1 . In 2015, Chennai was destroyed by one of the worst floods in over a century, leaving thousands without food, water and supplies. During the flood, many heroes arose, one of whom was Santosh, a young man who owned a take-out restaurant in Chennai.
When the first flood hit in November, he got a call from a company called Naga Rava. The company asked him to prepare 5,000 packets of food and give them to the flood victims. He, with his partners, took the order, cooked for 14 hours and delivered(递送) them. But that night, as they sat together discussing the event of the day, they actually felt ashamed(羞愧). “Here was a man not even from Chennai and he was going out of his way to help the affected people. We, while living here, had not really done anything ourselves for our own people,” said Santosh later.
He then began the groundwork for a collection to help cook more dishes. Little did he know that the November flood was just the beginning, and the real show was about to begin. The December flood affected them all. His own house got flooded and his family was trapped on the second floor. They lost phone connection and electricity. In spite of this, Santosh went back out into the flood, creating a kitchen and preparing food all by himself for the victims.
He did not sleep for four days, taking a one-hour break every day as he kept on cooking. As word got out about this man’s effort, others stepped out to join him. From children to the elderly, strangers came to help him in cooking, packing and transporting food. Up to 300 volunteers worked together to make it all happen. By the time the fourth day finally came to an end, Santosh and his team had prepared 170,000 food boxes and delivered them to people in need.
1. What inspired Santosh to help the affected people?| A．A call for help. | B．His cooking skills. |
| C．An act of kindness of a stranger. | D．The encouragement from his partners. |
| A．The help and support. | B．The severer flood. |
| C．Santosh’s family suffering. | D．Santosh’s cooking more food. |
| A．Energetic and helpful. | B．Determined and clever. |
| C．Selfless and caring. | D．Kind and wise. |
| A．Many Hands Make Light Work |
| B．Kindness Is Its Own Reward |
| C．Major Floods Brought Challenges To People |
| D．A Man Cooked 170,000 Meals For The Affected |
2 . When most high school students complain about having to wake up extra early，they're usually referring to a swim practice before class or the last minute study before a test. But that was never the case for Corey Patrick，who woke up at 4：30 every morning last year in order to arrive on time at Tarrant High School in Alabama.
Patrick had attended Tarrant City Schools since his fourth grade，but things got difficult when his family moved to a town 14 miles away. Even though his family didn't have any forms of transportation，Patrick didn't want to miss out on his senior year with friends，so he woke up at 4：30 every morning in order to make it to a 5：41 a．m.bus that would help him get to Tarrant on time.And just as he had done every other school day of the year，Patrick got up one morning to start the journey from his home to his high school; the only obvious difference that morning was that he was wearing his graduation gown (毕业礼服)，which made that day's bus driver，DeJuanna Beasley, take some photos of him. She then shared them online with these words，“You tell me this isn't determination.He got on my bus to go to his graduation，and no one was with him.Sometimes it's all in what you want out of life.I was so proud of this young man.”
That was soon shared by many people online，and it caught the attention of radio host Rickey Smiley，who surprised Patrick by giving him a car later. Smiley confirmed that he would make sure that Patrick received help with getting his driver's license. A GoFundMe was also created for Patrick，which has raised over $20,000. And Patrick has got a scholarship (奖学金) to Jacksonville University，where he plans to study computer science.
1. Why was Patrick different from most students when it comes to rising early?| A．It had something to do with study. |
| B．It was a part of daily life for him. |
| C．He was unwilling to get up early. |
| D．He spent more time in studying. |
| A．Patrick dressed poorly on his graduation day. |
| B．It took Patrick an hour to get to the bus stop. |
| C．The driver was moved by Patrick's story. |
| D．There was no school in Patrick's town. |
| A．Patrick's request for help on the Internet. |
| B．The difficulties that Patrick experienced. |
| C．The information about Patrick's university. |
| D．The message published online by the driver. |
| A．GoFundMe. | B．Rickey Smiley. |
| C．Patrick's high school. | D．Jacksonville University. |
3 . In the first days after a team of 25 delivery robots landed on George Mason University's campus in January,they appeared to cause curious glances and many photos but not much else.
It was clear,officials said,that more time and more data would be necessary to understand whether the robots would change the campus culture or become forgettable.Two months later,an extra 1,500 breakfast orders have been delivered autonomously,according to the technologists of Sodexo,a company that manages food service for GMU and works closely with the robots.
Research has shown that up to 88 percent of college students skip breakfast,primarily because of lack of time,but that number is starting to turn around when delivery robots arrive on campus.They're constantly seen making the 15 minute trip from campus restaurant to a handful of nearby dorms,as well as to other buildings across campus,where students meet them.Two months later,breakfast has replaced dinner as the go-to meal for robot delivery.
Sodexo officials have noted that college students are main users of food delivery apps and place a high value on convenience and multiple options when they dine.During the morning hours,restaurant experts say,there is generally more emphasis（强调）on speed than any other part of the day.Combine college students'love of food delivery with messy morning routines,and perhaps they have a perfect recipe for robots to deliver in the campus.
The robots also provide campus officials with valuable data showing how meal plans are being used,which could lead to changes in how the university serves students over time.Sodexo technologists also announced Monday that a new team of more than 30 robots is launching at Northern Arizona University
.
| A．They are on diets. |
| B．They have a tight schedule. |
| C．The food doesn't agree with them. |
| D．GMU doesn't offer delivery services. |
| A．College students. | B．Campus officials. |
| C．College professors. | D．Restaurant managers. |
| A．They make timely deliveries. |
| B．They were ignored at first. |
| C．They mainly carry dinner at present. |
| D．They have changed the whole campus culture. |
| A．Delivery services grow fast in college. |
| B．Breakfast in necessary for college students. |
| C．Robots help with GMU's campus management. |
| D．Delivery robots are changing students'eating habits. |
4 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.| A．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| B．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| C．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| D．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| A．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| B．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| C．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| D．people can live from 120 to 180 |
| A．a great effort |
| B．the conservative estimate |
| C．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| D．the idea of living beyond the present life span |
| A．No Limit for Human Life |
| B．Living Longer or not |
| C．Science,Technology and Long Living |
| D．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |
5 . I always had the preference to take on more than I should when I was young. At times, I wanted to prove to myself that I could handle it. At other times, my purpose was to please someone and gain recognition for my efforts. Sometimes this led to stress or frustration.
When I was an IT manager after college graduation I was assigned to work with a wealthy customer and be a go-between (中间人)for my company. I took on the assignment happily, thinking that this might be my time to shine. However, the customer’s demands proved to be more than I could do with. And the company chose to stand by the customer and try to meet his unreasonable requirements rather than stick to what we had originally offered in the contract. As you can imagine, this led to a lot of unexpected problems and arguing with some of the staff who refused to do anything outside their scope (范围) of work. I remember walking into my office one morning, opening my laptop and staring at the blank screen for long, thinking to myself: What should I do? That was a difficult time in my life and then I finally had to give up my first job and left that company sadly.
Perhaps, I thought then, I could find the job that didn’t involve dealing with difficult people and difficult situations. But later I realized: Is this possible in our modern world? No, it is impossible. Now, I know, I shouldn’t run away from the challenges I faced in life: I had to learn how to deal with them. I regret not persevering ( 坚 持 ) in my job. We should train ourselves to look at things from a positive point of view, because that is far better than being trapped in the bad circle depression. I’ve come to see that when faced with difficulties, I should not give up, but persevere.
1. Why did the author take the work assigned to him happily?| A．He wanted to please the boss. |
| B．The work was very easy for him to do. |
| C．He failed to find a job many times before. |
| D．He thought it was time to prove his ability. |
| A．Arguing with some of the staff. |
| B．Meeting the customer’s unreasonable requirements. |
| C．Accepting the assignment without hesitation. |
| D．Sticking to what had been originally offered in the contract. |
| A．The depressing job situation. | B．The low payment. |
| C．His lack of ability. | D．A better job waiting for him. |
| A．Running away from challenges. | B．Persevering instead of giving up. |
| C．Refusing to argue with customers. | D．Leaning to take on more than one can. |
6 . My name is Lwazi Nzimande. I started my schooling at Thukeyana Primary Farm School in Underberg, KwaZuluNatal.
I had a favourite teacher in primary school. Her name was Miss Dube. She taught me natural science and human social sciences in grade six and seven, and had a way of pushing learners to be able to think for themselves. She made sure that each and every learner took part in every lesson. She used pictures, diagrams (图表) and other things to make learning easier and more unforgettable, moving at a pace that was suitable for all students. As a teacher, she showed patience, respect, open-mindedness, and reliability (可靠性). Now you see why she was my favourite teacher in primary school, don't you?
In my opinion, patience, respect, open-mindedness, and reliability are some of the things that all teachers should have and show. A patient teacher is one who understands that some learners need more explanation than others to understand something in class. He or she should always be willing to help learners. An open-minded teacher will go beyond what is found in the textbook. A teacher who is respected will find it easy to control a class. Respect is earned through what a teacher says to learners or how he or she deals with them in general.
Miss Dube often told us not to badmouth or make fun of others. She also did so. She never badmouthed other teachers in front of us. Also, Miss Dube never made fun of her learners. She thought making fun of learners in front of others would hurt them and damage their confidence.
Miss Dube was also very honest. From my point of view, that's also what a good teacher should be like. If she didn't have an answer to a question, she would let her learners know. This set a good example to the learners.
1. Why was Miss Dube the author's favourite teacher?| A．Because of her rich knowledge. |
| B．Because of her good appearance. |
| C．Because of her teaching style and character. |
| D．Because of her lifestyle and attitude to students. |
| A．Pay close attention to every student's improvement. |
| B．Tell about something outside the textbook. |
| C．Avoid believing everything in the textbook. |
| D．Show great respect for her students. |
| A．She liked praising her students. | B．She was very confident in class. |
| C．She got along well with other teachers. | D．She set a good example to her students. |
| A．Being a very patient teacher. | B．Answering students' questions. |
| C．Being honest in front of students. | D．Teaching students very difficult things. |
7 . In the mid-1990s, Tom Bissell taught English as a volunteer in Uzbekistan. He left after seven months, physically broken and having lost his mind. A few years later, still attracted to the country, he returned to Uzbekistan to write an article about the disappearance of the Aral Sea.
His visit, however, ended up involving a lot more than that. Hence this book, Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia, which talks about a road trip from Tashkent to Karakalpakstan, where millions of lives have been destroyed by the slow drying up of the sea. It is the story of an American travelling to a strange land, and of the people he meets on his way: Rustam, his translator, a lovely 24-year-old who picked up his colorful English in California, Oleg and Natasha, his hosts in Tashkent, and a string of foreign aid workers.
This is a quick look at life in Uzbekistan, made of friendliness and warmth, but also its darker side of society. In Samarkand, Mr Bissell admires the architectural wonders, while on his way to Bukhara he gets a taste of police methods when suspected of drug dealing. In Ferghana, he attends a mountain funeral(葬礼)followed by a strange drinking party. And in Karakalpakstan, he is saddened by the dust storms, diseases and fishing boats stuck miles from the sea.
Mr Bissell skillfully organizes historical insights and cultural references, making his tale a well-rounded picture of Uzbekistan, seen from Western eyes. His judgment and references are decidedly American, as well as his delicate stomach. As the author explains, this is neither a travel nor a history book, or even a piece of reportage. Whatever it is, the result is a fine and vivid description of the purest of Central Asian traditions.
1. What made Mr Bissell return to Uzbekistan?| A．His friends' invitation. | B．His interest in the country. |
| C．His love for teaching. | D．His desire to regain health. |
| A．Developing a serious mental disease. |
| B．Taking a guided tour in Central Asia. |
| C．Working as a volunteer in Uzbekistan. |
| D．Writing an article about the Aral Sea. |
| A．Romantic. | B．Eventful. | C．Pleasant. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．To introduce a book. | B．To explain a cultural phenomenon. |
| C．To remember a writer. | D．To recommend a travel destination. |
As many as two-thirds of the city’s 21 million residents live in slums. “Most girls are trapped in a terrible cycle of poverty. Many of them are not thinking of education, a plan for the future,” Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin, a computer programmer in Lagos, recalls. But several times a week, girls like Okpoe get a glimpse of another world when they attend GirlsCoding, a free program run by the Pearls Africa Foundation that seeks to educate and excite girls about computer programming. Since 2012, the group has helped more than 400 disadvantaged girls gain the technical skills and confidence they need to transform their lives.
It’s the vision of Ajayi-Akinfolarin, who left a successful career to devote herself to this work. She'd noticed how few women worked in this growing field-a 2013 government survey found that less than 8% of Nigerian women were employed in technology jobs. She wanted to fix the gender gap. “Technology is a space that’s dominated by men. Why should we leave that to guys?” she said. “I believe girls need opportunities.”
Now, dozens of girls aged 10 to 17 get trained in computer programming technology. “I believe you can still find diamonds in these places,” Ajayi-Akinfolarin said. “They need to be shown another life.” One way her program does this is by taking the students to visit tech companies — not only showing them what technology can do, but also helping them visualize themselves joining the industry.
Okpoe, for one, has taken this to heart. She helped create an app called Makoko Fresh that went live this summer, enabling fishermen like her father to sell seafood directly to customers. She even wants to become a software engineer and hopes to study computer science at Harvard. “One thing I want my girls to hold onto is, regardless of where they are coming from, that they can make it,” Ajayi said. “They are coders. They are thinkers. Their future is bright.”
1. What can we learn about GirlsCoding?| A．It encourages girls to land a job in education. |
| B．It offers Nigerian girls in need part-time jobs. |
| C．It helps girls working in Lagos to fight poverty. |
| D．It teaches girls in Makoko computer programming. |
| A．Men could do far better in technology jobs. |
| B．Girls should get equal work opportunities. |
| C．Men normally got paid more than women. |
| D．Girls tended to devote themselves to work. |
| A．Rebuilding the girls’ confidence. |
| B．Training the girls to find diamonds. |
| C．Presenting a different life to the girls. |
| D．Taking the girls to technology companies. |
| A．She got fishermen to benefit from her app. |
| B．She was admitted to Harvard University. |
| C．She took her father’s suggestion to heart. |
| D．She made some changes to computer science. |
9 . British parents encourage their children to play musical instruments as part of a family tradition(传统) rather than raise their children’s competitiveness as the American parents do.
Dr. Aaron Reeves from Oxford University found that the UK parents did not see musical practice as character building or useful in getting university places or jobs for their children. Instead, they usually encouraged their children to follow their interests.
This is different from what the other researchers had found in America. Middle-class parents in the US appear to associate(与……相联系) these cultural practices with other worldly benefits and often center these music activities around the school subjects.
Researchers think that it may be due to(由于) the fact that the US parents have become increasingly worried about providing their children with skills and abilities enabling them to stand out from their competitors.
However, for British parents, no such direct connection was made with future educational or job advantages. The parents interviewed here did not connect music with usefulness but rather they just paid attention to the value of music as a family tradition and, to some degree, as something valuable in its own right.
One Scottish parent said during an interview, “We’ve got two learning musical instruments. If they think it is fun, we try and encourage them, but we wouldn’t force them.” Another housewife said, “My son has just turned five and I want him to play the guitar because his uncle is good at it, but it’s up to my son.”
“Lots of UK parents don’t think music practice could be very helpful for the children’s confidence or school success. They say that it takes time and some talent for the children to gain a competing advantage,” said Dr. Reeves. “I think they are right.”
1. What does the underlined word “their” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The US parents’. | B．The UK children’s. |
| C．The UK parents’. | D．The US children’s. |
| A．It is useful for their children to get better jobs. |
| B．It can be helpful to build their children’s confidence. |
| C．It helps their children to succeed in their schoolwork. |
| D．It would be better to take it as a hobby for the children. |
| A．Both the US and UK parents are right. |
| B．The other researchers’ findings are misleading. |
| C．Dr. Reeves agrees more with the UK parents. |
| D．Only the talented children can benefit from music learning. |
| A．The benefits of extra music learning for children. |
| B．The American parents’ attitude towards music learning. |
| C．Differences in the British and American parenting styles. |
| D．Different attitudes towards music learning in the UK and USA. |
10 . No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock ‘n’ roll. Long- ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.
"Technically, I think what they’re proposing is possible," physicist Daniel Bonn said.
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there’s no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds (滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet day or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand.
Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.
However, physicist Joseph West thinks there might have been a simpler way, who led the new study. West said, "I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction. I thought, ‘Why don’t they just try rolling the things?’" A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides, he realized. That, he notes, should make a block of stone "a lot easier to roll than a square".
So he tried it.
He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.
They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery (滑的) path.
West hasn’t tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn’t have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
1. It’s widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by .| A．rolling them on roads | B．pushing them over the sand |
| C．sliding them on smooth paths | D．dragging them on some poles |
| A．made the paths wet | B．made the paths hard |
| C．made the paths wide | D．made the paths slippery |
| A．Rolling the blocks with poles attached. |
| B．Rolling the blocks on wooden wheels. |
| C．Rolling poles to move the blocks. |
| D．Rolling the blocks with fat. |
| A．Because more force is needed for sliding. |
| B．Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle. |
| C．Because sliding on smooth roads is more dangerous. |
| D．Because less preparation on paths is needed for rolling. |
