1 . There is a famous story about British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was writing a poem when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
This was an age before the telephone. Someone was delivering a message. When Coleridge got back to his poem, he had lost his inspiration. His poetic mood had been broken by the knock on his door. His unfinished poem, which could otherwise have been a masterpiece, would now never be more than a fragment (片段).
This story tells how unexpected communication can destroy an important thought. That brings us to the invention of the cellphone.
The most common complaint about cellphones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cellphone’s disruption (中断) of our thoughts.
We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cellphones, and this is by and large a healthy, protective development. “I didn’t hear it ring” or “I didn’t realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we’re beyond reach.
The notion of being unreachable is not a new concept — we have “Do Not Disturb” signs on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cellphones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the cellphone for a while?
The problem is that we come from a long-established tradition of difficulty with distance communication. Until the recent mass use of cellphones, it was easy to communicate with someone next to us or a few feet away, but difficult with someone across town, the country or the globe. We came to take it for granted.
But cellphones make long-distance communication common, and endanger our time by ourselves. Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished (珍惜). Even cellphone devotees, myself usually included, can’t help at times wanting to throw their phones away, or curse the day they were invented.
But we don’t and won’t, and there really is no need. All that’s required to take back our private time is a general social recognition that we have the right to it.
In other words, we have to develop a healthy contempt (轻视) for the rings of our own phones. Given the ease of making and receiving cellphone calls, if we don’t talk to the caller right now, we surely will shortly later.
A cellphone call deserves no greater priority than a random word from the person next to us. Though the call on my cellphone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg — who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely it is not, and I’m better off thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the slice of pizza I’ll eat for lunch.
1. What is the point of the story about the poet Coleridge?| A．To direct readers’ attention to the main topic. |
| B．To attract readers’ attention to read his poems. |
| C．To show how important inspiration is to a poet. |
| D．To emphasize the disadvantage of not having a cellphone. |
| A．To encourage us to use the cellphone as much as we can. |
| B．To persuade us not to worry about the ring of the cellphone. |
| C．To inform us that the cellphone is not to be disturbed in our life. |
| D．To ask us to make an apology when we don’t answer the cellphone call. |
| A．answering a call from afar |
| B．talking to friend next to us |
| C．using the cellphone to chat with friends |
| D．communicating to keep the long-established friendship |
| A．Cellphones require more attention than any other invention. |
| B．We sometimes throw the phone away when it is too disturbing. |
| C．The writer would rather continue his own work than be interrupted by the ring. |
| D．We should give priority to the cellphone as it has brought us so much convenience. |
2 . You know that squeak(吱吱声)you hear from your pet mouse or the pest mouse? It turns out that it is 'not really a squeak, but a sweet song by male mice to attract females. This is the conclusion reached by biologist Dustin Penn and his team at the Veterinary University of Vienna.
The scientists who have been conducting a series of studies on house mice for a number of years, began by recording the high-pitched(声调高的)sounds male mice made the moment they sensed a female mouse around. What they discovered when they played them back to females was that the ladies could tell between those made by their brothers and the ones made by unrelated males. Just like human, they tended to ignore the ones made by their brothers.
The researchers then took the experiment one step further and analyzed the squeaks. To their surprise they discovered that while the squeaks sounded similar, they each had a different "tune". The biggest surprise of all was that the mice could even learn tunes from each other.
However, not all scientists agree with this finding. Some like Kurt Hammer, a scientist at the German Primate Center believe that the test sample was too small to make such a conclusion.
The researcher's next plan to test if the females care about the quality of the “song”. In some bird species, males that can sing the most complex tunes seem to get the most attention.
So why do we care whether mice can sing or not? Clearly, since they are being used as laboratory testers, it will help us make advances in human speech disorders like the ones found in people suffering from autism(自闭症).
1. What does Dustin Pen describe the squeak made by a male mouse as?| A．A hungry signal. | B．A sad cry. |
| C．A terrible noise. | D．A pleasant sound. |
| A．The male mice. | B．The female mice. |
| C．The squeaks made by the male mice. | D．The squeaks made by the female mice. |
| A．More studies should be made. | B．Mice are intelligent animals. |
| C．The conclusion is reasonable. | D．Mice shouldn't be studied. |
| A．It can find ways to kill mice. |
| B．It can inspire musicians with their work. |
| C．It can help treat human speech disorders. |
| D．It can find ways to select intelligent mice. |
3 . You might want to take this news standing up. A national survey finds that Americans of all ages are spending more time sitting. Sitting too much——especially when watching television, phones or other screens—can be bad for people’s health, research suggests.
In a new study, researchers analyzed previously collected survey data from more than 50,000 American children, teenagers and adults. The surveys, which went from 2001 through 2016, asked people how much time they spent sitting. People reported sitting a lot. For example, close to two-thirds of children and teens said they sat at least two hours a day watching television or videos. The data also showed that computer use outside of school or work has been increasing across all ages.
Lin Yang is a public-health expert at Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Canada. As an author of the new study, she notes that this trend is not unique to the United States. “Other studies out of Europe and Australia have also found increases in sitting time,” she says. “This includes sitting for work or school as well as driving rather than walking or riding a bike.”
In recent years, inactivity has been seen as an important risk to people’s health. The US Department of Health and Human Services updated its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans last year. It now stresses new research about the dangers of too much sitting. “This new version recommends Americans not only move more, but also sit less,” Yang says.
Though Americans sit a lot due to screen time, they can make use of it to reduce its risk to health. Erin O’Loughlin, an exercise psychologist at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, studies how active video games—sometimes called “exergames”—can help kids move more. That may be good news for Americans. “Sports are great. But you don’t have to play sports if that’s not your thing,” she says. To up your active time, she recommends finding what attracts you. “If you like screen time, try to mix it with physical activity,” she says. “You can do this by playing active video games.”
1. What did researchers do in the new study?| A．They collected worldwide data. | B．They improved participants’ health. |
| C．They did analysis on previous data. | D．They observed people watch videos. |
| A．Sitting in different places. | B．Lack of outdoor exercise. |
| C．The increase in sitting time. | D．The decrease of screen time. |
| A．Combined ones come first. | B．Interest actually matters a lot. |
| C．The easiest one is the best. | D．The more challenging, the better. |
| A．Take Measures to Cut Down Sitting Time |
| B．Stand Instead of Sitting in Front of Screens |
| C．Americans Should Limit Their Screen Time |
| D．Screen Time Brings Health Risk to Americans |
4 . In 2019，a big revolutionary technology shift will finally occur，which is called 5g． It is a once-in a-decade upgrade（升级）to our wireless systems that will start reaching mobile phone users in a matter of months. This new times will leap ahead of current wireless known as 4g by offering mobile internet speeds that will let people download an entire 120-minute movie within a second
But this is not only about faster smart phones，but also will affect many other kinds of devices， including industrial robots，security cameras，drones（无人机），automatic cars，video games，sports，shopping and traffic data．With 5g technology，a clearer and truer 3D images will be formed and it can be off-loaded to other machines wirelessly，freeing users to move and making it easier to develop goggles（目镜）the size of eyeglasses. People can point a smart phone camera to a football game and see both live video on the display and player statistics or other data. Moreover 5g powerful effects extend to remote medical surgery and other fields that increasingly rely on high-speed connections．
Officials in the United States and China regard 5g networks as a heated competitive edge．It can help spread the use of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies．Meanwhile，to get the benefits of 5g，users will have to buy new phones，while carriers will need to install new communication services， which will create a huge future market. In order to occupy it first, the famous world wireless service providers such as AT&T, Verizon, Samsung, Huawei have already declared that they will enter 5g business and showed their 5g new smart phones．
However, in the United States, Verizon and AT&T will offer their 5g service with first use of high frequencies known as millimeter waves that can pump data at high speeds, but their signals don't travel as far. Instead Sprint and T-Mobile plan to start with lower frequencies, whose result may be somewhat slower initial speed，but wider range，although they all claim that they have mastered 5g technology．Thus they only first target the areas with large population. So 5g's full benefit to all are not expected until the main US key carriers upgrade their key switching equipment, which may happen in late 2019 or early 2020.
1. Which of the following is least likely to be affected directly by 5g technology？ ______| A．Eating habits． | B．Traffic management． |
| C．Artificial intelligence． | D．Remote medical operations． |
| A．to use 5g technology freely |
| B．to get a clear 3D images |
| C．to free users move wirelessly |
| D．to develop goggles the size of eyeglasses |
| A．To serve the people all over the world． |
| B．To meet the need of the world market． |
| C．To start the heated hi-tech competition． |
| D．To occupy this large hi-tech market first． |
| A．It is perfect enough to be put into use in the whole US at present． |
| B．It cannot benefit all Americans before the key equipment is upgraded． |
| C．It is too backward to be applied in any part of the US now． |
| D．It will never be widely used all over the US in the future． |
5 . You are with me once in a while for nearly 20 years now. You never said why you chose me. I didn’t even think I was your type. I had always thought you went for the worrier, the unadventurous. But I am an outgoing girl. Maybe you were impressed with my demanding teaching career. Your past lovers come from all walks of life. I see them yell and accuse under your pressure.
I often keep you a secret. I refuse to let my identity be swept up in yours. Besides, sometimes when people talk about you, what they are concerned is how they know you, too and the ways to be relaxed and get away from anxiety. But you and they are only casual acquaintances—the intensity (强度) is incomparable.
I am writing now because I have noticed that we are growing apart. So there are things I want to say. I know my daily exercising annoys you; you’re nowhere to be seen when I’m reading our favourite books. I’ve noticed that you’re turned off by the way I’m eating fruits and vegetables. When I take the time to chat with a stranger or a friend, you often storm off. So I’ve decided it is time to start making plans of my own, despite not knowing what yours are.
I know we will always be in touch. You’ll visit me when I least expect it. But plan on being prepared. If we do eventually split for good, you should know you have changed me for the better. Because of you, I see that life is a fragile gift to be handled with awakened care and patience. So learn to keep you at bay by getting away from stress.
In short, appreciate you for what you have brought into my life but I ask you to give me the distance I need to live the lessons you have taught.
1. The word “you” mentioned in the passage refers to ________.| A．a secret | B．a bad feeling |
| C．a teacher | D．the author’s best friend |
| A．Reading her favorite books. | B．Chatting with her friends happily. |
| C．Working out on regular basis. | D．Doing demanding work and feeling stressed. |
| A．She is grateful to “you”. | B．She has pity on “you”. |
| C．She can’t forgive “you”. | D．She regrets treating “you” badly. |
| A．A poem. | B．A guidebook. | C．A diary. | D．A biography. |
6 . After the cure of pneumonia, Wuhan Dad reread the letter his daughter left at the bedside, tears filled his eyes. In the second vlog series, make a video call to a friend in Wuhan, China Daily reporter Xiao Peng interviewed three Wuhan residents by video and phone, among whom three have just been released from isolation. Their lives have been transformed by pneumonia (肺炎) caused by the new coronavirus (冠状病毒).
The first interviewee was Tian Fuxin from Wuhan. He was admitted to hospital on January 20 and discharged from hospital on January 30 after 10 days of isolation treatment.
“When I was admitted to hospital, I was very anxious. But after a few days I was OK. And if you’re infected by the novel coronavirus, the government covers your medical expenses. Our meals are the same as the doctors’ and nurses’”.
“Every time I saw them in their protective gear, I felt moved because I know that stuff must be awful to wear, with goggles fogged up and so on. I can’t thank them enough. Those patients who were discharged early like us are very grateful to the people who helped us, because without them, it’s hard to say how we could have survived.”
Worried about his daughter’s safety, the family had her back to the university in Shanghai before the closure. She was quarantined in Shanghai on the first day of the lunar New Year and was recently confirmed to be well enough to end the quarantine. The daughter left her father a letter in which she read between the lines her guilt not being able to accompany him and her love for him.
“I can’t look after you every time you are in hospital. I was right with you, though I didn’t realize how ill you were. Nothing could be done except get away.” “Dad, I love you. After growing up, I think I’ve never said that. You must hold on. I can’t live without you, Dad.” “Don’t be pessimistic. Little psychological tricks are helpful. You have to tell yourself I am feeling better.”
Because of infectious virus as well as its outbreak Tian Fuxin fell ill, experiencing a period of fighting the disease. However, he received the words his daughter had not long been able to speak out “Dad, I love you.”
1. Whom does the underlined word “them” in the fourth paragraph refer to?| A．Wuhan residents | B．medical staff |
| C．the three interviewees | D．the government |
| A．The daughter couldn’t care for her father when he was in hospital. |
| B．The meals of the pneumonia patients are quite different from those of doctors. |
| C．daughter was also isolated in Shanghai on the first day of the lunar New Year. |
| D．Tian Fuxin has been cured and has recovered from pneumonia. |
| A．show little psychological tricks are helpful |
| B．inform him her being quarantined in Shanghai |
| C．encourage him to fight disease and she loved him all the way. |
| D．to say goodbye to the father. |
| A．a magazine | B．a fiction | C．a brochure | D．a newspaper |
7 . Humans really do have a sixth sense that lets us detect magnetic fields (磁场), but we’re not aware we have it. It has long been known as ESP, Spider Sense, or the ability to see things before they happen. But now scientists have proved that humans really do have a sixth sense-that lets them detect magnetic fields. Tests have shown that mankind may have the same inborn sense of Earth’s magnetic field that has long been proved to exist in animals.
By putting a protein from the human retina (视网膜) into fruit flies, researchers noticed that the insect adjusted its flight path just as if its eye had not been changed. This suggests that the “sixth sense” does exist in humans but we might not be aware of it. Animals use such sight to navigate long distances during migration or, in the case of birds, to “see” where they are going. The complex tests involved examining the process by which light goes through a bird’s eye, which has interested the scientific community for more than 30 years. In the late 1970s, the physicist Klaus Schulten concluded that birds fly by relying on geomagnetically (地磁) sensitive biochemical reactions in their eyes.
Tests have shown that the special cells in the eye carry out this function using the protein cryptochrome (蛋白隐色素). Professor Reppert’s team used wild fruit flies, replacing their version of cryptochrome with the human equivalent (等价物), and then put them in a maze (迷宫) with each wing wrapped in a metal coil (金属圈). They then sent electricity through it so that the coil was magnetised in a way which is just like Earth’s electromagnetic field (电磁场). The flies responded in exactly the same way as if they had their own cryptochrome, by either avoiding the magnetic fields or moving towards them if the researchers had placed sugar nearby.
The new study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
1. What do we know about humans’ sixth sense?| A．Humans have been aware of it since ancient times. |
| B．It is quite different from the animals’. |
| C．It is the ability to predict what will happen. |
| D．It is also a sense developed after birth. |
| A．To change fruit flies’ flight path. |
| B．To test if humans have a sixth sense. |
| C．To examine the process of birds’ flying. |
| D．To allow researchers detect magnetic fields. |
| A．the maze | B．each wing |
| C．cryptochrome | D．the metal coil |
| A．They responded normally as if there had been nothing changed. |
| B．They couldn’t avoid the magnetic fields like before. |
| C．They lost the sense of direction completely. |
| D．They couldn’t find the sugar the researchers had placed nearby. |
8 . It is a well accepted assumption that students come to colleges to get good grades and that they are usually too busy to do anything else.
But Connie Snyder Mick, an academic director of the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame, says it is just half of the truth. There are many volunteering centers like hers at the colleges and universities in the United States. Mick says these centers help students seek an experience that may not be directly related to a student’s academic progress, but that is still important.
Volunteering is not uncommon in higher education. Many college groups organize volunteer events for different causes. Officials in charge of student housing often organize such events to help build a sense of community. Participation in these kinds of activities is good for students, Mick says. For example, the busy nature of college life can create a lot of stress for students. Doing something completely unrelated to a student's studies can help calm them by putting their mind on other things.
For a more meaningful addition to their college experience. Mick urges students to visit centers like the one she heads. She says these centers exist to create volunteer opportunities that are more complex and meaningful than just a day spent cleaning a local park or raising money, for example.
Such volunteering centers often partner with local organizations that serve the people of the nearby communities. Even for students with little interest in building a connection with the local communities, there is still value in what volunteer centers have to offer, Mick says. She notes some opportunities can push students to use what they are learning in the classroom out in the real world and having that kind of experience can make a student appealing to employers in the years to come.
1. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Academic progress. |
| B．College education. |
| C．Volunteering experience. |
| D．Center for Social Concerns. |
| A．To give students good part-time jobs. |
| B．To raise money for different celebrations. |
| C．To help build a closer bond among the students. |
| D．To improve the living conditions for the students. |
| A．By helping them focus on their study. |
| B．By offering chances to test their knowledge. |
| C．By protecting them from the local communities. |
| D．By increasing their competitiveness in the job market. |
| A．Colorful College Life in the USA |
| B．Guidelines for Volunteering Center Selection |
| C．Volunteering: a Meaningful Addition to College Life |
| D．A Valuable Platform: Mick's Center for Social Concerns |
9 . Amanda Seyfried didn’t grow up with dogs. With her busy work schedule, she didn’t think she could take care of a dog. In fact, she wasn’t looking for a furry friend at all.
But then she met Finn. Today, the 34-year-old actress, who’s known for films Mamma Mia, is a dog owner and a spokeswoman at the welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society.
“I can’t imagine my life without him,” Seyfried says of 6.5-year-old Australian shepherd Finn, who is allowed on her U.S. set. If for some reason he can’t join Seyfried on location --- like on a recent trip when she traveled from France to China, Seyfried requests from her dog sitter twice — daily videos of him.
Now with a new video for Best Friends Animal Society, she calls herself Finn’s “stage mother.”
Seyfried and Finn shot an 80s-themed video for the 9000StepsChallenge, which asks animal owners to walk 9,000 steps with their pets on the ninth day of the month to raise awareness to the fact that more than 9,000 dogs and cats are euthanized (安乐死) in shelters each day because there’s not enough room.
As for the video shoot, in which Seyfried and Finn walked the 9,000 steps --- it was more exhausting than a long walk. Seyfried was Finn’s trainer on the shoot. She believes that instead of being Finn’s cp-star, she’ll go back to being BFFs.
1. Why did Seyfried originally refuse a pet dog?| A．She wasn’t not yet a spokeswoman. |
| B．She wasn’t used to being with a dog. |
| C．She was too busy to care for a dog. |
| D．She had not enough room for a dog. |
| A．Finn. | B．Seyfried. |
| C．The dog sitter. | D．Finn’s best friend. |
| A．To show how deep she loves Finn. |
| B．To train Finn to have a long walk. |
| C．To take part in an animal cp-star show. |
| D．To call on public attention to pets’ life. |
| A．News | B．Life |
| C．Education | D．Sports |
10 . The Master Gardener Foundation
Aim
The Master Gardener Foundation provides free information to the public on environmentally safe gardening practices and water conservation. The information is research-based and encourages limited use of farm chemicals and fertilizers.
Donation Activities
The master gardeners here did much donation work. They donated over 35,000 volunteer hours, serving 40,000 adults and more than 5,200 children. They did this through about 35 plant clinics, 6 demonstration gardens, 4 youth gardens, as well as a classroom program and dozens of workshops. The Master Gardener Foundation provides roughly two-thirds of the financial support for all these valuable activities.
Washington State University currently provides the salary and benefits of the Master Gardener Program. The foundation funds office space and supplies, as well as a part-time program assistant.
The Master Gardener Program
Safe and green gardening and water use practices are vital to preserving our environment. The Master Gardener Program seeks to provide this kind of education and information to the citizens for free. It is a highly successful example of cooperation between a foundation and volunteers.
Waiting for Your Donations
The Master Gardener Foundation is a non-profit organization, and all donations are allowed by law and support the Master Gardener Program and activities.
Please consider a donation to the Master Gardener Foundation and help keep our environment green!
1. What does the underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Science research. | B．Adopting children. |
| C．Donation work. | D．Sparing volunteer hours. |
| A．It's very expensive. |
| B．It proves to be unsuccessful. |
| C．It provides education just in producing farm chemicals. |
| D．It's a bridge between the foundation and volunteers. |
| A．To encourage donations. |
| B．To describe volunteer work. ' |
| C．To spread the agricultural knowledge. |
| D．To give some suggestions to gardeners. |
