1 . A Wolf in Danger
What is happening to the timber wolf (森林狼) today?
Native Americans and early settlers often went to sleep to the sound of a lonely lullaby (催眠曲). It was the song of the wolf howling in a distant forest. There were many wolves then. One kind was the North American timber wolf.
Wolves are important to the balance of nature because they eat sick and weak animals. In Colorado, people tried to help deer by shooting wolves. But then there were so many deer that many of them starved to death.
The timber wolf is on the endangered special list . Animals on this list are in danger of disappearing from the earth. People drove the wolves away by cutting down the forests to build houses, towns, and highways. Timber wolves are now found only in Canada, Alaska, Michigan, and Minnesota.
This special animal may soon disappear from our forests forever. Then, its lonely howl will never be heard again.
1. Animals that are in danger of disappearing from the earth are called a(n)_______species.| A．endangered |
| B．living |
| C．alive |
| D．lived |
| A．are an endangered species |
| B．eat sick and weak animals |
| C．no longer live in forests |
| D．help the farmers |
| A．in many parts of North America |
| B．only in Colorado and Canada |
| C．in towns and cities in Alaska |
| D．in many parts of Africa |
| A．People built towns and highways. |
| B．The timber wolf was driven away from its home. |
| C．People cut down the forests. |
| D．Timber wolves are endangered species. |
2 . The history of microbiology begins with Dutch cloth maker named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a man of no formal scientific education. In the late 1600s. Leeuwenhoek, inspired by the magnifying lenses（放大镜）he used to examine cloth, built some of the first-microscopes. He developed technique to improve the quality of tiny, rounded lenses, some of which could magnify an object up to 270 times. After removing some plaque from between his teeth and examining it under a lens, Leeuwenhoek found tiny twisting creatures, which he called “animalcules”.
His observations, which he reported to the Royal Society of London, are among the first descriptions of microbes（微生物）. Leeuwenhoek discovered an entire universe invisible to the human eye. He found different microbes in samples of pond water, rain water, and human blood. He gave the first description of red blood cells, observed plant tissue, examined muscle, and investigated the life cycle of insects.
Nearly two hundred years later, Leeuwenhock’s discovery of microbes helped French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur to develop his “theory of disease”. This concept suggested that disease originates from tiny organisms attacking and weakening the body. Pasteur’s theory later helped doctors to fight infectious diseases including anthrax, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and typhoid. All these breakthroughs were the result of Leeuwenhoek’s original work. Leeuwenhoek did not foresee this legacy.
In a 1716 letter, he described his contribution to science this way: “My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a strong desire for knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therefore; whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that the scientific community might be informed thereof.”
1. Which of the following best describes Leeuwenhoek?| A．trained researcher with an interest in microbiology |
| B．A curious amateur who made pioneer studies of microbes |
| C．A talented scientist interested in finding a cure for disease |
| D．A bored cloth maker who accidentally made a major discovery |
| A．the discovery of microbes |
| B．Pasteur’s theory of disease |
| C．Leeuwenhoek’s contribution |
| D．the origin of the tiny organism |
| A．He admitted that many of his discoveries happened by chance. |
| B．He considered his work to be central to later medical breakthroughs. |
| C．He was greatly concerned with improving people’s living conditions. |
| D．He believed the sharing of knowledge was a key to scientific progress |
a. Magnifying lenses were built.
b. The “theory of disease” was put forward
c. Microbes were discovered in samples of waters.
d. Leeuwenhoek’s first microscopes were successfully developed.
e. Leeuwenhoek explained his thoughts upon his own contribution.
| A．a-d-c-e-b | B．d-a-c-e-b | C．a-c-d-b-e | D．d-a-e-b-c |
3 . Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a peasant at night. This saying is all about the importance of breakfast. And now scientists can tell us just why it’s so important. According to a study carried out at Imperial College London, UK, skipping the first meal of the day not only means you eat more at lunch, but also that your brain wants to find more unhealthy foods.
The study suggests that there is a special part of our brain called the orbitofrontal cortex, which plays an important part in making choices about what we eat. It is used for identifying the taste of food, especially when skipping breakfast. It is more likely to target high-calorie foods when you’re on an empty stomach.
Scientists did an experiment on this. Dr Tony Goldstone from Imperial College London, scanned the brains of 21 men and women, around the age of 25. On the first day, these people skipped breakfast before the scans. On the second day, they had cereal, bread and jam as breakfast. After the scan on both days, they had their lunch.
When the volunteers had skipped breakfast, they ate around 20 percent more at lunch, compared with days when they had eaten breakfast. Their brain scans also showed the orbitofrontal cortex was especially responsive to high-calorie foods. “We believe that bit identifies the value of foods — how pleasant, how delicious something is,” Goldstone told The Guardian.
1. From Paragraph 1, we learn that ________.| A．scientists found out why eating breakfast is important |
| B．it’s easy to lose weight without breakfast |
| C．there’s no need to have good food for supper |
| D．eating breakfast makes your brain smarter |
①The volunteers skipped breakfast. ②The volunteers had lunch.
③The volunteers had a brain scan.
| A．①②③ | B．③②① | C．①③② | D．③①② |
| A．of the usual breakfast | B．more than the usual breakfast |
| C．of the usual lunch | D．more than the usual lunch |
| A．Breakfast still most important | B．Three meals a day |
| C．Experiments on breakfast | D．Experiments on lunch |
4 . When I was about twelve, I headed to a restaurant for dinner with my family. It was a windy winter night. As my mom and I headed towards the restaurant from our car, a girl about my age and her mother came up to us. They asked if we had any spare dollars. My mom immediately asked where they kept their things. They pointed to an old car in the parking across the street. The girl said there were six of them living in that car, the same size as my own family.
My mom said she had something to do after handing the people a few dollars. She sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my three siblings(兄弟姐妹). But she didn’t come.
Later, I found out she had gone home and emptied our cupboards into a few bags. Then, she brought that food over to the car and handed the bags to the family. I wasn’t there when that part happened, but I could imagine the joy it brought to their faces.
A few days later, when I actually found out about what she had done, I asked her why she helped those people. She told me that they were not lucky. I remember the face of that girl who had asked us for dollars;she was the same age as me, yet our lives were so different.
Here I stood, dressed in almost new clothes, headed to a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I shared with my younger sister. I remembered thinking that the girl didn’t have any food to eat and that she was heading back to a cold car shared with five other people.
After painting this picture in my mind, I understood my mom. I will never forget what she did that night. And that night I also learned one of the best lessons she taught me.
1. We learn from the passage that the girl about the writer’s age_____.| A．lived a hard life |
| B．had her own bedroom |
| C．received a good education |
| D．made friends with the writer |
a. My mom gave the girl a few dollars.
b. My family was on the way to a restaurant.
c. My mom went home and brought some food.
d. We met with a girl and her mother asking for dollars.
| A．b, d, a, c |
| B．b, a, c, d |
| C．d, a, c, b |
| D．d, c, b, a |
| A．Patient. |
| B．Strict. |
| C．Proud. |
| D．Kind. |
5 . Meg. Jo, Amy and Beth live with their mother Mrs. March while their father is fighting in the Civil War. The family doesn’t have much money. They live next door to M. Laurence, who is very wealthy, and his grandson, Laurie. The passage below is about Beth, who loves to play the piano. The March family only has a small, out-of-tune piano. The “Mansion of Bliss” is Mr. Laurence’s house.
But Beth, though dying for the grand piano, could not gather courage to go to the Mansion of Bliss’. She went once with Jo; but Mr. Laurence, not being aware of her weakness, stared at her so hard from under his heavy eyebrows, and said “Hey!” so loud, that he frightened her so much, her feet chattered on the floor, she never told her mother; and she ran away, declaring she would never go there any more, not even for the dear piano. No comfort could overcome her fears, till the fact coming to Mr. Laurence’s ear in some way, he set about mending matters. During one of the brief visits he made, he artfully led the conversation to music, and told such attractive stories that Beth found it impossible to stay in her distant corner, but moved nearer and nearer, as if interested. At the back of his chair she stopped, and stood listening with her great eyes wide open, and her cheeks red with the excitement of this unusual performance. Taking no more notice of her than if she had been a fly, Mr. Laurence talked on about Laurie’s lessons and teachers: and as if the idea had just occurred to him, he said to Mrs. March:
“The boy pays little attention to his music now. But the piano suffers for lack of use. Wouldn’t some of your girls like to run over, and practise on it now and then, just to keep it in tune, you know, madam?”
Beth took a step forward, and pressed her hands tightly together to keep from clapping them and the thought of practising on that splendid instrument quite took her breath away. Before Mrs. March could reply, Mr. Laurence went on: “They needn’t see or speak to anyone, but run in at any time: for I’m shut up in my study at the other end of the house, Laurie is out a great deal, and the servants are never near after nine o'clock.”
Here he rose, as if going. “Please tell the young ladies what I say; and if they don’t care to come, why, never mind.”
“Oh, sir, they do care, very, very much!” Beth finally made up her mind to speak, in her eager yet shy way.
“Are you the musical girl?” he asked, without any frightening “Hey!” as he looked down at her very kindly.
“I’m Beth. I love it dearly, and I’ll come, if you are quite sure nobody will hear me-and be disturbed,” she added, fearing to be rude, and trembling at her own courage as she spoke.
“Not a soul, my dear. The house is empty half the day; so come as much as you like.”
“How kind you are, sir!”
Beth blushed like a rose under the friendly look he wore; but she was not frightened now, and gave the big hand a grateful squeeze, because she had no words to thank him for the precious gift he had given her.
1. According to the passage, Beth’s fear may result from ______.| A．dying for playing the piano | B．her being very weak |
| C．going to Mr. Laurence’s house | D．Mr. Laurence's staring and a loud greeting |
| A．considered Beth as a fly | B．pretended not to see Beth |
| C．didn't notice Beth at all | D．thought more of Beth than a fly |
| A．Because other people in the house didn’t like Beth and Jo at all. |
| B．Because there was nobody in the house when Beth came to play. |
| C．Because he wanted Beth to feel comfortable coming to his house. |
| D．Because Laurie wasn’t at home and Beth had no one to play with. |
a. Mr. Laurence visits the Marches. b. Mr. Laurence talks about music.
c. Beth says she’ll play Mr. Laurence' piano. d. Beth and Jo visit the ‘Mansion of Bliss’
e. Beth listens in a corner. f. Mr. Laurence invites the sisters to play the piano.
g. Mr. Laurence says “Hey!” to Beth.
| A．d-g-a-b-e-f-c | B．d-g-a-f-e-b-c | C．a-g-b-e-f-d-c | D．a-g-d-b-e-f-c |
| A．rude but attractive | B．kind but weak |
| C．friendly and thoughtful | D．mysterious and attractive |
6 . An elm tree (榆树) was planted in the first half of the 20th century on a farm in Michigan, US.
In the 1950s, the family that owned the farm kept a bull chained to it. The bull walked around the tree. pulling a heavy iron chain, which made a grove (沟) in the tree about a meter off the ground. The groove deepened over the years, thought for whatever reason, it didn’t kill the tree.
After some years, the family sold the farm and took their bull with them. They cut the chain, leaving most of it hanging down from the tree. Eventually, bark (树皮) slowly covered the old chain.
Then one year later, disaster struck Michigan in the form of Dutch elm disease. It left a path of death across vast areas. All of the elms lining the road leading to the farm were infected and dies. Everyone figured that the old elm tree would be next. There was no way the tree could last, with its age and the chain hanging off its trunk.
The present owners considered pulling the chain out and chopping the tree up into firewood before it dies. But they simply couldn’t bring themselves to do it. It was as if the old tree had become a family friend, so they decided to let nature take its course. Amazingly, the tree didn’t die. Year after year, it grew stronger. Nobody could understand why it was the only elm still standing in the whole area.
Experts from Michigan University came to observe the tree later examining the scar left by the iron chain. The experts decided that it was actually the chain that saved the elm’s life. They reasoned that the tree must have absorbed so much iron from the chain that it became immune to Dutch elm disease.
It’s said that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. So if you’re ever in Michigan, look for that beautiful elm tree. Look for the wound made by the chain — it serves as a reminder that even with wounds, we can still have hope. Our wounds can give us the resources we need to cope and survive. They can truly make us strong.
1. What is the right order of the events related to the elm tree?a. The new owners left the elm tree as it was.
b. A farmer planted an elm tree on the farm.
c. A bull was chained to the elm tree by the owner.
d. The tree was left behind with most of the chain hanging down.
| A．c d b a | B．b d c a | C．b c d a | D．c b a d |
| A．A heavy iron chain gradually became part of it. |
| B．The scar in the tree was completely healed finally. |
| C．The tree was almost killed by the bull and its chain. |
| D．The tree grew stronger because of the owners’ care. |
| A．Its thicker bark protected it from the disease. |
| B．Infected trees near it were all chopped down. |
| C．It was saved by experts from Michigan University. |
| D．It got enough iron that sheltered it from the disease. |
| A．We should make use of what we have to overcome difficulties. |
| B．Something we consider a weakness can make us stronger. |
| C．Never give up hope on life even in hopeless situations. |
| D．Letting nature take its course is the best way to deal with problems. |
7 . In work, as well as in life, doing what needs to be done in order to reach our goals can be difficult. Without a good system in place, it is easy to lose focus, waste time and lose track of our most important tasks. Luckily, one of the most efficient(高效的)useful ways is also one of the world's easiest---the Pomodoro Technique.
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, which breaks down your work into 25-minute blocks(一段时间)divided by short breaks. Cirillo named the system after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer(计时器)that he used to track his work time when he was studying in university, where he developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods. He realized this method could help him work with time instead of struggling against it. In 2006, Cirillo published his Pomodoro Technique manual for people to download free of charge. It was downloaded over two million times.
The Pomodoro Technique was built around a handful of important steps. First, choose a task that you'd like to get done. It can be something big, something small, or something that you've been putting off for months. What matters is that you are ready to give it your full attention.
Next, set a timer for 25 minutes. Try to spend the full 25 minutes with your complete attention on the task. Then, when the timer goes off, take a five-minute break. Sit back, have a drink, go for a short walk, or do something else that doesn't relate to work. Treat yourself to a longer break that lasts 15 to 30 minutes after you have completed four of these 30-minute cycles. In theory, the longer break will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros.
After trying the Pomodoro Technique, you may want to experiment a little. Some people have found that 90-minute blocks work best, while others might perform better with more flexible periods. It varies from person to person. Just remember, like many things in life, simpler is often better!
1. What can we know about Pomodoro Technique?| A．The technique was named after Cirillo. |
| B．Cirillo developed a habit of doing short blocks of work followed by resting periods in 2006. |
| C．Users of the technique can have a rest at intervals. |
| D．Cirillo got profits from Pomodoro Technique manual. |
a. Focus on the task.
b. Set out tasks.
c. Take a 5-minute break.
d. Take a longer break.
e. Repeat the cycle four times
| A．acebd | B．baced |
| C．bacde | D．acede |
| A．A 90-minute block works best. |
| B．Take a longer break that lasts 60 minutes will allow your brain to relax, reset, ready for the next round of Pomodoros. |
| C．The time setting depends on the users. |
| D．A simple Pomodoro can make things in life better. |
| A．The introduction of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| B．The invention of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| C．The use of the Pomodoro Technique. |
| D．The effect the Pomodoro Technique brings to people. |
8 . A man in Brisbane, Australia, survived a house fire early Wednesday morning because his pet parrot, named Eric, sounded the alarm.
Anton was asleep when his home caught fire just after 2:00 a.m., according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Anton didn’t hear the smoke detector(探测器). Instead, he heard Eric calling his name repeatedly, ABC reported. “I heard a bang and Eric — my parrot— he started to yell so I woke up and I smelled a bit of smoke,” Anton told ABC. “I grabbed Eric, opened the door and looked to the back of the house and saw some flames,” he added. “And so I grabbed my bag and bolted downstairs.” Officials told ABC that Anton’s home did have a smoke detector, but it didn’t go off before Eric started calling “Anton! Anton!” Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Acting Inspector Cam Thomas told ABC that the firemen were able to contain the fire before it spread to other properties(财产).
According to ABC, there may be a crime(犯罪)and policemen are looking into what caused the fire. In the meantime, Anton is glad that he and Eric survived. “I’m in shock but I’m fine,” he told ABC. “Everything’s all right so long as I have myself and the bird.”
1. What is the right order of the following?a. Anton saw some flames.
b. Anton heard Eric calling his name.
c. Anton bolted downstairs.
d. Anton’s house caught fire at midnight.
e. Anton woke up and smelled the smoke.
| A．dbeac. | B．debac. | C．daebc. | D．deabc |
| A．Awkward | B．Lucky. | C．Shocked | D．Annoyed |
| A．Eric got badly injured in the fire. |
| B．The house was burnt to the ground. |
| C．Someone might have set fire to the house. |
| D．The police couldn’t find the cause of the fire. |
9 . We are often told to pay attention to what our mothers tell us. Most of us enjoy listening to our mothers speaking. Scientists at Stanford University, US have found that compared to other people’s voices, our brains react strongly to our mother’s voices.
The scientists examined 24 children aged 7 to 12 and asked their mothers as well as two mothers whose children were not studied to record three nonsense words.“In this age period, most children have good language skills. We didn’t want to use words that had meaning because that would have involved(涉及) many different parts in the brain,”said Professor Menon.
The children’s brains were scanned while they listened to the nonsense-word recordings, produced by their own mother and other mothers. Even from very short recordings, less than a second long, the children could make sure of their own mother’s voice with greater than 97 percent accuracy(正确率). Hearing their mother’s voice makes many parts of children’s brains more active, including those about positive emotion and social communication.
Years of study has shown that children prefer their mothers’ voices and it starts even before they’re born. When children are still in the womb (子宫) or have just been born, they hear their mothers talking. This makes babies feel comfortable and safe and teaches them language and social skills, even though they are still very young. Later, when this sound is heard again, more attention is paid to it.
1. How many mothers were invited to enter the study?| A．12. | B．24. | C．26. | D．48. |
①Scientist scanned children’s brains.
②Children made sure of their mother’s voice.
③Mothers recorded nonsense words.
| A．①②③ | B．③①② | C．①③② | D．②③① |
| A．Because they can get a prize for doing so. |
| B．Because they enjoy listening to their mothers’ voices. |
| C．Because they can learn something and feel comfortable. |
| D．Because they can make sure of their voices more accurately. |
| A．Science. | B．Sports. | C．Family. | D．Health. |
10 . On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and telephoned the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel ball before though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles.”
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India.
When he was 11, he read the book Marco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road. Now, after 44 years , he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true.
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations (目的地) were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc. He will complete his trip in Pakistan.
1. The best headline for this newspaper article would be _______.| A．The Kingdom of Bicycles |
| B．A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an |
| C．Marco Polo and the Silk Road |
| D．An American Achieving His Aims |
| A．China, India, and Pakistan | B．India, China, and Pakistan |
| C．Pakistan, China, and India | D．China, Pakistan, and India |
| A．The stories about Marco Polo. |
| B．The famous sights in Xi’an. |
| C．His interest in Chinese silk. |
| D．His childhood dreams about bicycles. |
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．hardworking | D．strong-minded |
