1 . The world has seen many inventions. While most people are proud of those associate with their names, there are things making inventors feel the other way.

The pop-up (弹出) advert, by Ethan Zuckerman

Pop-up ads are convenient for those who are interested, but most people get annoyed when they are on computers. They may contain computer viruses. Just as we would blame the inventor, the man humbly accepted his invention isn’t one of the best. In his essay, Zuckerman wrote about the most hateful thing, “I wrote the code to launch the window and run an ad in it.”

The emoticon, by Scott E. Fahlman

Emoticons began to occupy screens crazily in 2011 and gained great popularity, especially with young men. It had been four years since Fahlman first used a “smiley face” in a computer message. He created the emoticon as a joke marker. But things are different. “It has gone to places I don’t approve of,” he complained to The Wall Street Journal in 2013. “It shouldn’t have been created.”

The office cubicle (隔间), by Bob Propst

In 1968, Bob Propst came up with the idea office cubicles, something that “would build a futuristic and tidy office style with no real walls or doors and provide a more comfortable environment”. But the man has come to hate what he has invented, as Propst recalled to Fortune at age 80, “They’ve changed and just become cubicles”.

The K-Cup, by John Sylvan

It seems everyone has a Keurig coffee maker for K-Cups. John Sylvan invented the K-Cup, aimed at facilitating office life of white-collar workers. Now it’s common in houses and companies. However, the single-serve plastic coffee cups aren’t eco-friendly. “I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it”, Sylvan admits. But! Good news for Mr. Sylvan: Keuring now offers varieties of recyclable K-Cups.

1. When was the emoticon invented?

A．In 2007.

B．In 2009.

C．In 2011.

D．In 2013.

2. Which one was created for office workers’ convenience?

A．The pop-up advert.

B．The emoticon.

C．The office cubicle.

D．The K-Cup.

3. What do the above inventions have in common?

A．They benefit human life greatly.

B．Their creators are blamed by the public.

C．Their inventors feel regretful.

D．They are very popular with young people.

2 . You might have heard about how honey bees are doing poorly these days. It’s different, though, from the situation many of the world’s vulnerable (脆弱的) animals find themselves in. We want them to live their lives and grow stronger, but are we willing to change our lifestyles to make it happen? The decrease in honey bees is a bit different, because if honey bees can’t live well, neither can people and, eventually people won’t eat as a result.

As happened in 2017, U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their bees because of a disease. It’s really about the earnings of beekeepers and the reduced amount of bees. But it doesn’t stop there. Honey bees go around doing pollination (授粉). And do you know what need to be pollinated? That’s our crops. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates bees pollinate about $15 billion worth of apples and peaches each year in the United States alone.

So, we 21st-century humans not only take notice, but also start trying to fix the problem. It’s infeasible that we give every bee the treatment. We can’t imagine how huge the task is and how hard we carry on it! The most promising immediate solution seems to prevent the disease. That’s where the bee vaccine (疫苗) comes.

Scientists have long thought immunizing (使免疫) bees will be unworkable, but a 2015 study discovered that bees transfer immunity to their babies through protein. Vaccinating a bee won’t help that bee, but if you vaccinate the queen of bees, she can pass her immunity on to her later generations through her eggs.

The new vaccine will treat for American foulbrood (AFB), a serious disease that quickly destroys bees. It’s in the testing phases and most likely headed for bee boxes near you. And don’t worry, it doesn’t require a tiny doctor’s chair and needle to deliver the vaccine—the queen bee can drink the medicine in a little sugar water and pass it along to her later generations.

1. What does exactly the author intend to tell us through the 2017 beekeepers’ incident?

A．The beekeepers lead a terrible life.

B．The number of bees continues to decrease.

C．The decline of bees affects the production of grain.

D．The pollination work of bees is huge and complicated.

2. What does the underlined word “infeasible” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Practical

B．Impossible

C．harmful

D．Convenient

3. What does Paragraph 4 suggest?

A．The bee vaccine is hard to develop.

B．Bees will learn skills from the queen.

C．Bees can transfer immunity to each other.

D．The bee vaccine can take effect in the long run.

4. What can be inferred about the vaccine from the last paragraph?

A．It’s applied to all sick bees.

B．It will be delivered to bees by skilled doctors.

C．It works by allowing the queen of bees to take it.

D．It has been put into use and makes many bees survive.

3 . Experts are warning about the risks of extremely picky(挑剔的)eating after a teenager living on a diet of chips and crisps developed lasting sight loss. Eye doctors in Bristol cared for the 17-year-old after his sight had gone to the point of blindness. Tests showed he had serious vitamin deficiency(缺乏). Dr. Denize Atan, who treated him at the hospital, said, “His diet was basically a portion of chips from the local fish and chip shop every day. He also used to snack on crisps and sometimes white bread and ham, and not really any fruit and vegetables.”

The teenager saw his doctor at the age of 14 because he had been feeling tired and unwell. At that time he suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency, but he did not stick with the treatment or improve his poor diet. Three years later, he was taken to the Bristol Eye Hospital because of progressive sight loss.

He was not overweight or underweight, but he had lost minerals from his bones, which was really quite shocking for a boy of his age. In terms of his sight loss, he met the standards of being blind. “He had blind spots right in the middle of his sight,” said Dr Denize Atan, “That means he can’t drive and would find it really arduous to read, watch TV or recognize faces.”

Dr Denize Atan said that parents should learn about the harm that can be caused by picky eating, and turn to experts for help. For those who are concerned , she advised, “It’s best not to be anxious about picky eating , and instead calmly introduce one or two new foods with every meal.” She said multivitamin tablets can supplement(补充) a diet, but cannot take the place of eating healthily. “It’s much better to take in vitamins through a varied and balanced diet,” she said, adding that too many certain vitamins , including vitamin A, can be harmful ,“so you don’t want to overdo it.”

1. What does Dr Denize Atan imply in paragraph 1?

A．The diet of the boy is not balanced.

B．Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins.

C．Picky eating is common among teenagers.

D．The cause of the boy’s disease is unknown.

2. Why did the boy go to see his doctor at the age of 14?

A．To improve his poor diet.

B．To get some help to lose weight.

C．To be treated for his discomfort.

D．To slow down his progressive sight loss.

3. What does the underlined word “arduous” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Important.

B．Easy.

C．Necessary.

D．Difficult.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Reasons why the boy is seriously ill.

B．Suggestions for the boy’s family to care for him.

C．Advice for parents worried about picky eating.

D．Ways of taking in enough vitamins and minerals.

4 . It was a day in late December. The Christmas tree had been taken down. The lights and decorations had been boxed up and put in the closet until next year. And I was feeling a little empty. Surely I wasn't looking forward to the long, cold, dark winter to come. I had always been a light lover on the inside. I tried to take comfort in knowing that a few more minutes of daylight was being added each day, but it hardly worked.

I was both surprised and delighted when I looked, out of my window and saw that a spring-like day had suddenly arrived. I could hear the neighborhood children outside playing in the warm air. I smiled when I saw them and my inner little girl longed to be out there riding bikes and playing games as well.

I tied my dogs for their afternoon walk hoping to enjoy some of the sunshine myself. As I was about to head out the door, however, I decided to do something a little different. I reached down and pulled my shoes and socks off. I hadn't been barefoot outside since the summer. I slowly stepped out on the cool damp grass. It felt so alive under my feet. I laughed as I walked along. I remembered something I once read too, “Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet.” And with each step I did so. My walk felt sacred and holy. I felt a oneness with the world and the love of Heaven all around me. With love in my heart, I thanked God for the gift of this day and no longer dreaded the coming of the winter. I thought I had gathered enough energy and courage to welcome it.

AH of us are walking through this life. But it is up to each of us how we do so. Are you going to trip and walk with heavy steps and complain with each step you take? Or are you going to kiss the earth with your feet and Heaven with your heart? The choice is yours.

1. How did the author feel shortly after Christmas at first?

A．Surprised.

B．Delighted.

C．Unhappy.

D．Relaxed.

2. Why did the author want to go out?

A．She was inspired by delighted children.	B．She had to walk her dogs in the afternoon.
C．She intended to give the neighbors warmth.	D．She was touched by her childhood memories.

3. What a different thing did the author do?

A．She kissed the earth lovingly.	B．She walked barefoot outside.
C．She read a book on the grass.	D．She dried her feet in the sun.

4. What does the underlined word “dreaded” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Forgot.

B．Judged.

C．Desired.

D．Feared.

5 . If there had to be a father of handwashing in history, it would be Ignaz Semmelweis. While working at Vienna General hospital, the Hungarian doctor, faced with a situation in which maternal death (孕产妇死亡) in hospitals were significantly higher than local clinics, tried hard clues as to why.

Germs (细菌) were yet to be discovered, and it was still believed in the 1840s that disease was spread by bad smells in the air. So it didn’t seem a problem that trainee doctors hanging out of labs to dissect (解剖) human bodies would pop up to the maternity ward (产房) to deliver a baby without washing their hands.

Then an accidental finger cut by a knife during a dissection caused a doctor to die, seemingly of the same sign the mothers had been getting. Semmelweis assumed that something from the dead bodies was to blame, which might, through the hands of doctors, make their way into women’ s bodies during childbirth.

To test his theory, he ordered doctors to wash their hands and instruments in some chlorine solution. As a result, the death rate for new mothers dropped to about 1 percent, compared with that of as high as 18 percent before the experiment.

However, he faced great resistance, and met a sad end. People at that time didn’t think of themselves as sort of walking Petri dishes. And the majority of doctors then were from middle- or upper-class families, and thought of themselves as very clean people.

Over the next 40 years, a better understanding of germs developed, and attitudes to hygiene (卫生) gradually shifted. In 1876, the German scientist Robert Koch discovered the anthrax bacillus (炭疽), kicking off the new research field of medical bacteriology. Many more germs were later identified. Surgeons started to take handwashing seriously.

By the 1890s and into the early 1900s, handwashing moved from being something doctors did to something everybody had been told to do.

1. What was the situation like in the 1840s?

A．Germs might have been discovered then.

B．Women suffered from delivering babies then.

C．The air at that time was dirty and full of viruses.

D．People were unaware of how disease was spread.

2. What does the underlined word “Solution” probably mean?

A．Liquid.

B．Option.

C．Tissue.

D．Shell.

3. How did the public feel about handwashing at first?

A．It was effective.	B．It was necessary.
C．It was ridiculous.	D．It was dangerous.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Steps to Protect Yourself

B．Disease Spreading by Your Hand

C．Hand Washing Critical in Fighting Viruses

D．The First Recorded Discovery of Handwashing

6 . Call it a surprise: Hurricane Michael strengthened unusually quickly before hitting the Florida panhandle, a long and thin landmass surrounding the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, on October 10,2018, and remained abnormally strong as it swept into Georgia. The storm made landfall with strong winds of about 250 kilometers per hour, just shy of a category 5 storm, making it the strongest storm ever to hit the area, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center, or NHC.

Warm ocean waters are known to fuel hurricanes violence by adding heat and moisture (湿气);the drier air over landmasses, comparatively, can help reduce a storm's strength. So hurricanes nearing the Florida panhandle tended to weaken. But waters in the Gulf that were about 1 degree to 2 degrees Celsius warmer than average for this time of year, as well as abundant moisture in the air over the eastern United States, helped to strengthen Michael. Despite some wind conditions that scientists expected to weaken the storm, it strengthened steadily until it made landfall, which the NHC noted "defies(违背)traditional logic", The fast-moving storm weakened only slightly, to a category 3, before sweeping into Georgia.

Although it is not possible to attribute(把......归因于)the generation of any one storm to climate change, scientists have long predicted that warming ocean waters would lead to more fierce tropical cyclones(热带飓风)in the future. More recent attribution studies have confirmed that prediction, suggesting that very warm waters in the tropical Atlantic helped to fuel 2017's powerful storm season, which caused hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Hurricane Harvey, fueled by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico in August 2017 ,also underwent a rapid intensification(增强),strengthening from a tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane within about 30 hours. And in 2018 scientists reported that Hurricane Florence, which hit the Carolinas in September 2018, was probably warmer and wetter due to warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

1. What do we know about Hurricane Michael from Paragraph 1?

A．It swept from Georgia to Florida.

B．It was powerful beyond expectation.

C．It reached up to a category 5 storm.

D．It was the strongest in American history.

2. What's Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The reason why Hurricane Michael became so violent.

B．The function some wind conditions performed.

C．The key role warm ocean waters played.

D．The way to reduce a storm's strength.

3. Which of the following hurricanes once swept the Carolinas in 2018?

A．Hurricane Irma.	B．Hurricane Maria.
C．Hurricane Harvey.	D．Hurricane Florence.

4. Why were another two hurricanes mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To show the dangers of global warming.

B．To explain the result of strong hurricanes.

C．To provide some evidence of the prediction.

D．To show scientists' concern about the future.

7 . As we try to find the answer to climate change, each new solution may bring even more questions about their overall effects. Could the noise from wind turbines (涡轮机) cause cancer? Could the sound from an electric car be good for plant growth, regenerating the environment? That's the hope of Ayax Toyota.

Within the next two years, the U. S. and Europe will require electric cars to create a noise in order to warn pedestrians of their approach, or else these quiet vehicles can take pedestrians and bikers by surprise.

Instead of just creating a sound that is similar to the sound of non — electric vehicles, Ayax, an independent manufacturer, has partnered with a digital innovation agency The Electric Factory, a sound designer, to create a sound that they say could go further to benefit the environment.

Called the HY Project (short for “harmony") , the sound is inspired by several amusing studies that have looked into the effects of sound frequencies on plants. In one out of India, researchers placed mung bean(绿豆)plants in soundproof (隔音的) rooms, one of which remained silent, another which had ancient songs piped in, and a third which scolded the beans with "discouraging words." The plants exposed to the songs had the "maximum growth of the shoot," the scientists claim.

In another, South Korean researchers compared different types of plants' responses to a variety of frequencies, noting reactions like root-tip bending, an increase in the expression of "defense-related genes," and higher production for crops from cotton to rice to tomatoes. They concluded though the sound may be a “potential new cause” for plant protection, there are still “some major concerns about the use of sound treatment in plant science.”

Other manufacturers are exploring electric car sounds that range from the classic car soundtrack to ones that represent spaceships. Ayax president Alejandro Curcio says that instead of creating an electric vehicle sound that only matters to drivers, they wanted to consider how this sound would affect things beyond the four wheels.

1. What is Europe's requirement for electric cars in the future?

A．Their speed should surprise pedestrians.

B．They should be equipped with digital systems.

C．Their sound should be loud enough to alarm passers-by.

D．They should overcome the drawbacks of petrol vehicles.

2. What did the Indian researchers find?

A．Talking to plants slowed the beans' growth.

B．The songs had a positive effect on the beans' growth.

C．Silent rooms created a good atmosphere for the beans.

D．Some bean plants died suddenly for an unknown reason.

3. What can we say about the conclusion of the South Korean research?

A．It will lead to a change in crop varieties.

B．It will change the genes of crops.

C．It is more complicated.

D．It is more convincing.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To introduce an eco-friendly technology.

B．To point out the negative sides of inventions.

C．To state the necessity of using electric cars.

D．To stress drivers needs for sounds.

8 . Australia's biggest soft drink makers, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, promised on Monday to cut industry-wide sugar use by a fifth over seven years to prevent obesity in a country where nearly a third of the population is dangerously fat.

Australia has the fifth-highest rate of obesity in the developed world, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,a health condition that can exacerbate(使恶化)problems from diabetes to heart disease.

Beverage(饮料)producers in Australia have already seen some consumers switch away from sugary drinks because of health concerns and they have promised the reduction as authorities press for a sugar tax similar to one introduced in Britain in April.

“We think this is a step in the right direction, ”said Geoff Parker, chief executive officer of the Australian Beverages Council (ABC) , the main body representing non-alcoholic drink makers, an industry which generates A $5 billion ($3.7 billion) in annual revenue.“We're certainly encouraging other sectors of the food supply, and indeed other categories to join with us to reduce sugar across the portfolio to help handle what is a really a complex problem and that is obesity. ”

Companies will aim for a 10 percent reduction in total sugar per 100 milliliters in their drinks by 2020 and a 20 percent reduction by 2025, achieved via a combination of recipe modification and increasing sales of low-sugar beverages, the Beverages Council said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said last year drinking fewer sweet drinks was the best way to prevent excessive weight and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, although fat and salt in processed foods were also to blame.

It has pressed for governments to tax sugar.

In Australia, where according to WHO statistics two-thirds of adults are overweight and nearly a third are obese or grossly overweight,the Australian Medical Association has pressed for a sugar tax but it has been resisted by the country's two major political parties. “We don't want to see the price of groceries go up.”Health Minister Greg Hunt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.

1. Why did soft drink makers promise to lower sugar in their drinks?

A．They wanted to cut down the cost.

B．They helped people to lose weight.

C．They kept people away from sugary drinks.

D．They responded to the tax law from governments.

2. What can we learn from Geoff Parker?

A．People are unwilling to drink non-alcoholic drinks.

B．Beverage producers take a positive attitude to sugar reduction.

C．Many soft drink makers manage to prevent the obesity.

D．The Australian Beverages Council has encouraged people to keep fit.

3. How will soft drink producers reduce sugar according to the Beverages Council?

A．They will set a goal for the sugar use in their drinks.

B．They will limit the total sugar to 10-20 percent of drinks.

C．They will adjust ingredients and sell more low-sugar drinks.

D．They will produce more low-sugar beverages every year.

4. What should people do to keep away from obesity according to WHO?

A．People should push governments to tax sugar.

B．People should reduce fat and salt in their food.

C．People should try to reduce sugary drinks in diet.

D．People should lose more weight to keep healthy.

9 . Smart phones are dramatically changing the way we walk down the street. Office workers and young people are walking like pensioners (领退休金者) as they check emails and messages.

Scientists have found mobile phones make us walk more slowly, with modest steps, to avoid obstacles. The lead author of the study said the walk is similar to that of someone in their eighties. Researchers found people writing a text message walk more than twice as slowly as those without a phone, finding it harder to stay in a straight line and lift their feet 18 per cent higher above a pavement edge. Their steps are more than a third shorter, as they rely on their restricted vision to avoid falling over while distracted by their phone.

The scientists examined 252 separate participants walking while reading a text message, writing one, speaking on their phone or without their phone at all. Writing a text is the most demanding activity, causing people to look down at their phone 46 per cent more, and 45 per cent longer, than when reading a message. This led people to walk 118 per cent more slowly than when they were without their phone. People walked almost a third more slowly while reading a text and 19 per cent while talking on the phone.

Smart phones were found to prevent people from walking in a straight line, putting them at greater risk of colliding (碰撞) with other people, cars or street lamps. This increased the need to slow down and take more careful steps.

John Timmis said, "The idea for this study came from following someone walking down the street in the afternoon, who was walking as if he had had several drinks. I thought it was a bit early for that, then walked up alongside him and saw that he was on his phone. Simply being on the phone changes the way people walk."

1. What does the underlined word "modest" mean in the second paragraph?

A．Young.

B．Straight.

C．Small.

D．Low.

2. Which of the following people walk the most slowly?

A．Those not carrying phones.	B．Those writing a text message.
C．Those reading a text message	D．Those speaking on their phones

3. What made people with phones take more careful steps?

A．The chance of possible accidents.	B．The need to walk straight.
C．The traffic jams during rush hours.	D．The desire for using their phones.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Mobile Phone Causing Danger to People’s Health.

B．Mobile Phone Changing the Way People Walk.

C．A New Finding about Using Mobile Phones.

D．No Checking Emails and Messages While Walking.

10 . A teenager from the UK almost died because of an addiction to unhealthy exercise.

Lisa Fouweather, 19, was so addicted to working out that she ran half marathons before breakfast. She started to practice running, hoping to become excellent at her running club, but quickly became addicted.

She was hardly eating to keep in shape. The teen’s meals would only include a few pieces of food from her “safe foods” list which was mainly fruit and vegetables. She would avoid anything containing sugar or fat. “I would throw my orange juice and bread out of the window when my parents left the room,” she said. At one point, her weight dropped to just 75 pounds — around 34 kg.

This helped to improve her running in the short-term when, in fact, her whole life was falling apart. It affected her education as she would turn up late to school every day to finish her morning running. She said, “Six-mile runs became half marathons, all on an empty stomach before breakfast. Upon my return, I would eat only fruit.”

However, although warned by her parents, Lisa refused to admit she had a problem and wouldn’t give up her way of working out until one day she had a heart attack after her running and was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with anorexic (厌食症) and banned from exercise. “I was told that I could have died because my heart was under great pressure.” She was given dieting advice by doctors to help treat her eating disorders. Thanks to hard work and professional help, she managed to put a stop to her extreme exercise and dieting and has been in recovery for nearly three years.

Lisa said, “I want people who are going through the same problem as I did to know that there is help and support out there, and don’t wait until you’re at breaking point to seek that help.”

1. Why did Lisa start practicing running at first?

A．To become great at the running club.

B．To keep in shape.

C．To help her with her diet.

D．To improve her education.

2. Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lisa ended up in hospital?

A．She ran half marathons on an empty stomach.

B．She had an unhealthy way of eating.

C．She didn’t get any warning from others.

D．She wouldn’t quit her wrong way of exercise at first.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．There are many people going through the same problem as Lisa did.

B．Lisa can provide help and support to people with the same problem.

C．You can wait for help if you’re going through the same problem.

D．People with the same problem should ask for help in time.

4. Which section of a website might this passage probably be taken from?

A．Science.	B．Technology.
C．Health.	D．Nature.