1 . What’s your opinion on spicy food? Some people cannot handle even the smallest amount of chili(辣椒)in their dinner while others can’t get enough of it.
Scientists have long been puzzled by why some people love chili while others loathe it. Plenty of research has been done on the subject, dating as far back as the 1970s. Previous results showed that a love of chili is related to childhood experiences, and cultural influences affect our taste buds, too. But the latest study has found that a person’s love of spicy food may be linked to his or her personality more than anything else, CBC News reported.
“We have always assumed that liking drives intake--we eat what we like and we like what we eat. But no one has actually directly bothered to connect these personality traits（特点） with intake of chili peppers,” said Professor John Hayes from Pennsylvania State University, who led the study.
But before you look at the study, you should first know that “spicy” is not a taste, unlike sour, sweet, bitter and salty. It is, in fact, a burning sensation that you feel on the surface of your tongue. This got scientists thinking that maybe a love of spicy food is brought about by people’s longing for thrill, something they usually get from watching action movies or riding a roller coaster.
In the study, 97 participants, both male and female, were asked to fill out questionnaires about certain traits of their personality, for example, whether they like new experiences or tend to avoid risks. They were then given cups of water with capsaicin, the plant chemical that makes chili burn, mixed into them.
By comparing the answers to the questionnaires and what participants said they felt about the spicy water, researchers found that those who were most inclined to enjoy action movies or take risks were about six times more likely to enjoy the spicy water.
Interestingly, we used to believe that the reason why some people can withstand spicy food is that their tongues have become less sensitive to it. However, this latest study has found otherwise. “It’s not that it doesn’t burn as badly, it’s that you actually learn to like the burn,” Hayes explained.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “loathe” in the second paragraph?| A．dislike | B．fear |
| C．put up with | D．adapt to |
| A．a love of chili is related to childhood experiences |
| B．cultural influences affect our taste buds |
| C．we eat what we like and we like what we eat |
| D．we ignore eating chili is related to our personalities |
| A．What we eat actually helps to develop our personalities. |
| B．Males are more likely to enjoy spicy food than females. |
| C．Those trying to avoid risks tend to be less interested in spicy food. |
| D．People are wrong to treat spicy as a kind of taste rather than a feeling. |
| A．Because their taste buds have become less sensitive. |
| B．Because they love the burning sensation. |
| C．Because they want to challenge themselves. |
| D．Because the more they try spicy food, the less it burns. |
| A．His or her parents’ diets decide on his or her personality. |
| B．The latest study shows whether a person enjoys spicy food depends largely on his or her personality. |
| C．His or her childhood experiences decide on his or her personality. |
| D．His or her cultural background decides on his or her personality. |
2 . Professor Stephen Hawking recently came out with a serious warning for people. While at the Starmus Festival, a festival in Trondheim, Norway, celebrating science and the arts, Hawking warned people that the human race is in serious danger.
Hawking criticized President Donald Trump for denying climate change. Then the physicist warned the audience, “I am not denying the importance of fighting climate change and global warming, unlike Donald Trump, who may just have taken the most serious, and wrong, decision on climate change this world has seen.”
Hawking proposed that the leading countries should send astronauts to the Moon before 2020 to restart a movement of more exploration in space. BBC reported that Hawking suggested that we “build a lunar base in 30 years’ time and send people to Mars by 2025.”
According to BBC, Professor Hawking said, “Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity.” He continued, “I hope it would unite competitive nations in a single goal, to face the common challenge for us all.” The physicist shared more ideas to motivate the younger generation to continue exploring space. Hawking stated, “a new and ambitious space program would excite (young people), and stimulate interest in other areas, such as astrophysics and cosmology.”
Hawking also revealed his vision for other forms of energy that could move us to a new planet. He warned the audience, “The Earth is under threat from so many areas that it is difficult for me to be positive.” He continued, “Our natural resources are being drained, at an alarming rate. We have given our planet the disastrous gifts of climate change, rising temperatures, reduction of the polar ice caps, deforestation, and decimation (大量毁灭) of animal species. We can be ignorant, unthinking lot (人).”
The professor warned the audience that doing nothing would lead nowhere. He said, “If we succeed, we will send a probe (航天探测器) to Alpha Centauri within the lifetime of some of you alive today. It is clear we are entering a new space age. We are standing at the threshold (起点) of a new era. Human colonization and moving to other planets is no longer science fiction, and it can be science fact.” Hawking advised the audience to move to other worlds because we are running out of space.
1. According to Hawking, what is the first step for humans to spread out into space?| A．To build a lunar base. |
| B．To send people to Mars. |
| C．To send astronauts to the Moon. |
| D．To change the future of humanity. |
| A．Spreading out into space. |
| B．Facing the common challenge of humans. |
| C．Stimulating young people’s interest in other areas. |
| D．Motivating the younger generation to explore space. |
| A．speeded up | B．stored |
| C．used up | D．explored |
| A．Worried. | B．Confused. |
| C．Positive. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．To warn the audience that humans are in danger. |
| B．To predict what will happen to the earth in future. |
| C．To stress that humans are entering a new space age. |
| D．To encourage the audience to move to other planets. |
| A．the Earth is under threat and the human race is in serious danger |
| B．a new and ambitious space program would excite young people |
| C．astronauts have found a better world in the space than the Earth |
| D．humans have found other forms of energy to move to a new planet |
3 . The killdeer, a small bird known for its high-pitched ( 声调高的) call, could lead to the cancellation of one of Canada’ biggest music festivals.
The first hint of trouble for Ottawa’s Bluesfest, an outdoor festival that draws around 300,000 people each year, came last week after workers at the site found one of the birds.
It had laid four eggs nearby, effectively claiming the main stage area as its nesting ground. “This is one of the most challenging problems we’ve been presented with, but we feel we can work through this,” said Mark Monahan, executive director of the festival.
“Anything that changes the schedule has a major effect, so we’re taking it very seriously.” The discovery meant that government officials rushed to protect the nest and the eggs, hiring a security guard to watch over them 24 hours a day. Environmentalists were also brought in.
“We don’t know when the eggs might hatch,” said Monahan. What is known is that the young killdeer will likely leave the nest soon after they are hatched, leading many to hope that the eggs hatch in the next day or so.
The festival is now seeking permission from Environment Canada to relocate the nest some 50 meters away or take it to a wildlife center.
Moving the nest would also ensure the bird and its young would be protected during the festival’s 11-day run, said Monahan. It’s highly likely that the festival’s thousands of attendees would cause huge problems for the bird and its eggs.
Monahan was confident that the festival would go on as planned, however.
“Most of the people we’re working with are looking for a positive solution,” Monahan said. “There is no one saying that the festival can’t go on.”
As news of the dilemma spread, it left residents divided. Some supported the bird, saying that moving the nest might result in the eggs being abandoned.
Others expressed annoyance that protecting the eggs of the small bird, which is widespread across North America, was risking an annual festival that contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.
The killdeer’s tendency to build its nest in open fields or flat areas has caused issues in other areas of the US: earlier this year, construction on a health center in Wisconsin was temporarily stopped after a killdeer and its four eggs were discovered.
1. What can we learn about Bluesfest?| A．It is the first music festival in Canada. |
| B．It is an important event for music lovers. |
| C．It is a music festival held every two years. |
| D．It is a challenging outdoor activity in Ottawa. |
| A．Pressure from the government. |
| B．Disagreements with the public. |
| C．The need to protect the bird’s eggs. |
| D．The lack of experience in hosting the event. |
| A．Move the nest to another place. |
| B．Ask government officials for help. |
| C．Seek advice from environmentalists. |
| D．Hire security guards to protect the eggs. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. |
| C．Unsure. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．a difficult situation |
| B．an extreme situation |
| C．a dangerous situation |
| D．an encouraging situation |
4 . Don’t get mad the next time you catch your teenager texting when he promises to be studying. He simply may not be able to resist. A University of lowa (UI) study found teenagers are far more sensitive than adults to the immediate effect or reward of their behaviors. The findings may help explain why the initial rush of texting may be more attractive for adolescents than the long-term payoff of studying.
“For the teenager, the rewards are seductive.” says Professor Jatin Vaidya, an author of the study. “They draw adolescents. Sometimes, the rewards are a kind of motivation for them. Even when a behavior is no longer in a teenager’s best interest to continue, they will, because the effect of the reward is still there and lasts much longer in adolescents than in adults.”
For parents, that means limiting distractions so teenagers can make better choices. Take the homework and social media dilemma: At 9 p.m., shut off everything except a computer that has no access to Facebook or Twitter, the researchers advise. “I’m not saying they shouldn’t be allowed access to technology,” Vaidya says “But some help in resetting their concentration is necessary for them so they can develop those impulse-control skills.”
In their study, Vaidya and co-author Shaun Vecera note researchers generally believe teenagers are impulsive(冲动的), make bad decisions, and engage in risky behavior because the frontal lobes(额叶) of their brains are not fully developed. But the UI researchers wondered whether something more fundamental was going on with adolescents to cause behaviors independent of higher-level reasoning.
“We wanted to try to understand the brain’s reward system and how it changes from childhood to adulthood," says Vaidya, who adds that the reward character in the human brain is easier than decision-making. “We’ve been trying to understand the reward process in adolescence and whether there is more to adolescent behavior than an under-developed frontal lobe,” he adds. For their study, the researchers persuaded 40 adolescents, aged 13 and 16, and 40 adults, aged 20 and 35 to participate.
In the future, researchers hope to look into the psychological and neurological(神经学上的)aspects of their results.
1. What does the passage mainly tell us?| A．Always, rewards are attractive to teenagers. |
| B．Sometimes, adolescents just can’t resist. |
| C．Resistance can be controlled well by adolescents. |
| D．Getting rewards is the greatest motivation for adolescents to study. |
| A．Necessary. | B．Attractive. |
| C．Useful. | D．Important. |
| A．The influence of the reward is weak in adolescents. |
| B．Parents should help children in making decisions. |
| C．Children should have access to the Internet. |
| D．Children need help in refocusing their attention. |
| A．Doing things after some thought. | B．Making good decisions. |
| C．Joining in dangerous actions. | D．Escaping risky behavior. |
5 . Facebook was running my life.
But what killed Facebook for me was when I posted a photo, and five minutes later my son asked me how many “likes” it had got. His question was a wake-up call.
“Likes” are signs of acceptance and approval(赞同). I had forgotten that acceptance and approval need to come from within and had unknowingly set him a bad example.
Before absorbed in Facebook, I spent a lot more time reading books and magazines. I checked in with friends through texts, emails and phone calls.
To set a healthier example to my son, I deactivated my Facebook account.
I’d been in the habit of checking Facebook many times a day, so I had to come up with some new habits. I carried a novel and a crossword puzzle book around with me. I rediscovered knitting. I started taking yoga classes.
I started to remember a few things. My body is fine just the way it is. I have friends who will help me out when I’m in trouble, and I will help them out. I do my best to be a good mother, and our son is happy and healthy. We are very lucky to be able to afford two vacations a year.
I stopped looking at the world through my cellphone. I felt completely present in the moment. The break left me feeling better about myself, my family, my home and my life.
After a few weeks, I returned to Facebook. Now I look at the photos of my friends’ kids growing up and treasure how social media allows me to keep in touch with family. I no longer have the desire to post updates often.
It is not an addiction(上瘾) any more.
1. What made the author begin to realize she should do something to control her time on Facebook?| A．Her poor health. |
| B．Her son’s question. |
| C．Her not receiving “likes”. |
| D．Her mother’s phone call. |
| A．to close |
| B．to update |
| C．to keep |
| D．to check |
| A．She traveled around a lot for a year. |
| B．She developed some healthy habits. |
| C．She tried to make money for her holidays. |
| D．She went to the gym as often as she could. |
| A．It was good for her eyes. |
| B．It stopped her getting news. |
| C．It distanced her from her friends. |
| D．It gave her time to find beauty in life. |
| A．She supports them completely. |
| B．She is strongly against them. |
| C．She thinks they are useful but shouldn’t be overused. |
| D．She thinks they are not harmful at all. |
6 . There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.
Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friends don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of work and technology, which may bring them even closer together.
Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. Sometimes this is not an equal relationship. Daughters don’t always feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. But mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.
1. What does the underlined word “preclude” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．differ. | B．benefit. |
| C．prevent. | D．change. |
| A．Best friends will not spend money on her wedding. |
| B．Best friends will not remind her of important issues in life. |
| C．Her mother is wiser on account of her age. |
| D．Her mother is anything but her best friend. |
| A．Because they share advanced technology with each other. |
| B．Because they work together to support the whole family. |
| C．Because they experience the same values and traditions. |
| D．Because they have common experience in life and work. |
| A．The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend. |
| B．A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship. |
| C．Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother. |
| D．The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friendship. |
| A．How to build a good mother and daughter relationship. |
| B．A mother-daughter relationship is irreplaceable. |
| C．Mothers want to be daughters’ friends. |
| D．A daughter is a mother’s best friend. |
7 . It was winter but people were everywhere in London at the weekend. They were in T-shirts or sandals (凉鞋). Monday was another warm day, without a cloud in the sky, and in the late afternoon the light took on a magical, honey-coloured color. It brought to mind one of those summer evenings you experienced in childhood, when you’d be in the park all day and your parents let you stay out until bedtime, and you felt like you were doing something deliciously naughty just by being there.
It wasn’t early summer: it was February. And the entire developed world has been attacking the global ecosystem (全球生态系统) for many years, and that’s how we go into this pickle.
We should try to hold on to this fact that this is not supposed to be happening. Less than a month ago, there was a video of extreme ( 极 端 的 ) cold weather coming out of Chicago. Water poured from cups immediately froze on its way to the ground. OK, that was on the other side of the world, and its temperature was- 11℃ then.
On Monday, though, the temperature hit 20.3℃ in Ceredigion, West Wales: the highest February temperature ever recorded in Britain and the first time the temperature had reached 20℃ in winter.
This isn’t good, is it? The 10 hottest years on record have all happened within the past 20 years, the five hottest were the last five. Yet the beaches and the beer gardens fill up, while the papers describe the weather as wonderful. There were those who gave in to the heat wave a little too easily. They let themselves forget it was winter and found themselves, when the sun went down and the temperature dropped, suddenly shaking and unprepared for the cold. It feels uncomfortably like a symbol.
1. What does the author want to do in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a beautiful summer. |
| B．To encourage kids to play outside. |
| C．To share his daily activities with us. |
| D．To describe the scene of a warm winter. |
| A．Daily activity. | B．Unusual place. |
| C．Difficult situation. | D．Quick development. |
| A．To compare it with that of London. |
| B．To attract more people to Chicago. |
| C．To show it is well-known for an online video. |
| D．To encourage more people to post videos online. |
| A．The author hoped people stayed indoors. |
| B．The author worries about global warming. |
| C．The papers misled the public in weather reports. |
| D．The papers asked the public to prepare for the cold. |
8 . Recently, American President Trump announced his budget. One of the budgets would cut all money to The Institute of Museum and Library services and libraries across the United States. However, as far as I’m concerned, we need to save our libraries.
Libraries provide books and after-school programs for children. They help inspire a life-time love of learning and reading in children of all ages. The knowledge of the books in libraries is not available to the children at school. Without them where will kids with no Internet at home do their homework? Where will kids have a place to study or borrow books after school? Therefore, we need libraries for our kids. We need them so kids can grow up with a place, other than school, where learning and exploration is encouraged. Reading books can benefit children’s minds. Books allow them to imagine.
For adults, libraries serve as a place where they can use the Internet to apply for jobs, get job training, early voting centers as well as book clubs to help make new friends. It can also serve as a place to pick up a book and learn something new. Meanwhile, they can also rent a book and get away from it all.
Libraries save our information for the next generation. When we live in an age of alternative facts, where science is ignored in favor of personal feelings, we need libraries now more than ever. We need them to educate ourselves on the facts. We need them to have strong civic participation.
If you assent to me, you shouldn’t be silent on this issue. You can write or call directly to tell the president to save our libraries. You can also write to both your state Senators (参议员) and your district representative. Let them know this is good issue because all people use public libraries in their daily life.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？| A．There is no need for children to learn in libraries. |
| B．Children can learn knowledge that can’t be taught at school in libraries. |
| C．Libraries can provide a quiet space for children to have a rest. |
| D．The reference book in the libraries can help children imagine a new world. |
| A．do something about jobs and social activities |
| B．explore the world |
| C．have a good rest |
| D．earn some money |
| A．Science should be learned in our libraries. |
| B．Information can be stored in libraries forever |
| C．The government needs libraries more than before. |
| D．Libraries play a more important role nowadays. |
| A．Fight against. | B．Agree with. |
| C．Think about. | D．Drop by. |
| A．Learn in our libraries | B．The function of libraries |
| C．Save our libraries | D．Grow up with our libraries |
9 . Antarctica has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Since 1969, the average number of visitors to the continent has increased from several hundred to over 34,000 today. All activities in Antarctica are heavily supervised by the Antarctic treaty for environmental protection purposes and the industry is largely managed by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).
The first expedition (探险) to Antarctica with travelers was in 1966, led by Swedish explorer Lars Eric Lindblad. He wanted to give tourists first-hand experience of the ecological sensitivity of the Antarctic environment, in order to educate them and promote a greater understanding of the continent’s role in the world. In 1969, Lindblad built the world’s first expedition ship, the MS Lindblad Explorer, which was specifically designed to transport tourists to Antarctica.
In 1977, both Australia and New Zealand started to offer scenic flights to Antarctica through Qantas and Air New Zealand. The flights often flew to the continent without landing and returned to the departure airport. The experience was an average 12 to 14 hours with up to 4 hours of flying directly over the continent. The flights from Australia and New Zealand stopped in 1980. It was largely due to the Air New Zealand Flight 901 accident on November 28, 1979. In 1994, flights to Antarctica continued again.
Despite the potential dangers and risks, trips to Antarctica continued to grow. According to IAATO, 34,354 travelers visited the continent between 2012 and 2013. Americans contributed to the largest share with 10,677 visitors, or 31.1%, followed by Germans 11.1%, Australians 10.7%, and the British 10.2%. The rest of the visitors were from China, Canada, Switzerland, France and elsewhere.
The cost of a trip to Antarctica can range from as little as $3,000-$4,000 to over $40,000, depending on the scope of transportation, housing, and activity needs. The higher end packages typically involve air transport, on-site camping, and a visit to the South Pole.
1. Which can best replace the underlined word “supervised” in Paragraph 1?| A．Protected. | B．Monitored. |
| C．Supported. | D．Forbidden. |
| A．To make himself the first explorer to go to Antarctica. |
| B．To transport more and more tourists to Antarctica. |
| C．To get first-hand experience of precious resources. |
| D．To let people know the significance of the continent. |
| A．They were once cancelled for more than ten years due to dangers. |
| B．Natural conditions of Antarctica are unable to support their landing. |
| C．It takes 14 hours to fly from New Zealand to Antarctica directly. |
| D．Air New Zealand has much success in developing Antarctic tourism. |
| A．It is very convenient for Americans to travel to Antarctica. |
| B．The travelers usually have 4 hours’ sightseeing on the continent. |
| C．The number of people travelling to Antarctica is increasing. |
| D．New Zealand is the first country to offer scenic flights to Antarctica. |
| A．The development of Antarctica | B．Antarctica, a dream tourist attraction |
| C．The history of tourism in Antarctica | D．IAATO, a great organization |
Can't your newspaper do something about the custom (习惯) of hitchhiking?
A short time ago, on a car travel I counted at least 50 people standing beside the road, asking for rides. Many of them were young women.
Don't they understand how dangerous it is to get into the car driven by a stranger? How much do they know about the driver? Is he a good driver or not? They know nothing!
Many of these young hitchhikers may come from good families. Don't their parents teach them anything about the world? I always taught my children not to talk to strangers. I never let them take rides from people they didn't know.
Isn't there enough crime (犯罪) today without asking for trouble by hitchhiking? On the other hand, hitchhiking may bring some traffic trouble. Don't you think what I said is true?
A Worried Grandfather
1. The word "hitchhiking" means .| A．waiting for a bus at the bus stop |
| B．driving to somewhere in a dangerous way |
| C．going somewhere by getting free rides in others’ car |
| D．asking a stranger the way who is in a car |
| A．doesn't like young women to drive cars |
| B．thinks it is dangerous for a young woman to get into a stranger's car |
| C．likes drivers to be careful and strict in their work |
| D．never lets his children get into other people's car |
| A．was hit by a car when he was standing by the road |
| B．is a good driver and often gives free rides to strangers |
| C．is in trouble now and he wants to get some help from the newspaper |
| D．has seen much of the world and he is very careful |
| A．the newspaper to let its readers know the danger of hitchhiking |
| B．young women never to go on a long travel alone |
| C．young people to listen to their parents at home |
| D．his children not to talk to strangers on the road |
| A．He will either return the letter to the old man or give it to the police station. |
| B．He will write back to the Worried Grandfather and tell him not to hitchhike |
| C．He will write something about the danger of hitchhiking in the newspaper. |
| D．He will hold a meeting to tell the drivers to make less the traffic trouble. |
