1 . Kristen Sorensen was 55 when she became paralyzed from the neck down. Diagnosed in October 2018 with a rare disorder that affects the body's nervous system, she never expected to walk again.
But earlier that year, the Brooks Treatment Center in Florida became the first center to use a unique technology developed in Japan --- the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL). HAL, essentially a wearable machine, helps those with spinal cord (脊髓的)injuries and muscular diseases regain their movements and strengthen their nerves and muscles. Known as exoskeletons, they're a type of lightweight suit, with joints powered by small electric motors, that serve as mechanical muscle. Patients use their brain waves to control them.
When Sorensen heard about the brain wave-controlled exoskeleton, she knew she had to place an order and give it a try. A trained nurse helped her fit HAL over her waist and trousers, connecting her to sensors that help pick up faint bio-electric signals on the surface of the skin, which communicate a patient's intention to move. Once HAL receives these signals, it helps support the person's movements.
After some training and efforts, Sorensen was able to walk at her daughter's wedding a few months later in December. It's a thought that Sorensen shares. "When I used HAL, there were people who came from all over the country to use the equipment," she says. "I would like this kind of technology to be more readily available and more accessible especially to those who learn slowly."
But it's not just those with disabilities or injuries who stand to benefit. By 2050, there will be more than 2 billion people over age 60, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and exoskeletons could offer a solution to the world's aging population.
In the future, as human bodies wear down with age, an exoskeleton - powered by active minds - could help people stay on their feet. With such huge potential applications available, the global medical exoskeleton market will be worth an estimated $2.8 billion by 2023, according to a research company.
1. What do we know about Kristen?| A．She had much difficulties in walking. |
| B．She was paralyzed due to an accident. |
| C．She volunteered in a science experiment. |
| D．She never gave up the hope to walk again. |
| A．brain wave | B．electrical nerve | C．mechanical muscle | D．spinal cord |
①Persons put on HAL.
②Persons are connected to the sensors.
③HAL helps support the person's motion.
④Persons send out intention to move.
⑤Sensors pick up signals and pass them to HAL.
| A．②①④⑤③ | B．①②③④⑤ | C．②①③④⑤ | D．①②④⑤③ |
| A．HAL can now be used with no difficulty |
| B．HAL may have a large potential market |
| C．HAL has been widely used in the world |
| D．HAL can only help people with disabilities |
2 . The Hodgeheg
By now it was quite late. The rush hour was over. The shops were shut. All was quiet. I'll wait, thought Max, and then when a car or truck comes along, I'll cross in front of it.
Soon he saw something coming. It was a truck. He was halfway across when he suddenly realized that the truck hadn't slowed at all and was almost on top of him, blinding him with its brilliant lights, deafening him with its thunderous roar. It was not going to stop! Trucks stopped only for people-not hedgehogs!
The truck driver had been quite unaware of the tiny pedestrian. With no time to brake, he straddled the little animal. Looking back in his mirror, he saw that it was continuing on its way unhurt, and he grinned and drove on into the night.
The horror of this great monster passing above with its huge wheels on either side of him threw Max into a blind panic, and he made for the end of the crossing as fast as his legs would carry him. He did not see the cyclist and the cyclist, who did not see him until the last moment, caught Max on the bottom and threw him headfirst into the roadside.
The next thing that Max recalled was crawling painfully. Somehow he had managed to come back. He had known nothing of the concern of the cyclist, who had stared at what looked like a small dead hedgehog, sighed, and rode sadly away. He remembered nothing of his journey home, guided only by his sense of smell. All he knew was that he had an awful headache.
The family crowded around him on his return, all talking at once.
“Where have you been all this time?” asked Ma.
“Are you all right, son?” asked Pa.
“Did you cross the road?” they both said, and Peony, Pansy, and Petunia echoed, “Did you? Did you? Did you?”
For a while, Max did not reply. His thoughts were muddled(混乱的), and when he did speak, his words were disordered, too.
“I've got a head on the bump,” he said slowly.
The family looked at one another.
“Something bot me on the hittom,” said Max, “and then I headed my bang. My ache bads headly.”
“But did you cross the road?” cried his sisters.
“Yes,” said Max. “I hound where the humans cross over, but…”
“But the traffic only stops if you're a human?” interrupted Pa.
“Yes,” said Max. “Not if you're a hodgeheg.”
1. What's the correct order of the events that happened?① Max got hit on the bottom and bumped the head.
② Max explained what led him to such a situation.
③ Max was surrounded by the family who were curious and concerned.
④ Max waited for the chance to cross the street.
⑤ Max narrowly escaped being hit by the truck.
⑥ Max managed to return home.
| A．④⑤①⑥②③ | B．④⑤①⑥③② | C．④①⑤⑥②③ | D．④①⑤⑥③② |
| A．Max wanted to find out how to cross the road safely when a vehicle came along. |
| B．Max was seriously injured, so he hurried to the end of the crossing. |
| C．The cyclist sighed sadly because he believed the truck driver had killed Max. |
| D．Peony, Pansy, and Petunia,who echoed “Did you?” were Max's brothers. |
| A．The writer intends to convey some moral ideas to his readers. |
| B．Readers may wonder what is special about the writer's writing techniques. |
| C．It is typical of writers to be creative and try unique ideas. |
| D．Readers' curiosity can be aroused and they will continue reading. |
| A．Serious. | B．Concerned. | C．Casual. | D．Humorous. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．Travel brochure. |
| C．Children's tales. | D．Traffic guidebook. |
3 . Donating blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 8—10 minutes on average. The steps in the process are:
Step 1: Registration
1. Our staff and volunteers will sign you in and go over basic eligibility (资格) and donation information.
2. You will read information about donating blood, and will be asked to show a donor card，driver’s license, or other form(s) of ID.
Step 2: Health History & Mini-Physical
1. You will answer some questions during a private and confidential interview about your health history and places you have traveled.
2. We will check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin (血红蛋白) level present in a sample of blood.
Step 3: The Donation
1. We will clean an area on your arm and insert a brand new clean needle for the blood draw. This feels like a quick pain and is over in seconds.
2. The actual donation takes about 8—10 minutes, during which you will be seated comfortably. Certain donation types, such as platelets (血小板) or red cells can take up to 2 hours.
3. When approximately a pint of blood has been collected, the donation is complete and a staff person will place a bandage on your arm.
Step 4: Refreshments
1. After donating, you should have a snack and something to drink in the refreshments area. You can leave the site after 10—15 minutes and continue with your normal daily activities.
2. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you have helped save lives.
1. Which of the following can be a proper title for the passage?| A．The process of blood donation |
| B．The benefits of blood donation |
| C．The importance of blood donation |
| D．The preparations for blood donation |
| A．go over his basic donation information |
| B．show something to prove his identity |
| C．answer some questions about his health history |
| D．have his temperature and blood pressure checked |
a. clean an area on the donor’s arm
b. let the donor sit comfortably
c. place a bandage on the donor’s arm
d. draw the blood
e. insert a needle
| A．a，b，d，e，c | B．b，a，c，e，d |
| C．c，b，a，e，d | D．b，a，e，d，c |
4 . If this isn’t true love then we don’t know what it is. High school sweethearts Leonard and Hazel Cherry passed away last Thursday just hours apart, a sweet ending to their 74-year together.
The couple were married in 1942 in Muldoon, Texas. Following their wedding ceremony at the start of World War II, Leonard enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a B-24 bomber pilot. Luckily for the couple, he was never far from home as he was stationed at Carswell Army Air Corps Base in Fort Worth training others how to fly. Meanwhile, Hazel was a stay-at-home mom taking care of their only son, David. Once the war was over, Leonard worked as an auto body repairman in Fort Worth before opening an auto repair business in 1949, which the couple ran together for 31 years. The couple finally moved to Woodstock, Texas in 1980 to be close to their son and grandchildren.
In their final days, Leonard who was 95, was placed at the St. Catherine Center, a hospice (临终安养院) in Waco, Texas, while 93-year-old Hazel, who was in good health, had just moved into the village at Providence Park, a facility right next door to her husband’s.
Then on October 27, Leonard passed away just before 1 p.m. and his wife died just 10 hours later at 11 p.m.
“Every time I began to think about it, I began to smile because of how much they loved each other. In my mind my grandfather was waiting for her in heaven with open arms,” Craig Cherry told KWTX. “Even in his ninety-fifth year, he still, when he talked about her, had a sparkle (闪烁 的光) in his eye. A memorial service for them is scheduled for this Friday and I’m sure there won’t be a dry eye in the house.”
1. What is the correct order for the events in the story about Leonard?① Leonard got married.
② Leonard became a bomber pilot.
③ Leonard moved to Woodstock, Texas.
④ Leonard opened an auto repair business.
⑤ Leonard worked as an auto body repairman in Fort Worth.
| A．①②⑤④③ | B．①⑤③④② |
| C．②①③⑤④ | D．②①⑤④③ |
| A．Because she wanted to live independently. |
| B．Because she wanted to receive medical care. |
| C．Because she wanted to accompany her husband. |
| D．Because she wanted to be close to her son and grandchildren. |
| A．he felt happy because they lived long |
| B．Hazel died because of her deep love for Leonard |
| C．everyone would feel extremely sorrowful for the loss |
| D．the couple had affection for each other only at their advanced age |
| A．The Loving Couple | B．The Long-lived Couple |
| C．A Sudden Death of Hazel | D．Die Hours Apart for Love |
5 . The clockwork radio is the only radio that doesn’t need electricity. It works by turning the handle (手柄)for a minute. Nowadays, thousands of these radios are made every day. They are bought by people in some places, where there isn’t any electricity. The clockwork radio was invented in 1991 by Trevor Bayliss, a British inventor. He had the idea within half an hour while he was listening to some news in the radio about Africa: some Africans were dying of AIDS and there was no easy way to send them information about the disease. The first one he made ran for 14 minutes before needing to turn the handle again, but one year later, it improved. However, people didn’t know it until it appeared on a television programme called Tomorrow’s World.
At the beginning, no one would help Trevor develop his idea for a new kind of radio. Finally, in 1994，his invention was shown on the TV programme, and afterwards, a South African businessman watched it and decided to help him. The first Freeplay radios were built in South Africa in 1995. Since then, the radios have been a great success. And then Trevor has become famous. He has been given many awards(奖品)，including one from Nelson Mandela.
Mr. Bayliss, whose latest project is a wind-up walking stick, created a website offering inventors suggestions on patenting (专利)and marketing. After that, he also invented electric shoes, which produce electricity as you walk. And the self-weighing suitcase is also his invention- you pick it up and the handle tells you how much it weighs. That’s very useful when you go to the airport.
1. When did the radio appear on Tomorrow’s World?| A．In 1991. | B．In 1992. | C．In 1994. | D．In 1995. |
a. He invented electric shoes. b. He met a South African businessman.
c. His clockwork radio was welcomed by people. d. He improved his radio.
| A．acdb. | B．bcda. | C．cadb. | D．dbca. |
| A．To introduce his ideas about inventions. | B．To help inventors with their patents. |
| C．To sell the clockwork radios. | D．To show his awards on it |
| A．The invention of the clockwork radio. | B．The good use of the clockwork radio. |
| C．Mr. Bayliss’ patent protection. | D．Mr. Bayliss’ inventive ideas. |
6 . ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR THE COMING WEEK
MONDAY 25th | A SHORT TOUR OF BRIGHTON TO HELP ORIENTATE NEW STUDENTS TO THE LOCAL AREA. Meet outside the school at 13:20. | WELCOME NEW STUDENTS We have 8 new students this week, so come along to the Clifftonville inn on George Street at 8:30 to give them a warm welcome. |
TUESDAY 26th | PARTY PREPARATIONS | CALLING ALL STUDENTS TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL AT 7:00 TO HELP Making costumes and decorations for the party on Thursday The more people that come, the better the party will be. |
THURSDAY 28th | FANCY DRESS HALLOWEEN PARTY | COME ALONG AND CELEBRATE THIS CREEPY FESTIVAL WITH MUSIC, FOOD AND SPOOKY DECORATIONS… |
FRIDAY 29th | FOOTBALL MATCH AT 16:00 AT HOVE PARK If you would like to pay, sign on the board. | FREE TIME |
SATURDAY 30th TRIPS BY TRAIN | LONDON AND HALLOWEEN SPECIAL Includes a trip to the London Dungeons, Camden Lock market, the infamous Clink Prison and Chessington theme park for their Halloween evening, plus much more…£21. | LEWES BONFIRE NIGHT AND SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE TOUR This mid week tour leaves Brighton at 13:30 and includes an afternoon visit to the famous Seven Sisters, Beachy Head, and cider tasting at Middle Farm. A stop will be made at a country pub for dinner before we move on to Lewes for their annual bonfire parade and fireworks… Only £10 |
1. We can infer that the school in the text is nearest to _______.
| A．London | B．Sussex |
| C．Lewes | D．Brighton |
| A．for a gathering to start a short tour |
| B．to prepare for the party |
| C．to give the new students a warm welcome |
| D．to celebrate the fancy dress Halloween party |
a. Seven Sisters b. Middle Farm c. a country pub
d. Brighton e. Beachy Head
| A．daebc | B．adecb |
| C．daceb | D．adebc |
7 . Some people say chili peppers (辣椒) can help you breathe better if you have a cold. Others believe that chilies give you more energy. We cannot tell whether these ideas are true or false. But we can tell you that people have been growing chilies for centuries, and there are many kinds—about two hundred kinds of chili peppers.
Chilies need a warm climate to grow better. If you plant the seeds outside when the weather is cold, place the seeds in a glass. That will add more warmth from the sun so as to make the temperature inside higher than outside.
If you plant inside, fill a pot with soil. The pot should have holes in the bottom so water can run out. Drop several seeds over the surface of the pot and cover them with some soil. Then cover the top of the pot with a piece of plastic. Place the pot in a warm area.
Take off the plastic when the chilies start growing; when the plants have reached about two centimeters high, place each one carefully in its own pot.
When the roots show through the holes in the bottom of pot, put each young plant into a bigger pot which is about twelve centimeters high. When the plants are twenty centimeters high, tie the plants to a stick placed in the pot to support them.
When the chili peppers are thirty centimeters, get rid of the tops. That will make new branches grow. When the first flowers show, give the plants some potash fertilizer (钾肥). When the weather is warm, put them outside. Make sure that they get plenty of light and water.
Some people like to harvest chilies when they are green. Others like to harvest them when they are red. Both give color, taste and different amounts of heat to salads, soups, dishes and other foods.
1. We can know from the passage that _________.| A．chilies can make us breathe better |
| B．chilies can give our body more energy |
| C．chilies has been grown for a long time. |
| D．a red chili is hotter than a green one |
| A．increase the temperature inside | B．make the air inside cleaner |
| C．stop the sun drying up the seeds | D．stop wind blowing away the seeds |
①Getting rid of the tops of the chili plants.
②Covering the top of the pot with plastic
③Dropping chili seeds onto the soil in the pot.
④Giving potash fertilizer to the chili plants.
| A．②③①④ | B．①④②③ | C．①③②④ | D．③②①④ |
| A．The meanings of planting chilies | B．The steps of planting chilies |
| C．The advantages of planting chilies | D．The varieties of chilies |
8 . I am a parent of a disabled teenager. My son is in and out of hospital and school. His learning disabilities and behaviour issues are a barrier for him, and he is teased on campus. At home, he swears and punches me.
He is on a waiting list for his disorder which contributes to his anxiety. Meanwhile, there are hospital appointments to manage, at least four consultants on the go, and an imminent transfer to adult services. The bureaucracy of caring keeps me busy.
I used to work in the theatre industry but had to quit when my son kept getting excluded from school. I never expected that my life would turn out like this. But now, amazingly, I am doing a PhD at a Russell Group university，looking at nonwhite protagonists in historical drama. It is fascinating: underrepresented characters!Hidden histories! Diversity!
I am starting to win awards for my research and I feel like a success story. Almost. There's just one problem: I can't get funding. I keep missing out on studentships and scholarships. These awards—which are mainly funded by research councils or universities directly—are worth about ￡14，000－￡16，000 a year and usually include a fee waiver (saving a further ￡5，000). That's a lot of money.
But the funding tends to go to students half my age with straightA academic results—not to people like me, who have taken an unusual path to academia. When I was turned down for the last studentship I applied for, I asked why. The decision maker—a professor in my department and the head of a research institute—told me “it all comes down to excellent academic results”．
They don't say this on the application forms: it's all about the originality of your project, your research statement, your supervisor's supporting statement, the panel that considers you, the level of competition. But when it comes down to it, this is clearly what they want. Someone with my background is never going to get a studentship if the decisive criteria are undergraduate and master's results.
When I started my PhD and realised that I would need financial help, I went to the student advice office and told them that I am a carer. They asked what that meant and then offered me advice on benefits, but not funding. I went to the student union advice service—they referred me back to student advice. I went to the graduate school. Same response. I spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain. I had to tell them what a carer is. You get the picture. I was invisible. So I gave up, decided to apply annually for the studentships and kept my parttime job.
UCAS announced this year that young carers will now be able to identify themselves in their applications, so that universities will be able to support them. But how is this going to happen if staff at these institutions don't even know what a carer is?
The student welfare vicepresident at the union has finally agreed with me that carers are an undersupported and underrepresented group on campus. We are going to ask student records to add an option to the equality and diversity monitoring section, so that we can identify as carers and hopefully raise awareness. Wish us luck.
1. Put the following events in the correct order.a. The author won awards for her research.
b. The author spoke to a vice dean and a chaplain.
c. The author decided to apply annually for studentships.
d. The author started her PhD.
| A．dabc | B．dcba |
| C．cdab | D．cdba |
| A．she has a disabled son | B．her academic results were not good enough |
| C．the bureaucracy of caring kept her busy | D．the competition was too fierce |
| A．the writer likes reading success stories |
| B．the writer is a nonwhite woman |
| C．carers deserve our attention and help |
| D．carers are favored in the process of application and enrollment |
| A．Only undergraduates and masters can get the studentship. |
| B．In spite of her son's illness, the writer continued to work to feed her family. |
| C．The writer shows great interest and enthusiasm in her academic research. |
| D．The writer's disabled son does not respect his mother. |
| A．call on more people to care about disabled teenagers |
| B．complain about the barriers she met in getting funding |
| C．inform the readers of a carer's difficulties |
| D．give advice on how to get a studentship |
9 . I once heard this tale in India, where it is told as if true—though any naturalist would know it couldn’t be. The country is India. A colonial official and his wife are giving a large dinner party. They invite army officers and their wives, and a visiting American naturalist.
A spirited discussion springs up between a young girl who says women are no longer the jumping on a chair at the sight of a mouse and an army officer who disagrees and says, “A woman’s reaction in any crisis is to scream. And a man has more control than a woman.”
The American scientist does not join in the argument but sits and watches the faces of the other guests. As he stares, he sees a slight strange expression come over the face of the hostess. She gestures to the servant standing behind her chair and whispers to him. The servant’s eyes widen. He turns quickly and leaves the room. Of the guests, none except the American notices this or sees the servant place a bowl of milk on the balcony just outside the open glass doors.
In India, milk in a bowl means only one thing: bait (诱饵) for a snake. The American understands there must be a snake in the room. His eyes move across the room but see nothing. He realizes the snake can only be in one place — under the table.
His first reaction is to jump back and warn the others. But he knows any sudden movement will frighten the animal into striking. He speaks quickly, the tone of his voice so arresting that it quietens everyone. “I want to know what control everyone here has. I will count three hundred—that’s five minutes — and not one of you is to move a muscle. Ready!”
The 20 people sit like stone images while he counts. He is saying, “—two hundred and eighty—” When out of the corner of his eyes, he sees the snake make for the bowl of milk. Four or five screams ring out as he jumps to close the balcony doors.
“There is your proof!” the host shouts. “A man has just shown us perfect self-control.”
“Just a minute,” the American says, turning to his hostess, “How did you know that snake was in the room?” With a faint smile coming across her face she replies: “Because it was lying across my foot.”
1. What can we conclude from the passage?| A．Women are afraid of mice. |
| B．The army officer’s opinion is wrong. |
| C．The American suggests playing a game for entertainment. |
| D．The hostess has had previous experience catching snakes. |
a. The American’s eyes sweep the room but he sees nothing.
b. The American suggests the guests playing a game.
c. Following the instructions, the servant puts out some milk.
d. The hostess is staring ahead, a slight strange look appearing.
e. The American shuts the balcony doors safely, and several screams are let out.
f. The snake edges its way to the bowl of milk.
| A．d,c,a,b,f,e | B．a,b,c,e,f,d |
| C．d,f,a,b,c,c | D．f,e,c,a,d,b |
| A．The American. | B．The army officer. |
| C．The girl. | D．The hostess. |
| A．A Heated Argument | B．A Striking Dinner Party |
| C．An Unbelievable Story | D．A Smart Hostess |
10 . O. Henry, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, was the pen name of William Sydney Porter. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a physician. When William was three years old, his mother died, and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. William was a good reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school, and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm. After that, he moved to Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of bank clerk. After moving to Austin, Texas, in 1882, he married.
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 wellknown 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 |
①He moved to New York City.
②He joined The Houston Post.
③Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.
④The Furnished Room came out.
⑤Cabbages and Kings appeared.
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．②①③⑤④ | C．③②①④⑤ | D．②③①⑤④ |
| A．Cabbages and Kings. | B．The Gift of the Magi. |
| C．The Furnished Room. | D．The Ransom of Red Chief. |
