1 . She was returning from teaching out in a small community. It was a black, moonless night, and a heavy snow was falling.
She thought back to the time when she had first started teaching out in small communities. During those days she had always picked up hitchhikers (搭便车者), until the day her sister told her that one of her friends had been shot in the head by a hitchhiker, all because she had stopped out of kindness to help him during a storm.
Her family didn't stop worrying about her safety over the hitchhikers until the family heard the promise: “No more hitchhikers!” The snow that night was making her think back to this.
Then she saw a man waving. She slowed down for him, but as he ran toward the car in the dark, she shook with fear. Yet she thought that if he was truly in need, she couldn't leave him here in this storm.
The stranger explained that his car was dead, and she told him to get in. They drove for an hour into the next city and she took him to a convenience store. She waited until he had made a call. When he reported back to her that a family member would soon come to pick him up, she wished him well and then left.
Tears fell on her cheeks as she drove away. It felt as though she had been holding her breath for an hour.
“I hope they'll understand why I had to break my promise,” she thought.
1. What made the woman's family worried about her safety?| A．She had been hurt by a hitchhiker. |
| B．A friend of her sister's was killed by a hitchhiker. |
| C．There were often snowstorms on her way home. |
| D．Her car often broke down on her way home. |
| A．his car had broken down | B．he would die |
| C．he couldn't find his way home | D．he couldn't get in touch with his friends |
| A．She was sorry to pick up the stranger. |
| B．She felt too tired to breathe. |
| C．She had been afraid of being with the stranger. |
| D．She had been too careful when driving in the storm. |
| A．A safety problem | B．An important hitchhiker |
| C．A friendly stranger | D．A broken promise |
2 . The pupils of Grange town High have been busy getting to know their newest and tallest classmate, a 7-meter-tall giraffe outside their school
The giraffe is a huge sculpture made by a local artist. The school's headmaster noticed the sculpture in the artist's garden as he drove past one day. He thought it would be perfect for his school. “I knew everyone would love it,” he said, “because our basketball team is known as Grange town giraffes, and they wear giraffes on their shirts. So I asked them to write a letter to the artist, asking how much it would cost to buy the giraffe. He was very kind and got it ready to deliver in six weeks - all for nothing. It was expected to arrive on Sunday morning so that the pupils would see it when they got to school on Monday - at that time they had no idea that we were getting it.
The artist, Tom Bennett, was a university professor of chemistry before he left that job in 2006 and only took up metalwork a couple of years ago. “I've always drawn pictures,” he said, “I can even remember doing it on my first day at school - I drew a horse. I wanted it to be the best horse picture ever, but I don't think I succeeded.” Tom's first metalwork was a bicycle for two that he and his wife could go cycling on together. “It was a most uncomfortable bike ever created,” he said, “So I gave up making bicycles and went into sculpture instead.”
Meanwhile, the pupils at Grange town High are very happy with their new classmate. “We are going to hold a competition to give it a proper name.” said one girl. “Everyone likes the expression on his face, so perhaps that will give us some ideas.”
1. According to the text, the giraffe _______________.| A．was as tall as a basketball player | B．was given to Grange town High for free |
| C．was sent to Grange town High on Monday | D．was specially made for a basketball team |
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．worried | D．confident |
| A．He learned a lot about sculpture at university. | B．He visited Grange town High |
| C．He was good at drawing, especially horses. | D．He showed interest in art at an early age. |
| A．It was a difficult job to name a giraffe. |
| B．Tom Bennett is well-known as a sculptor. |
| C．A metal giraffe arrived at Grange town High. |
| D．The Grange town Giraffe is a strong basketball team. |
3 . Teenagers who start the school day really early are likely to weigh slightly more than those who start later. That's the finding of a new study of nearly 30,000 Canadians between the ages of 10 and 18.
Getting too little sleep can put kids at risk for a number of problems. Sleepy teens are more likely to be overweight, to have trouble concentrating and to struggle in school. Genevieve Gariepy, who works at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, wanted to know how earlier school start times night be connected with weight.
"Overweight in teenagers is a big problem in North America," she says. The number of overweight kids has grown over the past 30 years. About one in three American and Canadian teens are now overweight. Kids who don't sleep enough may be at higher risk. So Gariepy decided to focus on the impact of school start times.
Her team collected start times for 362 Canadian schools. Then they asked students at those schools to give their height and weight. In all, they collected data from nearly 30,000 10-to 18-year-olds. Among 6th-to 10th-graders, those who started school earlier were likely to be slightly heavier for their height. Every 10-minute delay in school start time was connected, on average, with a slightly lower weight among students who were the same sex, age and height. However, the difference is slight. Healthy eating and getting enough exercise will play a bigger role in keeping a healthy weight.
Because the study compared kids who already started school at different times of day, it's not clear that changing school start time would help heavier kids lose weight. To know for sure, researchers would want to compare the same kids before and after changing to a later school start time.
Still, the study is a good start, says Cora Collette Bruener, a doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital in Washington. The findings add to a growing pile of evidence that later school start times might be better for teen health, she says.
1. What is the finding of the new study?| A．More and more teens are growing overweight. |
| B．Healthy diets and enough exercise help reduce weight. |
| C．Teens who start school earlier are a little overweight. |
| D．Teens who start school earlier do not perform well. |
| A．much sleep | B．earlier school start time |
| C．less sleep | D．a balanced diet and enough exercise |
| A．By recording the teens' weight. |
| B．By checking the teens' physical health. |
| C．By comparing different sets of data. |
| D．By measuring the teens' height. |
| A．It has inspiring value. | B．It lacks further support. |
| C．It needs improving | D．It is well designed. |
4 . Lack of airflow in your home can cause indoor air pollution and worsen health issues. Your furniture, the materials in your walls and your carpet can hold poisons, Before buying an expensive air cleaner,you'd better try out a few houseplants first 一they' re much cheaper and look a lot nicer.
Snake Plant
Perfect for your bedroom, this plant is unique in its ability to give off oxygen at night. Snake plants are also able to produce enough oxygen in an air-sealed room for people to breathe normally.It's one of the best plants for filtering (过滤) some harmful gases. Water it once a week, being sure to let the soil dry in- between waterings, and keep it by a window.
Peace Lily
If you' re somebody that loves flowers in the house, this is a great option for you. A peace lily produces fragrant flowers all summer long , and effectively removes formaldehyde(甲醛) from the air. It grows best in shady areas and with the soil kept damp. Be careful though, as this plant can be poisonous if eaten by children or pets.
Bamboo Palm
This fast growing houseplant looks splendid and is safe for children and pets. It will add damp to the air in the dry winter months and remove indoor air pollutants. It grows well in indirect sunlight away from any cold drafts. .Take care of it by keeping the soil wet and misting ts leaves.
Red Edged Dracaena
This drought tolerant plant is good for beginners. It grows well in sunlight. Wipe the underside of the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to make sure it can properly filter your air.Place it in a semi-shaded area and mist the soil with room-temperature water. Careful,it's not pet-friendly.
1. How does a snake plant help you?| A．It produces enough oxygen. | B．It gives off a fragrant smell. |
| C．It keeps the indoor air wet. | D．It makes the bedroom prettier. |
| A．A snake plant. | B．A peace lily. | C．A bamboo palm. | D．A red-edged dracaena. |
| A．They prefer dry conditions. | B．They do good to kids and pets. |
| C．They reduce indoor pollution. | D．They're suitable for beginners. |
Be careful what you say around your dog．It might understand more than you think．
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany．The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child．Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee．
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects．Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back．In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right．As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words．
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew．The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before．
The correct object was chosen in seven out of ten tests, suggesting that the dog had worked
out the answer by process of elimination（排除法）．A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive．
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog．For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed （品种）known for its mental abilities．In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months．
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say．Even if they do, they can't talk back．Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then．You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
1. From paragraph 2 we know that __________．
| A．animals are as clever as human beings |
| B．chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills |
| C．dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees |
| D．dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children |
| A．Rico is smart enough to get all commands right |
| B．Rico can recognize different things including toys |
| C．Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics |
| D．Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them |
| A．Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training． |
| B．The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities． |
| C．The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects． |
| D．Rico is born to understand its owner's commands． |
| A．To train your dog． | B．To talk to your dog． |
| C．To be careful with your dog． | D．To be friendly to your dog． |
6 . The Best Places To Watch Fireworks This Fourth Of July
CALIFORNIA: LIGHTS ON THE LAKE (LAKE TAHOE)
Launched from boats on the shore of Lake Tahoe, this show is considered one of the biggest such displays in the West, which means the fireworks are visible all over town. If you’re worried about getting a seat, park your picnic at the El Dorado Beaches before 9:45 p.m. Or you can take the road less traveled and hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an unforgettable and best view of the display. Just remember you’ll have to hike down, so bring a headlight.
DELAWARE: REHOBOTH BEACH
Launched from the beach south of Rehoboth Avenue, these fireworks are visible up and down the boardwalk and beach. So jump on the Jolly Trolley(观光车) early and spend your whole day at the beach. There’s even live music after the fireworks. Note: This year’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 1, 2018.
FLORIDA: SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS (PENSACOLA BAY)
The Gulf Coast knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July. With vendors, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, this fun-filled day in Old Seville culminates(达到高潮) with the largest fireworks display in the area. Unfortunately the pony rides and face painting are only for the kids, though.
GEORGIA: DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
Pack up your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head about an hour outside of Atlanta to the University of North Georgia. It’s even pet friendly — just make sure your dog can take the noise. And if you get to town early enough (11 a.m.), there’s a Fourth of July parade that aims to put all other Fourth of July parades to shame.
1. Where is the best spot to watch the fireworks in Lake Tahoe?| A．At the El Dorado Beaches. | B．On the top of Mount Tallac. |
| C．Anywhere all over the town. | D．On the shore of Lake Tahoe. |
| A．REHOBOTH BEACH. |
| B．LIGHTS ON THE LAKE. |
| C．SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS. |
| D．DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION. |
| A．The best. | B．Just so so. |
| C．Not so bad. | D．Very terrible. |
7 . One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen—Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say；they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them—If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra pencil or pen with you to classes in case they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them—Try to make something for your friends to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for friends. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!
Try to organize some activities with your friends ahead of time. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to the movies and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!
1. While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should .| A．give him or her some advice | B．just listen unless asked |
| C．calm him or her down | D．share your feelings as well |
| A．Life without a friends is death. | B．A friend is easier lost than found. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．A man is known by his friends. |
| A．Make plans. | B．Enjoy yourself. |
| C．Understand your friends. | D．Play with your friends. |
| A．How to find a good friend. | B．How to help friends in trouble. |
| C．How to be a good friend. | D．How to make more friends. |
8 . People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music.
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, “We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful,” at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia’s harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, “care should be taken” when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes “dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes” shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a “beeping” alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person’s attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. “We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include ‘Close to me’ by the Cure and ‘Borderline’ by Madonna.”
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters a lot.
1. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?| A．What is grogginess? | B．Why are musical alarms better? |
| C．Which music is the best? | D．How can we overcome grogginess? |
| A．Sleep inertia is another cause for grogginess. |
| B．How long a person sleeps is of great importance. |
| C．The ‘beeping’ alarm is not effective mainly because of its noisy tone. |
| D．It is dangerous for everyone to effective mainly because of its noisy tone. |
| A．example of good musical alarms |
| B．more finding of the application of music |
| C．explanations about why music is more helpful |
| D．suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning |
| A．Health. | B．Fiction. | C．Technology. | D．Entertainment. |
9 . A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.
“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what’s the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”
The vet looked over the cow. “She’s certainly ill,” he said, “and she needs to take some very strong medicine.”
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, “Give her these. The pills should make her better.”
“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, “Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ ll make it.”
The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.
“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.
“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”
“Oh?” the vet said, “Why?”
“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”
“And?” the vet asked.
“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.
1. In the story, the vet must be _________.| A．the farmer’s friend | B．a milk factory |
| C．a hospital for cows | D．a doctor for animals |
| A．couldn’t lie down | B．didn’t eat the pills |
| C．couldn’t make any noise | D．was ill |
| A．The farmer ate the pills himself. |
| B．The cow got better after taking the medicine. |
| C．The vet came to help farmer change the cow the next day. |
| D．The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day. |
10 . It's hard for doctors to do a thorough eye exam on small children. But a new smartphone app takes advantage of parents' fondness for taking pictures of their children to look for signs that a child might be developing an eye disease.
The app is the result of a father's five-year quest to find a way to catch the earliest signs of eye diseases, and prevent loss of vision. Five years ago, doctors diagnosed (诊断）Noah Shaw's retinoblastoma—a rare type of eye cancer—when he was 4 months old. To make the diagnosis, the doctors shined a light into Noah's eye, and got a pale reflection from the back of the eyeball, an indication that there was something wrong there. Noah's father Bryan, a scientist, wondered if he could see that same pale reflection in pictures of his baby son. Sure enough, he saw the reflection, which doctors call "white eye", in a picture taken right after Noah was born.
Then Bryan decided to create an app that could scan photos for signs of this reflection. Now, that app exists, called CRADLE. To test the app, Bryan and his colleagues analyzed more than 50, 000 pictures taken of 40 children. Half had no eye disease and half had. "On average, the app detected 'white eye' in pictures collected 1. 3 years before diagnosis," says Bryan.
The app isn't perfect. It sometimes misses "white eye" when it's there, and sometimes says it's there when it's not. That latter condition is a problem. Even though the so-called false positive occurs less than 1% of the time, that's not good enough. There are about 4 million children born in the U. S. each year. A 1% false positive rate would mean tens of thousands of children showing up at the doctor unnecessarily.
Still, Bryan is upbeat about the promise of the app. "This is exciting new technology, and this is how I think we're going to go about screening for a number of diseases in the future," he says.
1. What inspired Bryan to create CRADLE?| A．His son's diagnosis. |
| B．His family photos. |
| C．His hobby of taking pictures. |
| D．His working experience as a scientist. |
| A．lt is a sign of some eye diseases. |
| B．It hardly causes serious loss of vision. |
| C．It refers to the white part of an eyeball. |
| D．It occurs when no light is reflected from the eye. |
| A．It may delay the treatment of a patient. |
| B．It may badly affect the future of the app. |
| C．It may raise serious doubts about doctors. |
| D．It may cause a waste of medical resources. |
| A．Curious. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Worried. |
