1 . Hybrid cars are cars that run on both petrol and electricity. They have a small standard petrol engine and a battery and electric motor to provide electric power.
There are some differences between different models of hybrid cars, but the general principle is that the car runs on petrol, and the electric motor kicks in when additional power is required, for example when going uphill or speeding up. In some hybrid cars the petrol engine turns itself off when not needed, for example when the car has stopped at traffic lights, keeping only the electric engine running.
Traditional cars have large engines to cope with driving uphill and speeding up.Most of the time, this high engine capacity is not needed, but the engine continues burning up fuel. Hybrid cars have much smaller petrol engines, powered by electric motors when needed, so they use less petrol.
Hybrid cars are also lighter and aerodynamically(空气动力学的)designed for greater fuel efficiency.
Another way that fuel consumption is cut is by a system of“regenerative braking”(刹车). The electric motor is used to slow down the car, rather than traditional brakes. The energy produced by the slowing car is transformed into electrical power, which is automatically stored in the battery. In effect, the battery recharges when you brake. In traditional cars the energy produced when braking is wasted.
Car producers and engineers have been experimenting with electric and hybrid cars since the late 19th century. In 1928 Ferdinand Porsche built an experimental hybrid car that used both an internal burning engine and electric motors.The first mass-produced hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, came out in Japan at the end of 1997.However, Hybrid cars became available in the USA only in 1999, when the Honda Insight went on sale.
As they use less fuel, hybrid cars are cheaper to run. There are also many advantages in place to encourage people to buy them. In some countries, hybrid car owners pay a lower rate of tax, and don’t have to pay on certain toll roads(收费公路). In some cities around the world, hybrid cars are allowed to park for free.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Hybrid cars don’t need petrol any more. |
| B．Petrol engine and electric motor work all the way. |
| C．Hybrid cars mainly depend on electric power to run. |
| D．Some hybrid car petrol engines will quit when unnecessary. |
| A．Smaller petrol engines. | B．Scientific design. |
| C．Traditional brakes. | D．Energy storage. |
| A．Hybrid cars are cheaper to buy. |
| B．Hybrid car owners don’t have to pay tax. |
| C．Hybrid car owners don’t need to pay parking fee. |
| D．Hybrid cars will have a bright future. |
| A．To advertise hybrid cars. |
| B．To introduce hybrid cars. |
| C．To compare traditional cars and hybrid cars. |
| D．To inform the development of hybrid cars. |
2 . Do you still remember Jurassic Park, an amazing movie where science brings dinosaurs back from extinction? Now some very smart scientists are working on a way to revive, not dinosaurs, but other extinct species like the woolly mammoth （长毛象）using the gene editing technology known as CRISPR.
As an evolutionary biologist, obviously, it would be amazing to bring back extinct creatures. But even if we can bring them back, we are not going to be able to control how they evolve in the future. No man is an island and neither is any other creature. We need an ecosystem in order to survive. So we can think a lot about the examples of reintroducing species into the environment, like the gray wolves into Yellowstone. Ecology is very complicated and it certainly wasn't important when we first introduce rabbits into Australia, which was a total disaster eventually.
All animals like birds and mammals have to learn from their parents. If we bring them back to life, who are going to be around to teach them? We have examples where in California we've had the reproduction of the condors （秃鹰）.What scientists tried to do is to feed the babies using a mother condor puppet. When these poor creatures were released into the wild, they had an unnatural liking for humans. They didn't behave the way they should have, for condors.
According to Performing Animal Welfare Society, a healthy elephant costs about $70,000 per year to care for and an elderly elephant costs a good deal more. Of course, we are not talking about one. We're talking about many creatures. I don't think these creatures will have a future.
1. Why does the author mention the film in the first paragraph?| A．To recall an amazing movie. |
| B．To promote some extinct species. |
| C．To introduce the topic to be discussed. |
| D．To get to know some intelligent scientists. |
| A．Humans need a balanced ecosystem to survive. |
| B．To bring back extinct creatures was an unwise idea. |
| C．Helping endangered species proves to be beneficial for humans. |
| D．There were all sorts of positive effects about reintroducing species. |
| A．Condor. | B．Gray wolf. | C．Rabbit. | D．Elephant. |
| A．Is Jurassic Park an Amazing Movie? |
| B．What do Creatures Need to Survive? |
| C．Should We Bring Extinct Animals Back to Life? |
| D．How does an Evolutionary Biologist Protect Animals? |
3 . When you are reading something in English，you may often meet with a new word.What's the best way to know it?
You may look it up in the EnglishChinese dictionary.It will tell you a lot about the word：the pronunciation，the Chinese meaning and how to use the word.But how can you know where the word is in thousands of English words? How to find it in the dictionary both quickly and correctly?
First，all the English words are arranged(安排) in the letter order.In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with letter A，then B，C，D....That means，if there are two words “desert” and “pull”，“desert” will be certainly before “pull”．Then if there are two words both beginning with the same letter，you may look at the second letter.Then the third，the fourth...For example，“pardon” is before “plough”，“judge” before “just”，etc.
Do you understand how to look up in the dictionary？The dictionary will be your good friend.I hope you'll use it as often as possible in your English study.
1. This passage is about________．| A．different dictionaries |
| B．new words in writing |
| C．using an EnglishChinese dictionary |
| D．the best way of reading |
| A．how to use the word |
| B．how to pronounce the word |
| C．the spelling of the word |
| D．who used the word first |
| A．begins with A | B．begins with Z |
| C．is not often used | D．is a short one |
| A．century，center，business |
| B．perhaps，produce，plenty |
| C．straight，subject，surprise |
| D．foreign，entrance，headache |
| A．we have to use a dictionary when we read something in English |
| B．an EnglishChinese dictionary can tell us everything about a word |
| C．an EnglishChinese dictionary can help us a lot in our English study |
| D．all EnglishChinese dictionary are the same |
4 . I've come back to check on a baby. Just after dusk I'm in a car down a muddy road in the rain, past rows of shackled (戴镣的) elephants, their trunks swinging. I was here five hours before, when the sun was high and hot and tourists were on elephants' backs.
Walking now, I can barely see the path in the glow of my phone's flashlight. When the wooden fence post stops me short, I point my light down and follow a current of rainwater across the concrete floor until it washes up against three large, gray feet. A fourth foot twisted above the surface, tied tightly by a short chain and choked by ring of metal spikes(尖刺). When the elephant tires and puts her foot down, the spikes press deeper into her ankle.
Meena is four years and two months old, still a child as elephants go. Khammon Kongkhaw, her caretaker, told me earlier that Meena wears the spiked chain because she tends to kick. Kongkhaw has been responsible for Meena here at Mactaman Elephant Adventure, near Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, since she was 11 months old. He said he keeps her on the spiked chain only during the day and takes it off at night. But it's night now.
I ask Jin Laoshen, the Mactaman worker accompanying me on this nighttime visit, why her chain is still on. He says he doesn't know.
Mactaman is one of many animal attractions in and around tourist-crowded Chiang Mai. Meena's life is set to follow the same track as many of the roughly 3,800 captive(被捕获的) elephants in Thailand. When Meena is too old or sick to give rides -- maybe at 55, maybe at 75 she'll die. If she's lucky, She will get a few years of retirement. She'll spend most of her life on a chain.
1. Why does the author decide to come back?| A．She knows a baby is in need of help urgently. |
| B．She wants to feed those shackled elephants. |
| C．She wants to release those shackled elephants |
| D．She wants to check baby elephant Meena. |
| A．The author is scared of walking in the path. |
| B．Meena only has three healthy legs. |
| C．Meena is treated badly and very painful. |
| D．One of Meena's legs is badly broken. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Critical |
| C．Sympathetic | D．Negative |
| A．to appeal to people to care about the fate of those elephants |
| B．to describe those elephants to attract tourists around the world |
| C．to tell readers the story of a baby elephant in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| D．to tell the reason why the number of elephants is decreasing |
5 . Due to a scheduling accident, one Waffle House worker was left alone to run the entire restaurant on a Sunday night.
Ethan Crispo was just one of about 30 hungry customers who wanted food at midnight. After sitting at his table for a while, he noticed there was just one upset employee available to take orders, cook food, clean tables and manage the cash register.
The 24-year-old patron was losing hope of ever getting a meal. The employee who was recognized only by his name tag reading “Ben”-seemed to be on the edge of panic until Crispo saw him speaking to a male customer in a blue shirt sitting at the counter. After a brief conversation, Ben handed him an apron (围裙) and the man got to work washing dishes.
“It was a transition so smooth. I initially assumed it was a staff member returning to his shift,” Crispo told AL.com. “It wasn’t. It was a kind stranger.”
A couple of minutes later, a woman in high heels and a stylish dress walked behind the counter to make more coffee. She then took a few orders before resigning herself to clearing tables. Suddenly, a third customer in a red shirt marched over to help as well, though Crispo failed to catch his name or take a photo of the man at work.
The term “customer service” took on a whole new meaning that night. “It was the most fascinating thing,” Crispo said. “It was just one of the wildest instances of really, really cool people just coming together. It made a difference to many people that night. Certainly, their actions made an impact on me,” he added. “Humanity isn’t just good－it’s great.”
1. What does the underlined word”patron”probably refer to?| A．The employer of the Waffle House. | B．Ethan Crispo. |
| C．Ben. | D．A beggar wanting food at midnight. |
| A．He was a staff member returning to work. |
| B．He intended to try new “customer service”. |
| C．He wanted to give the only worker a hand. |
| D．He liked to do something before getting his meal. |
| A．A new term “customer service” was created that night. |
| B．The strangers were paid to help in the Waffle House that night. |
| C．Many cool people went to the Waffle House to have a party that night. |
| D．The customers who were willing to offer help showed great humanity. |
| A．show an example of humanity at its finest |
| B．describe the strangers who helped Ben |
| C．define what good humanity is |
| D．show appreciation for the waiter’s hard work |
6 . Many people, some even at a very young age, set the goal of graduating from college. One American woman in Texas waited a long time for her chance to reach that goal.
The woman, 85-year-old Janet Feiin, received her bachelor's degree from the university of Texas in December, 2018.
Fein has had a full life. She raised five children and then had a career as a secretary until she retired at age 77. But even then, she was not ready to take it easy and rest during a well-earned retirement. She decided to major in sociology.
Fein grew up in the Bronx area of New York City. In high school, she just wanted to finish and get a job. After graduating early, at the age of 16, she went to work as a secretary.
After getting married, she spent 18 years staying home with her children. She held several jobs throughout her life, including being a secretary at a Dallas hospital. That is the job she retired from in 2011. She received an associate degree in 1995. But she also wanted to earn a bachelor's degree. Fein took part in a state program that lets people who are 65 and older take free classes at public universities in Texas.
She kept going to class even as her health condition worsened. During her studies, it became necessary for her to use a walker to get around and she required oxygen. She also developed knee problems. So, Fein took online classes to finish the last part of her degree requirements.
Renee Brown is one of Fein's caregivers. She says Fein has alsostimulatedher. At 53, she plans to begin nursing school to further her career. Brown says Fein told her, "Renee, you can do it. If I can do it you also can do it, and you will feel so good about it.
1. When did Janet Fein start to work?| A．In 1933 | B．In 1950 | C．In 1995 | D．In 2012. |
| A．Sociology | B．Secretary | C．History | D．Heath |
| A．Shock | B．Disappoint | C．Employ | D．Inspire |
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | B．It is never too late to learn. |
| C．Practice makes perfect. | D．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
7 . How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments－mostly for entertainment purposes－is fair and respectful?
Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.
Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty. Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range(分布区). The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.
The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusually self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.
Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding(圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?
Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.
1. In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.| A．remain in cages | B．behave strangely |
| C．attack other animals | D．enjoy moving around |
| A．Zoos are not worth the public support. |
| B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals. |
| C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings. |
| D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment. |
| A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do |
| B．using evidence he has collected at zoos |
| C．questioning the way animals are protected |
| D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats |
| A．zoos have to keep animals in small cages |
| B．most animals in zoos are endangered species |
| C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos |
| D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats |
8 . All Ric O Barry wants is to stop the dolphin-killing, so he is headed to this seaside Japanese town, Taiji. The American activist, who is the star of a new award-winning documentary that portrays the dolphin-killing here, got an unwelcome reception when he showed up here this week for the start of the annual hunt.
His movie, The Cove (海豚湾 ), directed by National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos, was released in the United States a month ago but has not yet to come out in Japan.
Scenes in the film, some of which were shot secretly, show fishermen banging on metal poles stuck in the water to create a wall of sound that scares the dolphins — which have supersensitive sonar (声呐系统) — and sends them fleeing into a cove.
There, the fishermen sometimes pick a few to be sold for aquarium shows, for as much as $150, 000. They kill the others, spearing the animals repeatedly until the water turns red. The meat from one dolphin is worth about 50, 000 yen, and is sold at supermarkets across Japan.
Greenpeace and other groups have tried to stop the hunt for years. Activists hope The Cove will bring the issue to more people internationally—and eventually in Japan.
Already, the Australian town of Broome dropped its 28-year sister-city relationship with Taiji last month, partly because of the movie.
“Some regions have a tradition of eating dolphin meat,” said fisheries official Toshinori Uoya. “Dolphin-killing may be negative for our international image, but it is not something orders can stop.”
The town government in Taiji — which has made whales and dolphins its trademark — refused to comment about The Cove, or the growing international criticism against dolphin-killing.
Many in Taiji take the dolphin hunt for granted as part of everyday life. They are defensive about The Cove, seeing themselves as powerless victims of overseas pressure to end a simple and honest way of making a living.
1. Ric O Barry made The Cove because he wanted to________ .| A．support Greenpeace's efforts | B．win an international award |
| C．stop the dolphin-killing | D．make Taiji well-known in the world |
| A．the cruel and bloody dolphin-killing |
| B．the beautiful Japanese seaside town Taiji |
| C．the sale of dolphin meat around the world |
| D．the advanced techniques to catch dolphins |
| A．Japanese officials decided to ban dolphin-killing. |
| B．Taiji broke up with its western sister-city Broome. |
| C．The town government in Taiji kept silent on criticism. |
| D．Most Japanese people were against eating dolphin meat. |
| A．Feeling guilty for killing dolphins. |
| B．Making the determination to change. |
| C．Attacking those against dolphin-killing. |
| D．Protecting themselves against criticism. |
| A．The Cove has not influenced Japan's international image. |
| B．Many people in Japan have seen The Cove in the cinema. |
| C．Taiji's dolphin-killing industry has been seriously damaged. |
| D．The Cove has brought international attention to dolphin-killing. |
9 . Have you heard a story about Oliver Wendell Holmes and got what he meant? He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."
I ever believed only such a person like Holmes could think that way. But I was proven wrong.
Yesterday I watched a huge flight of geese winging their way south through one of those beautiful sunsets that colored the entire sky for a few moments. I saw them as I rested against the lion statue in front of the Chicago Art Institute, where I was watching the Christmas shoppers hurry along Michigan Avenue.
When I looked sideways, I noticed that a bag lady, standing a few feet away, had also been watching the geese with great attention. Sensing someone was looking at her, she cast a sideways look. Our eyes met and we smiled silently acknowledging the fact that we had shared an amazing sight, a symbol of the secret of the struggle to survive. I overheard the lady talking to herself as she walked away. Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.
Was the lady, this homeless street beggar, being kidding or even mindless? No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street. Her smile was real.
The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.
1. From the story in paragraph 1, we can know that Holmes was .| A．patient | B．rude | C．wise | D．awkward |
| A．The bag lady's remarks on her life. |
| B．The secret of the survival of the geese. |
| C．People's enthusiasm for Christmas gifts. |
| D．The beautiful sunset and the colorful sky. |
| A．Her unusual experiences as a street beggar. |
| B．Her great pride in what she worked hard at. |
| C．Her friendly ways of getting on with strangers. |
| D．Her positive attitude towards her own struggle. |
10 . I just had a snowstorm that piled up eight inches of snow. It truly was a winter wonderland, and there was white beauty everywhere. Since I didn't have anything to do that day, I really enjoyed it.
But then the second snowstorm arrived that night, piling additional inches of snow on top of the snow banks that were already there. And then on the evening news, the weather cast gave us a notice that still another snowstorm was headed our way. Then I felt despondent. I had things to do and places to go. After days of being snowbound, I felt like I was under house arrest. I was stuck.
A place stuck isn't a fun place to be, whether it's from a snowstorm or from life circumstances such as a bad relationship, bills that seem to tower over our heads, or situations where we see no way out. All of us will feel stuck at one time or another, but it's how we respond that makes the difference.
I had a friend named Hannah. She was stuck in the heartbreaking world of infertility (不孕). She longed for a child more than anything. Instead of accepting defeat, she acted sincerely. Think about Nelson Mandela in a dark prison. It was a seemingly hopeless place, but instead of becoming depressed or bitter, he kept fighting for freedom. Yes, he kept fighting to get the success.
Circumstances cannot define us, but our reactions do. Each of those men and women learned important lessons in their "stuck" situations, and we can as well.
1. What does the underlined word" despondent" in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Unhappy. | B．Unusual. | C．Ambitious. | D．Energetic. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Introduce some background information. |
| D．Form a connecting link of the context. |
| A．To introduce two great celebrities. |
| B．To introduce the way to be famous. |
| C．To show their different circumstances. |
| D．To show how to respond to difficult situations. |
| A．Don't be defeated by failure |
| B．Don't be trapped by snow |
| C．Enjoy the white beauty |
| D．Keep calm in the winter |
