1 . Arguster grew up on his family’s farm in a remote village. Planting cash crop — cotton, they were breaking even and had to make ends meet. In his childhood, there were nine kids at home. All the boys were in one room with two beds. Two slept at the head while two slept at the foot. Therefore, there was one thing about their feet — washing them before crowding onto the bed.
When there was a hole in Arguster’s jeans, his mother would put a patch on it. However, the hole kept going. It was the naughty kids, Arguster included, that took the jeans out, hung them on a line and shot them to put holes. Aware of that, however, Ben, the father, didn’t rebuke them, knowing it might be the only way to bring laughter to his kids.
Arguster’s first lesson in economics was taught by Ben. The childish kid had worked and made a little extra money. He couldn’t help admiring himself, “I make six dollars! Six dollars! Man! I’m on the top of the world!” With a great thrill, Arguster decided to go to fair, where he played games, ate cotton candy... When asked by Ben how much he had spent, with his head down, Arguster replied, “Daddy, I spent it all...” Looking at his messy hair, Ben sighed, “Boy, you spent all your money and haircut’s gone up to 75 cents. I’m afraid...” From then on, Arguster always kept enough money to get himself a haircut.
Ben taught his kids how to do the right thing and wanted them to do the right thing, which Ben tried to pass on to his kids, in his own way. Ben started a syrup mill(糖坊). People in the community brought their cane and millet for Ben to grind up (磨碎) for syrup. When people paid with buckets of syrup, Ben refused. Arguster got confused, “Daddy, why don’t you let these people pay you?”
“Because we got enough syrup to last for a long time! Son, these people don’t have money to pay. That’s the only way they can pay.”
1. Why should the kids wash their feet before going to bed?| A．Because they turned dirty after playing on the farm. |
| B．Because they crowded on a small bed with feet close to others’ heads. |
| C．Because the beds were made of cotton which was easy to spot. |
| D．Because they had to make ends meet, making them seldom bathe. |
| A．Question. | B．Oppose. | C．Amuse. | D．Criticize. |
| A．He worked and earned money again for his haircut. |
| B．He had his hair cut with the money Ben gave him. |
| C．He waited for the price of haircut to decrease. |
| D．He borrowed money from his mother for his haircut. |
| A．Strict. | B．Casual. | C．Considerate. | D．Mean. |
2 . A new study has found that ride-sharing services result in much more pollution than other kinds of private and public transportation. Ride-sharing trips also draw passengers away from more environment friendly methods of travel, like public transportation, walking or biking, the study found.
Several studies in recent years have suggested that ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft can worsen traffic problems in cities. The new study represents an attempt to center on how ride-sharing services affect pollution. Overall, the researchers reported that ride-sharing trips now "result in a 69 percent more climate pollution on average than the trips they replace." The study notes that the same passengers could have chosen to travel by bus, train, bike or on foot.
One of the big reasons they give for this result is that ride-sharing vehicles are often driven with no passengers in the car. This happens when drivers are either waiting for rider requests or on the way to pick up passengers. This situation, known as "deadheading", takes up about 42 percent of all ride-sharing driving activity, the study found. The researchers said that deadheading results in about 50 percent more carbon dioxide than one person driving in a private vehicle. Both Uber and Lyft have said in the past that most studies on the subject overstate (夸大)the effects of their services on pollution. Uber told Reuters news agency in a statement it had no comment on the latest report and that the study made misleading claims about ride-sharing. Meanwhile, the company said it would work directly with cities to address climate changes, promoting sharing trips and other means of transportation.
1. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?| A．Ride-sharing becomes a new trend that can’t be avoided. |
| B．Ride-sharing industry is met with criticism. |
| C．Ride-sharing services increase pollution. |
| D．Ride-sharing services need improvement. |
| A．a driving process where the driver is not carrying passengers |
| B．a potential risk that the driver may lose control of the vehicle |
| C．a period of driving hours when vehicles produce more carbon dioxide |
| D．a situation in which a driver has too many passengers to pick up |
| A．Ride-sharing attracts exactly the same number of people as traditional means of transport |
| B．the study was conducted to prove the influence of ride-sharing services on modern cities |
| C．ride-sharing service is not an environmentally friendly way to travel |
| D．the new report has forced Uber to make big changes to achieve its goal |
3 . Real financial security and freedom is not in our job but in our passion. It’s easy to define and evaluate a man by his pursue Joseph Campbell once said, “Follow your dream and the universe will open doors where there are only walls.”
In life, we’ll always be found doing any of these two things: either making a living or making a difference. Pensions (养老金)and salaries stop many from pursuing excellence while passion unlocks hidden potentials that equip us for challenges and opportunities. A job helps us make a living while passion enables us to make a difference.
I want to sincerely help to adjust and clarify the misguided belief among workers that a job is a means of livelihood. Rather, it should be a means to fuel our passion. The earlier you realize this basic truth of life, the more clearly you'll be able to position yourself in living a life of impact and value.
The success of Kentucky Fried Chicken（KFC）shows how meaningful it is to pursue your passion instead of your pension. Its founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, didn’t realize this until he was given his first social security check of 105 dollars. But he decided that there surely was something to do for himself and other people instead of living on that small pension. He was determined to engage himself in what brought him impact and value. Drawing inspiration from his mother's special recipe for fried chicken, he invented “finger-licking” seasoning with eleven spices and herbs. Despite much rejection, he managed to round up some investors and promote company's rapid expansion to more than 6,000 locations. Sanders’ life pointed towards two facts about making a difference: one, there is no age that is too old to make a difference; two, there is nothing too small or insignificant to make a difference with, as long as it is your passion.
1. How does the author support his argument in paragraph 2?| A．By listing examples. |
| B．By showing contrast. |
| C．By including a quote. |
| D．By sharing his experience. |
| A．Deeply moved. | B．Pleasantly surprised. |
| C．Greatly relieved. | D．Internally motivated. |
| A．Pursue our passion. |
| B．Get a well-paid job. |
| C．Secure our position. |
| D．Get career guidance. |
| A．Passion or Pension? |
| B．Following Your Dreams |
| C．Working for Pension |
| D．To Work or not to Work? |
4 . The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health. There are plenty of “energy drinks” on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine(咖啡因) in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake.But be careful not to drink too much. Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee(OC) has limited(限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems.Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.
1. Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that______.| A．they have beautiful colors and cool names |
| B．they have lots of caffeine |
| C．they can keep them awake and better at sports |
| D．they are said to be helpful to health |
| A．Encouraged. |
| B．Stopped. |
| C．Helped. |
| D．Disliked. |
| A．Advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks. |
| B．Energy drinks are helpful to teenagers' study. |
| C．Sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks. |
| D．Energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers. |
| A．What's the Use of Energy Drinks? |
| B．Who Can Drink Energy Drinks? |
| C．What's That in Energy Drinks? |
| D．Why Can't We Buy Energy Drinks? |
5 . How much do consumers care about the carbon footprint of the products they buy? Would they care more if the goods were labeled with emissions（排放物） data? Does it matter at which stage in the lifecycle of a product the carbon is emitted? Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Policy and Decision Making offers a way to find out．
Study participants view a carbon footprint label as similar to labels that have appeared on some existing products．The label shows the carbon dioxide emissions connected with their production, transportation, usage and disposal（清理）, thus showing the buyer the likely effect on climate change of buying a particular product．
In the first group of studies, the research team proved that carbon emissions and a carbon emissions label would indeed play a role in consumer product decisions, although not as great a role as price．In a second set of studies, the team found that emissions connected with usage were most important to consumers followed by the transportation and disposal stages．The carbon footprint of the producing process was considered less important to consumers than the other stages in the product's lifecycle because it is outside the consumer's control．That is, the participants felt they were less responsible for carbon emitted during producing process．Consumers value recycling a product, but the researchers found that, overall, the consumers would prefer producers to offset（补偿） carbon emissions rather than having to address the problem directly themselves．
Consumers are increasingly concerned with climate change problems, and already carbon labeling is appearing on some products．"We find that participants not only take the carbon label into account when making product decisions, but they want detailed information on the label," the researchers explain．They suggest that companies should prepare for how carbon emissions labels might affect future consumer choice．
1. Which of the following most affects consumer's choice?| A．Labels． | B．Price． |
| C．Packaging． | D．Carbon footprint． |
| A．Usage stage． | B．Transportation stage． |
| C．Disposal stage． | D．Producing stage． |
| A．Look into． | B．Point out． |
| C．Deal with． | D．Run into． |
| A．Companies should take carbon emissions more seriously． |
| B．All products have been labeled with carbon emissions data． |
| C．Producers will attach less importance to carbon emissions labels． |
| D．Products labeled with carbon emissions data will have poor sales． |
6 . A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty.His victim,who picked up the ticket and then claimed the $25,000 prize,managed to trace him,and handed over the cash.The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci,58,was changing a tire on an Italian motorway.Another motorist,who stopped “to help”,stole a suitcase from his car and drove off.The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy.
Next day,he saw the lottery results on TV and,taking out the ticket,realized it was a winner.He claimed the 60 million lire(里拉) prize.Then he began a battle with his conscience.Finally,he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed.He advertised in newspapers and on the radio,saying,“I’m trying to find the man who robbed me.I have 60 million lire for him—a lottery win.Please meet me.Anonymity(匿名) guaranteed.”
Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash.But there was one voice he recognized and he arranged to meet the man in a park.The robber,a 35-year-old unemployed father of two,gave back the suitcase and burst into tears.He could not believe what was happening.“Why didn’t you keep the money?”he asked.The professor replied,“I couldn’t because it’s not mine.”Then he walked off,spurning the thief’s offer of a reward.
1. The underlined sentence “Then he began a battle with his conscience.” in Paragraph 2 implies all of the following except that .| A．he knew what he should do as soon as he saw the lottery results |
| B．he hesitated about keeping the money for sometime |
| C．he thought for a moment of avenging himself on the robber |
| D．he came to realize that honesty is more important than money |
| A．wanted to make fun of him | B．hoped to get the money |
| C．knew who the robber was | D．lost the lottery ticket |
| A．Excited. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Ashamed. | D．Incredible. |
| A．accepting | B．claiming |
| C．rejecting | D．cancelling |
| A．A Thief’s Lucky Day | B．A Popular Maths Professor |
| C．A Magic Lottery | D．A Reward of Honesty |
7 . 
When the natural climate changes due to global warming, it can surely affect seals. The majority of them live in the Antarctic region so as the ice is melting, their natural habitat can be seriously affected. These changes don’t take place overnight. They can be the result of many years of additional temperatures in the area. The seals then have to find ways to adapt.
Seals depend on the cool air currents to bring plenty of food for them. When the temperature gets higher there is less and less food and the seal population starts to shrink. Mothers aren’t healthy enough to feed their babies. Many of them end up abandoned as the mothers have to leave to find their own source of food.
The fact that their desire to produce young can be changed by the warmer temperature is frightening too. It is also believed that the warmer temperature can allow different diseases and viruses to attack the seals. This is a huge concern as they can rapidly wipe out huge numbers of seals out there.
However, these changes in climate and temperature aren’t all bad for other species of seals. Scientists have found that those living in warmer climates are producing more young due to the changes. Research also shows that the females are moving further to find food and water. When they are out of the reach of the governing males, they are more willing to accept the moves of other males in the group.
This is good news too because it means that there will be more selection in the gene pool (基因库) for future generations. It can help the seals as a species adapt to changes in their natural environment more easily.
The climate change problem for seals is directly linked to humans.When we take action to change what we let out into the environment, we will make positive changes for the seals. However, it is going to take a very long time to reverse (彻底改变) the effects of what has already been done.
1. What does the author regard climate changes for seals as?| A．A double-edged sword. |
| B．An unavoidable disaster for existence. |
| C．A mirror of evolution. |
| D．A requirement for more choice in the gene pool. |
| A．Their number will be on the increase. |
| B．The female seals will be in the lead. |
| C．Their genes will change a great deal. |
| D．The females will keep away from the males. |
| A．The Importance of Protecting Seals |
| B．Seals’ Adaptation to Climate Change |
| C．How Climate Change Affects Seals |
| D．Why Are Seals Becoming Less and Less |
8 . Wildfires can burn acres of land—and consume everything in their way—in mere minutes. On average, more than 100,000 wildfires clear 4 million to 5 million acres of land in the U.S. every year.
In recent year wildfires have burned up to 9 million acres of land. A wildfire moves at speeds of up to miles an hour, consuming everything—trees brush, home, even humans—in its path.
There are three conditions that need to be present in order for wildfire to burn, which firefighters refer to as the fire triangle: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Fuel is any flammable material surrounding a fire, including trees, grasses, brush and even homes. Air supplies the oxygen a fire needs to burn. Heat sources help spark the wildfire and bring fuel to temperatures hot enough to catch fire. Lightning, burning campfires or cigarettes, hot winds, and even the sun can all provide much heat to spark a wildfire.
Although four out of five wildfires are started by people, nature is usually more than happy to help fan the flames. Dry weather and drought change green vegetation into dry, flammable fuel; strong winds spread fire quickly over land; and warm temperatures encourage combustion. When these factors come together all that’s needed is spark—in the form of lightning, a downed power line, or a burning campfire or cigarette—to start a fire that could last for weeks and consume tens of thousands of acres.
These violent wildfires occur around the world, but they are most common in the US West where heat, drought, and frequent thunderstorms create perfect wildfire conditions.
Although often harmful and destructive to humans, wild fires play an important role in nature. They also remove disease—ridden plants and harmful insects from a forest ecosystem.
1. What are the numbers in paragraph 1 used for?| A．Introducing the wildfires started by people. |
| B．Showing how frequent and strong the wildfires are. |
| C．Warning people the harm of the wildfire. |
| D．Providing some statistical data about wildfires. |
| A．To use up. | B．To clear away. | C．To cup down. | D．To burn up. |
| A．A downed power line. | B．Burning campfire or cigarettes. |
| C．Heat and drought weather. | D．Lighting or hot winds. |
| A．Three conditions can cause a wildfire. |
| B．The most serious wildfires occur in the US. |
| C．Wildfires have advantages to a forest ecosystem. |
| D．Careful enough, a wildfire can be avoided. |
9 . Losing your luggage on a tight could soon be a thing of the past after an airline developed a bag that is impossible to lose. According to the latest industry figures, about 4 pieces of luggage will be lost on the average Boeing 747 flight. Passengers are most likely to lose a bag when changing flights, especially if the connection time is short.
One of the major reasons for luggage being lost is that the paper tags carrying the bar code (条形码) are ripped off as cases are shunted (使……转轨) along conveyor belts to the aircraft. It is this that lead to the loss of thousands of bags at airports every year.
This luggage technology, known as Bag2Go, involves fixing a satellite tracker and a bar code onto the suitcase. Using a smartphone, a passenger sends details of their flight to the airline which in turn sends back a bar code which is shown on the display unit of the case. Each bar code is unique carrying details of the traveller, flight and destination.
Once on board a plane, a passenger can use a smartphone application to check that the bag is in place and inform flight crew if it's not there. Should the bag be loaded onto the wrong plane, satellite technology and the bar code means that it will be easily traced. It will enable the case to be delivered to the correct destination and returned to its owner.
At the same time, the passenger can keep track of the bag with the help of a mobile phone application, which has a number of functions, including informing a passenger if somebody tries to tamper with the bag.
The technology is still being developed by Airbus, T-Systems, a telecommunications company and RIMOWA, a suitcase manufacturer.
Passengers will be able to buy the bags, although renting them is another possibility .The advanced technology means that there may be no luggage conveyor belts in our future, as the satellite technology could mean bags are transported independently and directly from your house to the airplane s hold and finally to your hotel.
1. What problem is the luggage technology meant to solve?| A．The problem of missing one’s luggage. |
| B．The problem of too much luggage on board. |
| C．The problem of boarding the wrong flight. |
| D．The problem of delayed flights. |
| A．Passengers can have their luggage at hand when boarding the plane. |
| B．It is equipped with a satellite tracker and a bar code. |
| C．It is only designed to get the lost luggage back. |
| D．It can transport your luggage directly to your hotel. |
| A．the airline knows the details of what is put inside the luggage. |
| B．using the luggage technology means sharing some details of the flight with the airline. |
| C．the airline arranges when and where the passenger changes flights. |
| D．a smartphone is a must for every passenger. |
| A．The case will be delivered to the correct destination and returned to its owner. |
| B．The flight crew will inform the passenger that the bag is not in place. |
| C．No one will be able to tamper with the bag once it’s traced. |
| D．The satellite tracker will send out warning message to the airport. |
10 . My parents owned a neighborhood bar called the M Ninety-Seven, named for a nearby highway, on the comer of State Fair and Hoover Avenues in Detroit. Built in the '30s, it had a long wooden bar that was on the right as you walked in. I grew up in the bar. When most kids my age were at the park playing ball or riding bikes, I was watching old men shoot pool and play shuffleboard （沙狐球）.
My father spent his entire life serving drinks and bringing cheer to customers. There were the white-collars who would stop in to unwind from the day's stress. They would bend elbows with the blue-collars and day laborers on either side of them. It always surprised me that they were able to mingle（交往）.I would sit at the last table by the kitchen, sipping Cokes and eating a bag of Better Made potato chips with my twin sister, watching it all.
It was the 1960s version of a reality show. There was Big Bill, the tough talking policeman who stood six and a half feet tall and weighed just shy of the beer truck he drank daily. His views on society could be hard to listen to at times. But one night, he showed that he was all talk. While Bill was on patrol （巡逻）,a call came over the radio about an apartment fire. He raced scout car to the scene, beating even the fire crew. The building was ablaze. He ran up three flights of stairs through smoke and flames to rescue two frightened children. Bill carried them out in his arms like each was a carton of eggs. The man with an explosive mouth but a keg-sized heart had saved the day.
Years passed, my father died, and the bar was sold. Like secondhand smoke, the words and the scenes from that bar stayed with me.
1. What did the author want to tell us by the underlined sentence in paragraph 1?| A．His family built a wooden bar. |
| B．He didn't play with kids at the park. |
| C．He liked making friends with old men. |
| D．He was familiar with everything in the bar. |
| A．To drink beer. | B．To watch others. |
| C．To communicate. | D．To relax themselves. |
| A．Rude and careless. | B．lough but a little bit shy. |
| C．Complaining but responsible. | D．Talkative and narrow-hearted. |
| A．The bar impressed the writer a lot. |
| B．The father didn't manage the bar well. |
| C．Secondhand smoke is similar to the bar. |
| D．The writer has nothing to do with the bar. |
