1 . If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.
Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.
“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat”, said Dr. Jimmy Bell at Imperial College.
Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.
According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.
Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.
According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes (糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body’s communication systems.
The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle, ” Bell said.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．Thin people may be fat inside. |
| B．Internal fat is of no importance. |
| C．Internal fat leads to many diseases. |
| D．Thin people don’t have diabetes. |
| A．the exact dangers of internal fat |
| B．being slim is not dangerous at all |
| C．internal fat is the cause of heart disease |
| D．being slim doesn’t mean you are not fat inside |
| A．Internal fat leading to disease has been proved. |
| B．Thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim. |
| C．It is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat. |
| D．Exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy. |
| A．A long road. |
| B．A good diet. |
| C．A clear difference. |
| D．A short distance. |
2 . There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities (复杂性) of spelling. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content (内容) rather than spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focus of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a piece of writing about a personal experience. “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes and your writing is terrible.” It may have been a sharp comment on the pupil’s spelling in writing, but it was also a sad sign that the teacher had failed to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the mistakes, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the spelling would have given the pupil more encouragement to seek improvement.
1. Teachers are different in their opinions about ________.| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| C．the role of spelling in general language development and writing ability |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
| A．fair | B．unreasonable |
| C．amusing | D．careless |
| A．The importance of developing writing skills. |
| B．The complexities of spelling. |
| C．The relationship between spelling and the content of a composition. |
| D．The correct way of marking compositions. |
3 . Mike Myers is a teacher at Chauncey Rose High School in Terre Haute,Indiana.Last year,he taught his students about the world’s rainforests.They learned that rainforests are important because the plants and animals of the rainforests give us food,wood,and medicine.
Destruction of the world’s rainforests is a serious problem.Unluckily,rainforests are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute!As part of a class project,Myers’ students bought three acres of the rainforest in Central America.They paid $25 per acre.The students hope that the land they bought will be protected and not destroyed.The students became so interested in rainforests that they decided to get a closer look at a real rainforest.
So last June, Myers and four of his students took a boat ride down a river.They saw alligators and crocodiles.In the middle of the week,a guide took Myers and his students into the rainforest.“The monkeys were not happy that we were in their forest.They broke small branches off the trees and threw them at us,” one of the students said,“It was a great learning experience for all of us,” said Myers.
Each student chose something specific about Costa Rica to study involving the plants,animals,food,and culture.During the last few days the group had time to do fun activities.They went whitewater rafting and horseback riding,and visited Costa Rica’s active volcano.
Myers hopes to make the trip every year with a different group of kids.
1. What did Myers and his students do at the beginning of the trip?| A．They went into the rainforest. |
| B．They bought acres of the rainforest. |
| C．They took a boat ride down a river. |
| D．They visited Costa Rica’s active volcano. |
| A．destroyed | B．developed |
| C．described | D．discovered |
| A．did something to protect the rainforest |
| B．wanted to buy the rainforest in Costa Rica |
| C．were interested in the culture of Costa Rica |
| D．went to the rainforest for various fun activities |
71-year-old retired brick worker Joao, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the small Magellanic penguin lying on rocks at his local beach in 2011.The penguin was covered in oil and running out of time fast. Joao rescued the penguin, naming him Din, cleaned the oil off his feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to rebuild his strength. After a week of recovery, Joao attempted to release the penguin back into the wild. However, Din had already formed a family bond with his rescuer and wouldn’t leave.
“He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,” Joao recalls. “I love the penguin like it’s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,” Joao told Globo TV. “No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks them if they do. He lies on my lap, lets me give him showers, and allows me to feed him.”
Professor Krajewski, a biologist who interviewed the fisherman for Globo TV, told The Independent: “I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.”
However, environmentalists warn that, while hundreds of the Magellanic species are known to naturally migrate thousands of miles north in search of food ,there has been a worrying rise in the phenomenon of oceanic creatures washing up on Brazil’s beaches. Professor David Zee from Rio de Janeiro’s State University said the increase is due in part to global climatic changes. Professor Zee added that sea animals face increased danger from leaked tanker oil.
Luckily the ending for Joao and Din has been a happy one, even though it is illegal in Brazil to keep wild animals as pets.
Professor Krajewski said: “Professionals who work with animals try to avoid relationships like this occurring so they are able to reintroduce the animal into the wild. But in this single case the authorities allowed Din to stay with Joao because of his kindness.”
1. Why does Din swim a long distance to a beach in Brazil every year?| A．To avoid being killed. | B．To meet his rescuer. |
| C．To escape from ocean currents. | D．To find much more fish. |
| A．He was dying. | B．He was running on the beach. |
| C．He was resting on a rock. | D．He was cleaning oil off his feathers. |
| A．He is not allowed to keep the penguin as a pet by the authorities. |
| B．He overprotects the penguin by keeping him away from others. |
| C．His contact with the penguin is encouraged by professionals. |
| D．His kindness wins the penguin’s trust. |
| A．The environmental impact on wildlife. | B．The love between humans and wildlife. |
| C．The tendency of wildlife to bond with humans. | D．The protection of threatened wildlife by mankind. |
5 . Learning a Second Language
Some people learn a second language easily. Others have trouble learning a new language. How can you help yourself learn a new language, such as English? There are several ways to make learning English a little easier and more interesting.
The first step is to feel positive about learning English. If you believe that you can learn, you will learn. Be patient. You do not have to understand everything all at once. It is natural to make mistakes when you learn something new. We can learn from our mistakes.In other words, do not worry about taking risks.
The second step is to practice your English. For example, write a diary every day. You will get used to writing it in English, and you will feel comfortable expressing your ideas in English. Several weeks later, you will see that your writing is improving. In addition, you must speak English every day. You can practice with your classmates outside class. You will all make mistakes, but gradually you will be able to communicate in English.
The third step is to keep a record of your language learning. You can write this in your journal. After each class, think about what you did. Did you answer a question correctly? Did you understand something the teacher explained? Perhaps the lesson was difficult, but you tried to understand it.
You must be positive about learning English and believe that you can do it.It is important to practice every day and make a record of your achievements. You will enjoy learning English, and you will feel more confident in yourself.
1. To feel positive about learning English means ________.| A．if you are patient, you will learn |
| B．you can understand everything all at once |
| C．if you make mistakes, you can learn from your mistakes |
| D．if you believe you can learn, you will learn |
| A．be patient |
| B．make mistakes |
| C．express your ideas in English |
| D．understand everything all at once |
| A．It is very important to learn a second language. |
| B．Some people learn a second language easily while other people do not. |
| C．There are ways to help you learn a second language more easily. |
| D．Don’t worry about taking risks when learning a second language. |
| A．Diary. | B．Composition. |
| C．Poem. | D．Newspaper. |
6 . Every night, unemployed men gather in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. Many of them are homeless. All of them are hungry. At around 9∶30, Munoz’s truck arrives, filled with hot food. For many years, Munoz and his family have been feeding those in need seven nights a week, 365 days a year.
Munoz was born in Colombia and his father died in an accident when he was young. When his mother found it difficult to support the family, she came to New York, finding work as a nurse. As immigrants, they often suffered starvation. Later, he found a job as a bus driver.
Munoz began his meal program “An Angel in Queens” in the summer of 2009. At first，Munoz prepared 20 homecooked meals daily. Numbers have gradually increased over the years. Now he serves 140 meals a night. Munoz gets up around 5∶00 a. m. to drive his bus route. When he gets home around 5∶30 p. m.—often stopping to pick up food donations—he helps pack up meals before heading out to “his corner” in Jackson Heights. He never fails to come. “If I don’t go, I’m going to feel bad,” he says. “I know they’re going to be waiting for me.”
Munoz says that the food costs about $400 to $450 a week; he and his family are funding the operation through their savings.
Asked why he spends so much time helping people, he says, “When I see these guys on the street, it’s like seeing me 20 years ago when I came to this city. Now I have a stable job, my mom, my family, a house...But these guys don’t. I hope they can at least have a meal to eat.”
1. Why did Munoz’s mother leave Colombia for New York?| A．She was born in New York. |
| B．Munoz’s father worked in New York. |
| C．She was not used to the life in Colombia. |
| D．She couldn’t support her family in Colombia. |
| A．He refuses to accept food donations. |
| B．He gradually increases his meal programs in size. |
| C．He drives his bus route in Jackson Heights every night. |
| D．He gives homemade meals to those in need once a week. |
| A．He has a large fortune. |
| B．He has enough spare time. |
| C．He does it in memory of his father. |
| D．He once suffered the same hardship. |
| A．God helps those who help themselves. |
| B．There are many hungry people in New York. |
| C．A bus driver delivers free homecooked meals. |
| D．Munoz’s meal program will be promoted in Colombia. |
7 . Li Bai is regarded as the greatest romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty and a representative of the High Tang culture, combination of realistic Northern culture represented by Confucian philosophy and romantic Southern culture represented by Taoist philosophy. But he could neither realize his Confucian ideal to serve the country nor find spiritual freedom in Taoism, so he could only chant poetry and drink wine to drown his sorrow as described by Du Fu in Eight Immortal Drinkers. Here we see the tragedy of a genuine staying lonely on earth like an angel fallen from Heaven. His poetry is marked by male greatness in the Waterfall in Mount Lu Viewed from Afar, in which we see the mountain cloud from down below and the Silver River, Chinese name for the Milky Way, fall from on high, and heaven and earth seem to merge into one, that is the Chinese way of communion with nature. In his poetry, we can find his love of nature, of freedom, of the people, of his friends, in short, of truth, good and beauty.
Li Bai is best known for the extraordinary imagination and striking Taoist imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor. Like Du Fu, he spent much of his life travelling, although in his case it was because his wealth allowed him to, rather than because his poverty forced him. He is said to have drowned in the Yangtze River, having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．The introduction to a famous poet in Tang Dynasty — Li Bai. |
| B．The differences between romantic and realistic culture. |
| C．The extraordinary characteristics of Li Bai’s poems. |
| D．The travelling experiences while Li Bai made poems. |
| A．he is a representative of the combination of realistic and romantic culture |
| B．he could not put his ability to good use in serving his country at that time |
| C．he had a depressed mental state and only drunk wine and chanted poetry |
| D．he made the poems in which complaints and dissatisfaction could be shown |
| A．beautiful nature and feelings | B．criticism of social realism |
| C．relationship between different classes | D．cruelty of the officialdom |
| A．the Silver River ran down from the high mountain | B．Li Bai loved the beauty of nature badly |
| C．Li Bai’s poems were written down by a man | D．the cloud was like waterfall from high heaven |
8 . An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets a little more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes.
Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses. Several are on the roadside near an active railroad. On a recent day, Mr.Kloehn stops at one to visit Oscar Young. The two men hug. Inside his little shelter Mr.Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr.Kloehn also visits SweetPea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings.
In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails,screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun.
Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man.
Mr.Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors.
1. The following are the advantages of the small shelters EXCEPT ________.| A．saving power and energy |
| B．protecting possessions of the homeless |
| C．decorating the streets where they are |
| D．keeping the homeless safe and comfortable |
| A．Greg Kloehn has sold at least 20 tiny houses |
| B．an act of kindness has made people simple and grateful |
| C．the shelters are immovable |
| D．the government has got involved in the action |
| A．an official report |
| B．an art review |
| C．a science magazine |
| D．a news report |
| A．An artist creates homes for the homeless. |
| B．A more comfortable shelter on the streets. |
| C．A successful social project in Oakland. |
| D．An artist makes a living by designing small shelters. |
9 . Environmental experts warn that our planet is drowning in plastic.
The world’s cities produce 2 billion tons of trash every year. By the year 2050 that number is expected to rise to 3 billion tons. The World Bank estimates that the largest amount of trash today, about 44 percent, is plastic. But we often have to buy packaged goods. And often that packaging is made of plastic.
Now, that may be changing. A new environmentally-friendly shopping model was recently launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This shopping model, called Loop, aims to replace throwaway containers with reusable ones.
Loop is the idea of Terra Cycle, an American-based recycling company. Its chief, Tom Szaky, told the Associated Press (AP) that “removing plastics from the ocean is not enough. ” He said the point is to get away from single-use packages. Szaky said that Loop is the future of shopping. But it comes from an idea of the past.
He compared it to the “milkman model” of the 1950s in the United States. Back then, someone brought milk to your doorstep in glass bottles and then left with empty bottles. These could be cleaned and used again. The result is zero-waste.
Jennifer Morgan from the environmental non-profit organization Greenpeace also joined in the discussion about Loop at Davos. She said that “Greenpeace welcomes the aim of the Loop Alliance to move away from throwaway culture and disposability”. But Morgan questioned whether companies worldwide are ready to change their business models.
Loop is set to launch later 2019 in three eastern U. S. states, and also in Paris, France and some of the surrounding areas. Then Loop plans to expand to the U. S. West Coast, Toronto, Canada and Britain by the end of this year or 2020.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?| A．Provide background information. |
| B．Advocate zero-waste lifestyle. |
| C．Explain the reason for trash. |
| D．Introduce a new topic. |
| A．The World Economic Forum. |
| B．Demand of some companies. |
| C．Zero-waste model. |
| D．Jennifer Morgan. |
| A．United States and Switzerland. |
| B．Switzerland and Britain. |
| C．Canada and Britain. |
| D．France and Canada. |
| A．A new shopping model. |
| B．The development of future city. |
| C．The world’s environmental issue. |
| D．The concerns of future shopping. |
10 . Self-driving vehicles (车辆) will rely on cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize and respond to road and traffic conditions, but sensing is the most effective for objects and movement near the vehicle. Not everything important in a car's surroundings will be caught by the vehicle's camera. Another vehicle approaching at high speed on a collision (碰撞) track might not be visible until it's too late. This is why vehicle-to-vehicle communication is undergoing rapid development. Our research shows that cars will need to be able to chat and cooperate on the road, although the technical challenges are huge.
Applications of vehicle-to-vehicle communication range from vehicles driving together in a row, to safety messages about nearby emergency vehicles. Vehicles could alert each other to avoid collisions or share notice about passers-by and bicycles.
From as far as several hundred metres away, vehicles could exchange messages with one another or receive information from the Roadside Unit (RSU) about nearby incidents or dangerous road conditions through 4G network. A high level of AI seems to be required for such vehicles, not only to self-drive from A to B, but also to react intelligently to messages received. Vehicles will need to plan, reason, strategize(制定策略) and adapt according to the information received in real time and to carry out cooperative behaviour. For example, a group of self-driving vehicles might avoid a route together because of potential risks, or a vehicle could decide to drop someone off earlier due to messages received, like a foreseen crowd ahead.
Further applications of vehicle-to-vehicle communication are still being researched, including how to perform cooperative behaviour.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The reasons for the accidents by self-driving vehicles. |
| B．The research about applications of self-driving vehicles. |
| C．The importance of artificial intelligence of selfdriving vehicles. |
| D．The reasons for developing communication between self-driving vehicles. |
| A．Alarm. | B．Judge. | C．Ignore. | D．Control. |
| A．It can improve bad road conditions. | B．It recognizes the vehicles on the road. |
| C．It takes control of the passing vehicles. | D．It serves as an efficient information station. |
| A．Importance of high-level AI. |
| B．Vehicle-to-vehicle communication. |
| C．Different kinds of vehicle communication. |
| D．Ways to improve our communication with vehicles. |
