1 . Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history. Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the world forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.

Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.

Animals are more than just beautiful and interesting. They are more than just a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.

For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks, the farmers’ stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice.With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied quickly.

Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.

Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animals or plants on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.

1. What can we infer from the passage?

A．People have known the importance of animal protection a long time ago.

B．The number of hawks is on the decrease.

C．Animals play an important role in people’s life.

D．Many countries passed laws forbidding the killing of any animal.

2. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “multiplied” in the passage?

A．Became more.	B．Became less.
C．Turned black.	D．Ate food.

2 . 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. That is the possibility presented by “sound beaming,” a new technology from Noveto Systems, an Israeli company.

On Friday, the company presented 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 Sound Beamer 1.0 before its debut. The AP’s Louise Dixon writes that listening to the device is like something from a science fiction movie. The sound seems so close 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 technology that finds and follows the ear position of the listener. It sends ultrasonic waves to create sound pockets by the user’s ears. Sound can be heard in stereo or 3-D. The 3-D method creates sound on all sides of the listener The demo version of the device included nature videos of birds on a lake, bees flying and a quiet waterway. By changing a setting, the sound can follow a listener around when they move their head. It also is possible to move out 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. Its chief executive officer Christophe Ramstein said a smaller version of the device will be ready for release to consumers next year.

1. What do we know about Sound Beamer?

A．It’s a device appearing in the science fiction movie.

B．Listeners got its sound through a receiver.

C．It can prevent other sound being heard.

D．The smaller one will be on market next year.

2. What does the underlined word “debut” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．New version.

B．First appearance.

C．Another failure.

D．Some doubt.

3. What does the fourth paragraph tell us?

A．How the device works.	B．How to use the device.
C．The device’s advantage.	D．Why the device is invented.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The introduction of a new device — sound beamer.	B．The usage of 3D technology.
C．The influence brought by sound beamer.	D．3D technology and listening experience.

4 . European researchers say they have created a process that can produce oxygen from moon dust. The process could provide a major source of oxygen for humans taking part in moon exploration activities in the future.

Researchers from the European Space Agency, or ESA, carried out the experiments at a laboratory in the Netherlands. They reported their results in a study published in Planetary and Space Science.

The team says ESA’s experimental “plant” was able to successfully produce oxygen from simulated moon dust. The dust is part of a material known as regolith (月壤)，a top layer of dirt and rock pieces that sit on the surface of the moon.

Samples of regolith from the moon have confirmed that the material contains about 45 percent oxygen by weight. However, the oxygen is chemically locked in the form of minerals or glass, so it is not easily available for use. Having real samples of regolith from the moon made it possible for the researchers to create the simulated moon dust material used during testing.

The oxygen extraction (提取)process is carried out using a method called molten salt electrolysis (熔盐电解). This involves first placing the regolith in a metal container. Calcium chloride salt is added to the mixture, which is then heated to 950 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the regolith remains solid. Next, an electrical current                                               is passed through the material. The researchers say it is this step that results in oxygen being extracted from the regolith. The study reported that up to 96 percent of oxygen in the simulated moon dust was extracted during                                               the experiments.

ESA’s long-term   goal is to design an oxygen -producing “pilot plant” to operate full-time on the moon. The first technology demonstration of the system is expected to take place in the middle of 2020s.

The researchers reported that “as a bonus”，the process also results in the production of usable metallic materials.

1. What can benefit from the process?

A．The treatment of some patients.	B．The environment of the moon.
C．Future moon exploration activities.	D．Future experiment in the laboratory.

2. Why is oxygen in the regolith hard to use?

A．It exists in the form of solid.

B．It only exists on the surface.

C．It is mixed with other materials.

D．It is locked in a metal container.

3. What step makes oxygen extracted from the regolith?

A．Adding calcium chloride salt to the mixture.

B．Placing the regolith in a metal container.

C．Passing an electrical current through the material.

D．Heating the metal container to 950 degrees Celsius.

4. What does the underlined word “simulated” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．Mixed.

B．Copied.

C．Exposed.

D．Abandoned.

5 . If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.

Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.

“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat”, said Dr. Jimmy Bell at Imperial College.

Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.

According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.

Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.

According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.

Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes (糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body’s communication systems.

The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle, ” Bell said.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Thin people may be fat inside.

B．Internal fat is of no importance.

C．Internal fat leads to many diseases.

D．Thin people don’t have diabetes.

2. Doctors have found ________.

A．the exact dangers of internal fat

B．being slim is not dangerous at all

C．internal fat is the cause of heart disease

D．being slim doesn’t mean you are not fat inside

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Internal fat leading to disease has been proved.

B．Thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim.

C．It is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat.

D．Exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy.

4. What does the underlined word “shortcut” in the last paragraph mean?

A．A long road.

B．A good diet.

C．A clear difference.

D．A short distance.

6 . 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.

2. What does the underlined word “transparent” mean in the third paragraph ?

A．Easy to see through.

B．Not easy to see through.

C．Full of bright colors.

D．Thick and strong.

3. What do we know about the project from the last two paragraphs?

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

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

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.

7 . The way you learn most effectively will impact many different aspects of your life. Visual learners process information best when it’s presented with images drawn on a whiteboard, charts or graphs. Visual learners usually process pictures before they read printed text and are also able to visualize concepts quickly. People who are visual learners prefer when instructions are printed rather than given verbally (口头地), and may often write or draw when conceptualizing (构思、将……概念化) or attempting to make sense of a new topic. Many visual learners remember something better once they’ve written it down or drawn it out.

Auditory (听觉的) learners process information best when it’s said out loud, such as in a lecture setting or spoken presentation. These types of learners can easily recall what others say and prefer to talk through topics they find complex or difficult to understand. People who are auditory learners prefer verbal directions and may use repetition or repeat things aloud to memorize. They may ask questions to understand the subject matter better and may need to hear something repeated more than once before they fully comprehend. Auditory learners also often benefit from listening to recordings as a method of absorbing new concepts.

Kinesthetic (动觉的) learners process information through experience rather than by being shown or told. These types of learners prefer to do things that are more “hands-on.” They prefer to touch and feel items and can easily recall things they’ve done. People who are kinesthetic learners like to make and create things using their hands, and remember information best when they are physically involved. Kinesthetic learners like to participate in the process by shadowing or assisting, and prefer to practice or rehearse concepts as a way to absorb new information.

Take time to consider how you prefer to lake in new information. Think about the last time how you worked to ensure you retained the information? The answer to these questions will help you discover which learning styles work best for you.

1. What do visual learners do to form an idea in mind?

A．Visualize or read.

B．Process or present.

C．Recall or speak.

D．Write or draw.

2. Who can comprehend something repeated better?

A．Visual learners.

B．Auditory learners.

C．Kinesthetic learners.

D．Lifelong learners.

3. What does the underlined word “shadow” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Reflect perfectly.

B．Watch closely.

C．Memorize carefully.

D．Inquire constantly.

4. What is the purpose of the writer to explain learning styles?

A．To help readers explore learning styles.

B．To introduce effective learning methods.

C．To arouse readers’ curiosity about learning.

D．To inform a new scientific study about learning.

8 . Despite the anxiety that the first digital novel caused in 1993, publishers weren’t too concerned that e-books would one day replace printed books. However, that attitude was changed suddenly in 2007 when Amazon Kindle came onto the market, which led to e-book sales jumping up to 1,260%. Since then, e-books’ popularity has continued to rise steadily. The publishing industry seemed to have lost all possible ability to regain its position. Will printed books eventually become a thing of the past? According to Mike Shatzkin, founder and CEO of the Idea Logical Company, printed books just for reading will, in 10 years from now, be unusual. “Not so unusual that a kid will say, ‘Mommy, what’s that?’ but unusual enough that on the train you’l see one or two people reading something printed, while everyone else is reading on a tablet computer screen.” And Shatzkin believes that the demise of print is sure to happen, though such a day won’t arrive for perhaps 50 to 100 or more years.

Robert Stein, founder of The Institute for the Future of the Book, however, believes that books won’t disappear entirely, at least not anytime soon. “Print will exist, and it may have an artistic value,” he says. He predicts that the distance between writers and readers will be made less obvious by a social reading experience in which authors and consumers can digitally interact with each other to discuss any passage, sentence or line.

Should print really disappear entirely? According to Maryanne Wolf, director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, electronic reading can negatively affect the way the brain responds to the text, including reading comprehension and the ability to pay attention to details like the order of events. “My worry is that we’ll have a short-circuited(短路的) reading brain, excellent for gathering information but not necessarily for forming critical, analytical deep reading skills,” Wolf says. He hopes that we continue to keep a “bi-literate” society — one that values both the digital and printed words. “A full reading brain circuit is a huge contribution to the intellectual development of our species. Anything that threatens it deserves our attention.”

1. How did publishers feel about the rising e-book sales inspired by Amazon Kindle?

A．Worried.	B．Excited.
C．Curious.	D．Doubtful.

2. The underlined word “demise” in Paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A．rise	B．death
C．adjustment	D．popularity

3. According to Robert Stein, paper books will exist because of _____.

A．the artistic value

B．the digital interaction

C．the growing popularity

D．the traditional design

4. It can be concluded from the last paragraph that Wolf holds that _____.

A．e-reading will strengthen the power of our brain

B．digital books and paper books should not coexist

C．e-reading will make us more critical and thoughtful

D．we should not risk losing a full reading brain circuit

9 . There is more that comes with older age than greying hair and wrinkled skin When humans reach their later years, they favour more established friends and their social circle is reduced.

Now, for what appears to be the first time, scientists have seen the same behaviour in another species. Twenty years of observations of chimpanzees (猩猩) reveal that older males choose to hang out with their long-term friends at the expense of other relationships.

The researchers studied 78, 000 hours of observations made between 1996 and 2016 that followed the social interactions of 21 male chimpanzees between the ages of 15 and 58 years old. They classified the chimps’ relationships depending on the amount of time they sat with others and groomed (梳毛) them. They then rated the various pairings as mutual (相互的) friendships, where both chimps seemed to enjoy the relationship; one-sided friendships, where one chimp was more keen to be friends than the other; and non-friendships, where neither chimp showed interest in the other.

When the scientists looked at the patterns of friendships, they found that the older chimps had more mutual friendships and fewer one-sided friendships than younger chimps. Another feature seen in older humans was also spotted in the chimps. As the males got older, their levels of aggression (挑衅) tailed off, meaning they started fewer fights and tended to intimidate others in their group less often.

The observations have left the researchers puzzled. According to an idea in psychology known as socioemotional selectivity theory, or SST, older humans prefer more positive relationships because they are aware time is running out. But many animal experts argue that chimpanzees lack the human sense of mortality (死亡), suggesting something else is driving the behaviour.

Robin Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, said in humans, the decline in social circles with age is due to declining social motivation to get out and meet people combined by lack of opportunity. In chimpanzees, as older males compete less for mates, they may focus on close, reciprocal (互惠的) relationships with trusted partners, she said.

1. What do older male chimpanzees favour?

A．Old friendships.	B．New bonds.
C．Greying hair.	D．Wrinkled skin.

2. How did the researchers draw their conclusion about chimpanzees?

A．By turning to other scientists.

B．By introducing a new concept.

C．By forming relationships with them.

D．By analyzing two decades’ observations.

3. What does the underlined word “intimidate” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Threaten.

B．Motivate.

C．Defend.

D．Accompany.

4. According to Robin Dunbar, what accounts for declining social circles in chimpanzees?

A．Awareness of time.	B．Less competition for mates.
C．Low motivation for socialization.	D．Lack of the human sense of mortality.

10 . British birdwatcher are used to bad news. House sparrow numbers have fallen from an estimated 30m to 10m since 1966. Curlews （杓鹬）have become a rare sight, their numbers sharply declining by 50% in 15 years. Cuckoos（布谷鸟）， once-frequent visitors from Africa, have decreased by 63% in the south-east in the past two decades. Earlier springs that confuse migrant birds, more efficient farming and the transformation of ruined buildings (good for nesting) into modern homes have all contributed to these woes.

But data released by the British Trust for Ornithology(BTO), a research charity, suggest some are rising. Tracking bird populations by means of regular surveys, the figures give the clearest picture of 49 species across Britain.

Blackcaps（黑顶林莺）, small woodland birds native to Germany and eastern Europe, are unwilling to return after their summer short visits: Since 1967 numbers have increased by 177%. The little egret（小白鹭）, a white heron-like bird, arrived from continental Europe in 1989 and now numbers over 5,000. Wood pigeons（斑尾林鸽）, once found shyly singing in forests, have bravely moved into cities and suburbs.

Environmental and agricultural changes have helped as well as confused birds. Modern farming techniques allow grain to be planted in the autumn rather than the spring; that helps wood pigeons feed in winter. Warmer winters mean rivers and ponds are less likely to freeze, providing the little egrets with food. James Pearce-Higgins of the BTO says that blackcaps benefit particularly from the increasing popularity of berry bushes in people’s gardens.

Birders complain nonetheless. Some of the species booming, such as carrion crows（食腐乌鸦）and buzzards（秃鹰）, are disliked. And migrant birds that extend their visits may provide competition for some bird natives. They are “muscling in and getting the first claim on breeding sites”, says Richard Cowser of the Sussex Ornithological Society.                                        I like their human counterparts（同行）, residents of a small island stricken by global winds, British birds will have to learn to compete.

1. The underlined word “woes” in Paragraph 1 probably means____________.

A．Tragedy

B．construction

C．damage

D．migration

2. What might not be the reason for the increase of birds?

A．The access to people’s gardens.	B．Modern farming methods.
C．The different environmental patterns.	D．Rebuilding of abandoned houses.

3. Which of the following statements is correct according to the passage?

A．All bird lovers are satisfied with the situation of birds increasing.

B．Migrant birds lengthening their stays cause threat to the local birds.

C．Black caps whose home is Germany and eastern Europe refuse to stay in Britain.

D．More than 5000 little egrets arrived in Britain from continental Europe in 1989.

4. Where might this article come from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．An annual report.
C．A personal journal.	D．A magazine article.