1 . Growing up in a city, a vast global survey has found, has a lifelong negative impact on a personas ability to navigate. When looking for a half-remembered restaurant in a poorly-lit side street, it seems a countryman would be a more useful companion.
In the new study, scientists led by Antoine Coutrot at the University of Nantes and Hugo Spiers at University College London describe how they used a data set gathered from players of a computer game called "Sea Hero Quest", which tests way-finding skills by asking players to memorise a map showing the location of checkpoints and then measuring how well players can guide a boat to find them. The game was released in 2016 and all players have since been asked for basic information about themselves, including their age, gender, home country, and whether or not they grew up in a city.
From that database, Dr Spiers and his colleagues examined a subset of 442,000 players from 38 countries. They found that the strongest indicator of a high score was a player's age, older people performed relatively poorly. But the benefit of rural living was strong enough to offset some of that. Data showed that a 70-year-old who grew up in the countryside had the navigational abilities of an average 60-year-old across the data set.
The gap between the navigation skills of rural and city people was the largest in America, and the researchers think they know why. They gave each country a complexity score by analysing how the streets were laid out in its largest cities. And they found that countries dominated by simple layouts of grid-based (基于网格的) cities (most common in America and Argentina) dragged down navigation skills more than growing up in a city based around more complicated networks of streets, such as Prague.
Dr Spiers says that the brain's navigational abilities probably weaken in the less challenging city environment because they are not being used as much. Although cities may appear more complicated, they also feature more clues to help residents find their way, such as numbered streets. As many city people on a visit to the countryside say, one field tends to look much the same as another, so there are fewer external landmarks to help guide the way.
1. What did the players have to do when playing "Sea Hero Quest" ?| A．Draw the right way to checkpoints on a map. |
| B．Find out the right map of checkpoints as fast as possible. |
| C．Choose the proper locations for checkpoints on a map. |
| D．Find checkpoints relying on their mental map. |
| A．Worsen. | B．Display. | C．Confirm. | D．Balance. |
| A．The grid of streets. | B．The clear street signs. |
| C．The complex layout of streets. | D．The similar street views. |
| A．Differences between city streets and country roads. | B．A possible explanation for the findings. |
| C．Effective ways to improve navigational abilities. | D．A practical application of the findings. |
2 . Back in 1859, an Englishman, Thomas Austin, brought 24 rabbits to Australia's eastern state of Victoria. Never before had there been any rabbits on the Australian continent. Austin and other homesick English settlers thought rabbits would remind them of the green fields of home. They also felt the creatures would provide them with game to hunt.
However, the rabbits spread through Victoria, New South Wales, southern Queensland, and South Australia in no time. Worse, the animals had begun moving west. These little creatures easily went through pastures and crops, and destroyed almost everything in their path. They evicted wallabies(a kind of Australian animal) and other now-endangered animals, moving in and taking over their homes. The rabbits just chose to eat certain grasses and small bushes, which completely changed the local ecosystem. In times of drought, the rabbits dug deep into the ground to find small amounts of water in the roots of plants. As the vegetation cover was destroyed, erosion became a serious problem. By 1894 the threat had reached Western Australia's border.
In the end, a decision was made to build a rabbit-proof fence that would cross the continent from north to south. In late 1901, the construction of the Number 1 Rabbit-proof Fence began. The project required 400 camels, 150 horses, 50 donkeys, and 4 teams of oxen. Posts made of bushes were driven into the ground every twelve feet. Wire netting that reached out three and a half feet above the ground and one foot into the ground was fixed between the posts.
By 1907 the rabbit-proof fence was completed. A second and third fence line had been added when rabbits were found west of the original fence. With the Number 2 and Number 3 fences, Australia was totally divided by 2023 miles of netting. In 1907 the three parts of the rabbit-proof fence made up the longest fence in the world. No one could have imagined the consequences of Thomas Austin's decision to bring rabbits to Australia in 1859. Who could have known what it would take to contain 24 rabbits?
1. According to the text, Thomas Austin ______.| A．was the designer of the rabbit-proof fence | B．moved to Australia in the early 19th century |
| C．lived in eastern state of Victoria all his life | D．brought rabbits to Australia to avoid loneliness |
| A．admired | B．removed | C．controlled | D．protected |
| A．many animals could be seen in Australia | B．it was hard to find food for these animals |
| C．building the fence was extremely difficult | D．the project was a waste of time and effort |
| A．Australia's rabbit-roof fences | B．How to make a rabbit-proof fence |
| C．Rabbits—the perfect pet for children | D．Thomas Austin—a smart rabbit keeper |
3 . There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.
1. The author expected the train trip to be________.| A．adventurous | B．pleasant | C．exciting | D．dull |
| A．The friendly country people. | B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. | D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
| A．choose | B．enjoy | C．prepare for | D．carry on |
| A．Johore Baru. | B．The Causeway. | C．Butterworth. | D．Singapore. |
4 . In the past several years, air travel has become less appealing for some travellers. Tighter security regulations mean longer waits. Rising fuel prices can lead to more expensive tickets. Despite(尽管) the inconveniences, air travel still has a number of advantages over car, train and bus travel.
For a long distance, air travel is the fastest way to get to your destination, but even on shorter trips planes are much quicker. On a medium-length trip from New York City to Detroit, a flight will take about 4.5 hours—including an hour’s driving to and from the airport and an hour’s waiting in the terminal(终点站) — while a car ride will take 9.5 hours, a bus ride almost 15 hours and a train ride about 16.5 hours. Buses, cars and trains only begin to become competitive on extremely short trips such as from NYC to Philadelphia.
Plane crashes are tragic events that can result in hundreds of deaths. Fortunately, they are extremely rare. According to Chance News, the odds(可能性) of dying on a 1,000-mile flight are significantly less than those from dying on a 100-mile car ride. Car, bus and train travel are also more dangerous than flying on a plane.
The cost of tickets for airplane, bus and train travel can vary greatly. In many cases, however, air travel is the cheapest way. A trip from New York City to Detroit costs $86 by plane. This is comparable to slightly cheaper train tickets ($75) and bus tickets ($80) and cheaper than car travel ($115). On the longer New York City to Los Angeles trip, the advantages of air travel shine: airplane tickets are more than 30 dollars less than train tickets, the cheapest alternative.
1. Which means of transportation takes the longest time from New York City to Detroit?| A．A train ride. | B．A car ride. |
| C．A bus ride. | D．A flight. |
| A．Cast a shadow. | B．Are obvious. |
| C．Are unclear. | D．Reflect light. |
| A．He is worried about the safety of air travel. |
| B．He is familiar with the trip between New York City and Detroit. |
| C．He prefers travelling by car rather than by bus. |
| D．He chooses to travel by train while travelling around the US. |
| A．The Traffic System in America |
| B．The Disadvantages of Air, Train and Bus Travel |
| C．Different Ways of Travelling around the US |
| D．The Advantages of Air Travel |
5 . It’s important for children to take part in social activities during their summer holidays. “Kids should have a break during the summer. They’ve worked hard during the school year and this is their time to relax, but they should continue communicating with their friends and meeting new people,” said Dr. Jin Han. He’s a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Spending time with friends and meeting new people by doing fun and educational activities such as music, arts and sports programs in summer help with their development. “If children spend a lot of time alone on their electronic equipment, then they will fail to communicate with others,” Han said. “In today’s world, it’s very easy for kids to stay indoors all day and keep in touch with others, but that is not a good way to connect with others. Face-to-face communication is necessary and important. Parents should restrict the time their children spend on electronic equipment. For example, the time they spend on their phones cannot be more than one hour a day.”
It’s also important for children to spend quality time with their parents and sisters or brothers. “It’s not the length of time, but the quality of time that families spend together that is really valuable,” Han said. “This type of communication is not something that you can get from anywhere else. It doesn’t matter how old the child is, because family bonding (人与人之间的关系) experiences can happen at any time.”
Having children spend time with friends and families doesn’t have to spend money in the wallet, either. For example, going to the neighborhood swimming pool or having a picnic is a great way to spend quality time together.
1. What does Dr. Jin Han think about the summer holidays according to the first paragraph?| A．It is necessary for children to have a rest during summer holidays. |
| B．Children should relax as much as possible during summer holidays. |
| C．Making new friends in summer holidays is difficult for children. |
| D．Children should prepare for schoolwork in summer holidays. |
| A．Increase. | B．Control. | C．Spend. | D．Employ. |
| A．How long children spend with families matters. |
| B．What to do with families depends on the parents. |
| C．When to spend time with families makes a difference. |
| D．How to enjoy the time with families is of great importance. |
| A．The importance of friends and families. | B．The introduction of some social activities. |
| C．The suitable ways to spend summer holidays. | D．The necessity of face-to-face communication. |
6 . I have a new hero. It is G. M.Hennen.I found him in the old newspapers as I was doing my research for the column A Look Back in History.
In 1958, he retired as a newspaper carrier from the Sherman Herald Democrat. He was 77 years old and had delivered four million copies of the Democrat. He had gone through 17 automobiles and had thrown on average 400 newspapers a day，six days a week.He drove 100 miles a day, including the day he collected.
Before he was a newspaper carrier，he was also a teacher and a construction worker.
He opened the first motor delivery route in the newspaper's history. Driving a Model T Ford，his route consisted of Pottsboro, Gordonville, Sadler and Southmayd. Before he started in delivery，he solicited subscriptions riding horseback over the county.
Mr.Hennen had only one wreck in 30 years. The car spun out of control and flipped on its top. That didn't stop him. A man with a truck used a tow rope to flip the car back over and tied the doors shut，leaving Mr.Hennen to continue on his way. Now that was determination!
Mr.Hennen told of the time his headlights went out as he was delivering newspapers.He borrowed a kerosene lantern from a farmer to light the way and continued his route.
What a story! I complain when I have to drive to work when it is snowing，and I only have to travel three miles.I could never be that tough.
1. According to the second paragraph, how many newspapers did Mr.Hennen throw a week?| A．1,600. | B．2,000. |
| C．2,400. | D．2,800. |
| A．A newspaper carrier. |
| B．A teacher. |
| C．A construction worker. |
| D．A doctor. |
| A．Luck. | B．Success. |
| C．Failure. | D．Accident. |
| A．Mr.Hennen was a successful worker. |
| B．Mr.Hennen was devoted to his job. |
| C．Mr.Hennen was not afraid of death. |
| D．Mr.Hennen was silly. |
7 . Some people say global English is no longer just controlled by British or American English,but is running free and developing uniquely local forms.Can you figure out the following terms?
“I like your smile,but unlike you put your shoes on my face.”This is a way of saying“Keep off the grass.”Or“people mountain,people sea”,which means“very crowded”.
These examples are what we call Chinglish.When it comes to Chinglish,if all you know is“good good study,day day up”,you will be considered“out man”.
Nowadays,more Chinglish words have been created,for example,a Chinese idiom is translated as“smilence”,a combination by the English word smile and silence.
Chinglish usually offers a humorous look at misuses of the English language in Chinese street signs,products,and advertising.They are favoured by some English speaking tourists and visitors.Dominic Swire has been living in Beijing for a couple of years.“I think many Chinese people complain about the Chinglish and badly translated English.But you know,sometimes for us foreigners,it’s actually quite charming to see them.I think if the translations of English in China were all perfect,then something would be lost from Chinese culture.”
However,Chinglish will probably become a“cultural relic”in the near future.Beijing has made a comprehensive plan to improve foreign language services and correct Chinglish within five years.“It is very ridiculous to see Chinglish on the signs in some scenic spots.And they are a kind of barrier for communication between Chinese and people from other countries,”a Beijinger said.
Some Chinese university experts side with Chinglish.They argue that English has absorbed elements from other languages such as French and Spanish in its growth,and now it’s Chinese’s turn.
1. What can we call Chinglish?| A．English words which get new Chinese meanings. |
| B．The Chinese words which are difficult to translate. |
| C．The words combining English vocabulary and Chinese grammar. |
| D．The local words preventing foreigners from learning Chinese well. |
| A．Saying nothing but to smile. | B．Smiling without being noticed. |
| C．Laughing at somebody. | D．Knowing little about speech. |
| A．It can show the humour of Chinese. | B．It will attract more foreign tourists. |
| C．It helps him to learn Chinese well. | D．It seems part of Chinese culture. |
| A．Because it has become a unique bridge between Chinese and English. |
| B．Because Chinglish is a chance to enrich Chinese and English. |
| C．Because it improves the understanding between Chinese and foreigners. |
| D．Because Beijing is determined to get rid of Chinglish signs. |
8 . Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity - but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually .The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的)，an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
1. Why does the author like rereading?| A．It evaluates the writer-reader relationship. |
| B．It’s a window to a whole new world. |
| C．It’s a substitute for drinking with a friend. |
| D．It extends the understanding of oneself. |
| A．It’s a brief account of a trip. |
| B．It’s about Hemingway’s life as a young man. |
| C．It’s a record of a historic event. |
| D．It’s about Hemingway’s friends in Paris. |
| A．Debt |
| B．Reward. |
| C．Allowance. |
| D．Face value. |
| A．He loves poetry. |
| B．He’s an editor. |
| C．He’s very ambitious. |
| D．He teaches reading. |
9 . Typically, a person sitting in the driver's seat of a car opens the door with the hand closest to it. It makes sense since doors are designed to be opened that way. Pull the handle(把手) and immediately the door is open. But if you happen to do that at the wrong time, you may create an obstacle(阻碍) for a passing cyclist without knowing it. Then the cyclist will be sent falling off the bike, and the car door is likely to be damaged by the fast-moving bicycle.
The car door design and long-time habits have made the process instinctual but clearly the solution is for the person getting out of the vehicle to check for traffic. Luckily, there's a simple way to solve the problem: the Dutch reach. In other words, instead of using your left hand, reach for the door latch(门锁) with your right hand. This will force you to turn your body and look into your side view mirror to see whether any car or bike is coming.
''It's just what Dutch people do,'' said Fred Wegman, the former managing director of the National Institute for Road Safety Research in the Netherlands. ''All the Dutch are taught it. It's part of regular driver education.''
The technique dates back about 50 or 60 years, and it was very popular between the 1960s and the 1980s. But it didn't really become known as the Dutch reach until American physician named Michael Charney started the Dutch Reach Project in 2016 in an effort to popularize the practice in the United States. According to The Times, he was motivated by the death of a 27-year-old who rode into an open car door and died just five blocks from his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Charney's efforts may be paying off. Both Massachusetts and Illinois now include the Dutch reach in their drivers’ manuals(手册).
1. What is the first paragraph intended to show?| A．The poor design of the car door and handle. |
| B．A common conflict between cars and bicycles. |
| C．A main cause of traffic accidents related to cyclists. |
| D．Possible risks connected with opening the car door. |
| A．Difficult | B．Possible |
| C．Natural | D．Dangerous |
| A．By making the person open the car door more easily. |
| B．By forcing the person to check for approaching traffic. |
| C．By reminding the person of the traffic lights frequently. |
| D．By helping the person see the side view mirror more clearly. |
| A．Its popularity among Dutch people. |
| B．Its appearance in drivers’ manuals. |
| C．A project started in the year 2016. |
| D．The death caused by a traffic accident. |
10 . Are you wondering whether it’s worth going for a little jog? Don’t hesitate, and get your sports shoes on. A new study shows that proper running lowers the risk of death before the normal time.
In an analysis of 14 previous studies from the US and Denmark, the group of researchers from institutes in Australia and Finland concluded that increasing running participation would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity. The studies involved 232,149 participants over time periods ranging from 5. 5 to 35 years.
On the whole, people running any distance were associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causes than those who did not, the study shows. Running was also related with a 30% and 23% lower risk of death from cardiovascular(心血管的)disease and cancer, respectively.
Previous studies had concluded “inconsistent findings” about whether running could lower the risk of premature death, according to the researchers. Lead researcher Jim White, a professor at Victoria University in Melbourne, told CNN: “Our recent findings may encourage physically inactive individuals to take up running and those who already run to keep on doing it.”
He added that doctors may be encouraged by our findings to promote running as a part of “lifestyle medicine”. In their paper, which will be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers say health professionals are sometimes wary of promoting running because vigorous(剧烈的)use of it has been linked with sudden heart death.
Jim and his team deny this by noting that the benefit of running outweighs the risk. However, they did say advice should be given on a case-by-case basis, as running might not be appropriate for everyone. Although running has a clear health benefit, the researchers point out that higher “doses” of running may not reduce the risk of premature death further. According to the WHO’s guidelines, adults aged between 18 and 64 should take 150 minutes of gentle exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.
1. What did the new study focus on?| A．The benefit of jog. | B．People’s lifestyles. |
| C．People’s living conditions. | D．The risk of jog. |
| A．Doctors’ quicker treatment. |
| B．People’s losing weight. |
| C．People’s involvement in running. |
| D．Researchers’ promotion of sport. |
| A．Certain. | B．Tired. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Confident. |
| A．The risk of exercising vigorously. |
| B．The reasons why people should keep running. |
| C．The suggestions on running appropriately. |
| D．The argument about whether running benefits people. |
