light?”
Albert wanted to teach mathematics and physics. He graduated with honors, but it was a pity that he could not get a teaching job.
1. According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that Albert Einstein ________.
| A．was interested in the compass |
| B．wanted to be a great scientist |
| C．was not clever enough |
| D．didn’t like thinking by himself |
| A．He couldn’t play with his friends there |
| B．Students were not allowed to ask questions. |
| C．The schools were like prisons at that time |
| D．He had to learn mathematics that he didn’t like. |
| A．Useful | B．Difficult | C．Boring | D．Interesting |
| A．Einstein became a mathematics teacher after graduation |
| B．Einstein gradually loved mathematics with his uncle’s help. |
| C．Einstein’s uncle was a policeman. |
| D．Einstein liked playing with other children. |
8 . Whether it is Mozart or Miley，your choice of music could determine whether you will perform well at your job. A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry，proofreading and problem solving. an officebased experiment，88 percent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music.
The study also found that 81 percent completed their work fastest when music was played. And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance，if you're doing your tax returns，then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills.
Listening to Jessie J or Justin Bieber could also improve your speed，with 58 percent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs. During proofreading，dance music，such as David Guetta，had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 percent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spellchecking with a 75 percent pass rate compared to 68 percent when no music was played at all.
The research，undertaken by Brightonbased Mindlab International，suggests that silent offices may be the least productive. The Music Works experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity. Overall，it showed that when listening to music，nine out of ten people performed better，said Dr David Lewis，chairman of Mindlab International.
1. Whose music can help you do maths homework according to the study?| A．The music of Justin Bieber. |
| B．The music of Mozart. |
| C．The music of David Guetta. |
| D．The music of David Lewis. |
| A．Music makes you relaxed. |
| B．Music helps you to enter data faster. |
| C．Music improves maths skills. |
| D．Music has a positive effect on spellchecking. |
| A．88% of people worked faster |
| B．81% of people did their most accurate work |
| C．90% of people worked better |
| D．75% of people completed data entry task faster |
| A．Music may be helpless to people in office. |
| B．Silent offices can make people work better. |
| C．Different kinds of music have the same effect. |
| D．Silent offices may make people work least profitably. |
Here’s an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk’s mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don’t tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk’s attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action, we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it’s easy to think and act honorably again when we’re happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it’s started, it’s easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
1. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our ________.
| A．self-respect | B．financial rewards |
| C．advertising ability | D．friendly relationship |
| A．lying | B．stealing |
| C．cheating | D．advertising |
| A．telling the truth to the clerk |
| B．offering advice to the clerk |
| C．asking the clerk to be more attentive |
| D．reminding the clerk of the charged item |
| A．How to Live Truthfully |
| B．Importance of Peacefulness |
| C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect |
| D．Happiness through Honorable Action |
10 . Parties and social gatherings no longer excite us the same way they once did. This is not due to a lack of desire to socialize, but the smartphone.
At parties, more people are on their smartphones than on their drinks. According to a recent International Data Corporation study, well over half of all Americans have a smartphone and reach for it the moment they wake up, keeping it in hand all day. In addition, too many people in society are using smartphones while driving and as a result, they get into car crashes. 34 percent of teenagers admit to texting while driving, and they confirm that text messaging is their number one driving interruption. People’s attachment to their smartphones is unbelievably becoming more important than the lives of themselves and others.
Just as drivers dismiss the importance of focusing while on the road, many people also fail to recognize the significance of human interaction. When with their friends, some people pointlessly check or send text messages in the presence of a friend, which sends a message to that friend: the person I am texting is more important than you. In addition, relying on our smartphones to make friends does not give us the same advantage as being able to make new friendships in the real world. Face-to-face conversations will give us much stronger communication skills in the long run.
As many people risk their lives and the lives of people around them just to send a text or mindlessly check their messages, smartphones are in many ways more dangerous to people. The quality of this technology is hindering(阻碍) social achievements and weakening the value of communication. Not only is the smartphone affecting our desire to interact (交流) face-to-face, but it is also lowering society’s ability to communicate.
1. The purpose of this text is to ___________.| A．call for an end to use the smartphone while driving |
| B．appeal to us to pay attention to communication skills |
| C．express a concern about the overuse of the smartphone |
| D．advise us to be cautious about the addiction to the smartphone |
| A．giving examples |
| B．listing figures |
| C．comparing facts |
| D．analyzing the effects |
| A．by using smartphones |
| B．in a face-to-face way |
| C．in different ways |
| D．under a free circumstance |
| A．parties and gatherings limit their social circle |
| B．people are more and more narrow-minded |
| C．people’s communication skills are weakened |
| D．face-to-face communication becomes less important |
