1 . It has been around for centuries, but up until very recently, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) wasn’t fully accepted abroad. Proof of this can be found in The Treatment (《刮痧》), a 2001 film that tells the story of a Chinese man in the US who’s accused of abuse after he uses guasha, a form of TCM treatment, to cure his grandson’s disease.
During the last 10 years or so, however, TCM has been getting increasingly popular all over the world. A report released by the State Council Information Office on Dec. 6 says this style of health care, which includes different forms like herbal medicine and exercise, has spread to 183 countries and regions.
“We have set up 10 TCM centers outside China, and all of them are popular among locals,” Wang Guoqiang, head of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said at a news conference on Dec 6. “Governments of 86 countries and regions have signed agreements with the Chinese government on TCM corporation.”
One of the reasons behind the growing popularity of TCM is the increase of scientific research into it. And after Tu Youyou, the Chinese scientist who discovered the anti-malaria (抗疟疾) drug qinghaosu (青蒿素), won the Nobel Prize in 2015, TCM became even more famous internationally.
However, all these achievements in TCM don’t mean that it’s problem-free. Over the years, TCM has faced challenges in being able to prove that it has certain effects.
Some researchers have suggested TCM should be more exact and work together with Western medicine.
“Bringing together with Western medicine and TCM, rather than being in competition, is where the potential for great effects is,” said Bernhard Schwartlander, the China representative of the World Health Organization.
1. The film The Treatment is mentioned in the first paragraph to .| A．introduce the film to readers |
| B．show TCM is increasingly popular |
| C．arouse readers’ interest in Western medicine |
| D．prove that TCM is not fully accepted in western countries |
| A．TCM is not exact in curing diseases |
| B．10 TCM centers abroad are all set up by locals |
| C．86 countries have cooperated with China on TCM |
| D．Tu Youyou’s success contributes to the popularity of TCM |
| A．combine western medicine | B．face no challenge at all |
| C．give an exact description of its effects | D．compete with western medicine |
| A．A report on TCM | B．Opinions about TCM |
| C．TCM spreads | D．TCM & Western Medicine |
2 . Sam Allred suffers from a rare and incurable kidney (肾脏)disease.One day，when his sister was playing a song repeatedly，Sam sang along.His sister thought it was funny so she recorded it and posted the video online.The video—and Sam—became a hit.Only 8 years old at that time，he couldn't have expected the response.
“(The television show) The Doctors called and wanted me on their show so they paid for me to go to California，” says Sam，now 13，“and we got to stay in a hotel where all the movie stars stayed.”
During that visit to California，Angle Allred，Sam's mother，had an idea about Sam writing a children's book.Together，she and Sam wrote Opening Hearts，which tells Sam's experience of living with a chronic (慢性的) illness.
“I wrote the book to teach people to be kinder to people，” Sam says.
Moreover，Sam wanted to send pillows to sick children staying in hospitals around the country to make their stay more comfortable，an idea that came from a time when he was in the hospital.
“A few kind boys came in with pillows and they gave me one and it meant a lot to me that someone cared about kids in the hospital，” says Sam.
Angie thought of starting a nonprofit organization to provide a way for people to contribute money to realize Sam's ideas.She named the nonprofit organization Kindness for Kids.
Since then，Sam has taken pillows to children staying at Providence Hospital in Anchorage.
Sam's father, Scott Allred, owns a small business that contracts (承包) shipping services with FedEx Ground.He asked the company for help.
“FedEx Ground learned about Sam's pillow project，”says Erin Truxal，manager of public relations for FedEx Ground.“We thought，‘What a perfect way for us to get involved.’”
The company provided shipping services for Sam to ship about 5,000 pillows to hospitals.
Sam wants to send more pillows to all of the children's hospitals in every state.His goal is simple: Kids in the hospital as happy as they were before they got sick.
1. We can learn from the text that Sam Allred____.| A．was a healthy boy |
| B．was popular at an early age |
| C．sang the song with his sister |
| D．worked in his father's company |
| A．is a best seller |
| B．is about Sam's sister |
| C．was published when Sam was 13 |
| D．was written by Sam and his mother |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Approving. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Optimistic and warm－hearted. |
| B．Honest and responsible. |
| C．Unusual and confident. |
| D．Friendly and brave. |
3 . "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said ‘yes’ and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine．
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audience(观众)that day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete (比赛)."She's always been my role model．I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot...”
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teens (青少年) about the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA, Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself."
1. What do the words “on cloud nine” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．frightened | B．very happy |
| C．troubled | D．very angry |
| A．strict | B．friendly |
| C．determined | D．experienced |
| A．1. | B．2. |
| C．3. | D．4. |
| A．She visited drunken drivers. |
| B．She made speeches on safe driving. |
| C．She gave dance performance. |
| D．She helped other teens with their studies. |
| A．Meet friends whenever possible. |
| B．Be yourself with the support of friends. |
| C．Go easy on yourself and others. |
| D．Have a good role model. |
4 . In today’s society , language plays a key role in defining gender (性别) by vocabulary, and also their non-verbal (非语言的) vocabulary. Each one of these different types of ways of communicating is obviously different between men and women.
Many different studies show that men tend to talk much more than women. It has also been proven that women tend to speak faster than men; this is due to the fact that women tend to be interrupted more often than men are, and also have the ability to speak more clearly, precisely, and more quickly than men. In one study it was found that women spoke for an average of three minutes describing a painting, as opposed to the thirteen-minute average it took men to describe it.
Men and women also tend to have a very different non-verbal way of communicating, which can also make it very hard for one another to understand what the opposite sex is trying to say. Men’s body language is much more reserved when talking to women. Men tend not to make as much eye contact and they generally stay farther away from women when talking to them. Men avoid other people’s body space while talking, and they also tend to sit back when talking. All of these have given off the impression of disinterest or boredom. Women are by far better listeners and much more enjoyable to talk with and they tend to raise more topics for conversation.
Women also make it clearer whether or not the conversation is going somewhere or just stuck in neutral. After learning about our styles of communicating with each other, I have decided that although men have not quite mastered communicating, what fun would it be if we all spoke the same “language”? The little games men and women play with each other while conversing would be lost. The question everyone asks himself or herself after talking with someone of the opposite sex, “I wonder if there’s something there?” would no longer exist.
1. What does the underlined word “this”in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The differences between men’s and women’s languages. |
| B．The different speed of men’s and women’s speech. |
| C．The ability of men’s and women’s spoken language. |
| D．The non-verbal vocabulary of men and women. |
| A．Speed of understanding. |
| B．Understanding of speech roles. |
| C．Politeness of communication. |
| D．Application of body language. |
| A．Cautious. |
| B．Favorable. |
| C．Ambiguous. |
| D．Skeptical. |
| A．Women , born excellent talkers |
| B．Men’s and women’s social roles |
| C．Vocabulary and communication |
| D．Opposite gender, different language |
5 . Wearing a red nose for a day may seem like a strange way to raise money for charity. However, it seems to work in Britain. Red Nose Day (RND) is a well-known event in the UK. The aim of the day is to raise money for a charity called Comic Relief which helps people in need in Africa and in the UK.
Comic Relief was started in 1985 by Richard Curtis. He wrote the series “Blackadder” as well as the famous films “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill’’. Richard’s idea to start Comic Relief was as a response to the severe lack of food in Ethiopia. It’s called Red Nose Day as on this day many people buy a plastic red nose to wear! The money made from selling red noses goes to the charity.
Red Nose Day takes place every two years in the spring and is now so well developed that many people consider it to be an unofficial national holiday. For example, many schools have non-uniform days.
The slogan for the last RND was “Do Something Funny for Money” and the money collected was used to help fund projects in the following areas: treating malaria, education, maternal health and mental health. The BBC Red Nose Day telethon raised £ 74.3 million! Money-raising events take place all over the country and many schools join in. People also donate money by post, in banks, by phone using a credit card and online.
Getting sponsored to do something is a common way to raise money on RND. If someone sponsors you it means that they agree to give you a certain amount of money for your actions. Here are some ways that people raise money: wear their pyjamas (睡衣) all day at work or in school, or grow a moustache or beard for a month.
So, if you are ever in the UK on Red Nose Day, now you know why you may find normal people wearing red noses and doing silly things! It is all for a good cause!
1. The purpose of Comic Relief is .| A．to celebrate Red Nose Day |
| B．to help those in need in Africa and Britain |
| C．to warn people against some diseases |
| D．to raise money for Mr. Curtis’s films |
| A．creator | B．birthplace |
| C．aid receivers | D．products for sale |
| A．It is celebrated in the spring every other year. |
| B．People celebrate this day to bring happiness to others. |
| C．Richard Curtis, the famous writer, started Red Nose Day. |
| D．Some people raise money by growing a beard for a week. |
| A．is considered an official holiday | B．lasts for a long time |
| C．is popular with people | D．is well designed for TV |
6 . Once a circle missed a wedge (楔子). The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. Finally it found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.
In some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish(滋润) his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.
There is wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and does not feel like a failure for doing so. There is wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy(悲剧) and survive — he or she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.
Life is more like a baseball season, when even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose. When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved wholeness that others can only long for.
1. Which may be an example of being whole?| A．A person has everything. |
| B．A person accepts his or her limitations. |
| C．A person loves someone and is loved. |
| D．A person feels blue for dropping unrealistic goals. |
| A．Easy come, easy go. |
| B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Energy and persistence conquer all things. |
| D．Some battles you win and some battles you lose. |
| A．Mainly by comparing. |
| B．Mainly by reasoning. |
| C．Mainly by informing. |
| D．Mainly by arguing. |
| A．Pursue perfection in life |
| B．Be whole in life |
| C．Life without mistakes is whole |
| D．No pains, no gains |
7 . From July to October every year, about a quarter of the world’s blue whales feed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. But the whales currently face a major threat in their favorite feeding area. Ships carrying cargo (货物）sail in the same area at the same time. All too often, the whales’ paths and the ships’ travel lines overlap (重叠), and a ship will hit a whale.
According to a new study, these ship strikes have become a serious threat to the overall population of the world’s blue whales. Only about 10,000 of the creatures still exist worldwide. Blue whales are the largest known animals ever to live on Earth. Even so, if hit by a container ship, a blue whale will likely die from its injuries.
In 2007 alone, large ships killed five blue whales in the waters off San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that because there are so few whales already, losing three to five from the California whale population every year is a significant loss. “The estimated population of blue whales in this part of the Pacific is 2,500”, says Sean Hastings, a NOAA analyst. “So every whale counts toward this species moving off the endangered-species list.”
Now, marine scientists must figure out how to protect the whales from the giant container ships. One very simple program is already under way in the Santa Barbara Channel, a waterway that separates mainland California from the nearby Channel Islands.
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has asked large container ships passing through the area to voluntarily slow down. Sailing slower will allow the ships‟ crew (船员）more time to change course before hitting a whale.
Several of the world’s largest shipping lines are set to participate in the new program. For every ship that passes through the Santa Barbara Channel at or below the reduced speed of 12 knots (海里/小时）, the company that owns the ship will be paid $2,500.
1. From Paragraph 1, we can know that_____.| A．people intend to illegally hunt blue whales for money |
| B．large ships often carrying goods may pollute the sea |
| C．the container ships may hit the blue whales frequently |
| D．there is fewer fish in blue whales‟ favorite feeding area |
| A．Because the number of the blue whales is so small. |
| B．Because other blue whales will be scared away. |
| C．Because blue whales are the largest animals in the world. |
| D．Because many blue whales get killed throughout the year. |
| A．the number of the blue whales is decreasing sharply. |
| B．the blue whales are still on the endangered-species list. |
| C．most of the world’s blue whales live in the Pacific Ocean. |
| D．blue whales are often disturbed by other endangered creatures. |
| A．The basic responsibility of a sailor. |
| B．Measures to protect the blue whales. |
| C．The world’s largest shipping lines. |
| D．Ways to slow down the speed of the ships. |
8 . Hidden from the noise of Washington, D.C., Hillwood Museum is a special treasure. It contains (包含) one of the finest personal collections (收藏) of Russian and French art in the world.
Hillwood Museum was once the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post. She was a rich businesswoman. She owned one of the largest food companies in the United States. She was also very interested in collecting beautiful French art and furniture.
She moved to Russia in the 1930s as her third husband, Joseph Davies, became the American ambassador (大使) in Moscow. Marjorie Merriweather Post had a love for Russian art as well. She bought the house in Washington in 1955 and she wanted to make it into a museum after her death. Many art experts helped Mrs. Post create its fine collection.
Hillwood has many rooms which are filled with her treasures. Visitors can see beautiful music boxes from the eighteenth century and colorful paintings of European princesses (公主). Experts say the ancient wood and gold furniture from France is some of the finest ever made. Visitors can even look at Mrs. Post’s jewels and clothes.
The museum also has several beautiful gardens. One is designed like the gardens in Japan. It has a bridge and visitors can watch flowers floating in the water. Flowers are also grown all the year in a special glass building or greenhouse. These flowers are placed in the house throughout the year.
After a walk, visitors can rest at a nearby eating place. They can also buy objects to remember this special museum.
1. From the second paragraph, we can learn that Marjorie Merriweather Post .| A．lived near Hillwood Museum |
| B．owned a food company in France |
| C．was a successful businesswoman |
| D．was good at painting and designing |
| A．she liked the environment there |
| B．her husband had a job there |
| C．she wanted to collect art works |
| D．she hoped to meet some art experts |
| A．Paintings of Japanese princesses. |
| B．Mrs. Post’s jewels and clothes. |
| C．Ancient wood and gold furniture. |
| D．Eighteenth century’s music boxes. |
| A．There are some rock hills. |
| B．They are all built in Japanese style. |
| C．Flowers are grown all the year. |
| D．There are some restaurants. |
9 . In the U. S., speaking more than one language fluently is not very common except in Los Angeles, California.
The city has one of the largest population in the U. S. of young people between the ages of 18 and 34. This generation is often called millennials (新千年一代). More than half of millennials in Los Angeles are bilingual (双语的), which means they speak more than one language.
Maria Elena Burgos is cooking a Mexican breakfast. She says making Mexican food is just one of the many traditions in her home. Another is speaking Spanish to her children.
“We want them to be bilingual. We want to keep the Spanish somewhere in their learning too, not only at home.”
When Ms Burgos first came to the United States from Mexico, she learned English. She knew her children would learn English quickly. So she wanted them to speak Spanish at home and study the language at school.
She says being bilingual will give them more opportunities in the future. Knowing Spanish also means the children can talk with their relatives in Mexico.
“When we had our children, one of the decisions we as parents made was to name them with a name that was easily pronounced in English and Spanish.”
Elizabeth wants to know her family’s culture.” “The culture-to go back to our roots because that’s part of who we are.”
Monica wants to pass on the culture to her children.
“It’s nice to know our culture and then to be able to pass it onto our children and grand- children and everyone to let them know where we come from.”
And, Monica says she does not speak only English and Spanish. She has even learned some Korean in school.
1. Which of the following is a tradition of Maria?| A．Cooking breakfast for her relatives. |
| B．Talking with her children in Spanish. |
| C．Talking with her relatives in Spanish. |
| D．Forcing her children to speak Spanish. |
| A．She doesn’t care where she comes from. |
| B．She looks forward to learning Spanish. |
| C．Everyone should know his own culture. |
| D．She doesn’t like American culture. |
| A．It can give children more chances in the future. |
| B．It can make children feel proud before their friends. |
| C．It can give the children a chance to go to a good college. |
| D．It can let children go to the places where they want to go. |
| A．To entertain the readers with a funny story. |
| B．To inform the readers of a shocking experiment result. |
| C．To encourage more persons to learn a second language. |
| D．To tell a truth that many people in Los Angeles are bilingual. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.
Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn’t built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.
Even so, travel isn’t difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go. People in Venice move from place to place by boat.
Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there’s nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it’s underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.
Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean (北冰洋) melt (融化). Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.
Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower. The Italian government has asked some of Italy’s biggest companies to build the MOST project, which was planned to be built under the seawater to stop the rising water. Anyway, this project is helping solve the problem.
1. Which is the best way to travel in Venice?
| A．The waterways. | B．Taxis and cars. |
| C．400 bridges. | D．Boats and rain shoes. |
| A．The ice of the Arctic Ocean melt. |
| B．Seawater is everywhere around the city. |
| C．People used too much underground water |
| D．The temperature has become higher over the years. |
| A．Venice is sure to stop getting lower. |
| B．High waters won’t hit Venice any more. |
| C．Scientists can solve the problems easily. |
| D．Some possible ways help to solve the problem. |
| A．The History of Venice |
| B．The MOST Project of Venice. |
| C．The Places of Interest of Venice |
| D．The Specials and Problems of Venice |
