1 . At age 22, Hikari Oberman has already been a lifeguard for four years. Last week, Oberman talked to The Garden Island about how he helped save lives during a recent rescue.

On Dec. 30, Oberman and his coworker Cope were parked in their truck at Anini Beach when two workers ran up to them and said, “I think someone’s getting stuck in the channel!”

“I grabbed our equipment. We started rolling out down there,” Oberman said. When he got out there, Oberman found a standup paddler, a man in his late 30s, struggling against the current, with an elderly man holding tightly to the back of the paddleboard (冲浪板).

He said, “My coworker grabbed the standup guy. Meanwhile, I’m stuck with the older man.”

Normally, Oberman said he would pull the paddler up, lay him on the surfboard, climb up behind and paddle from there. He tried that technique at first and quickly realized it was not a practicable option. They are not going anywhere.

Waves hit against the extremely sharp reef very hard about 30 yards behind them, and the current was pulling them into it.

“It’s right behind us. If I stop paddling, we’re definitely going to be in that zone.” He said.

They started making progress toward the reef, where they might safely be able to climb out. Oberman just focused on forward movement.

After about five minutes-“even though it felt longer” -Oberman said his partner had gotten the paddleboarder safely to shore and started coming back out to help.

“I look back, and I see our Jet Ski. He’s finally coming in the channel. We’re not going to have to worry about that now. ”

It was a good rescue.

When asked what it feels like to save someone’s life, Oberman responded, “I love it! That’s why we do it!” But as exciting as it might be to perform a big rescue, he explained that the most important part of his job is to keep people from getting into trouble in the first place.

1. How did Hikari Oberman and his coworker react to the two workers’ cry for help?

A．They dragged the two workers to their truck.

B．They rolled the equipment to the channel.

C．They called for help immediately.

D．They made their way to the channel without delay.

2. What does the underlined part “They are not going anywhere.” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．They are unwilling to go anywhere.

B．They are waiting others for help.

C．They are being pulled by the current.

D．They are going to give up.

3. What did the author want to show by mentioning the waves?

A．It was the perfect time to surf.

B．The reefs were so hard to damage.

C．The situation was extremely serious.

D．The paddlers were pushed forward.

4. Which of the following things contributed more to the rescue?

A．The Jet Ski.

B．The current.

C．The paddleboard.

D．The truck.

5. What is the author’s attitude towards his job?

A．Skeptical.

B．Tolerate.

C．Approving.

D．Frightened.

2 . I Was the Doughnut Lady

In university I had a part-time job at a shop that sold doughnut s and coffee. Situated on a block where several buses stopped, it served the people who had a few minutes to wait for their bus.

Every afternoon around four o'clock, a group of school children would burst into the shop, and business would come to a stop. Adults would glance in, see the crowd and pass on. But I didn't mind if the children waited for their bus inside. Sometimes I would hand out a bus fare when a ticket went missing-always repaid the next day. On snowy days I would give away some doughnuts. I would lock the door at closing time, and we waited in the warm shop until their bus finally arrived.

I enjoyed my young friends, but it never occurred to me that I played an important role in their lives—until one afternoon when a man came and asked if I was the girl working on weekdays around four o'clock. He identified himself as the father of two of my favorites.

“I want you to know I appreciate what you do for my children. I worry about them taking two buses to get home. It means a lot that they can wait here and you keep an eye on them. When they are with the doughnut lady, I know they are safe.” I told him it wasn't a big deal, and that I enjoyed the kids.

So I was the Doughnut Lady. I not only received a title, but became a landmark. Now I think about all the people who keep an eye on my own children. They become, well, Doughnut Ladies. Like the men a t the skating rink, who let my boys ring home; Or the bus driver who drove my daughter to her stop at the end of the route at night but wouldn't leave until I arrived to pick her up; Or that nice police officer who took pity on my boys walking home in the rain when I was at work—even though the phone rang all the next day with calls from curious neighbors. “Was that a police car I saw at your house last night?”

That wasn't a police car. That was a Doughnut Lady.

1. According to the passage, the author sometimes ______.

A．sold bus tickets to the children	B．gave the children free doughnuts
C．did business with the children's help	D．called the children's parents to pick them up

2. By saying “...it wasn't a big deal (Para. 4),” the author meant that ______.

A．she hadn't done anything significant

B．she hadn't spent much time with the children

C．she hadn't made a lot of money from the children

D．she hadn't found it hard to get along with the children

3. What can we learn about the police officer? ______

A．He took the boys to the police station.

B．He helped the boys look for their mother.

C．He drove the boys back home in a police car.

D．He managed to make sure of the boys' identity.

4. Why did the neighbors call the next day?

A．They called to comfort them.

B．They tried to make sure they were fine.

C．They wanted to confirm it was really a police car.

D．They wondered what the police brought them on such a rainy night.

5. The passage suggests that ______.

A．running a business requires skill	B．taking responsibility is a moral virtue
C．devotion should be everything in life	D．there are always no small acts of kindness.

3 . A remote control is seemingly capable of invisible magic to most of us. We just assume it should. And the longer a given technology exits, the more we take it for granted.

Consider for a moment a split screen showing modern remote control users versus the first remote control users: the original users would be carefully aiming the remote directly at the television, reading the names of the buttons to find the right one, and intentionally pressing the button with a force that adds nothing to the effectiveness of the device. The modern users would be leaning on a sofa, pointing the remote any which way instinctively（本能的）feeling for the button they desired,intuiting（凭直觉知道）its size,shape, and position on the remote.

Humans are known for being handy with tools, so it is no surprise that we get so comfortable with our technology. However, as we become increasingly comfortable with how to use new technologies, we become less aware of how they work. Most people who use modern technology know nothing of its underlying science. They have spent neither mental nor financial resources on its development. And yet, rather than be humbled（使谦逊）by its originality, we consumers often become unfairly demanding of what our technology Should do for us.

Many of the landmark inventions of the twentieth century followed predictable tracks: initial versions of each technology (television, video games, computers, cell phones, etc.) succeeded in impressing the general public. Then, these wonderful new inventions quickly became commonplace. Soon, the focus of consumer attitudes towards them changed from gratitude with respect to discriminating preference.

Televisions needed to be bigger and have a higher resolution. Video games needed to be more realistic. Computers needed to be more powerful yet smaller in size. Cell phones needed to be smaller yet capable of performing other tasks such as taking pictures, accessing the Internet, and even playing movies.

For children of the last twenty years born into this modern life,these technological marvels seem like elements of the periodic table: a given ingredient that is simply part of the universe. Younger generations don't even try to imagine life without modern conveniences. They do not appreciate theunprecedented（史无前例的）technology that is in their possession; rather, they complain about the ways in which it fails to live up to ideal expectations. “My digital video recorder at home doesn't allow me to program it from my computer at work.” “It's taking too long for this interactive map to display on my portable GPS”.

If it sounds as though we're never satisfied, we aren't. Of course, our complaints do actually motivate engineers to continually refine their products. After all. at the root of our tool-making instinct is the notion (观念）that “there must be a better way.” Thus, the shortcomings of any current version of technology are pinned on the limitations of its designers, and the expectation is that someone, somewhere is working on how to make the existing product even better.

1. The second paragraph is used to suggest that______________.

A．modern humans do not pay enough attention to instructions

B．remote controls have become far more effective over the years

C．consumer behavior toward new forms of technology changes over time

D．the first consumers of new technology used new devices with ease and comfort

2. The passage states that original users of remote controls likely__________.

A．have no instinctive feeling for sizes and shapes

B．press the buttons harder than it is necessary

C．don't trust on the effectiveness of remote control

D．have difficulty reading the names of the buttons

3. Which of the following can illustrate people's discriminating preference?

A．People take a given technology for granted.

B．Consumers expect more powerful computers.

C．Children lack patience with the shortcomings of technology.

D．Original users unfairly demand of what technology should do.

4. What does the underlined statement in paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Space exploration provides us with new technology.

B．Adults learn technology while they are doing household chores.

C．High expectation makes up for the limitation of technology designers.

D．Consumers regard many technological inventions as unremarkable

5. The writer thinks the way people consider technology____________.

A．encourage designers' creativity	B．limit humans’ productivity
C．raise consumers' expectation	D．guarantee users' satisfaction

4 . Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If you're studying history, asking yourself the question "why is history important "is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest, or get you thinking about the significance of history.

History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study, and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse（一瞥）into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging, which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.

History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago. According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.

History makes us more empathetic（具有共情能力的）, Studying history can give us insight （洞察力）into why our culture does certain things, and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance （无知）. We're scared of the things that we don't understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.

History can inspire us to learn more. what's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19^th century England, and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens, and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels, and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere, and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.

The value of history cannot be underestimated. We don't have to live in the past, but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.

1. The underlined part "where we are today" in Para. 2 probably means __________.

A．the turning point in our history

B．the present state of our nation

C．the location of our homeland

D．the total area of our country

2. According to the experts, why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life?

A．The problems at present are similar to those in the past.

B．Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.

C．The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.

D．People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.

3. What can be concluded from Para.4?

A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.

B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures.

C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.

D．History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness.

4. With the example in Para.5, the writer intends to show that______________.

A．Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature.

B．Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets.

C．reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period.

D．studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields.

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Build Cultural Identity

B．Why Studying History Matters

C．Know the Past, Know the Present

D．History: a Way to Broaden Horizons

5 . 阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题

I remember doing the household chores to help my mother when I was nine. I hated changing the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器)bag and picking up things the machine did not suck up. Twenty years later, in 1978, with this lifelong dislike of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless one.

Easier said than done, of course. I didn't realize that I would spend the next five years perfecting my design, a process that resulted in 5,127 different prototypes (样机).By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash, and we were getting further and further into debt. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.

In the early 1980s, I started trying to get licensing agreements for my technology. The reality was very different, however. The major vacuum makers had built a business model based on the profits from bags and filters (滤网). No one would license my idea, not because it was a bad one, but because it was bad for business. But soon after, the companies that I had talked with started making machines like mine. I had to fight legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic to protect the patents on my vacuum cleaner.

I was still in financial difficulties until 1993, when my bank manager personally persuaded Lloyds Bank to lend me $1 million. Then I was able to go into production. Within two years, the Dyson vacuum cleaner became a best-seller in Britain.

Today, I still embrace risk and the potential for failure as part of the process. Nothing beats the excitement of invention.

1. What drove the author to make a bagless vacuum cleaner? (No more than 10 words)
2. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us? (No more than 10 words)
3. Why did the companies refuse to license the author's technology? (No more than 10 words)
4. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean? (No more than 10 words)
5. What lesson may you learn from the author's experience? (No more than 25 words)

6 . Zurich Region is top for leisure and pleasure. Gentle hills, peaceful woods, the unpolluted lakes and rivers, picturesque villages—and all just a stone's throw from the Alps. Zurich Region is the ideal starting point for all kinds of short trips.

Zurich

With opera, ballet, shows, musicals, art exhibitions in over 50 museums and 100 galleries, time never drags in Zurich. The famous Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmatquai are always a shopper's paradise. Over 1,700 restaurants and bars serve both traditional Zurich and Swiss dishes as well as foreign specialties. The evenings will leave you spoilt for choice: indoors or outdoors, anything is possible as far as the nightlife in Zurich goes.

Winterthur

Winterthur has blossomed from a former industrial town to a lively place for all racial groups and types of culture. Winterthur is an important museum town — it has 17 in all—and also offers a wide range of culture, sports and entertainment. Among the numerous night clubs and bars you will also find the only bar in Switzerland that opens 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Rhine Falls, the biggest waterfall in Europe, is just a 20 minute drive from Winterthur.

Rapperswil & Lake Zurich

Rapperswil, a town at the upper end of Lake Zurich, will charm you with its many attractions: the castle, the medieval(中世纪的) old town, the historical wooden bridge and Knies Children’s Zoo. Equally, however, the Alpamare water park and Atzmännig slide & trampoline paradise are just as much part of this family-friendly destination. Summer or winter, the Lake Zurich region offers many opportunities for sport.

Zug

Even the residents of Zug never get tired of the sunsets: when the sun goes down over the lake, the horizon goes blood-red, and all eyes turn to the romantic show of colour on the water. Equally charming is the historic centre of the town, best experienced by leisurely walking its narrow and winding alleys(小巷), wandering on the pretty lakeside and sitting at one of the many street cafés to watch the world go by.

1. What does the underlined sentence “ time never drags in Zurich” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．You will regret visiting Zurich.

B．You won’t feel bored in Zurich.

C．You can purchase freely in Zurich.

D．You can experience nightlife in Zurich.

2. What makes Winterthur special?

A．Its museums.

B．Its multi-culture.

C．Its 24-hour bar.

D．Its developed industry.

3. Which destination may be suitable for a family with kids?

A．Zurich.	B．Winterthur.
C．Rapperswil & Lake Zurich.	D．Zug.

4. How can you best experience the charm of Zug?

A．By admiring the sunsets.

B．By walking around casually.

C．By seeing the color of water.

D．By communicating with residents.

5. Where does the passage probably come from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A news report.
C．A science magazine.	D．A geography textbook.

7 . The Hope Diamond is one of the world’s most famous jewels. It was in the possession of a series of people: kings, bankers, rich women and thieves, before its arrival 60 years ago at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

As a rare blue diamond, it has a complex social history, to be sure. But, far more so is its geological history, researchers say in a new report. This is the first time anyone has come up with a fact-based study or model for how blue diamonds form.

The group looked at 42 blue diamonds, including one from South Africa that recently sold for $25 million in 2016. Researchers could tell where the stones were formed based on the very small minerals trapped inside.

Diamonds are a hard, clear form of pure carbon called a crystal (结晶). They form under extreme heat and pressure. Blue diamonds crystallize alongside water-bearing minerals that long ago were part of the floor of the sea. But these minerals were pushed deeper underground during the movement of the Earth’s plates.

Scientists already knew these diamonds received their blue color from the element boron (硼). The study says that boron had once been in ocean water but was eventually pushed into the seafloor rock. Over millions of years, the boron continued to move deep underground.

Many diamonds appear colorless. Often, however, they have some yellow color. Still others have a light brown, pink or green color. About 99 percent of all diamonds form somewhere between 150 to 200 kilometers underground, a far shallower birthplace than their blue relations. “These diamonds are among the deepest ever found,” Carnegie Institution for Science geochemist Steven Shirey said of the blue diamonds.

The public can see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

1. By saying the underlined part in Paragraph 2, the researchers mean the blue diamond ________.

A．was formed in extreme weather

B．has a very complex forming history

C．has a far-reaching influence in society

D．used to be very popular among rich people

2. How could researchers know the blue diamonds’ birthplaces?

A．By observing their colors.

B．By studying their structures.

C．By referring to where they were found.

D．By examining tiny substances in them.

3. What makes the diamonds appear blue?

A．The water.	B．Extreme heat and pressure.
C．A special matter.	D．The seafloor rock.

4. What is special about blue diamonds compared with diamonds of other colors?

A．They contain several colors.

B．They form in much deeper underground.

C．They come into being in a different way.

D．They are found near the earth’s surface.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The social status of the Hope Diamond.

B．The discovery of the Hope Diamond.

C．The formation of the blue diamond.

D．The diversity of diamonds.

8 . How often do you sit still and do absolutely nothing? The usual answer these days is “never” or “hardly ever”. As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.

Stress is a natural part of everyday life. There is no way to avoid it, since it takes many and varied forms-driving in traffic, problems with personal relationships are all different forms of stress. Stress, in fact, is not the “baddy” it is often reputed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.

The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first sight of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make a choice between “fight” and “fright” and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life and death. The crisis we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. All the energy is shifted to cope with the stress. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.

Stress in some people produces stomach disorders, while others experience tension headaches. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives, we need to find ways to cope with it.

1. People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because they are ________.

A．often too busy to find the time	B．working harder than they used to
C．suffering from the effects of stress	D．not clear of how to relax by themselves

2. What is implied but not stated in the passage?

A．The art of relaxation can greatly help people bear stress.

B．People in primitive days know certain ways to deal with stress.

C．Stress can lead to serious health problem if one is exposed to it for too long.

D．If one gets into the habit of relaxing every day he can overcome stress easily.

3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 suggests that stress ________.

A．is not always a bad thing for people	B．is always harmful to people all the time
C．has a bad reputation of causing ill health	D．never makes people feel bad

4. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Large amounts of stress is important to people’s life.

B．Different people can stand different amounts of stress.

C．All the stress can lead to poor performance.

D．Relaxation in life only benefits us mentally.

5. What is the writer’s attitude to stress according to the passage?

A．Stress should not be rid completely from the life.

B．People usually work better under stress if they are healthy.

C．Stress produces both positive and negative effects on people.

D．Stress as well as relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.

9 . Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased.   Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
1. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our

A．self-respect

B．financial rewards

C．advertising ability

D．friendly relationship

2. The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.

A．lying

B．stealing

C．cheating

D．advertising

3. The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.

A．telling the truth to the clerk	B．offering advice to the clerk
C．asking the clerk to be more attentive	D．reminding the clerk of the charged item

4. How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?

A．We'll be very excited.	B．We'll feel unfortunate.
C．We'll have a sense of honor.	D．We'll feel sorry for the clerk.

5. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.*

A．How to Live Truthfully	B．Importance of Peacefulness
C．Ways of Gaining Self-respect	D．Happiness through Honorable Actions

10 . We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed that this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck. At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: “Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won’t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won’t last.” After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: “Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck.”
The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van. In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes(刹车) and the gas pedal (油门). Holly was unhurt physically but when we reached her, she was crying and saying: “Oh, Dad, I’m sorry. I know how much you love this truck.” I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes were wet and she said: “That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad’s car and ran into a tree that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home, my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me.”
Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of the night. I remember how sad Holly was on the night she crashed our truck, and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know that I love her a thousand times more than any piece of property.
1. What caused the crash?

A．The brakes weren’t working.

B．The car got a flat tire and Holly lost control.

C．Holly was drinking a soft drink while driving.

D．Holly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

2. What happened to the author’s friend after she ruined her dad’s car?

A．She lost the courage to drive.

B．Her father was violent toward her.

C．Her father kicked her out of the house.

D．She suffered physical pain for a long time

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The author regretted sending his daughter to the store.

B．Holly was allowed to drive because she was older than her brother.

C．Seeing the crash, the author was sorry for the damage to his beloved truck.

D．The author made it clear that he loved his daughter more than his truck.

4. What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．The friend was seriously wounded

B．The wound recovered after 40 years.

C．The friend was deeply hurt by her father.

D．Parents shouldn’t beat their children.

5. The purpose of writing the passage is to show us ________.

A．love is more important than possessions

B．parents should never let a teenager drive

C．it is useless blaming someone after an accident

D．we should always forgive others’ mistakes