1 . When Vance Hinds learned of comedian Bert Kreischer’s no-wine October challenge last year, he felt inspired. Hinds decided to prove to himself that he could also achieve something
The Georgia native began his weight loss journey weighing in at 475 pounds. To make sure he stayed on
From the very beginning of his decision to change his life, Hinds’ friends willingly
Day after day, Hinds made his
With Page’s help, Hinds
When he weighed himself one year after beginning his challenge, he felt really
Hinds’ excitement and
| A．as if | B．so that | C．as long as | D．in spite of |
| A．found | B．made | C．began | D．admitted |
| A．top | B．line | C．track | D．average |
| A．posted | B．watched | C．studied | D．criticized |
| A．support | B．laughing | C．requirement | D．misunderstanding |
| A．asked | B．joined | C．invited | D．recommended |
| A．use | B．lose | C．need | D．gain |
| A．afraid | B．anxious | C．careful | D．able |
| A．regretfully | B．secretly | C．proudly | D．accidentally |
| A．cheering | B．fighting | C．sleeping | D．arguing |
| A．joy | B．health | C．education | D．reputation |
| A．forgetting | B．planning | C．refusing | D．starting |
| A．agreed | B．stopped | C．offered | D．remembered |
| A．failed | B．hated | C．dreamed | D．continued |
| A．gave up | B．melted away | C．passed on | D．ran out |
| A．reaching | B．setting | C．changing | D．considering |
| A．shy | B．thrilled | C．embarrassed | D．frightened |
| A．nearly | B．only | C．at least | D．as many as |
| A．desire | B．love | C．patience | D．energy |
| A．friendly | B．serious | C．positive | D．curious |
2 . Many sugar—sweetened beverages(饮料)have little to offer—no nutritional value and lots of calories, and their harmful health effects have been well—documented. Now, a study links drinking too many sugary beverages—and even 100% natural fruit juices—to an increased risk of early death. Specifically, drinking too much fruit juice could lead to an increased risk of early death ranging from 9% to 42%, according to a study.
Overall, the sugars found in orange juice, although naturally occurring, are pretty similar to the sugars added to soda and other sweetened beverages, the study suggests. “Sugary beverages, whether soft drinks or fruit juices, should be limited,” Jean Welsh, a co—author of the study said.
Seven US cities, including New York and most recently Philadelphia, have levied(征收)taxes on sweetened drinks with added sugar in an effort to reduce consumption. The new study defined “sugary beverages” as both sugar—sweetened drinks, like soda and fruit—flavored drinks, and 100% natural fruit juices that have no added sugar. So how does fruit juice compare to soda? “Previous research has shown that high consumption of sugars like those in soft drinks and fruit juices is linked to several cardiovascular(心血管的)disease risk factors,” Welsh explained.
People who consumed 10% or more of their daily calories as sugary beverages had a 44% greater risk of dying due to a heart disease and a 14% greater risk of an early death from any cause compared with people who consumed less than 5% of their daily calories as sugary beverages, the study showed. Each additional 12—ounce(盎司)serving of fruit juice per day was associated with a 24% higher risk of death from any cause, and each additional 12—ounce serving of sugary beverages per day was associated with an 11% higher risk.
This is one of the first studies to examine the relationship between sugary drinks, including 100% fruit juices, and early death, wrote Marta Guasch—Fere and Dr. Frank B. Hu in an editorial published alongside the new study. “Although fruit juices may not be as harmful as sugar—sweetened beverages, their consumption should be moderated in children and adults, especially for individuals who wish to control their body weight,” Guasch—Fere and Hu wrote.
Welsh said we need to consider both fruit juices and sugar—sweetened beverages when we think about how much sugar we consume each day. Between the two, she was in favor of fruit juices: “Given its vitamin and mineral content, fruit juice in small amounts may have a beneficial effect that isn’t seen with sodas and other sugar—sweetened beverages.”
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Sugar—free drinks basically have no nutritional value. |
| B．Natural fruit juices are usually healthier than sugary beverages. |
| C．The negative effect of drinking too many beverages remains unknown. |
| D．Drinking too much fruit juice may not be a healthy option. |
| A．To increase the government’s income. |
| B．To let people buy less sweetened beverages. |
| C．To urge people to turn to sugar—free drinks. |
| D．To increase the consumption of natural juice. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By giving advice. | D．By stating the facts. |
| A．Avoided. | B．Increased. | C．Reduced | D．Encouraged |
| A．sugar is a major cause of cardiovascular disease |
| B．the sugar in juice is different from the sugar in sweetened beverages |
| C．fruit juices are only recommended when consumed in small amounts |
| D．the amount of sugar we consume mainly lies in drinks with added sugar |
3 . In the city I live in, we have a small local national park full of trees. I like that place very much, although I do wish it was bigger.
One day, I was walking around in the park along a path (小路) when I saw a beautiful squirrel (松鼠) lying in the middle of the path. I stopped and found that there was something wrong with one of its legs.
Just at that time, a man with two little kids was behind me. They were my neighbors. They were going up the same path. I said hello to them. The dad asked me, “Why are you standing still here?” I said,“Look! Here is a beautiful squirrel, but....” Noticing the squirrel, one of the kids shouted, “Quickly dad, catch it for me. I want to put it in my birdcage.” His brother nodded, asking their dad to catch the squirrel.
Then I stopped them.“Please wait. Do you really want to catch it and put it into the birdcage?” My neighbor said, “Yes. I will catch it and take it home.” I said angrily, “Animals are our friends and this is the last place in our city that the squirrel can live in. We must protect them. If we are kind to this tiny animal then we can start to be kind to bigger ones.” My neighbor smiled and said,“You misunderstood me. I will take it home and cure (治疗) it and when it is well, I will take it back to the park and set it free. Do you come long with me?”After hearing his words, I became happy. I followed him with the injured squirrel to his home. A few days later, when the squirrel was well, we took it back to the park and sent it free.
I felt glad that we did a good thing. We should protect animals.
1. Where did the author see the squirrel?| A．In his back yard. | B．In a small birdcage. |
| C．In a local park. | D．In his neighbor’s home. |
| A．It was injured. | B．It was lost. |
| C．It was dead. | D．It was dirty. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Excited. | C．Anxious. | D．Angry. |
| A．It was killed. |
| B．It was sold. |
| C．It was sent back to the park. |
| D．It was kept in the birdcage. |
| A．treat animals friendly |
| B．communicate with kids sometimes |
| C．go to local parks more often |
| D．get along well with neighbors |
When I was seven years old, I saw my mother making doll clothes. She told me that they were for the poor people, so I never gave it another thought. On Christmas morning when I opened my present, there were those beautiful doll clothes. My mother just smiled and said, “They are for the poor people. We’re poor.”
When I was nine, my greatest desire in life was to own a pogo stick (弹簧高跷). But my mother told me that we simply couldn’t afford one. A few days before Christmas, my parents and I went shopping. While my mother and I were paying the money, my dad came with a long box. I remember wondering at that very moment if it was a pogo stick in that box. After we arrived back at home my dad put the box in the barn. While my parents were away, I shuck out to the barn to find the box. I was so excited and I knew that as soon as I opened that magical box, my bright, shiny pogo stick would appear. No such luck! Inside the box was a silly old broom. And so Christmas morning was disappointing. After all the wrapping paper was cleaned up, my dad came back from the barn with a beautiful pogo stick. I couldn’t believe it, how they were able to get the money for it and how they tricked me with the broom. My parents probably laughed quietly when they played the trick on me and I wondered if they were watching me from the window as I went out to the barn secretly for my Christmas present.
Although we didn’t have much money, my parents gave me the most important gift of all, much love. We had love and we had joy.
1. What present did the author receive on Christmas morning at the age of 7?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean? (no more than 5 words)
3. Why did the author feel disappointed when the author found a broom in the box?(no more than 15 words)
4. Why did the author’s parents put a broom in the box? (no more than 15 words)
5. What is the best present you’ve received from your parents? Please give your reasons.(no more than 20 words)
5 . An old man lived in a nice farmhouse with a large garden. He was seen tending his flowers
One day a young painter
“Me? But you don’t know me，” replied the painter.
“It’s
The blind man grows flowers in his heart. Though he
| A．at present | B．all the time | C．right away | D．as usual |
| A．went out | B．went through | C．went by | D．went over |
| A．picturing | B．hoping | C．believing | D．asking |
| A．deaf | B．generous | C．blind | D．foolish |
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
| A．painter | B．gardener | C．sailor | D．artist |
| A．unless | B．although | C．until | D．since |
| A．touch | B．advertise | C．sell | D．taste |
| A．true | B．pitiful | C．magical | D．impossible |
| A．stage | B．place | C．mood | D．future |
| A．change | B．chance | C．choice | D．charge |
| A．enjoy | B．remove | C．accept | D．mean |
| A．tries to | B．deserves to | C．manages to | D．fails to |
| A．noses | B．ears | C．eyes | D．mouths |
| A．cruelty | B．selfishness | C．kindness | D．sadness |
I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house as I always did when I heard the piano. Before ringing the bell, I stood against the wall and sighed sadly. I daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt it my duty to try.
The door opened. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music. Today Mrs. Windsor introduced her niece Pasha to teach me. With a smile, Pasha sat beside me on the piano bench, opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys. Then I frowned (皱眉) and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I had to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist.
After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “Jennifer, what are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant.
“Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play.
“See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”
Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys. “Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.” A happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!” The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’ horse sees her plight (困境) and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. Luckily, they make it to the bank and she hugs her faithful horse.” Pasha finished with a big smile and then looked at me.
I was delighted and advised to try another one. Pasha smiled and together we played many pieces of music that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.
1. Why did the author sigh sadly? (no more than 15 words)2. How did Pasha inspire the author to play the piano? (no more than 8 words)
3. What made the music change in Pasha’s playing? (no more than 10 words)
4. Please explain the meaning of the underlined sentence. (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you think of Pasha? Why? (no more than 25 words)
7 . Professor Ashok Goel of Georgia Tech developed an artificially intelligent teaching assistant to help handle the enormous number of student questions in the online class, Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence. This online course is a core requirement of Georgia Tech’s online Master of Science in Computer Science program. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants, but that wasn’t enough to deal with the overwhelming number of daily questions from students.
Many students drop out of online courses because of the lack of teaching support. When students feel isolated or confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to remedy (改进) his situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.
Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn’t too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all the 40,000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some adjustments and sufficient time, Jill was able to answer the students’ questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn’t know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with the virtual assistant and couldn’t tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn’t inform them about Jill’s true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.
The goal of Professor Goel’s virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all the questions posed by students on the online forum. The name Jill Watson will, of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a much rosier outlook on the future of artificial intelligence than, say, Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates or Steve Wozniak.
1. What do we learn about Knowledge-Based Artificial Intelligence?| A．It is a robot that can answer students’ questions. |
| B．It is a course designed for students to learn online. |
| C．It is a high-tech device that revolutionizes teaching. |
| D．It is a computer program that aids student learning. |
| A．His students were unsatisfied with the assistants. |
| B．His course was too difficult for the students. |
| C．Students’ questions were too many to handle. |
| D．Too many students dropped out of his course. |
| A．She turned out to be a great success. |
| B．She got along pretty well with students. |
| C．She was unwelcome to students at first. |
| D．She was released online as an experiment. |
| A．They thought she was a bit too artificial. |
| B．They found her not as capable as expected. |
| C．They could not but admire her knowledge. |
| D．They could not tell her from a real person. |
| A．Launch different versions of her online. |
| B．Feed her with new questions and answers. |
| C．Assign her to answer more of students’ questions. |
| D．Encourage students to interact with her more freely. |
| A．A robot gives an online course. |
| B．Virtual assistant is getting popular in school. |
| C．Robots will replace humans in online classes. |
| D．One Georgia Tech’s teaching assistant isn’t human. |
8 . If you had asked me then if I would accept a job as a restaurant critic for The New York Times or others, I would have replied, “Definitely not! ” This was partly because I did not want to think of myself as an ambitious sort. Working in restaurants was honest labor, and anyone could see that. Writing about them for the mainstream press was not.
However, the renewing was fun, so much fun that when mainstream publishers started paying me for my opinions, I didn’t do the decent (体面的) thing, and before I knew it, I had stopped cooking professionally. Then I stopped cooking altogether. “She’s joined the leisure class.” my friend said.
I disarmed my critics by inviting them along; nobody I knew could afford to eat out and nobody refused. We went with equal amounts of guilt and pleasure, with a feeling that we were stepping onto the playgrounds of the rich.
We knew we didn’t belong to these grand restaurants. We always got the worst table, and since I didn’t own a credit card, I had to pay in cash. The year turned into two and three, and more. Then, I got a credit card as well as good clothes. I was writing for increasingly prestigious (声誉高的) publications. Meanwhile, a voice inside me kept whispering, “How could you?”
The voice is still there, never coming to a stop. When I receive weekly letters from people who think it is unacceptable to write about $100 meals while half the world is hungry, the voice rings right along, “They’re absolutely right, you elitist (精英) pig is not”. When it asks, “When are you going to grow up and get a real job?”, it sounds a lot like my mother.
It is just at that moment that I tell the voice to shut up because I realize all I’m doing with my life is telling rich people where to eat and how much the world has changed.
Yes, there are still restaurants where rich people go to remind themselves that they are different from you and me, but there are fewer and fewer of them. Going out to eat used to be like going to the opera; today, it is more like going to the movies.
Therefore, everyone has become a critic and I couldn’t be happier with this. The more people pay attention to what and how they eat, the more accustomed they become to their own senses and the world around them. As A. J. Liebling once said, all it really takes to be a restaurant critic is a good appetite.
1. What can we know from the first two paragraphs?| A．The author was too honest to work as a restaurant critic. |
| B．The author found it hard to work for the mainstream press. |
| C．The author didn’t think highly of the job as a restaurant critic. |
| D．The author wasn’t able to renew the work as a professional cook. |
| A．She felt like eating out with the rich. |
| B．She refused to eat out with the critics. |
| C．She had a mixed feeling about eating out. |
| D．She got much fun from being invited to eat out. |
| A．She stayed in the career as a professional cook for years. |
| B．She took up the job of writing as a restaurant critic for years. |
| C．It took a long time for the publications to increase their prestige. |
| D．It was years before her application for a credit card got approved. |
| A．Restaurants make people confused about their social status. |
| B．Rich people can get special treat in some restaurants. |
| C．Ordinary people have become accustomed to fancy restaurants. o |
| D．Restaurants have become affordable to common people. |
| A．Eating out is not a privilege of the rich. |
| B．There is no need for restaurant critics at all. |
| C．The writer is getting tired of her current job. |
| D．Good appetite makes a good restaurant critic. |
9 . Jennifer Udler was in the middle of a 50-minute session with a patient when it started to rain. Walking and talking about anxiety and stress, she and her teenage patient got wet. But when they made it back indoors, Jennifer said, “Hey, look at us! We’re wet, but we got through it! Now you can use that next time you have anxiety before and during an event.” This kind of insight is key to her practice.
Jennifer, a social worker whose practice focuses on adolescents, has been a therapist(治疗师)for 20 years. For most of that time, she practiced in a traditional office, but she noticed how easy it was for her running partners to open up about their problems. After doing some research, in 2013, Jennifer founded Positive Strides Therapy, where she conducts sessions while walking outdoors. She conducts all of her sessions outdoors and in all kinds of weather.
“When somebody asks me if I specialize in walking therapy, I say, ‘No, that’s how I practice,’” Udler said. “I specialize in family systems theory. Walking in the park is just where I practice.”
Despite the lack of formal research, Jennifer believes strongly in the benefits, saying that it can be helpful. “We’ll be talking about ‘moving forward’ as we are actually moving forward on the path, building muscle memory of how they can move forward and leave the anxiety behind.”
And outdoor walking therapy doesn’t just benefit teens. Jennifer says the adults in her practice welcome the humanizing effect of taking therapy outdoors.
1. What lesson did Jennifer teach her teenage patient through the rain?| A．Rain and suffering are a part of life. | B．She is ready to help the young man. |
| C．We can beat our difficulty after all. | D．Rain can help us deal with our trouble. |
| A．Jennifer always talks with his patients in the rain. |
| B．Jennifer found it easy to talk with her patients in traditional office. |
| C．Jennifer conducts all of her sessions outdoors in Positive Strides Therapy. |
| D．Jennifer specializes in walking therapy. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Confident. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The lack of formal research about the therapy. |
| B．Building physical memory of past experience. |
| C．Treating her teen patients in a traditional office. |
| D．Conducting walk-and-talk therapy for teens. |
| A．Walking outdoors is similar to managing worries. |
| B．Moving in the rain is a bit too difficult to tolerate. |
| C．The rain can make one excited and face the trouble. |
| D．Running in the rain or storm will make one healthy. |
10 . Four Fun Runs Even Non-Runners Will Enjoy
Even people who swear they hate running will manage to enjoy these races that somehow make the sport fun.
Hot Chocolate 5K
Do you want a steaming cup of cocoa and lots of chocolate on a cold morning run?At the Hot Chocolate 5K series those are exactly what await you at the finish line.There are prizes given to the top three male and female finishers,but casual participation is encouraged.The events are scheduled in the cooler months in major cities around the country.
The Color Run
The Color Run，also known as the Happiest 5K on the Planet, is an event where runners wear white clothes and are painted from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer, crossing the finish line in a variety of colors.The runners are not be timed, which removes runners’ pressure of keeping a specific pace or worrying about the placing.
Disney Running Series
Why not combine a trip to the happiest place on earth with a little exercise?Run Disney offers a number of half-marathon and marathon weekend packages, many of which also feature the more accessible 5K distance.On Disneyland’s Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend, Friday features a Spiderman-themed 5K, while the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend runs a family-friendly 5K through Epcot.
Running with the Balloons
This cross-country 3.1-mile race in Reddington Township, New Jersey, aims to create a new challenge.But，the highlight is the launch of more than 100 hot air balloons during the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. The motivation? The top male finisher and the top female finisher will each win a free ride in a hot air balloon!
1. What is special about The Color Run?| A．It brings you lots of fun. |
| B．It combines running with music. |
| C．There are no winners. |
| D．There are a series of runs. |
| A．Hot Chocolate 5K. |
| B．The Color Run. |
| C．Disney Running Series. |
| D．Running with the Balloons. |
| A．A hot air balloon. |
| B．A hot chocolate. |
| C．A free ticket to the festival. |
| D．An exciting ride. |
