1 . A NASA-funded study used satellite to search for penguin poops (粪便) in Antarctica: funny at first sight though, it resulted in unique insights on the Adelie penguin’s diet and its future as the climate changes. The findings published recently unlocked the secrets about the species that can provide an early-warning of threats to Antarctica’s delicate ecosystem.

Researchers from Stony Brook University used satellite images to see if the Adelie penguin’s diet has been changing in response to Antarctica’s changing climate. Adelie penguin population has dropped greatly in some areas even as the global population increases. The satellite images cannot show the penguins individually, but their presence can be detected by the stain (污渍) left on the ice by their waste, called guano.

Male and female penguins take turns incubating (孵化) in the nest. The guano builds up in the same areas occupied by the nests. Heather Lynch, associate professor at Stony Brook, along with his team, used the area of the colony as defined by the guano stain to work back to the number of pairs. A global survey for Adelie penguins turned up 3.8 million breeding pairs. Also, the satellite data can detect the color of the penguin guano, ranging from white to pink to dark red. White guano is from eating mostly fish; pink and red would be from eating mostly krill (磷虾). The team found that while the Adelie penguin’s diet did show changes from year to year, no consistent pattern was obvious.

“This was a big surprise, since the abundance and distribution of Adelie penguins has changed dramatically over the last 40 years and scientists had assumed that a change in diet might have played a role,” said Casey Young flesh, a graduate student from the university. However, continued changes in the physical environment and a growing krill fishery in the region are likely to have an influence on penguin prey (猎物) and penguin population itself. “Tools like this will be important for the management of the Antarctic ecosystem, which is often considered among the most primitive areas in the world,” said Young flesh.

1. What concerned scientists most according to paragraph 1?

A．The climate change.	B．The Adelie penguin’s diet.
C．The Antarctica’s ecosystem.	D．The secret of penguin poops.

2. How did scientists carry out the study?

A．By doing experiments.	B．By conducting surveys.
C．By making observations.	D．By collecting documents.

3. Which of the following would Lynch agree with?

A．The Adelie penguin population was 3.8 million worldwide.

B．Guano colors reflected the health condition of the penguin.

C．The Adelie penguin’s diet stayed the same most of the time.

D．Adelie penguin waste helped estimate the penguin population.

4. What did Young flesh’s words suggest?

A．More Adelie penguins have appeared over the last 40 years.

B．There was not an obvious changing pattern of penguin’s diet.

C．Diet changes didn’t actually affect penguin population as assumed.

D．Fishery was important for the management of the Antarctic ecosystem.

2 . When most high school students complain about having to wake up extra early，they're usually referring to a swim practice before class or the last minute study before a test. But that was never the case for Corey Patrick，who woke up at 4：30 every morning last year in order to arrive on time at Tarrant High School in Alabama.

Patrick had attended Tarrant City Schools since his fourth grade，but things got difficult when his family moved to a town 14 miles away. Even though his family didn't have any forms of transportation，Patrick didn't want to miss out on his senior year with friends，so he woke up at 4：30 every morning in order to make it to a 5：41 a．m.bus that would help him get to Tarrant on time.And just as he had done every other school day of the year，Patrick got up one morning to start the journey from his home to his high school; the only obvious difference that morning was that he was wearing his graduation gown (毕业礼服)，which made that day's bus driver，DeJuanna Beasley, take some photos of him. She then shared them online with these words，“You tell me this isn't determination.He got on my bus to go to his graduation，and no one was with him.Sometimes it's all in what you want out of life.I was so proud of this young man.”

That was soon shared by many people online，and it caught the attention of radio host Rickey Smiley，who surprised Patrick by giving him a car later. Smiley confirmed that he would make sure that Patrick received help with getting his driver's license. A GoFundMe was also created for Patrick，which has raised over $20,000. And Patrick has got a scholarship (奖学金) to Jacksonville University，where he plans to study computer science.

1. Why was Patrick different from most students when it comes to rising early?

A．It had something to do with study.

B．It was a part of daily life for him.

C．He was unwilling to get up early.

D．He spent more time in studying.

2. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Patrick dressed poorly on his graduation day.

B．It took Patrick an hour to get to the bus stop.

C．The driver was moved by Patrick's story.

D．There was no school in Patrick's town.

3. What does the underlined word “That” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Patrick's request for help on the Internet.

B．The difficulties that Patrick experienced.

C．The information about Patrick's university.

D．The message published online by the driver.

4. Who gave Patrick practical support rather than money?

A．GoFundMe.	B．Rickey Smiley.
C．Patrick's high school.	D．Jacksonville University.

3 . Would a faster reading speed mean that we could learn more? Some people claim that it’s possible. In July last year，the six-time speed reading champion Anne Jones sat down to read Harper Lee’s Go Seta Watchman. Just 25 minutes and 31 seconds later, she finished it--- which equals a reading rate of around 3100 words per minute. Jones runs training courses teaching speed reading, recall and concentration techniques and there are numerous speed reading apps that have appeared on the market over the past few years. But do they actually work?

First, we need to understand how we read. The human eye movement system is central to our reading ability. Read over that sentence again, and think about how your eyes scan across the words. They don't move smoothly over them. Instead, they make a series of short, sharp jumps, skipping over a few characters before briefly landing on a word. The movements are known as saccades(扫视)and the pauses are called fixations.

Reading isn't just about seeing the words---you need to comprehend them to build up a picture about what the text means. People are able to get through a block of text faster, but at the cost of accuracy and understanding. In other words, you use a speed reading app, then you'll probably get the gist(主旨) of a piece of text, but you'll struggle to recall details about what you’ve just read.

So, does speed reading work? Well, yes and no. It really depends on what you’re reading and why you need to read it. As yet, there isn't a trick that enables you to read a piece of text both quickly and accurately-there's always going to be a trade-off.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Speed reading is bad at times.	B．Speed reading is a waste of time.
C．Speed reading can work sometimes.	D．Speed reading is always enjoyable.

2. What can we know from the passage?

A．Reading apps ensure we read much faster.

B．Fast reading makes us learn more knowledge.

C．Reading ability is not related to the eye movement system.

D．You probably get the main idea of a passage by using a speed reading App.

3. What do we know about Anne Jones?

A．She runs training courses teaching only speed reading technique.

B．She is a running champion.

C．She can read very fast.

D．She creates some speed reading apps.

4. What might the writer continue to talk about?

A．The advantages of faster or slower reading.

B．The reasons why to do faster or slower reading.

C．The methods for making use of faster or slower reading.

D．The cases where to do faster and slower reading.

4 . If you're planning on hitting up a festival this summer, make sure you check out the latest packing guide to camping music festivals.

Quebec City Summer Festival

When: July 4-14

Where: Toronto, Quebec

300 shows, 10 places and 11 days of music make this festival one of Canada's biggest music festivals. Every year, this festival attracts over one million festivalgoers to Quebec City's historic district for concerts by international superstars and top new talents.

Center of Gravity

When: July 28-30

Where: Kelowna, British Columbia

Canada's hottest beach festival is back! Now in its 10th year, the biggest and exciting festival to hit the Okanagan includes three days packed with extreme sports, sandy beaches, and some of the biggest DJ names in the world.

Future Forest

When: August 5-7

Where: Fredericton, New Brunswick

Future Forest is an outdoor camping festival with a focus on electronic music. The festival originated in 2012 as a fundraiser for a brilliant DJ, Jay Hamilton, who was diagnosed with cancer. Future Forest proudly shows the idea that there are no audience at the event but rather participants who in some way contribute to the overall experience.

Shambhala Music Festival

When: August 9-10

Where: Salmo River Ranch, British Columbia

This is Canada's earliest electronic music festival. Cutting edge talent, lights and sound come together to give life to this event. Seeing it for yourself is the only way to understand exactly what is Shambhala.

1. What can people do in the Quebec City Summer Festival?

A．Enjoy the performances of superstars.	B．Learn about Quebec City's history.
C．Do some extreme sports.	D．Play on the sandy beaches.

2. What was Future Forest set up for at first?

A．To honor brilliant Jay Hamilton.	B．To raise money for a cancer patient.
C．To provide outdoor camping activities.	D．To promote electronic music.

3. Which festival is Canada's earliest electronic music festival?

A．Quebec City Summer Festival.	B．Center of Gravity.
C．Future Forest.	D．Shambhala Music Festival.

5 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

6 . Can you imagine a cloud floating in the middle of your room? Do you want to know what it feels like to fly like a bird? Find your answers in Time Magazine's 25 "Best Inventions". Here, we have picked out the most interesting 4 to share with you.

Talking Gloves

Ever felt confused by the sign language used by disabled people? Here is the "helping hand" you need. Four Ukrainian students have created a pair of gloves that helps people with hearing and speech problems communicate with others. The gloves are equipped with sensors that recognize sign language and translate it into text on a smartphone. Then the smartphone changes the text to spoken words.

Google Glasses

Google Glasses are like a computer built into the frame of a pair of glasses. With its 1.3-centimeter display, the glasses allow you to surf the Internet and make calls without even lifting a finger. The glasses also have a camera and GPS mapping system. Users can take and share photos, check maps and surf the Internet just by looking up, down, left and right.

Indoor Clouds

It's not virtual.That's a real world. Dutch artist Smilde managed to create a small but perfect white cloud in the middle of a room using a fog machine. But it required careful planning—the temperature, humidity（湿度）and lighting all had to be just right. Once everything was ready, the cloud formed in the air with the machine. But it only lasted for a short while.

Wingsuits

The suit fulfills your dreams of flying like a bird.Well, not exactly flying, but gliding（滑翔）through the air. It increases the surface area of the human body, which makes it easier for people to float in the air. Fliers wearing wingsuits can glide one kilometer in about 30 seconds.

1. Who will probably be the users of “Talking Gloves”?

A．Disabled people	B．Normal people.
C．Trained people.	D．Working people.

2. How can users of Google Glasses surf the Internet?

A．By moving the mouse.	B．By tapping the keyboard.
C．By moving the eyeballs.	D．By pressing the button.

3. Which of the following can help you fly?

A．Talking Gloves.	B．Wingsuits.
C．Google Glasses.	D．Indoor Clouds.

7 . For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.

“It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚) shows.

Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.

“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement.” Of course, not only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.

For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”

1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?

A．It promoted the sales of artworks.	B．It attracted a large number of visitors.
C．It showed ancient Chinese clothes.	D．It aimed to introduce Chinese models.

2. What does Hill say about Chinese women?

A．They are setting the fashion.	B．They start many fashion campaigns.
C．They admire super models.	D．They do business all over the world.

3. What do the underlined words “taking on” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．learning from

B．looking down on

C．working with

D．competing against

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Young Models Selling Dreams to the World

B．A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York

C．Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics

D．Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends

8 . My challenge for you is this： to read a book for 15minutes every single day for a month.

Let me explain a bit, by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humor, but sadly reading isn't one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can't read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and papers for work, but not books. He's busy, so I think sitting down to read for just 15minutes a day is a good way to relax and to introduce him to reading.

My dad is not the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits to reading, which screen﹣based activities don't have.

Firstly, it's better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for your eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night's sleep．

One thing I personally love reading, is being transported to another world﹣I often forget the time or things around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do it better．

I also enjoy hearing what people are doing and finding out what they think. Reading gives me the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people's point of view, and understand other people's decisions or opinions. With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling﹣you really can be inside someone else's head!

So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you are waking up, going to bed, eating lunch, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading!

1. The author mentions his father in the text to show　 　．

A．his father is busy

B．reading is important

C．his father likes reading

D．many people have no habit of reading

2. The author writes the text mainly basing on　 　．

A．his personal experience

B．some scientific experiments

C．his father's personal advice

D．knowledge from books

3. The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 5 refers to　 　．

A．helping readers sleep well

B．making readers feel relaxed

C．transporting readers to a different world

D．reminding readers of the real world

4. What is the author's attitude to reading？

A．Negative．

B．Uncertain．

C．Supportive．

D．Doubtful．

9 . Computer programmer David Jones earns £35,000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card(信用卡). Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18.

The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David's firm releases(推出) two new games for the fast throwing computer market each month.

But David's biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage(抵押贷款), or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. "I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs," he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.

"Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school," he said. "But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway." David added: "I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear."

1. In what way is David different from people of his age?

A．He has a handsome income.

B．He lives with his mother.

C．He often goes out with friends.

D．He graduated with six O-levels.

2. What is one of the problems that David is facing now?

A．He has very little spare time.

B．He has no time to learn driving.

C．He is too young to get a credit card.

D．He will soon lose his job.

3. Why was David able to get the job in the company?

A．He had done well in all his exams.

B．He had written some computer programs.

C．He was good at playing computer games.

D．He had learnt to use computers at school.

4. Why did David decide to leave school and start working?

A．He received lots of job offers.

B．He was eager to help his mother.

C．He lost interest in school studies.

D．He wanted to earn his own living.

10 . Conventional wisdom says that hardship can make us old before our time. In fact, a new study suggests that violence not only leaves long-term scars on children’s bodies, but also changes their DNA, causing changes that are equal to seven to ten years of premature aging.

Scientists measured this by studying the ends of children’s chromosomes (染色体）, called telomeres(端粒), says Idan Shalev, lead author of a study published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Telomeres are special DNA sequences (序列）which prevent the DNA in chromosomes from separating. They get shorter each time a cell divides, until a cell cannot divide any more and dies.

Several factors have been found to shorten telomeres, including smoking, radiation and psychological stresses such as being treated badly when young and taking care of a chronically ill person.

In this study, researchers examined whether exposure to violence could make children’s telomeres shorten faster than normal. They interviewed the mothers of 236 children 3t ages 5, 7 and 10, asking whether the youngsters had been exposed to domestic violence between the mother and her partner; physical maltreatment by an adult; or bullying. Researchers measured the children's telomeres —in cells obtained by wiping the insides of their cheeks一at ages 5 and 10.

Telomeres shortened faster in kids exposed to two or more types of violence, says Shalev. Unless that pattern changes, the study suggests, these kids could be expected to develop diseases of aging, such as heart attacks or memory loss, seven to 10 years earlier than their peers.

Shlev says there is hope for these kids. His study found that, in rare cases, telomeres Better nutrition, exercise and stress reduction are three things that may be able to lengthen telomeres, he says.

The study confirms a small but growing number of studies suggesting that early childhood adversity imprints itself in our chromosomes, says Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.

1. The new study found that            .

A．hardship can change a child's memory

B．violence can speed up a child's aging

C．violence leaves scars on a child s mind

D．hardship has an effect on a child’s mind

2. What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Telomeres.	B．Children.
C．Chromosomes.	D．DNA sequences.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Violence can cause quick cell death in children’s body.

B．Telomeres can help prevent chromosomes from separating.

C．Children who have shorter telomeres have heart attacks later.

D．Being treated badly will make a child’s telomeres shorten faster.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Violence and Telomeres

B．The Function of Telomeres

C．Violence Makes Children Aging

D．DNA Influences Children’s Growth