1 . Every girl dreams and Li Xie is no exception. She has read dozens of books on how to be a ballerina and Swan Lake is her favorite. She hopes one day her dream will come true. She has taken ballet lessons and all her teachers confirm she is a good student.
One day,she saw an advertisement that a famous ballerina troupe will be performing in her hometown.Her thoughts ran wild,“I must meet up with the leader of the troupe and show him my skills,"she murmured to herself. She dressed herself in her ballerina costume and managed to evade the guards and hid in the dressing room. To her luck,the leader entered and she timidly knocked at the door.She bravely approached him and handed him a bunch of red roses and in her excitement the thorns pricked her hand but she did not make much ado about the pain. The leader observed her action as she told him her dream. “Alright, you dance and I will give you my verdict."But halfway through the dance he stopped her and said,“I'm sorry. You're not good enough!”On hearing this, Li Xie ran as fast as her legs could carry her and was ashamed.She gave up her dream.
Many years later,she heard that the same ballet troupe was performing in her town again. Bitter memories of the leader's harsh words came flooding back to her. This time she was determined to find out why the leader had told her she was not good enough when all her teachers thought otherwise.“I remember your gift of roses and how the thorns had pricked your fingers but you carried on bravely. If only you had treated ballet like that and had not given up so easily; therefore,you still deserve my verdict!”
1. What did all of Li Xie's teachers think of her?| A．She needs to be better. |
| B．She was born a ballet dancer. |
| C．She should be more persistent. |
| D．She is qualified for ballet dancing. |
| A．avoid | B．convince | C．approach | D．submit |
| A．She didn't feel it at all. |
| B．She let out a painful cry. |
| C．She ignored it on purpose. |
| D．She attracted the leader's attention. |
| A．Well begun is half done. |
| B．Doing is better that saying. |
| C．He that climbs high falls heavily. |
| D．Dreams belong to those who stick to them. |
2 . Winston Churchill was born into a famous family. His father was a successful politician.
However, as a boy, Churchill was considered a slow learner in school.
Later he entered the Army and saw action in various countries.
In October 1900, Churchill began his political career. For the next sixty years Churchill’s work as a great politician was both brighter and more difficult than his father had been.
In 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Churchill prepared to fight. In 1940 he became the Prime Minster of England.
France fell. The Germans fought their way through Western Europe. It looked as if Britain was about to lose the war. Was it not possible to ask for peace, and listen to Hitler?
Churchill spoke, “I have nothing to offer but blood, hard work, tears and sweat(汗)….You ask what is our policy(政策)? I will tell you, it is to fight, by sea, by land and air, with all our force and with all the strength that God can give us. You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory.”
The Germans began moving their armies to the French coast and prepared to go to war with the British. The British had not enough guns to go round. Churchill gave the answer: “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the coasts, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the field and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never give up.”
By his courage and hard work Churchill heartened his people and other nations fighting together against Hitler. Victory finally came when the Germans lost World War II.
Churchill died in 1965 and was given a State Funeral(国葬). This was a fitting payment to one of all the greatest men the world had ever seen.
1. Churchill ______ before he became a politician.| A．was a slow student | B．was an army man |
| C．helped his father in his career(职业；生涯) | D．had little interest in politics |
| A．after France was defeated | B．before French fell |
| C．soon after Poland was attacked | D．before Churchill became the Prime Minister |
| A．surprised | B．encouraged | C．asked for | D．called for |
| A．Churchill had worked as a politician for more than sixty years. |
| B．The writer admired and respected Churchill very much. |
| C．Churchill was not so clever as his father. |
| D．Churchill was one of the most inspiring, brave and wise leaders in the British history. |
| A．finally Hitler had to give in to Churchill |
| B．Churchill asked to be given a State Funeral before he died |
| C．countries which won World War II held a State Funeral in honor of the statesman |
| D．Churchill was a man of great determination |
3 . The world has many beautiful sounds. we can hear the songs of birds and laugh of people. We can listen to cool music and news reports. And all this is due to(归功于) our ears! They bring us a world of sounds.
But some people can’t hear any sound at all. Some are born deaf. Others can hear well in their childhood, but too many loud sounds hurt their ears later on.
In China, 6 children out of 1000 have hearing problems when they are born. They can not hear ordinary sounds clearly. Children who have hearing problems usually also have learning problems at school.
A lot of things can cause hearing problems. For example, too much earwax is not good for our hearing and noise louder than 85 decibels(分贝) can hurt our ears and make us lose our hearing for a short time or even forever.
Hearing is a problem for all of us. So we should do our best to give our ears special care. Don't forget the following:
Try to stay away from places with too much noise. If you have to go, wear earplugs(耳塞). A pair of earplugs can cut the noise by 30 decibels. When swimming, remember to put earplugs into your ears to stop water from getting in. Never put anything sharp into your ears. If you think you have too much earwax, ask your parents to help you clean it out.
Keep these things in mind! Then you won’t ask “WHAT?” when you are older.
1. In the first paragraph, the writer wants to .| A．tell us many beautiful sounds. | B．describe the sounds. |
| C．teach us how to use ears. | D．show the importance of ears |
| A．耳膜 | B．耳鸣 | C．耳垢 | D．耳疾 |
| A．a little earwax | B．learning problems at school |
| C．noise louder than 85 decibels | D．earplugs that can only cut noise by 15 decibels |
| A．Hearing problems caused by diseases(疾病). | B．People with hearing problems. |
| C．Ways to protect our ears. | D．Danger of loud noise |
4 . Jack was born without eyes. He was very lucky as he grew up having other kittens(young cats) to socialize with, and was used to people from the moment he was born. However, when it came time to find the kittens homes, no one knew where Jack would end up.
That's when I got an email from my friend. All she asked was “Do you still want one of the kittens? There's one here with no eyes and no one would like to take him.” Without thinking, I told her that I did want the kitten.
When we first brought him home, Jack stayed mostly in my room. After about a day he had no issues running around and climbing on everything. At times he gets lost in the house, he'll stop. But we just call him and talk to him and it isn't long before he finds his way back to us.
A few weeks after getting Jack, we got a new farm cat named Bear. Jack and Bear have become best friends. It doesn't matter that he can't see. He always knows when Bear is around. He'll run across the yard straight to Bear and wrap his front legs around his neck in a big hug. They run after each other around and wrestle. They'll lie down in the grass together when tired.
Jack is truly an inspiration. I've owned lots of kittens in my life, but Jack is the happiest and most playful. He doesn't feel sorry for himself. He doesn't need pity. I think Jean, owner of Gumbo, another eyeless cat, said it best when she told me that cats don't have disabilities, they have adaptability.
1. Why did Jack come to our home?| A．I liked an eyeless cat. | B．I didn't mind whether he was blind. |
| C．No other young cats kept him company. | D．My friend ordered me to take him home. |
| A．Difficulty. | B．Fun. | C．Luck. | D．Business. |
| A．Jack likes to play with a new eyeless cat. |
| B．Jack is good at talking and playing with people. |
| C．Jack quickly adapts to the new environment. |
| D．Jack and Bear lie down on the sofa together when tired. |
| A．A cat has nine lives. | B．All is well that ends well. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. | D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
5 . Hardware in general, and smartphones in particular, have become a huge environmental and health problem in the Global South' s landfill sites(垃圾填埋场).
Electronic waste(e-waste) currently takes up 5 percent of all global waste, and it is set to increase rapidly as more of us own more than one smartphone, laptop and power bank. They end up in places like Agbogbloshie on the outskirts of Ghana's capital, Accra.It is the biggest e-waste dump in the world, where 10,000 informal workers walk through tons of abandoned goods as part of an informal recycling process.They risk their health searching for the precious metals that are found in abandoned smartphones.
But Agbogbloshie should not exist. The Basel Convention, a 1989 treaty aims to prevent developed nations from unauthorized dumping of e-waste in less developed countries. The E-waste industry, however, circumvents the regulations by exporting e-waste labelled as “secondhand goods” to poor countries like Ghana, knowing full well that it is heading for a landfill site.
A recent report found Agbogbloshie contained some of the most dangerous chemicals.This is not surprising: smartphones contain chemicals like mercury(水银), lead and even arsenic (砷 ) Reportedly, one egg from a free-range chicken in Agbogbloshie contained a certain chemical which can cause cancer and damage the immune system at a level that's about 220 times greater than a limit set by the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA), Most worryingly, these poisonous chemicals are free to pollute the broader soil and water system. This should concern us all, since some of Ghana's top exports are cocoa and nuts.
Some governments have started to take responsibility for their consumers' waste.For example, Germany has started a project that includes a sustainable recycling system at Agbogbloshie, along with a health clinic for workers.However, governments cannot solve the problem alone, as there is am almost limitless consumer demand for hardware, especially when governments’ green policies are focused on issues like climate change.
Only the manufacturers can fix this.A more economically sustainable and politically possible solution is through encouraging hardware manufacturers to make the repair, reuse and recycling of hardware profitable, or at least cost-neutral.
1. What can we infer from paragraph2?| A．Electronic products need improving urgently. |
| B．Electronic waste is too complex to get fully recycled. |
| C．Electronic waste requires more landfill sites across Ghana. |
| D．Electronic pollution is a burning question in Agbogbloshie. |
| A．Tightens |
| B．Abolishes |
| C．Avoids |
| D．Follows |
| A．The violation of EFSA’s standard |
| B．The lack of diversity in Ghana s exports. |
| C．The damage to chickens immune system |
| D．The threat of polluted food around the world |
| A．Manufacturers' developing a sustainable hardware economy. |
| B．Governments' adjusting their green policies about e-waste. |
| C．Reducing customers' demands for electronic products. |
| D．Letting governments take on the main responsibility. |
6 . During a small earthquake, you will feel a little shaking. Pictures hanging on the walls might move back and forth. Dishes might rattle (发出响声) inside the kitchen cabinet. A lamp might possibly fall and break.
In a very strong earthquake, you might be thrown upward or down to the ground. Cracks might appear in the ground. Windows might be broken. Buildings and bridges might fall down. People might be injured or even killed. Strong earthquakes often suddenly break electric wires. That means electric lights and machines will not work. Water pipes sometimes break, so people have no water to drink. Pipes that carry natural gas and tanks that hold petrol and dangerous chemicals can break and start fires.
Aftershocks (余震) are mini-quakes that come after the main part, of an earthquake. They can cause even more damage. Aftershocks are especially dangerous for rescue workers who have gone into ruined buildings to help people who are trapped inside. The buildings can collapse, trapping the rescue workers along with the people they are trying to help.
Very strong earthquakes can cause tsunamis in the ocean, which may bring great damage. Earthquakes can cause landslides where dirt and rocks slide down the sides of a mountain and damage buildings and hurt people. Earthquakes can also cause avalanches (雪崩) and heavy snow slide down a mountainside. An avalanche can be just as dangerous as a landslide.
1. All the following may be the results of a strong earthquake EXCEPT that .| A．strong bridges fall down |
| B．people have no water to drink |
| C．some dangerous chemicals flow out |
| D．dishes in the kitchen shake and make sounds |
| A．Aftershocks are not as dangerous as the main part of an earthquake. |
| B．Aftershocks are even more dangerous than big earthquakes to the rescue workers. |
| C．Aftershocks are not dangerous for rescue workers. |
| D．Aftershocks are strong earthquakes following the main part of an earthquake. |
| A．fall down | B．shake out |
| C．set up | D．break through |
| A．strong earthquakes can cause tsunamis in the river |
| B．strong earthquakes are caused by the movements of oceans |
| C．landslides do less damage than strong earthquakes |
| D．strong earthquakes can cause other big natural disasters |
7 . Living with your parents comes with its perks – meals ready, laundry done, pills and hot water at your bedside when you’re feeling unwell. But your parents can still drive you crazy – talking about your habits without a stop and trying to get involved in your relationships.
This partly explains why the idea of “living alone” is spreading rapidly across the world with more young adults preferring to go solo.
According to statistics gathered by the market research firm Euro-monitor International, the number of people living alone globally has almost doubled in the last decade and a half.
This rush to solitude (独居) is not only limited to the US and Europe, where social security is well developed. In fact, over recent years, it has grown most quickly in countries with booming economies, like China for example.
Census (人口普查) data released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China in May showed that today over 58 million Chinese people live alone. That’s a number bigger than that of US, UK and France combined”, the Economist reported.
In the past, adulthood in China used to mean getting married and having children. Not following this route was seen as a taboo (禁忌). This is still the mainstream standard, but things are starting to change. Living alone is shifting from being a transitional stage after graduation and before marriage to a long-time state for many.
The marriage age in China is rising, especially in urban areas. In Beijing, the average age of men getting married is 27.8, while that of women is 26.2, according to iFeng News.
Better employment opportunities allow women to have greater equality with men. That might make women more inclined to stay single and free from the burden of starting a new family.
1. What does the underlined word “perks” in para 1 mean?| A．advantages | B．disadvantages | C．preference | D．tradition |
| A．the number of people living alone has almost doubled in China |
| B．people are more likely to live alone in developed countries |
| C．many Chinese think it unacceptable for young people to live alone |
| D．the average age of men getting married is 27.8 while that of women is 26.2 |
| A．they want to be independent of their parents |
| B．the marriage age in China is rising. |
| C．they have the same chance to earn their living as men |
| D．they dislike their parents being involved in their relationships |
| A．China’s youth break free | B．Living with your parents or living alone |
| C．A new life style | D．China’s new youth |
8 . An electric flying vehicle called Skai was on display yesterday near Los Angeles， California． Skai is made by Alaka'i Technologies． The vehicle has six rotors（旋翼） on top． Inside， there are seats for five passengers． To many people， Skai looks like a cross between a giant drone（无人机） and a car． Alaka'i Technologies hopes the vehicle will one day serve as a flying taxi， a cargo carrier， and an ambulance．
Other companies， such as Boeing and Airbus， are also designing electric aircraft． They are using batteries to power them． But batteries can weigh the vehicles down．
Skai uses hydrogen fuel cells to power its rotors． Hydrogen fuel cells are a lighter alternative to batteries． They allow the vehicle to transport 1，000 pounds． They might also be less damaging to the environment． "It's the cleanest form of energy on the planet，" Bruce Holmes told Digital Trends， a technology news website． Holmes is on the board of Alaka'i Technologies．
A test flight will take place near the company's Massachusetts headquarters． But it may be years before the autonomous aircraft is cleared to carry passengers． Skai must first meet regulations． These regulations are set by the Federal Aviation Administration （FAA）．
"The technology is interesting， but the regulatory （监管的） road will be very long，" Thaddeus Lightfoot said． Lightfoot is a lawyer． He helps companies deal with FAA rules．
Alaka'i Technologies is hopeful that Skai will get FAA approval to fly passengers soon． In the meantime， the company's CEO， Stephen Hanvey， says the craft could be used to transport food and water． It could also serve as a mobile cell tower in places struck by natural disasters．
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word "cross" in paragraph 1？| A．mixture． |
| B．container． |
| C．equipment． |
| D．instrument． |
| A．It costs a lot． |
| B．It saves energy． |
| C．It is not readily available now． |
| D．It will soon get approved by FAA． |
| A．It is quite light． |
| B．It uses batteries． |
| C．It transports food and water． |
| D．It lands autonomously． |
| A．Car with wings． |
| B．Car of less weight． |
| C．Car with hydrogen fuel． |
| D．Car in the sky． |
9 . Americans wear black for mourning. Chinese wear white. Westerners think of dragons as monsters. Chinese honor them as symbols of God. Chinese civilization has often shown such polarities(极性）with the West,as though each stands at extreme ends of a global string. Now in the University of California,Berkeley,a psychologist has discovered deeper polarities between Chinese and American cultures-polarities that go to the heart of how we reason and discover truth.
His findings go far toward explaining why American cultures seem so contentious and Chinese cultures so passive, when compared to each other. More importantly, the research opens the way for the peoples of the East and the West to learn from each other in fundamental ways. The Chinese could learn much from Western methods for determining scientific truth,said Peng Kaiping,a former Beijing scholar, who is now a UC Berkeley assistant professor of psychology. And Americans could profit enormously from the Chinese tolerance for accepting contradictions(矛盾） in social and personal life,he said.
“Americans have a terrible need to find out who is right in an argument,"said Peng."The problem is that at the interpersonal level, you really don't need to find the truth,or maybe there isn't any.” Chinese people,said Peng,are far more content to think that both sides have flaws(缺陷）and virtues, because they have a holistic awareness that life is full of contradictions. They do far less blaming of the individual than Americans do, he added.
In studies of interpersonal argument,for example,when subjects were asked to deal with contradictory information stemming from conflict between a mother and a daughter or a student and a school,Peng found that Americans were "uncompromising, blaming one side-usually the mother-for the causes of the problems, demanding changes from one side to attain a solution and offering no compromise” in dealing with the conflict. Compared to this angry,blaming American stance,the Chinese were paragons(模范）of compromise,finding fault on both sides and looking for solutions that moved both sides to the middle.
1. In Paragraph 1, the author offers examples in order to_______| A．expose the contradiction between Chinese and Americans |
| B．show the differences between Chinese culture and American culture |
| C．find the reason for the differences |
| D．generalize the main idea of the passage |
| A．conservative |
| B．aggressive |
| C．objective |
| D．subjective |
| A．likely to find the truth in life |
| B．reluctant to admit their failure |
| C．reluctant to have a general idea of things |
| D．likely to know advantages and disadvantages of things |
| A．Culture Differences Between America and China |
| B．Different Ways for Mourning Between America and China |
| C．Different Ways for Treating the Aged Between America and China |
| D．The Study about American and Chinese |
10 . Great work is work that makes a difference in people’s lives, writes David Sturt, Executive Vice President of the O.C. Tanner Institute, in his book Great Work: How to Make a Difference People Love. Sturt insists, however, that great work is not just for surgeons or special-needs educators or the founders of organizations trying to eliminate poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The central theme of Great Work, according to Sturt, is that anyone can make a difference in any job. It’s not the nature of the job, but what you do with the job that counts. As proof, Sturt tells the story of a remarkable hospital cleaner named Moses.
In a building filled with doctors and nurses doing great life-saving work, Moses the cleaner makes a difference. Whenever he enters a room, especially a room with a sick child, he engages both patients and parents with his optimism and calm, introducing himself to the child and, Sturt writes, speaking “little comments about light and sunshine and making things clean.” He comments on any progress he sees day by day (“you’re sitting up today, that’s good.”) Moses is no doctor and doesn’t pretend to be, but he has witnessed hundreds of sick children recovering from painful surgery, and parents take comfort from his encouraging words. For Matt and Mindi, whose son McKay was born with only half of a heart, Moses became a close friend. As Sturt explains, “Moses took his innate (与生俱来的) talents (his sensitivity) and his practical wisdom (from years of hospital experience) and combined them into a powerful form of patient and family support that changed the critical-care experience for Mindi, Matt and little McKay.”
How do people like Moses do great work when so many people just work? That was the central question raised by Sturt and his team at the O.C. Tanner Institute, a consulting company specialized in employee recognition and rewards system.
O.C. Tanner launched an exhaustive Great Work study that included surveys to 200 senior executives, a further set of surveys to 1,000 managers and employees working on projects, an in-depth qualitative study of 1.7 million accounts of award-winning work (in the form of nominations (提名) for awards from corporations around the world), and one-on-one interviews with 200 difference makers. The results of the study revealed that those who do great work refuse to be defeated by the constraints of their jobs and are especially able to reframe their jobs: they don’t view their jobs as a list of tasks and responsibilities but see their jobs as opportunities to make a difference. No matter, as Moses so ably exemplifies (例证), what that job may be.
1. According to Sturt, which of the following is TRUE?| A．It’s not the nature of the job, but what you do that makes a difference. |
| B．Anyone in the world is responsible to delete poverty and change the world. |
| C．Anyone can make a difference in people’s lives no matter what kind of job he does. |
| D．Surgeons, special-needs educators and founders of organizations can succeed more easily. |
| A．By keeping optimistic and calm when facing patients and their parents at hospital. |
| B．By showing his special gift and working experience when working at hospital. |
| C．By showing his sympathy and kindness to patients when entering their rooms. |
| D．By pretending to be a doctor or nurse when entering a room with a sick child. |
| A．demands | B．advantages | C．disadvantages | D．limitations |
| A．Great work is work that makes a difference in people’s lives no matter what you do. |
| B．If a boss has trouble recognizing his employees, he can ask O. C. Tanner for advice. |
| C．Moses makes a difference through his sensitivity and his practical wisdom. |
| D．Those who do great work are never defeated by others or their jobs themselves. |
