1 . We all know that eating junk food can make us fat. However, a new study suggests that it can do more than that—it can also make us lazy.
In the study, researchers at the University of California, divided 32 female rats into two groups. The first group was fed a diet of healthy food such as corn and fish, while the second was given a diet of highly processed food rich in sugar, namely “junk food”.
Within three months, the rats in the second group were already much fatter than those on the healthy diet. And when researchers trained the rats to do simple tasks, they found even more differences between the two groups rather than weight.
During the task—pushing a lever (杠杆) to receive a reward of sugar water—the rats on the junk food diet were found to be less willing to move, and they took longer breaks between each push than the lean (瘦的) rats did.
“It is as if the rat is thinking ‘This is too much work’,” Aaron Blaisdell, leader of the study.
But what about the possibility that the fat rats were less passionate about getting sugar water because they were already eating lots of sugar in their daily diet? That’s why researchers repeated the tests by rewarding fat rats with plain water when they were extremely thirsty. However, the results came out just the same.
The experiment didn’t end there. After six months, the rats’ diets were switched, and the overweight rats were given a healthy diet for nine days. However, this change didn’t help reduce their weight or improve their ability to perform tasks, which means the effects of their junk food diet continued. “There’s no quick fix.” said Blaisdell.
For a long time, we’ve believed that people become fat because they are lazy. But this study has proven the opposite to be true as well, which indicates that laziness and obesity (肥胖) are a “vicious cycle (恶性循环)”.
So, if you constantly feel tired, lacking any urge to get up from your chair, it could be that you’ve been studying too hard. But you should also pay attention to your diet.
1. What is the correct order of the research?a. Researchers changed the rats’ diet.
b. Researchers divided 32 female rats into two groups.
c. Within three months, rats on junk food were much fatter that rats on healthy food.
d. Researchers rewarded fat rats with plain water when they were extremely thirsty.
| A．bcda. | B．badc. |
| C．bacd. | D．bcad. |
| A．Most females are probably finding it hard to say no to junk food. |
| B．Sugar in water as well as in junk food serves the same vicious role in making us fat. |
| C．Your diet means most to you if you feel tired and don’t want to move from your chair. |
| D．There is no short cut for losing weight and overcoming laziness after eating too much junk food. |
| A．relaxed | B．concerned |
| C．optimistic | D．passive |
| A．People | B．Entertainment Weekly. |
| C．Science and Life. | D．Economists. |
2 . Do you know Ma Yun? He is the founder and chairman of Alibaba Group. Ma was born in Hangzhou. At an early age, Ma wanted to learn English so he rode his bike each morning in order to go to a nearby hotel and talked with foreigners. He would guide them around the city for free in order to practise and improve his English.
Ma was never afraid of failure in his youth. Although he failed the College Entrance Examination three times, Ma entered Hangzhou Normal University(师范大学). He majored in English and graduated in 1988. While at school, Ma was elected student chairman. He later became a lecturer(讲师) in English and International Trade at the Hangzhou Dianzi University.
In the early 1995, he went to the United States, and with the help of his friend he got introduced to the Internet. In April 1995, Ma, his wife and a friend collected twenty thousand dollars and started an Internet company. He named their company“China Yellow Pages”. Within three years, his company had made 5,000,000 Chinese Yuan. In 1999, he decided to give up his job in the US, and went back to Hangzhou with his team in order to found Alibaba. Alibaba is a China-based business-to-business marketplace site on the Internet, which serves more than 79 million members from more than 240 countries and areas.In September 2014 Alibaba became one of the most valuable companies in the world. Ma Yun became one of the most successful businessmen in China.
1. Why did Ma Yun guide foreigners around the city for free?| A．Because he wanted to practise his spoken English |
| B．Because he was a translator |
| C．Because he was a volunteer |
| D．Because he wanted to prove himself |
| A．China Yellow Pages | B．Hangzhou Dianzi |
| C．Alibaba | D．Taobao |
a.Ma Yun started an internet company “China Yellow Pages”
b.Ma Yun founded Alibaba
c.Ma Yun went back to Hangzhou with his team in 1999
d.He became a teacher in English and International Trade
| A．a-b-c-d | B．c-d-a-b | C．b-c-a-d | D．d-a-c-b |
| A．The story of Alibaba |
| B．The story of China Yellow Pages |
| C．The story of Ma Yun |
| D．How Ma Yun Learned English |
3 . Being compared to great people like Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein is not something that happens to the average person. At the age of just 23, Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski has already achieved much more goals than most of us ever will in our lifetime.
When she was only 14 years old, the Chicago girl made her own single engine airplane—by herself. She then flew it across Lake Michigan, becoming the youngest person to ever fly their own plane.
She graduated from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) in 2010 and entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
At first, she had to wait to be accepted into the school, but once Professors Allen Haggerty and Earll Murman watched her video they had no doubt. Femalista quoted Haggerty as saying: After just three years at MIT she has already achieved the highest possible grade point average of 5.0.
She is now studying further at Harvard University, with full academic freedom. Once again she is only 23 years old.
What's even more impressive is that she is no longer interested in building planes but has turned her attention to physics, namely black holes and how gravity (重力)affects space and time —that is why she is being compared to Einstein and Hawking.
Pasterski records all of her work on her website Physics Girl, but if you are a little shocked by her achievements, she has some words for you.
During an interview with Marie Claire earlier this year she said: Being optimistic about what you believe you can do. When you're little, you say a lot of things about what you'll do or be when you're older—I think it's important not to forget those dreams."
1. Why does the author mention Einstein and Hawking at the beginning?| A．To honour the two scientists. |
| B．To compare the two scientist. |
| C．To bring out the key character. |
| D．To introduce their achievements. |
a. Study at Harvard University.
b. Wait to be accepted by MIT.
c. Achieve grade point average of 5.0.
d. Graduate from IMSA in 2010.
e. Make a single engine airplane by herself.
| A．edcba. | B．edbca. |
| C．decab. | D．deacb. |
| A．She has full academic freedom at Harvard. |
| B．She records all of her work on her website. |
| C．She becomes the youngest person to fly a plane. |
| D．She is interested in some special fields of physics. |
| A．Independence and concentration. | B．Concentration and optimism. |
| C．Optimism and determination. | D．Friendliness and determination. |
In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined The Houston Post as a reporter and columnist（专栏作家）. In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial（财务的）dealings. While in prison, William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret. His first work, Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking(1899), appeared in McClure’s Magazine. After serving three years of the five years’ sentence，he changed his name to O. Henry, hoping to forget his bitter past.
O. Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World, and also published the stories in other magazines. His first collection, Cabbages and Kings, appeared in 1904. Many other works quickly followed, such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room. O. Henry’s best- known work is The Ransom of Red Chief. His stories always have surprising endings. He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.
O. Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking, ill health, and financial problems. In 1907, he experienced a failed marriage. In 1910, O. Henry died after an illness.
1. What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．A brief introduction to O. Henry. |
| B．O. Henry’s career and marriage. |
| C．How O. Henry became a well-known writer. |
| D．O. Henry’s best- known works. |
| A．didn’t like to study during his childhood |
| B．had little parental love as a child |
| C．was very interested in medicine and farming |
| D．took up only one job after he moved to Houston |
| A．he got involved in some problems connected with money |
| B．he joined The Houston Post as a reporter and columnist |
| C．his weekly The Rolling Stone failed |
| D．he couldn’t earn enough money to support his daughter |
① He moved to New York City.
② He joined The Houston Post.
③ Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.
④ The Furnished Room came out.
⑤ Cabbages and Kings appeared.
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．②①③⑤④ |
| C．③②①④⑤ | D．②③①⑤④ |
Our story begins not in the icy cold waters of the North Atlantic, but rather thousands of miles away in Egypt. It is here, perhaps, that we can find the start of the mystery of the Titanic, in the year 1910, in the great city of Cairo.
One day, a famous professor of Egyptian history called Douglas Murray was staying in Cairo, when he was contacted by an American adventurer.
The American had something unusual to offer Murray, something that was certain to thrill him: a beautiful ancient Egyptian mummy case, containing the mummy of an Egyptian queen. It was over 3000 years old, but in beautiful condition — gold, with bright paintings on it. Murray was delighted with both the object and the asking price. He gave the man a cheque immediately.
The cheque was never cashed. That evening the American adventurer died. For his part, Murray arranged to have the treasure sent back to Britain. However, it was not long before he learnt more about the beautiful mummy case: On the walls of the tomb in which it had been discovered, there were messages which warned of terrible consequences to anyone who broke into the tomb. Murray was disbelieving of these warnings until a few days later, when a gun he was holding exploded in his hand, shattering his arm. The arm had to be cut off.
After the accident, Murray decided to return to his homeland. On the return journey, two of his companions died mysteriously, and two servants who had handled the mummy also passed away. The now-terrified Murray decided he would get rid of the cursed case as soon as he arrived in London. A lady he knew named Janet Jones said she would like it, so he gave it to her. Shortly afterwards, Jones’ mother died, and she herself caught a strange disease. She tried returning the mummy, but naturally Murray refused it. In the end, it was presented to the British Museum.
Even in the museum, the mummy apparently continued to cause strange events. A museum photographer died shortly after taking pictures of the new exhibit; and a manager also died for no apparent reason. In the end, the British Museum decided to get rid of the mummy too. They sold it to a collector in New York.
At the start of April 1912, arrangements for the transfer were complete, and the mummy began the journey to its new home. But the New Yorker never received the mummy or its case. For when the Titanic sank, one of the objects in its strong room was the mummy case. Or so they say.
1. In Paragraph 5, the underlined word “cursed” is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．forgotten | B．uncommon | C．unlucky | D．expensive |
a. The case was given to the British Museum.
b. Janet Jones caught a mysterious illness.
c. Murray’s arm was cut off.
d. The mummy case was sold to an American.
e. A man who took a picture of the case died.
f. Warnings were written on the tomb’s walls.
| A．f, c, b, a, e, d | B．c, f, b, a, e, d |
| C．d, f, b, c, a, e | D．f, a, c, b, e, d |
| A．At the British Museum. | B．In New York. |
| C．In Egypt. | D．Under the sea. |
| A．To introduce an important historical event to readers. |
| B．To entertain readers with a story of mystery. |
| C．To warn readers about the dangers of mummies’ curses. |
| D．To inform readers about the true cause of the Titanic’s sinking. |
6 . A woman whose sports car was stolen with her dog in it put up notices all over the area that made it clear getting back her pet was more important than her car.
“Whoever did this can keep my car. Please let Benjerman come home,” the notice said.
It is not known whether the thief showed any pity, but almost 30 hours after the 1 p.m. theft Friday, Kimberly Atkins of Dover and Benjerman, a 12-year-old black retriever(猎犬), were reunited after police located them in Barrington.
“He’s hungry, he’s dirty, but he’s very happy to be home,” Atkins said.
The car was found at about 5 p.m. Saturday off Route 125 in a swampy area frequented by off-the-road cars and dirt bikes. However, the police couldn’t control Benjerman, and they had to call Atkins to come and get him.
Atkins said the thief cared for Benjerman a little by providing him with some dry cat food. She believed Benjerman ended up drinking some muddy water in the area.
She said they have been together for nearly 11 years after she took him hack from a society shelter in Dallas, Texas.
Before Benjerman was found, Atkins and several friends put up notices all over the city and in Somersworth. They also contacted animal shelters throughout southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
The notice stated there was a reward, and also that the dog needed medication. Any caller could remain anonymous(匿名的).
Atkins had parked the car outside a hardware store with the keys inside and gone in to rent a carpet cleaner.
“It was 10 minutes and I came out and my car was gone along with Benjerman in broad daylight,” Atkins said.
The car thief threw Atkins’ wallet and other personal items out of the car before escaping from the scene.
1. What could be the best title for the passage?| A．A car with a dog was stolen |
| B．Lucky dog was returned to his owner |
| C．Stealing cars: a most important social problem |
| D．Woman wants dog back more than stolen car |
a. Notices were put up saying there was a reward.
b. Atkins saw Benjerman again.
c. Police found Atkins’ car.
d. Atkins took Benjerman back from a society shelter.
e. Atkins hired a carpet cleaner in a hardware store.
| A．d, e, a, b, c | B．e, a, c, d, b |
| C．e, a, d, b, c | D．d, e, a, c, b |
| A．the dog was treated extremely badly by the thief |
| B．car stolen accidents happen frequently nowadays |
| C．the dog was found because of the reward |
| D．the thief stole the car easily |
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.
1. Why did the author follow her son?
| A．Because there might be danger. |
| B．Because her son was doing a good deed. |
| C．Because she was curious. |
| D．Because she intended to help. |
| A．Rain was in great need. |
| B．Billy carried water with his small hands. |
| C．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
| D．There were few trees in the woods. |
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
| A．⑤③②①④ | B．③②⑤①④ |
| C．④①③②⑤ | D．⑤②①③④ |
| A．Importance of water | B．The water of life |
| C．How to save animals | D．Animals in danger |
8 . Mr. and Mrs. March lived together with their four daughters. Amy was very shy. Beth loved being at home. Meg looked very pretty. Jo was tall and thin and she was a tomboy(假小子). Their home was always busy and full of noise and people. Next to them lived old Mr. Laurence and his grandson, Laurie. They lived in a very large and comfortable house. But it was a house without life.
One day, Jo saw Laurie standing at an upstairs window in his house and looking down at their garden. Jo's sisters were playing in the snow there. They were throwing snowballs and having a lot of fun. But Laurie's face was very sad
“Poor boy!” Jo thought. “He's all alone. He needs some friends.” She couldn't stop thinking about him. She wanted to go and see him, but how could she go to the house without an invitation?
Then one snowy afternoon, she saw Laurie's grandpa go out. This gave her an idea. She took a broom(扫帚) from the kitchen.
“What are you going to do, Jo?” asked her sister Meg.
“To clear the garden path.” Answered Jo.
When Laurie saw Jo from the window, a big smile changed his pale, sad face.
Jo laughed and shouted, “How are you? Are you ill?”
Laurie opened the window and said, “I'm better now, thank you. I had a bad cold and had to stay inside for a week”.
“I'm sorry,” said Jo. “Are you bored?”
“Yes, very.” he replied.
“Don't your friends come to visit you?”
“No. But I don't want to see anybody. Boys are noisy and they give me a headache.”
“Girls are quiet.”
“I don't know any girls.”
“You know us.”
“That's true! Can you come and visit me?” cried Laurie.
“I'm not quiet, but I'd like to come,” replied Jo. “I must ask Mother first.” She ran back into her house.
A few minutes later, she returned and rang the bell on the door of Laurie's house. A servant took her upstairs.
“Here I am!” she said brightly. “Mother sends her love and my sisters gave me this blancmange(牛奶冻) for you.”
“That looks delicious,” Laurie said. He was very happy to see Jo.
Jo looked around. There were lots of books on the shelves.
“A nice room!” she said. “I can read to you if you like.”
“No, let's talk,” replied Laurie.
“All right,” said Jo, “I can talk for hours. My sisters say I never know when to stop.”
“You have three sisters-Amy, Beth and Meg.” Laurie continued
“How do you know this?” Jo was surprised.
“You call each other's names when you are in the garden. Sometimes I can see you all around the table with your mother. She has a very kind face. I like looking at her. I haven't got a mother.”
Jo felt sad when she heard this
“Why don't you come and visit us?” she said, “It isn't good for you to stay in this house all the time.”
“Thank you. I'd like to come very much.” Said Laurie.
“We know all our neighbours except you.” Jo said, “I'm glad we're friends now.”
She told him about all the interesting things in her life. She said, “Besides(除了……之外) plays, I also love books.” Laurie loved books too, and offered to show her the library in the house. The library was a wonderful room. Jo loved it.
“Wow!” she said, “All those books!”
Laurie said, “A person needs more than books.”
(Adapted from Little Women)
1. From the first paragraph, we know____________.| A．Jo's family had five members | B．Jo and Laurie were neighbors |
| C．Laurie and his grandpa were busy | D．the four sisters had the same hobby |
| A．she wanted to visit his large house | B．Laurie invited her to play with snowballs |
| C．she felt he was lonely and needed friends | D．Laurie was seriously ill and needed her care |
a. Jo saw Laurie standing at an upstairs window in his house.
b. Jo and Laurie were having a talk happily at Laurie's home.
c. Jo went to Laurie's home after telling her mother.
d. Jo couldn't stop thinking about Laurie.
| A．a-b-c-d | B．b-a-c-d |
| C．b-d-a-c | D．a-d-c-b |
| A．Kind and friendly | B．Generous but rude |
| C．Quiet and smart | D．Funny but carless |
| A．People need to stay in their own houses. |
| B．People should learn much more from the books. |
| C．People need love and friendship besides books. |
| D．People should relax themselves besides reading |
| A．Mean and strict | B．Quiet but cold |
| C．Quick and learned | D．Warm and kind |
9 . Imagine having a ear made out of an apple. It seems like a crazy idea from a horror movie. But it could happen in the near future.
Canadian biophysicist Andrew Pelling used an apple to grow a human ear. He think fruit and vegetables can be used to cheaply repair human body parts in the future.
Scientists have been trying to grow organs(器官)in labs to replace our old ones. But it is a hard job. For example, liver cells(肝细胞) can grow in a lab, but he cells still need things like blood vessels(血管) to actual work. These things have to grow inside a scaffold(支架).
In the past, scientists have used man-made materials, animals parts and even dead people as scaffolds. But that has proved to be difficult and expensive.
Pelling and his team, however, found the apple to be a cheap and easy-to-use scaffold.
They first cut an apple into the shape of an ear. Then they used a special way to take out the apple make it a scaffold. The team then added human cells to the apple, and watched it grow.
“You can implant these scaffolds into the body, and the body will send in cells and a blood supply and actually keep these things alive.” Pelling said during a Ted Talk speech.
The team put the apple scaffold inside a living mouse and the mouse’s cells slowly took over the pieces of apple.
Now Pelling is thinking of other fruit, plants or vegetables to use.
He says that the shape of flower petals could be perfect for repairing skin And asparagus(芦笋)could fix a broken spine(脊柱).
Now, Pelling and his team are trying hard to put these crazy ideas into reality.
1. Pelling’s idea of man-made ear seems crazy because he use as scaffolds.| A．animal parts | B．dead people |
| C．man-made materials | D．ordinary apples |
| A．pick | B．put |
| C．produce | D．protect |
a. put the apple scaffold inside a mouse
b. add human cells to the apple scaffold
c. cut an apple into the shape of an ear
d. make the apple ear a scaffold
e. take out the apple’s cells in a special way
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．b-c-d-a-e |
| C．c-e-d-b-a | D．c-d-a-e-b |
| A．to make human ears | B．to repair burnt skin |
| C．to fix a broken spine | D．to make body parts |
| Dear Mrs. Nugget, You may remember that we have discussed the noise your children make while practicing the piano in your home. You agreed to make sure that they would stop practicing in the evening. You can imagine my astonishment (惊讶) then when I realized that nothing had changed at all and the situation was continuing as before. I find it difficult to stay in my house and I invent excuse to go out for the evening to be away from the terrible noise. Much as I like music, I have had enough and to tell you the truth, I am not prepared to put up with the situation any more. I think it is high time you realized your responsibilities (责任) as a member of the society, and I must warn you that unless you do something about the situation. I will be forced to take legal (法律) action. We all make noise in our day-to-day lives. However, noise which is unreasonable and is likely to disturb others is not acceptable. I will keep a Noise Record Sheet from today on and contact the council when necessary. And I have also sent a copy of this letter to my lawyer. Yours sincerely, R.G.Barge |
1. Why did Barge write this letter?
| A．Because Mrs. Nugget’s children played the piano so badly. |
| B．Because Mrs. Nugget refused to listen to his complaints.(投诉) |
| C．Because Mrs. Nugget didn’t tell the truth as Barge did. |
| D．Because Mrs. Nugget refused to keep her promise. |
| A．Mrs. Nugget agreed to do something about the noise problem. |
| B．Barge is astonished to see that the situation is going from bad to worse. |
| C．Barge has great interest in music. |
| D．Barge is often forced to go out for the evening with reason for noise. |
| A．change | B．improve |
| C．suffer without a word | D．raise the problem at the lawyer |
a, Barge talked with Mrs. Nugget about the noise her children had made
b, Mrs. Nugget’s children played the piano loudly in the evening.
c, Mrs. Nugget promised to stop them doing so.
d, Barge wrote this letter to Mrs. Nugget, warning that he might take legal action if nothing hanged.
e, Mrs. Nugget’s children continued making such noise.
| A．a,b,c,e,d | B．b,c,a,e,d |
| C．e,d,c,b,a | D．b,a,c,e,d |
