1 . It would be easy to believe that Mother’s Day was created by a greeting card company. After all, the day is celebrated with special sales and brunches, lots of presents and massive advertising campaigns. But the day was actually conceived more than a century ago by Anna Jarvis of West Virginia as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
Jarvis’s mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs,” teaching women how to care for their children. During the Civil War, she organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” where mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers met to try to promote harmony. The younger Jarvis Was inspired by all the things her mother had accomplished with her social work.
When Jarvis was young, she overheard her mother praying, “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will find a memorial mother’s day honoring her for the matchless service she offers to humanity in every field of life.” When her mom died in 1905, Jarvis looked through all the sympathy cards she received. She underlined all the kind words that praised her mother, reading them over and over. The outpouring of kindness for her mother inspired her to create a day to honor all mothers.
The white carnation was her mother’s favorite flower, so it became the symbol for the day. She said it symbolized the truth, purity and charity of a mother’s love. Her idea of celebrating Mother’s Day was wearing a carnation while visiting your mother or maybe going to church together. Children were also encouraged to write letters to their mothers, sharing the depths of their appreciation.
The first official Mother’s Day events were held on May 10. 1908, at the church where her mother taught Sunday School in Grafton, West Virginia, and at the Wanamaker’s department store auditorium（礼堂）in Philadelphia. Jarvis didn’t attend the event in Grafton, but she sent 500 white carnations.
1. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word “conceived” in paragraph 1?| A．Thought up | B．Figured out. |
| C．Found out. | D．Believed in. |
| A．She created Mother’s Day. | B．She was active in social work. |
| C．She joined in the American Civil War. | D．She taught Jarvis how to care for children. |
| A．Pray for their mother’s happiness. | B．Send some flowers to their mothers. |
| C．Write a letter to thank their mothers. | D．Accompany their mothers to the celebration. |
| A．A Memorable Mother | B．Carnation and Mother’s Day |
| C．The Greatness of a Mother | D．The Founding of Mother’s Day |
2 . Granada is Spain’s most visited city, drawing tourists from all over the world, most of whom are eager to see the famous world heritage sites. Also, some people can enjoy the wonderful music and dance festivals there. Located in Spain’s most southern region, you are guaranteed lovely hot weather during the summer. However, as it is set at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, there is skiing during the winter, making it a popular destination all year round.
Centuries ago, Granada was once a city filled with hundreds of public baths. One of the few that remains undamaged dates back to(始于) the 11th century. However, Granada’s most popular attraction is the Alhambra. The name Alhambra means “red castle” because of the color of the stone, which is particularly beautiful at sunset. As you walk through its narrow streets and beautiful gardens, you will be able to experience the charm of this particular region.
Within the Alhambra is the Parador(旅馆) Granada, which is one of Spain’s most popular hotels. It was originally part of a palace and later turned into a convent(女修道院), it’s a place where you can calm your mind. Its tranquil courtyard and lovely views are some of the reasons why so many guests enjoy their stay.
Located on the hill not far from the Alhambra is Albaicin. This used to be an Arab silk market, but today the small streets are filled with shops selling local handicrafts. From Albaicin, there is a steep walk up to a church, but it’s well worth the effort. With the mountains in the background, you will be able to get a beautiful view.
Granada has its own airport with flights from London and Stansted, so flying out for a long weekend couldn’t be easier. Why not discover for yourself why so many people around the world love coming to this charming city ?
1. Why do so many tourists travel to Granada ?| A．To enjoy the famous festivals. | B．To visit the world heritage sites. |
| C．To learn about its old culture. | D．To experience the exciting skiing. |
| A．Because of the stones’ color. | B．Because of its heavy pollution. |
| C．Because of its government. | D．Because of its special position. |
| A．Broad. | B．splendid. | C．amazing. | D．Quiet. |
| A．To entertain readers. | B．To share experiences. |
| C．To advertise Granada. | D．To offer tour service. |
3 . For most people, graduation is an exciting day the celebration of years of hard work. My graduation day... was not.
I remember that weekend two years ago. Family and friends had flown in from across the country to watch our class walk across that stage. But like everyone else in my graduating class, I had watched the economy turn from bad to worse. What I thought would take a week dragged into two. and then four, and 100 job applications later, I found myself in the exact same spot as 1 was before. And the due date to begin paying back my student loans was creeping ever closer.
You know that feeling when you wake up and you are just consumed with fear? Fear about something you can't control—that sense of approaching failure that remains over you as you hope that everything that happened to you thus far was just a bad dream? That feeling became a constant in my life. And the most frustrating part was no matter how much 1 tried, 1 just couldn't seem to make any progress.
So what did I do to maintain my sanity（理智）？ I wrote. Something about putting words on a page made everything seem a little clearer—a little brighter. Something about writing gave me hope. And if you want something badly enough... sometimes a little hope is all you need! So I channeled my frustration into a children's book. And then one day, without any sort of writing degree or contacts in the writing world — just a lol of hard work and perseverance—I was offered a publishing contract for my first book! After that, things slowly began to fall into place. 1 was offered a second book deal. Then, a few months later, I got an interview with The Walt Disney Company and was hired shortly after.
The moral of this story is... don't give up. Even if things look bleak now, don't give up. Things change If you work hard, give it time, and don't give up, things will always get better Oftentimes all we need is the courage to push beyond the river.
1. From Paragraph 2, we can learn that the author probably.| A．was having an exciting graduation |
| B．was getting into financial difficulties |
| C．missed the life in the university |
| D．had just applied for the student loans |
| A．By sending applications. | B．By offering contracts. |
| C．By keeping writing. | D．By publishing books. |
| A．unattractive | B．hopeless |
| C．thrilling | D．promising |
| A．Success belongs to the persevering. |
| B．A contented mind is a perpetual（长久的）feast. |
| C．A smooth sea never makes a skillful mariner. |
| D．Misfortunes tell us what fortune is. |
4 . The idea of using a public bathroom with see through walls may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a famous Japanese is hoping to change that view, using new technology to make restrooms in Tokyo parks more inviting.
“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those cated at a park,” according to architect Shigeru Ban’s firm. “The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.”
The newly-invented transparent walls can turn off both of those worries, Ban says, by showing people what awaits them inside. After users enter the restroom and lock the door, the room’s walls turn a powdery paste) shade and are no longer see-through.
Ban’s are sure to make for great conversation among visitors to the park-and they’ll stand out even more after dark. “At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern,” the architect’s website says.
The group is behind the Tokyo Toilet project, world-famous architects to create toilets “like you’ve never seen. The project’s eye catching toilets are part of a plan to put people ar ease when isiting a public bathroom. The project may seem silly, but the 16 architects who are reimagining public toilets are some of the brightest names in Japanese architecture. The list includes four Pritzker Prize winners-Ban, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki-along with international stars such as Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. The fashion designer Nigo is also contributing.
Ban’s colorful public bathrooms opened to the public this month in two parks: Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park. Other bespoke commodes will be opening in coming months.
1. Why are people often worried before entering a public restroom?| A．Its lock is usually useless. |
| B．It’s usually at a huge distance. |
| C．It’s not always clean. |
| D．It’s always occupied. |
| A．Easy to see through. |
| B．Not easy to see through. |
| C．Full of bright colors. |
| D．Thick and strong. |
| A．It’s and silly. |
| B．It’s rewarding and. |
| C．It has won the Pritzker Prize. |
| D．It’s the fruit of colleqtive wisdom |
| A．Should the public restrooms be upgraded? |
| B．The new high-tech walls of public restrooms are coming. |
| C．How do we live with see-through public facilities? |
| D．Some famous architects designed a silly project. |
5 . In New York City, eating on the subway is controversial. No law bans the practice, but a Democratic state senator introduced one last week. The proposed law would ban eating on the subway system and fine first time violators $250, according to the New York Times. Supporters of the bill argue that eating on the subway attracts rates. Other say the broader target should be those who carelessly drop litter in public places, rather than those who carefully sip their coffee and eat their bread on the way to work. They also argue that “street food” is an important part of New York’s culture and history. Banning its consumption in public areas such as the subway would have negative effects.
Street food and eating in public places is along-established cultural practice in cities like New York, Beijing and Paris. But commonly, it has been traditionally thought of as what the lower classes would do. Eating in public was (and in some places, still is) associated with uncivilized, poorer people. In the 19th century, eating in public was seen as a threat to morality and public health. Putnam’s (a popular magazine at the time) stated, “Eating in public may lead to a certain freedom of manner in little ladies and gentlemen. It was something people in the Victorian era did not want to encourage. A recent New York Times article drew a link between this moral panic about street food and concern over the growing populations of Irish German, Italian and Jewish immigrants who ran food carts in the 1800s. “To Victorian society, immigrant street peddlers were called ‘hucksters’, a name that still has a bit of moral judgment to this day.”
In Australia, street food is not something you see every day. Carts selling tasty snacks only come out for festivals or market days. However, eating in public places such as parks is encouraged. Outdoor barbeques at the beach or picnics in the countryside are common. While eating on public transport is discourages, it would unlikely lead to any sort of conflict in Australia. From an Australian perspective, street food is an exciting and tasty new dining opportunity, and not one I would associate with being uncivilized.
China’s street food scene is similar to that of New York City’s: It is a culturally entrenched practice and one that adds a lot of color and flavor to the scene of streets. But whether you love eating street food, or have to eat your breakfast on the run, it’s best to be considerate when enjoying a bite in public.
1. Supporters of “street food” are against the bill, because ________.| A．eating on the subway may attract undesirable pests like mice |
| B．consuming food on the way to work proves their carefulness |
| C．banning litter-dropping is more important for the environment |
| D．enjoying a bite in public areas is a part of the city’s culture |
| A．Only the uncivilized, poorer people were allowed to eat in public places. |
| B．Street food was seen as a threat in the 19th century because they were not heathy. |
| C．Eating in public was considered impolite for children in the Victorian era. |
| D．Immigrant street peddlers were encouraged and thus welcomed in the 1800s. |
| A．Eating in public like parks may be seen as ill-mannered. |
| B．Having food on the subway system may cause serious conflicts. |
| C．People may feel excited about being allowed to eat in public. |
| D．Tasting street food may bring much enjoyment whenever possible. |
| A．deep-rooted | B．eye-catching | C．well-known | D．far-reaching |
6 . It can be easy to brush off certain events as small matters that don’t require attention— but when the safety of dozens of airplane passengers was on the tine, this NASA engineer decided to speak up.
Rumaasha Maasha was preparing to fly from Huntsville to Colorado back in January when he spotted a liquid leak from his window seat on the wing.
“Normally, if it’s a wet day, you’ll see vortices (旋涡) off the wing. About 1,000 feet off the ground, I started seeing something white and thought, ‘maybe we’re just hitting some humidity (湿气).’ Well, after a while it was still doing it, and that’s when I knew something was up. I looked closer and immediately realized that we were losing fuel.” Maasha also knew that as the plane increased in altitude, the situation would got worse.
“I gestured the flight attendant to come over and fortunately she was very attentive,” he said. “She called the crew and the key thing is that she did this as we were still climbing out. Within a minute or two, they reduced speed and leveled off. The fuel leak diminished immediately when they slowed down.”
Much to the anger of the passengers, the plane returned to the Huntsville airport, but upon finding out the reason for the return—and the hero behind it—some of the passengers made friends with Maasha.
Maasha’s experience with NASA wasn’t the only thing that came in handy that day, the engineer first fell in love with aviation (航空) as a teenager growing up near an airport in Monrovia, Liberia. “Looking back, I guess I had the perfect sets of circumstances to recognize the issue that day,” he said. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always tried to sit in a window seat near the wing, and as I grew up, I am determined to run after my dream during my university years. That’s not the first time I’ve noticed something. I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
1. When did Maasha realize something went wrong?| A．Before the plane started to fly. |
| B．When the white thing continued to leak. |
| C．After he settled on his window seat. |
| D．When he first noticed the liquid. |
| A．Worsened. | B．Decreased. | C．Occurred. | D．Continued. |
| A．His birth place and home location. |
| B．His university years and honesty. |
| C．His childhood education and seat choice. |
| D．His working experience and personal interest. |
| A．A Childhood Dream Has Come True |
| B．Fluid Leaking Happened to a Jet |
| C．A NASA Engineer Saved Passengers |
| D．Passengers Feel Grateful to an Engineer |
7 . Imagine a world where you move around in front of a personal computer in your own sound space. You listen to your favorite songs, play loud computer games or watch a movie — all without other people hearing the sound and without headphones.
That is the possibility presented by “sound beaming”, a new technology from Noveto Systems, an Israeli company. On Friday, the company introduced a desktop device that sends sound directly to a listener without the need for headphones or a special receiver.
Noveto Systems gave The Associated Press (AP) a chance to test its SoundBeamer 1.0 before its introduction. The AP’s Louise Dixon writes that listening to the device is like something from a science fiction movie.The sound seems so close that it feels like it is inside your ears while also in front, above and behind them.
Noveto expects the device will have many uses. Office workers could listen to music or conference calls without others hearing. People could play a game, a movie or music without waking up others in the same room. Because the device does not use headphones, it is possible to hear other sounds in the room clearly.
The device uses a 3-D sensing module that finds and follows the ear position of the listener. It sends ultrasonic waves (超声波) to create sound pockets by the user’s ears. The 3-D method creates sound on all sides of the listener, therefore the listeners feel completely transported into the scene.
By changing a setting, the sound can follow a listener around when he moves his head. It is also possible to move out of the sound beam's path and hear nothing at all.
While the idea of sound beaming is not new, Noveto was the first to launch the technology.
According to the chief executive officer Christophe Ramstein, a “smaller” version of the device will be ready for release to consumers next year.
1. What does the underlined word “possibility” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The listener may put on music to block out other sounds. |
| B．The listener may hear sound only for him or her without using headphones. |
| C．The listener may enjoy songs or movies without being interrupted by others. |
| D．The listener may have the ability to pick up some special sounds. |
| A．Amazing. | B．Impossible. |
| C．Strange. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．It places the listener on the scene to hear the sound. |
| B．It fixes a sound beam’s path which can not be changed. |
| C．It follows the listeners around to send and receive sounds. |
| D．With 3-D tracking technology, it sends ultrasonic waves to the target listener. |
| A．To promote the SoundBeamer. | B．To introduce a new sound device. |
| C．To recommend new headphones. | D．To explain a technical phenomenon. |
8 . A 15-year-old Indian girl, Kumari, who pedalled her injured father more than a thousand kilometres across India, has been invited to try out for the national cycling team.
In January, a motor-bike driver, Mohan Paswan, who made a living by carrying passengers in New Delhi, was injured in a traffic accident. After the accident, Paswan couldn't drive. So his daughter, Kumari took a train across the country to take care of him. But without income, Paswan could no longer afford the rent and they were running out of food. They decided to go home. With the last $20, the 15-year-old girl bought an old bicycle, and planned to take her father to their home village across India --- in a heroic, life-saving ride.
Kumari rode a bicycle with her father, sitting on the pillion(后座)and holding their belongings from Gurugram city, near New Delhi, to their village in the northeastern state of Bihar. They arrived home on May 16 after covering 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) in seven days.
The father and daughter's arduous journey on a second-hand bike bought with their remaining funds made headlines. It also caught the attention of the Cycling Federation of India, which offered Kumari the chance to try out for the country's team. "She covered this long and difficult distance in seven days with her father and some luggage too. I thought she has something in her endurance level. We can try her," chairman Onkar Singh told the journalist.
“She said she only wants to pursue her studies. We told her that we also take care of studies at our academies. Singh said the federation would test Kumari to see if she is suitable for competitive cycling.
There were also other people who praised Kumari's efforts, describing it as a "'beautiful model of endurance and love."
1. What made Kumari have to ride a bike back home?| A．That her father was injured. |
| B．That she could only afford a bike. |
| C．That her home village was far away. |
| D．That she wanted to join in the cycling race. |
| A．dangerous | B．lovely | C．pleasant | D．tough |
| A．Because she has extraordinary physical ability. |
| B．Because he didn't have anyone better than her. |
| C．Because she only wants to pursue her studies. |
| D．Because she is suitable for competitive cycling. |
| A．strong and caring | B．positive and confident |
| C．warm-hearted and brave | D．hard-working and beautiful |
9 . It is a big job to take away a city’s rubbish. Most rubbish is made up of things we can’t eat or use. If we kept these things we would soon have mountains of rubbish.
In some cities the rubbish is collected and taken outside of the city to a dump. Often the city dump is placed where the ground is low or there is a big hole. The kitchen rubbish is broken into small pieces and sent into the sewage system. The sewage system takes away the used water from toilets, bathrooms and other places.
To keep mice and flies away, some earth is used to cover the newly dumped rubbish. Later, grass may be planted on the rubbish-filled land. Finally, a house or a school may be built there, and then you’d never know that this was an old rubbish dump before.
In other cities the rubbish is burnt in special places. The fire burns everything but the metal. Sometimes the metal can be used again in factories where things are made of metal. The food parts of rubbish are put in special piles where they slowly changes into something called humus, which looks like black earth. It is rich with kinds of things that feed plants and help to make them grow.
1. The best title of the passage is ______.| A．Need of rubbish collection | B．Different ways to treat rubbish |
| C．Reuse rubbish | D．Rubbish, a big job |
| A．health | B．pollution | C．washing | D．rubbish |
| A．to make machines | B．to feed plants | C．to build a house | D．to feed animals |
| A．By reusing it. | B．By putting it in water. |
| C．By throwing it away. | D．By burning it off. |
| A．a history book | B．a TV guide | C．a science book | D．a telephone book |
10 . For the last six years, speed walking has now become part of my daily routine. I am always keen to do it regularly without a break. Even though I am neither a physician nor a specialist in medical science, I am fully aware that exercise, especially speed walking, helps maintain health and lowers the chance of falling ill.
I urge everybody to speed walk on a daily basis, with one day off a week, or at least to do it three times a week. I managed to burn around 17 kg of fat after taking up speed walking. This should also be accompanied with a change in diet. We need to reduce how much we eat and avoid junk food, sweets and carbonate drinks. Reducing the amount of food we eat in the evening by around 80 per cent and increasing how much water we drink are also good practice. Overeating should also be avoided.
I usually walk at a speed of 1 km per 8.5 minutes. It will initially make me tired. However, over time it will become a habit and an addiction.
This type of exercise will help you sleep and give you an appetite. It will make you physically fit and help burn fat and calories. Speed walking makes you healthy and everyone can find time to walk. The problem is that some people do not plan their days and do not, therefore, find time. We can gain health and social benefits from speed walking. It will help change our lifestyles, fight diabetes(糖尿病), and other illnesses.
Arguments such as “I am too old and obese to walk” do not hold water. People of any age who speed walk will see the benefits within a couple of months. Walking outdoors is ideal and it is best done in the company of friends.
1. Which sentence is TRUE according to the passage?| A．Speed walking helps patients recover from illness. |
| B．The author thinks everybody should speed walk every day. |
| C．The author suggests reducing the amount of food we eat by around 80 per cent. |
| D．The author walks at a speed of more than 100 metres per minute. |
| A．speed walking possibly leads to an eating disorder |
| B．many people are too busy to have a fast walk every day |
| C．more calories and fat will result in some serious illness |
| D．speed walking can effectively cure kinds of diseases |
| A．Make sense. | B．Work out. | C．Have a drink. | D．Build up. |
