2 . Earthquake rescue robots have experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers say with these robots, rescuers will be able to save lives during an earthquake. This robot looking like a helicopter, is called the detector-bot. It’s about 4 meters long, and it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions (作用) are to collect information from the air, and send goods of up to 30 kilos, to people trapped by an earthquake.

This robot has a high definition 360 degree panoramic (全景) camera. It can work day and night and will also be able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.

Dr. Qi Juntong, Chinese Academy of Science, said, “The most important feature of this robot is that it doesn’t need a distant control. We just set the destination (目的地) information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3,000 meters, and as fast as 100 kilometers per hour.”

This robot has a different function — it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers are unable to go.

As well as a detector (探测器) that finds victims and detects poisonous gas, a camera is placed in the 40 centimeter long robot, which can work in the dark.

Another use for the rescuers is the supply part, with its 10 meter long pipe. People who are trapped in the ruins, will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquids.

Experts have said that the robots will enter production, and serve as part of the national earth-quake rescue team as soon as next year.

1. According to the passage, this robot________.

A．is carried by the helicopter	B．weighs about 30 kilos
C．is a machine with a length of 10 meters	D．hasn’t been put into production so far

2. The underlined word “which” in paragraph 6 refers to________.

A．a camera

B．a robot

C．a rescuer

D．a detector

3. Which of the following is true of the robot?

A．It is designed to prevent the earthquake.	B．It is unable to send goods.
C．It can take and send pictures even in the dark.	D．It can be used to take in poisonous gas.

4. The text is mainly about _________.

A．what the robot looks like	B．an introduction to the robot
C．how the robot is made	D．information about earthquakes

3 . If you have ever had a cat, or have watched one of the many funny cat videos online, you’ll know that cats have a mind of their own. A lot of the things they do are hard to understand---they like to climb up tall furniture, fit themselves in small spaces and attack small objects for no reason at all.

Now scientists have managed to figure out what exactly is going on in the brains of our little friends. According to Tony Buffington, a professor at Ohio State University in the US, cats’ strange behavior largely comes from their way of life back in the wild. “Cats today still have many of the same instincts(本能)that allowed them to live in the wild for millions of years.” he said in a TED Talk. “To them, our homes are their jungles.”

In the wild, cats are hunters. Their bodies and great balancing abilities allow them to climb to high spots to better look at the environment. Even though they don’t have to hunt any more in human houses, they still keep the old habit of viewing the living room from, for example, the top of the refrigerator.

Cats’ hunting instinct is also what makes them attack small things like keys and USB drives. In the wild, they hunt whatever they can get, and most of the animals they kill are small.

However, cats can also be prey. This explains why they like to stay in small spaces like drawers or washing machines---they are hiding, or they think they are hiding, from more dangerous animals. This is also why cats prefer a clean box: a smelly one could easily show enemies where they are.

Knowing how cats’ minds work is not only useful for better understanding them. It may also help cats’ owners to better meet cats’ needs. For example, owners could try to make climbing easier for cats by moving their furniture around. They could also use “food puzzles” to make eating feel more like hunting instead of just giving food to the cats.

1. According to Tony Buffington, ________.

A．cats’ strange behavior is hard for people to understand

B．cats are more used to living in the wild than in humans’ homes

C．cats behave strangely mainly because of some instincts in the wild

D．cats’ instincts are as helpful to them today as they were millions of year ago

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A．Cats like to climb up high because they want to hide from dangerous animals.

B．Cats attack keys and USB drives because they have a habit of hunting small animals.

C．Cats enjoy staying in small spaces because they usually live in small caves in the wild.

D．Cats’ preference for a clean box probably has something to do with their hunting instincts.

3. The underlined word “prey” in Paragraph 5 probably means _________.

A．an animal that is too lazy

B．an animal that likes hiding games

C．an animal that keeps itself clean

D．an animal that is hunted

4. This article is mainly written to _________.

A．explore the reasons behind cats’ strange behavior

B．describe cats’ past wild experience to readers

C．tell cat owners how to make life easier for cats

D．compare cats’ behavior in human homes with that in the wild

4 . Bumblebees(大黄蜂）aren't simply dancing around our gardens.Now,a new study suggests that bumblebees force plants to flower by making small bites in their leaves.

Consuelo De Moraes,a scientist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, noticed bumblebees making tiny bites in the leaves of their greenhouse plants.The insects didn't seem to be carrying off the bits of leaves to their nests or eating them.

Supposing the bees were causing the plants to flower,Consuelo De Moraes and his team set up a series of experiments.They placed flowerless tomato plants and two kinds of worker bees in cages.The bees fed with enough pollen(花粉）seldom damaged the plants,while the ones without having pollen for three days busily did so.Scientists then removed the plants after the bees made five to ten holes in their leaves.The small holes caused the tomato plants to flower a month sooner than usual.

＂In a sense,the bees are signaling,'Hey,we need food.Please speed up your flowering, and we'll pollinate(授粉）you."said Lars Chittka,a behavioral scientist at Queen Mary University of London.

To make sure that their discoveries didn't result from the man-made conditions in the lab, the scientists placed bumblebees and a variety of flowerless plant species on their Zurich rooftop in late March 2018.The bees were free to fly as far as they could.Yet they set to work damaging the leaves on all the non-flowering plants nearest to their nests.The bees lost interest in this activity toward the end of April as more flowers came out,according to the study.

The research is of great value,for it can increase the human food supply.However,some questions remain to be answered,like"Why do the bites cause the plants to flower?"and ＂Does flowering early lead to higher fitness for the plants?"

1. Why did the bumblebees bite the leaves?

A．Because they wanted to eat the leaves.

B．Because they were to get pollen to eat.

C．Because they were exercising to be stronger.

D．Because they would carry the leaves to the nests.

2. What does the underlined"this activity"in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Dancing on the leaves.

B．Flying as far as they could.

C．Making small holes in the leaves.

D．Damaging the flowers near their nests.

3. What's the possible benefit of the research?

A．Humans may produce more food.

B．Bumblebees can have more to eat.

C．Some plants can have more flowers.

D．Some plants will gain higher fitness.

4. What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Bumblebees speed up plants flowering by biting leaves.

B．Human food supply will largely depend on bumblebees.

C．Bumblebees like to damage the plants nearest their nests.

D．Rooftop plants flower more than the ones in greenhouses.

5 . The animal kingdom is full of beautiful and attractive creatures, and it is inviting to purchase exotic animals and call them pets. But undomesticated(未驯化的) pets may affect the health and safety of both the animals and the people who keep them.

The umbrella cockatoo, for instance, is a type of parrot, which can live up to seventy years. It is often purchased as an exotic pet. It requires a very large living place and a great deal of attention. When its specific needs are unmet, the bird commonly bites itself or becomes aggressive. Similarly, the ball python one of the most popular pet snakes, requires special conditions to survive. Like the umbrella cockatoo, the snake's long lifespan—up to forty years—presents serious practical challenges to any owner, no matter how devoted.

Exotic pet owners are most likely identified as animal lovers who purchased their animals in order to feel a deep connection to the natural world. However, the mere ownership of such an animal means it's probable that the person participated in the illegal trade. This trade—the capture and sale of wild animals——is often cruel to species. Countless animals suffer and die each year.

The problems continue when exotic pets are sold to non-professional owners. When they find they cannot care for them, owners take their exotic pets into the wild and abandon them, as proved by the case of Burmese pythons in Florida. This non-native species multiplied quickly seriously threatening the Florida ecosystem. Also , exotic pets pose a danger to their owners: some emerging infectious diseases, which thousands of people per year are stricken with, and especially occurred in children.

Wild animals are undoubtedly attracting, but they should be admired in their own natural environments. Penning animals as exotic pets harms their quality of life. Pet ownership of any kind is a serious responsibility, and that's why animal lovers should choose domesticated animals that will Boom under the care of humans.

1. What can we infer about exotic pets in paragraph 2?

A．They can live longest in the animal kingdom.

B．They need professional care from the owner.

C．They require special training from their owner.

D．They can’t have a satisfying life under human care.

2. Why are people absorbed in keeping exotic animals?

A．To get high income.

B．To build a bond with nature,

C．To help prevent illegal pet trades.

D．To make exotic pets' life comfortable.

3. What can raising exotic pets at will result in?

A．Improving the native ecosystem.

B．Increasing the number of rare species.

C．Losing control of illegal wildlife trading.

D．Putting humans and exotic wildlife at risk.

4. What's the main argument of the passage?

A．Wild animals are more dangerous than ordinary pets.

B．It's inappropriate to keep undomesticated exotic pets.

C．Exotic pets should be kept in better conditions.

D．Rules of the exotic pet trade should be updated.

6 . Artists always treat businessmen as money-obsessed ( 迷 恋 金 钱 的 ) bores. Or worse, many businessmen, for their part, assume that artists usually consider themselves to be more intelligent than others. Bosses may stick   a few modern paintings on their office walls. But they seldom take the arts seriously as a source of inspiration.

The prejudice starts at business school, where “hard” things such as numbers rule. It is reinforced by everyday experience. Bosses constantly remind their employees that if you can't count it, it doesn't count. Few read deeply about the arts. Sun Tzu's The Art of War does not count while some tasteless business books are pleasing to them: consider Wess Roberts' Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.

But lately there are welcome signs of a thaw (缓和) on the business side of the great cultural divide. Business presses are publishing a series of books such as The Fine Art of Success by Jamie Anderson. Business schools such as the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto are trying to learn from the arts.

Mr. Anderson points out that many artists have also been superb enterprisers. Damien Hirst has been one of the most enterprising. He upturned the art world by selling his work directly through Sotheby's, an auction ( 拍 卖 ) house. Whatever they think of his work, businessmen cannot help admiring a man who parted art lovers from £ 75.5 million on the day that Lehman Brothers collapsed.

Studying the arts can help businessmen communicate more effectively. Most bosses spend a huge amount of time “messaging” and “reaching out”, yet few are good at it. Half an hour with George Orwell's Why I Write would work wonders.

Studying the arts can also help companies learn how to manage bright people. Rob Goffee of the London Business School points out that today's most productive companies are dominated by what they call “clevers”, who are very hard to manage. They hate being told what to do by managers, whom they regard as being stupid. They refuse to submit to performance reviews.

In short, they are prima donnas. The art world has centuries of experience in managing such difficult people.

Directors persuade actresses to cooperate with actors they hate. Their tips might be worth hearing.
1. Which book combines the arts with business?

A．Why I Write.	B．The Art of War.
C．The Fine Art of Success.	D．Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.

2. What kind of person is Damien Hirst actually?

A．An artist who is good at doing business.

B．A businessman who just cares about money.

C．An artist whose works changed the art world.

D．A businessman who had prejudice toward the arts.

3. The underlined words “prima donnas” probably refer to those who are _______.

A．quite stupid	B．rather proud
C．really bright	D．very efficient

4. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A．Good management takes skill and patience.

B．Artists should show respect for businessmen.

C．Painting is a special form of communication.

D．Businessmen have much to learn from artists.

7 . A walk through the galleries of Quebec's Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) places individuals face-to-face with some 43,000 artworks ranging from Chinese ceramics (陶瓷制品) to Inuit sculpture.

While the visiting is an incredible cultural experience, a group of local physicians will soon be able to prescribe(开处方) museum visits as treatment for some illnesses.

Hélène Boyer, vice president of a Montreal-based medical association, explains that museum visits have been shown to increase levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter (神经传导物质) known as the "happy chemical" which helps to lift mood.

According to Boyer, the small increase in hormones(荷尔蒙)associated with enjoying an afternoon of art is similar to that offered by exercise, making museum prescriptions ideal for the elderly experiencing pain that prevents them from regularly joining in physical activity.

The museum visits are designed to improve traditional methods. As Bondil notes, spending time in a peaceful environment can provide a welcome distraction. "What is most important is this experience can help them escape from their own pain," she says. "When you enter the museum, you escape from the speed of our daily life."

"I am convinced that in the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century," said Bondil. " Some people would do well to recall that just in the 19^th century, sports were believed to do harm to the body. Just as doctors now prescribe exercise, they will be able to prescribe a visit to the MMFA."

1. What does Hélène Boyer think of museum visits?

A．They can cheer people up.	B．They can reduce physical activity.
C．They can slow down our life pace.	D．They can increase levels of art appreciation.

2. How do museum visits affect people?

A．Stop them concentrating on pain.

B．Stop them focusing on traditional methods.

C．Encourage them not to be absent-minded.

D．Encourage them to slow their steps while walking.

3. What does the last paragraph suggest?

A．Physical activities were popular in the 19th century.

B．Sports are considered to be harmful to the body.

C．Ideas of treating illnesses are changing over time.

D．Doctors prescribe museum visits regularly now.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Museum visits are ideal for the elderly.	B．Happy chemical helps to lift mood.
C．Peaceful environment helps escape pain.	D．Cultural activities will promote health

8 . Saving the giant panda from extinction isn't just good for the bears-it's good for the bottom line too,a new analysis by an international team of scientist shows.

The results,published in the journal Current Biology,highlight the economic benefits that they say go hand in hand with environmental conservation. In order to protect giant pandas,the government must protect their forests,which provide a host of often-under appreciated services to the communities that live in and around them. For example,forests allow for the growing of crops and the grazing(放牧）of animals,store clean fresh water and supply firewood,lumber(木材）and many useful plants.They manage storm runoff and help prevent erosion(侵蚀）。

The pandas themselves also hold enormous cultural value that has risen rapidly in recent decades among Chinese residents,the study also points out. "From 1980 to 2010,the cultural values of   pandas and their reserves almost doubled,largely driven by tourism use,rising 500-fold from 1980 to 2010, "they said.

Taking all of these factors into account,the scientists calculated a total economic value of Approximately $2. 6 billion in 2010 in China. Keep in mind,the costs of preserving panda habitat at current levels come to about$255 million. The study authors said that including the global cultural Value of the animals would increase the total economic value to $6. 9 billion per year-or about 27 times the cost of habitat preservation.

The researchers also noted that the investment in panda habitat has improved the living conditions   of local residents. They pointed to data from the Chinese Statistical Yearbook showing that the annual income in Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu provinces,which sit next to panda reserves,rose by an average of 56%from 2000 to 2010. Farmers in counties within these provinces that were next to the panda reserves saw their annual incomes rise by 64%,on average.

The findings provide a promising example of how conservation efforts can pay off,and they could be applied to many other threatened and endangered species,the study authors said.

1. What does the underlined words "bottom line"refer lo in the first paragraph?

A．Moral standard.	B．Economic profits.
C．Overall development.	D．Environmental conservation.

2. Which is one of the results of preserving pandas?

A．Less farmland.	B．More foreign trade.
C．More forest fires.	D．Better farming conditions,

3. In China,about how many times do economic values outweigh preserving cost?

A．26.	B．10.
C．4.	D．3.

4. What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Protecting pandas takes great efforts.

B．Pandas are a major tourism attraction in China.

C．Conservation of pandas is economically rewarding.

D．Pandas make great contributions to the environment.

9 . It’s normal for teens to want to stay connected with friends and social circle, but what about that happening in the middle of the night? The Journal of Youth Studies recently published new research showing that one in five teens from 12 to 15 regularly wake to spend all night on social media (社会媒体). Not surprisingly, the research also showed that these social night owls were three times more likely than others to feel tired at school and that girls were more likely than boys to be called to office.

The blue light produced by cell phones and computers makes the brain to stay awake, so it's easy to see why a teen might be up all night. A study in Psychological Science showed the same brain reaction: when teens saw large numbers of “likes” on their posts, they stayed awake with excitement as if they had eaten chocolates or won money. Besides not catching up on sleep and interrupting their sleep cycle, teens may never fully enter deep sleep that may be responsible for brain development and learning.

Considering about 72 percent of children from 6 to 17 sleep with some electronic media in their bedrooms, parents need to set rules sooner rather than later.

“Providing access (使用机会) to social media is a favor that children can earn and also lose,” Janie Feldman, an expert who treats sleep disorders (紊乱), reminds parents, “The bad effect is clear. So teens and parents should discuss and agree on its use, timing and access. When teenagers agree to the rules, it’s easier for parents to control how much time they use the phones or computers.”

1. What does the underlined part “night owls” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Girls often called to office.

B．Teens who stay up late on social media.

C．Teens who are busy with their homework at night.

D．Boys regularly waking in the middle of the night.

2. How do teens react when seeing many “likes” on their posts according to the study?

A．They are too excited to go to sleep.

B．They fall asleep easily and happily.

C．They are too excited to go to school.

D．They decide to make more good friends.

3. What suggestion does Janie Feldman give to parents?

A．Making rules about media access together with their children.

B．Getting their children to do homework through computers.

C．Encouraging their children to stay connected with online friends.

D．Stopping their children from using cell phones.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Deep sleep makes a big difference to brain development.

B．Kids are trying to win back the trust of their parents.

C．Social media may have a bad effect on all kinds of people.

D．Social media may cause teens’ sleep disorders.

10 . Children moving from primary to secondary school are ill-equipped to deal with the impact of social media, as it is playing an increasingly important role in their lives and exposing them to significant emotional risk, according to a recent report by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England.

The report shows that many children in year 7 -- the first year of secondary school, when almost all students will have a phone and be active on social media -- feel under pressure to be constantly connected.

They worry about their online image, particularly when they start to follow celebrities on Instagram and other platforms. They are also concerned about “sharenting” -- when parents post pictures of them on social media without their permission – and worry that their parents won’t listen if they ask them to take pictures down.

The report, which was created with data from focus group interviews with 8 to 12-year-olds, says that although most social media sites have an official age limit of 13, an estimated 75 percent of 10 to 12-year-olds have a social media account.

Some children are almost addicted to “likes”, the report says. Aaron, an 11-year-old in year 7, told researchers, “If I got 150 likes, I’d be like, that’s pretty cool, it means they like you.” Some children described feeling inferior(差的) to those they follow on social media. Aimee, also 11, said, “You might compare yourself because you’re not very pretty compared to them.”

Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield is calling on parents and teachers to do more to prepare children for the emotional impact of social media as they get older. She wants to see the introduction of compulsory digital literacy and online resilience (适应力) lessons for students in year 6 and 7.

“It is also clear that social media companies are still not doing enough to stop under-13s using their platforms in the first place,” Longfield said.

“Just because a child has learned the safety messages at primary school does not mean they are prepared for all the challenges that social media will present,” Longfield said.

“It means a bigger role for schools in making sure children are prepared for the emotional demands of social media. And it means social media companies need to take more responsibility,” Longfield said.

1. What does this text mainly tell us?

A．Children are not entirely able to handle the impact of social media.

B．Social media occupies too much time for secondary school freshmen.

C．Many secondary school freshmen suffer from social media-related stress.

D．An increasing number of children in year 7 are being exposed to social media.

2. Some students in year 7 are concerned _____________ .

A．about becoming addicted to social media

B．about how they are seen on social media sites

C．that their parents won’t allow them to post pictures

D．that their parents will monitor their use of social media

3. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 5 probably refer to?

A．their followers	B．children of the same age
C．their parents	D．celebrities they follow

4. Anne Longfield suggests that ______.

A．parents monitor how their children use social media

B．social media companies set an official age limit of 13

C．schools help equip students for the challenges of social media

D．social media companies create special sites for children under 13