1 . Pretending sickness may get harder. Slipping a day off work by nervously coughing down the phone to your boss might not work. Very soon your company might be able to tell whether your symptoms are real, just from your voice.

An Indian research team tried to tell a “cold voice” from a healthy voice. Their research makes use of the fact that human speech, like any musical instrument, does not produce single frequencies of sounds. Even the best trained singers cannot hit pure notes like those from tuning forks. The dominant notes in the human voice are instead accompanied by a series of higher pitch (音高) tones.

Together these sets of notes fit into mathematical patterns called harmonics (和声), with tones having frequencies that are multiples of the original note. For example, the pitch of the second harmonic note is twice the frequency of the main note and so on. The loudness of these harmonics in speech tends to fade as they proceed up the frequency scale. The team reasoned that infection with a cold might change how this decline happened.

To find out, the scientists made use of an unusual resource: recordings of the voices of 630 people in Germany, 111 of whom were suffering from a cold. Each was asked to count from one to 40 and describe what they did at the weekend. They also read aloud a fable The North Wind and the Sun, which has been a popular text for speech research since 1949. By breaking down each person’s speech into its spectrum (声谱) of component wavelengths, the researchers could identify the dominant frequency and the harmonics in each case. They then used machine-learning to analyse the relationships between the loudness of these harmonics and found patterns that could distinguish the cold voices from the healthy voices.

The team’s diagnosis of cold voice shows a 70% accuracy. Faced with another dull Monday at the office, would you take the risk?

1. On what basis is the research performed?

A．Human speeches vary in frequencies.

B．Training has no effect on human notes.

C．Humans speak like musical instruments.

D．Higher pitch notes dominate human voices.

2. What may reduce the volume of human harmonics?

A．The pitch of harmonics.	B．A pretended cold voice.
C．The sets of human notes.	D．Higher sound frequencies.

3. Why are the participants required to read the fable?

A．It is easy to understand.	B．It is valuable in literature.
C．It is popular with speakers.	D．It is suitable for the research.

4. What does the author want to tell us?

A．Human speech reflects health	B．Pretending sickness is a trend.
C．Voice changes with conditions.	D．Changing voice is of great risk.

2 . A single tremble shook beneath my feet. The trees above me began to sway(摇摆) hard. Then came the deadly_________that could only mean one thing, destruction. Every house and object was now_________. My vision blurred (模糊) even more when I saw the remains of my house. The house that used to_________all the happiness in the world was now_________a pile of ruined pieces. I_________all the times I played with my little brother and sister. Images of them were_________in my mind, so I let the darkness sweep over me completely so I could see them vividly one last time. I regained a bit of my_________after lying on the ground for some time. My eyes viewed different things, but I walked on mindlessly, with no_________to anything around me at all.

Years have passed since the disaster that_________me years ago. I never thought I would be okay again after this__________event.

Today I am going on a trip to California to help__________of a recent earthquake. Then, I see her. A young girl is weeping into her arm. I walk toward her. Losing family was__________, but because of my life changing experience, I am strong, and I can__________the lives of those who are suffering as I was. When I reach the girl, she stares at me with sad eyes, and I gently stick out my hand for her to hold to. One day, she may__________others the way I did for her. She holds my hand tightly, and together, we look for a brighter future where we can help those around us and__________the world starting with one disaster at a time.

1.

A．silence

B．power

C．emergency

D．extinction

2.

A．under pressure

B．in ruins

C．on hand

D．in shock

3.

A．promote

B．supply

C．contain

D．measure

4.

A．extremely

B．obviously

C．actually

D．simply

5.

A．adapted to

B．thought of

C．concentrated on

D．worked out

6.

A．carved

B．buried

C．designed

D．observed

7.

A．balance

B．memory

C．strength

D．impression

8.

A．request

B．comparison

C．path

D．reaction

9.

A．struck

B．identified

C．threatened

D．reminded

10.

A．amazing

B．frightening

C．exciting

D．challenging

11.

A．professionals

B．volunteers

C．survivors

D．experts

12.

A．painful

B．unusual

C．awkward

D．unique

13.

A．appreciate

B．possess

C．exchange

D．improve

14.

A．affect

B．recognize

C．recommend

D．contact

15.

A．establish

B．change

C．remove

D．revise

3 . I had not visited Eton for many years. When one day passing from the Fellows’ Library into the Gallery, I caught sight of the _________ of my school friend Digby Dolben hanging just without the door among our most _________ contemporaries. I was _________ arrested and as I stood gazing on it, my _________ asked me if I knew who it was. I was thinking that I must be almost the only person who would know him. Far _________ of my boyhood were crowding _________ upon me: he was standing again beside me in the eager promise of his youth.

This portrait-gallery of old Etonians is very _________: outstanding distinction of birth or excellent qualities may win you a place there. _________, how came Dolben there? It was _________ he was a poet; and yet his poems were not known. They were carefully __________ by his family and a few friends. Indeed, such of his poems as could have come to the eyes of the authorities who approved of this memorial would not __________ it. There was another __________— the portrait bears its own certification. Though you might not perhaps understand the poet in it, you can see the soul immersed in deep thought, the habit of stainless (无瑕的) life, of __________, of enthusiasm for high ideals. Such a being must have __________ remarkably among his fellows. When his early death endeared (使价值更高) his memory, loving grief would generously __________ him the glory which he had never worn.

1.

A．statue

B．character

C．portrait

D．theme

2.

A．valuable

B．distinguished

C．familiar

D．gracious

3.

A．wholly

B．partly

C．curiously

D．secretly

4.

A．peers

B．chairman

C．leader

D．companion

5.

A．judgment

B．thought

C．memories

D．behaviour

6.

A．hurriedly

B．freshly

C．anxiously

D．eagerly

7.

A．selective

B．splendid

C．handsome

D．challenging

8.

A．Yet

B．Therefore

C．Thus

D．However

9.

A．because

B．why

C．that

D．what

10.

A．observed

B．captured

C．illustrated

D．guarded

11.

A．operate

B．promote

C．justify

D．permit

12.

A．appreciation

B．reason

C．cause

D．effect

13.

A．devotion

B．ambition

C．imagination

D．symbol

14.

A．brought about

B．stood for

C．stood out

D．brought in

15.

A．interpret

B．grant

C．appoint

D．identify

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Gather together a couple of good friends and take a leisurely walk through the streets—this is     1     many youngsters in China enjoy doing when they visit a new city.

To them, Citywalk means roaming (漫步) around the city on foot. It can be a special     2     (guide) trip for a small group of people,     3     simply a leisurely walk for one or two to explore new areas, sticking to the key point: avoiding famous scenic spots and big crowds to gain     4     more inclusive experience of the places they visit.

Citywalk not only offers a way for young people to interact with a city but also     5     (provide) them with a new social scene. Xiao Yiyi, a Citywalk     6     (enthusiastic), launched her Changsha route on her social media account, including more offbeat sights like historical sites and even a stop-off     7     (sample) the local cuisine. Many tour guides also try to expand their influence online,     8     (share) their experiences to attract potential customers.

Citywalk is offering a positive change to urban travelers as they can     9     (well) choose the experiences that fit in with their interests and needs. At the same time, Citywalk represents an opportunity for tour guides and travel service providers to offer a more tailored,     10     (profession) service to meet ever-changing market demands.

5 . Cancer-fighting genes in elephants could help tackle one of the biggest killers of people, according to research. Despite their large bodies and long lifespans, elephants are much less likely to die from cancer than humans, with death rates of less than 5 percent.

The paradox has puzzled scientists because more cells lead to greater replications (复制), which increases the possibility of the body failing to detect damaged DNA or a faulty cell that can result in tumors(肿瘤). Elephants live for almost as long as humans and weigh up to five tons.

However, a group of British and European scientists say they have taken a big step towards solving Peto’s paradox, named after the British epidemiologist Sir Richard Peto. Elephants, they say, carry a much larger more diverse group of tumor-fighting proteins.

The findings, published last week in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, raise hopes that the cancer fighting genes in elephants could be the key to tackling cancer, which kills about 167, 000 Britons yearly. Cells keep dividing throughout an organism’s life, each carrying the risk of producing a tumor. One of the body’s weapons is a gene called p53 known as the “guardian of the genome”, which hunts cells with faulty DNA. It encourages the cell to repair itself or self-destruct, keeping the cell from combining with others and producing tumors.

Humans have two versions of p53 but elephants have 40, said the researchers. Biochemical analysis and computer simulations also showed that an elephant’s p53 genes are structurally slightly different, providing a much larger anti-cancer toolkit. The researchers suspect that while faulty cells might be able to skirt two p53 versions, they cannot combine with other cells as easily in the face of dozens.

The findings will open the way for research on how p53 genes of elephants are activated and on medical treatment for humans.

1. What has puzzled scientists?

A．Few elephants end up dying from cancer.	B．Elephants live long and weigh enormously.
C．More cells lead to higher chances of tumors.	D．A larger body is less likely to discover faulty cells.

2. What can be learnt from Paragraph 4?

A．How many Britons die each year.	B．How the anti-cancer gene works.
C．How the research was carried out.	D．What the findings have been applied to.

3. What does the underlined word “skirt” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Strengthen.

B．Detect.

C．Escaped.

D．Cure.

4. Which is the text mainly about?

A．Scientists find elephants live longer than humans.	B．P53 genes play essential role in preventing cancer.
C．Elephant genes could be key to fighting cancer.	D．Groundbreaking treatment for cancer is on the way.

6 . For making contact and communicating with a person, effective eye contact is essential to our everyday interaction with people, and also to those who want to be effective communicators in public places.     1    .

Generally in Western societies and many other cultures, eye contact with a person is expected to be regular but not overly persistent.     2    , causing the person who’s the object of a person’s stare to feel overly studied and uncomfortable.

    3    . The New Zealand Medical Journal reported that one reason so many young children fall victim to attacks by pet dogs is their overly-lasting eye contact with pets, which causes them to feel threatened and defensive.

Overly lasting eye contact is also a sign of a person’s over-awareness of the messages they are giving. In the case of people who try to lie to someone, they may distort (扭曲) their eye contact so that they’re not avoiding it.     4    . But on the contrary, evasive (逃避的) eye contact is a sign of discomfort. Why do we avoid looking at a person? It may be because we feel ashamed to be looking at them if we’re being dishonest of trying to take them in. Evasive eye contact may also a sign of dishonesty.

However, Scotland’s University of Stirling found that, in a question-and-answer study among children, those who maintained eye contact were less likely to come up with the correct answer to a question than those who looked away to consider their response.     5    , when this energy could be spent on deep thinking.

A．This is a widely recognized indicator of lying

B．Constant eye contact is often considered to be rude

C．Eye contact is the act of looking into someone’s eyes

D．But there’s something you may not know about eye contact

E．Overpowering eye contact can make the other person excited

F．Even between humans and non-humans, lasting eye contact is sometimes unadvisable

G．Eye contact, as a socializing device, can take a surprising amount of effort to maintain

7 . When I was a little girl, every time when my dad was repairing something, he would ask me to hold the hammer. Then we could have a time for a _________ with each other.

I grew up and left home for the college, and since then, he had been _________ me every Sunday morning. Later, when I bought a house, my dad was _________ it by himself for three days in the 30℃ summer _________. All he asked for was to hold his paint brush and _________ to him.

Several years ago, he was _________ me. He spent hours _________ a swing set for my daughter. He asked me to bring him a cup of tea and have a talk with him, but I had to _________ for a trip, so I did not have time for any long conversations.

One Sunday morning, we had a telephone talk _________ , and I noticed that my dad kept forgetting some things we discussed __________. Few hours later came a call. He was in hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤). Immediately I bought a ticket for the __________ and by the time I got to the hospital, my dad had passed away. Now it was he who did not have __________ for a talk with me.

After his __________ , I learned more about him, and I realized how little I knew about his deepest __________ and dreams. All he ever asked me was my time, but now he has all my __________ every single day.

1.

A．change

B．cooperation

C．conversation

D．debate

2.

A．contacting

B．calling

C．educating

D．meeting

3.

A．decorating

B．clearing

C．repairing

D．painting

4.

A．labor

B．rest

C．heat

D．misery

5.

A．talk

B．tend

C．hand

D．keep

6.

A．joining

B．visiting

C．following

D．leaving

7.

A．putting together

B．giving away

C．tearing apart

D．making up

8.

A．prepare

B．apologize

C．apply

D．delay

9.

A．on time

B．at first

C．in return

D．as usual

10.

A．exactly

B．freely

C．lately

D．personally

11.

A．hospital

B．flight

C．journey

D．treatment

12.

A．pleasure

B．interest

C．choice

D．time

13.

A．death

B．illness

C．recovery

D．suffering

14.

A．efforts

B．demands

C．thoughts

D．struggles

15.

A．relief

B．attention

C．comfort

D．courage

8 . It was a cool and breezy night. As I stood on the deck, I could feel the warm tangy smell coming from the sea. Earlier on, the ocean liner (邮轮) was still full of people who ________ and drank on the deck. Everyone was ________ asleep now and as I stood there, I could hear the hypnotic (催眠的) ________ of the waves.

I sat down at a corner and decided to rest my ________ head on my backpack. Slowly, my eyelids grew heavy and I dozed off. Suddenly, I was awaken by the rain ________ that fell on my face. The wind was blowing stronger and the waves got higher. The calm sea had turned ________. I struggled to stand up but lost my balance and fell as the ship was rocking ________. Many rushed out but they ________ from one side of the ship to another. The raging waters were crushing the ship and thunder seemed to smash upon our heads. People started to run about to seek shelter. After a long battle with the storm, it appeared to ________. We breathed in ________.

Suddenly someone shouted, “The ship is sinking!” Waters were rushing in as the side of the ship was damaged. I was ________ for words and stared blankly. “Hurry, John! There is no time to ________ !” I was ________ upon hearing my name as I was totally absorbed in the worries in my brain. I turned around and saw the rest of the passengers began to ________ a lifeboat. Without second thoughts, I joined them.

Until today, that terrifying ________ is still imprinted in my memory.

1.

A．fed

B．feasted

C．entertained

D．treated

2.

A．highly

B．soundly

C．lately

D．solidly

3.

A．murmur

B．shout

C．breath

D．weep

4.

A．faint

B．heavy

C．clear

D．thick

5.

A．storms

B．spots

C．dots

D．drops

6.

A．rough

B．tough

C．sharp

D．deep

7.

A．gently

B．abruptly

C．violently

D．swiftly

8.

A．paced

B．swept

C．rolled

D．slid

9.

A．turn down

B．die down

C．die off

D．turn away

10.

A．relief

B．satisfaction

C．delight

D．anticipation

11.

A．in confusion

B．at a loss

C．at ease

D．in chaos

12.

A．lose

B．save

C．throw

D．leave

13.

A．pleased

B．terrified

C．startled

D．amazed

14.

A．board

B．push

C．squeeze

D．drive

15.

A．event

B．challenge

C．encounter

D．adventure

9 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

As a young boy, I was carefree. Every vacation I looked forward to two things—seeing my grandpa and hearing his wonderful stories. My grandpa was a very good storyteller. He had worked various odd jobs when he was young and wove his adventures and misadventures into fantastic tales. These wonderful tales colored my childhood.

As I grew up, I had to admit that Grandpa’s stories went on a little long, even a little boring and gradually lost their magic. However, not wanting to upset him, my brother and I would sometimes take turns sitting in the living room, listening to grandpa tell his stories.

When my grandpa was approaching 91, he suffered from serious memory-loss. It was kind of what doctors called dementia (痴呆), probably the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Following the doctor’s directions, we moved him into a Sunrise Assisted Living Community, where he could get a better care. After that, grandpa hardly came to our house.

One weekend before my grandpa’s birthday, I came to visit him. Seeing grandpa sitting in his armchair, dull-looking, I was consumed with mixed feelings. I wheeled grandpa to the sunshine in the courtyard, talking to him. He couldn’t express himself clearly and spoke in short bursts, but I listened to him patiently and carefully just as I used to be a little boy.

It was then that I noticed a shadow box with some old and yellowish photos in it. I picked one up, in which my brother, several boys in our neighborhood, and I were playing basketball with grandpa cheering us on twenty years before. My mind flashed back to those beautiful memories. Back then, Grandpa was in good physical condition and we were all wearing basketball jerseys, playing and laughing with abandon. I presented the photo to my grandpa, pointing at each member and reminding him of their names. Incredibly, grandpa could speak out the name of every player. I even caught a soft light in grandpa’s eyes and a smile on his lips.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150 左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

A bright idea for grandpa’s birthday came to my mind.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seeing “the same players” playing there, grandpa seemed to have thought of something.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . Technology is here to stay.     1    . However, they are often unsure on how to help children use technology responsibly and keep a balance between online and offline time. Here are some tips.

Have a device contract

Having a device usage contract allows parents and children to work through what responsible technology usage looks like in your family and ensure that everyone is aware.     2    . Kids are more likely to make sense of the reasons you have for restriction.

    3    

Although this tip seems like common sense, it is often difficult due to the demand of work and the expectation of being constantly connected. By ensuring you build offline time into your own day and communicate that with your children, they will see the value and benefits. Whether you are reading a book or just taking a walk, letting your children be aware of your offline actions will encourage them to do the same!

Encourage non-tech activities

One great way to keep kids off their screens is to ensure that they have other activities to fill their time.     4    . These activities are also great ways to help children to develop their social skills and confidence.

Tech-free family time

Once a week, pencil-in a “tech-free family time” in your schedule. It can be a meal or trip. To help increase the success of outings, try designing special activities, i. e., going to the beach to build a sand castle that looks the same as a photo you have found online.     5    

A．Model good technology use

B．Communicate with children

C．A little extra planning goes a long way

D．The contract is helpful to the settlement of conflicts

E．Parents are seeing more technology in their homes and jobs

F．Also, drafting the contract together promotes understanding

G．This can come in a variety of forms: soccer, fencing and more