1 . Communication Tips
Here are some suggestions about making your talk with your parents turn out for the best.
Be honest.
If you’re always honest, your parents will be likely to believe what you say. If you sometimes hide the truth, parents will have a harder time to believe what you tell them.
Be brave and start talking.
It’s easy to say “Hi, Mum” or “Dad, can you pass the potatoes?”
If you have a disagreement, can you consider things from your parents’ points of view? If you can, telling your parents you understand their views and feelings helps them be willing to understand yours, too.
Try not to argue.
Using a friendly and respectful tone makes your parents more likely to listen to you and take what you say seriously.
What if it doesn’t work? If you still can’t talk to your parents, seek other adults’ help.
| A．Explain your situation. |
| B．Try to understand them. |
| C．If you lie, they’ll find it hard to trust you. |
| D．Parents are the most important people in your life. |
| E．But it can be harder to start talking about personal topics. |
| F．It also makes it more likely that they’ll talk to you in the same way. |
| G．Find a relative or a teacher who will listen to, understand and care about you. |
2 . Since the modern Olympics began in 1896, it has been held in more than 40 different cities. That gives Olympic fans quite a few possible travel destinations to choose from!
Beijing, China
Olympic fans should consider visiting the Beijing Olympic Park to check out the special buildings of the so—called “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube”—the national stadium and aquatics center built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Popular historic places in Beijing include the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and Tian’anmen Square.
Innsbruck, Austria
Located in the heart of the Alps, Innsbruck is known as a great winter destination—which explains why it has hosted not one but two Winter Olympics. Known for its mountainous views, Innsbruck is the perfect stop for outdoor adventurers.
Mexico City, Mexico
This wonderful travel destination offers a wide number of popular museums, historic buildings, and public parks. People will love shopping for fresh meat and produce at the markets, taking a cooking class, and generally eating their way through Mexico City, which is especially known for its culinary(烹饪的)experiences that include both globally well—known restaurants and locally favored street carts.
Melbourne, Australia
Nearly half a century before Sydney hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, Melbourne became the first Australian host city in 1956. Head to the “cultural capital of Australia”, located in Victoria on the southeastern coast, for an energetic cafe culture and art scene. Melbourne offers something for every type of traveler and everyone can enjoy an evening at one of the city’s many rooftop bars or a day of wine tasting.
1. Where will you go if you are fond of adventure?| A．Beijing, China. | B．Mexico City, Mexico. |
| C．Innsbruck, Austria. | D．Melbourne, Australia. |
| A．Enjoy wonderful culinary classes. |
| B．Get profit from making delicious food. |
| C．Admire beautiful mountainous views. |
| D．Visit special stadiums for the Olympics. |
| A．It is famous for all kinds of wine. |
| B．It has many world—famous hotels. |
| C．It hosted the Summer Olympics twice. |
| D．It can satisfy different travelers’ needs. |
In the heart of modern Beijing is the Forbidden City. It served as the political center of ancient China between 1420 and 1912 and now it is
The Forbidden City
The English name “Forbidden City” is a translation of the Chinese name Zijincheng. In the past, it was forbidden to ordinary people and that is
4 . The San Diego County Water Authority has an unusual plan to use the city’s scenic San Vicente Reservoir (水库) to store solar power so it’s available after sunset. The project could help unlock America’s clean energy future.
Perhaps ten years from now, if all goes smoothly, large underground pipes will connect this lake to a new reservoir, a much smaller one, built in a nearby valley about 1100 feet higher. When the sun is high in the sky, California’s abundant solar power will pump water into that upper reservoir. It’s a way to store the electricity. When the sun goes down and solar power disappears, operators would open a valve (阀门) and the force of 8 million tons of water, falling back downhill through those same pipes, would drive machines capable of producing 500 megawatts of electricity for up to eight hours. That’s enough to power 130, 000 typical homes.
“It’s a water battery!” says Neena Kuzmich, Deputy Director of Engineering for the water authority. She says energy storage facilities like these will be increasingly important as California starts to rely more on energy from wind and solar, which produce electricity on their own schedules, without considering the demands of consumers.
Californians learned this during a heat wave this past summer. “Everybody in the state of California got a text message at 5:30 in the evening to turn off their appliances,” Kuzmich says. The sun was going down, solar generation was disappearing, and the remaining power plants, many of them burning gas, couldn’t keep up with demand. The reminder worked:People stopped using so much power, and the grid (电网) survived.
Yet earlier on that same day, there was so much solar power available that the grid couldn’t take it all. Grid operators turned away more than 2000 megawatt hours of electricity that solar generators could have delivered, enough to power a small city. That electricity was wasted. There was no way to store it for later, when operators desperately needed it.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 2?| A．To present the importance of a reservoir. | B．To recall a situation in recent ten years. |
| C．To introduce the usage of solar energy. | D．To explain a way to store electricity. |
| A．The reservoir serves to store energy. | B．Californians need little solar energy. |
| C．People used to waste too much energy. | D．New storage ways are environmentally friendly. |
| A．To stop people working. | B．To warn people of danger. |
| C．To tell people the sunset time. | D．To remind people of lack of energy. |
| A．Scenic San Vicente Reservoir | B．San Diego County Energy Plan |
| C．Water Batteries to Store Solar Power | D．Machines to Store Water in California |
5 . For one month, I turned down all in person activities with friends: going out for drinks, dinners, parties and non-work events, to see if it would make me more productive and improve my focus on my career.
Gradually, I came to enjoy the moments of doing nothing, sitting at cafes without any technology, and found myself daydreaming more frequently as I was no longer attempting to fill every spare moment. Such moments are linked to creative problem solving, brainstorming new ideas and reimagining existing projects.
However, such benefits would be a concern if I remained alone at home for too long. “For many working in an office environment, socializing is one of the most important parts and people with a ‘best friend’ at work are seven times more likely to throw themselves fully in their work,” says Silvia Bellezza, professor of Harvard University. Workplace friendship also creates a common sense of purpose and a social support network. Of course, off-hours socializing is also an important way to build work contacts. While one month of no social life did not impact people’s relationship with existing connections, it may have reduced their ability to build new ones.
During the month, I learned that I couldn’t cut out an area of life in order to lift another — a connection with people is linked to our work and helps us deal with life’s ups and downs. Researcher Ellen Galinsky has found that people who are dual-centric (兼顾的) are the most satisfied in their lives. “We find that people who are dual-centric tend to be healthier, do better at work and do better at home,” says Galinsky. Perhaps the secret to a successful career is not cutting out my social life, but combining the two.
1. Why did the author refuse all in-person activities with his friends?| A．To focus on his family. | B．To save personal time. |
| C．To make new friends. | D．To better his career. |
| A．The purpose of having friends. | B．The benefits of keeping social. |
| C．The importance of remaining alone. | D．The skills of building new relations. |
| A．Social life should not be cut out. | B．Most people are satisfied with life. |
| C．People should be devoted to work. | D．Humans need close friends to enjoy life. |
| A．To show the value of social life. | B．To give tips on career success. |
| C．To introduce some social activities. | D．To compare some experts’ researches. |
6 . A thief dropped a winning lottery ticket (彩票) at the scene of his crime, but he has been given a lesson in
The robbery happened when Professor Sabbatucci was changing a tyre on a highway. Another motorist, who stopped “to
The next day, the professor saw the lottery
The professor received hundreds of
The robber gave back the
| A．friendship | B．honesty | C．bravery | D．adventure |
| A．held out | B．took out | C．made up | D．picked up |
| A．crime | B．lecture | C．money | D．evidence |
| A．explore | B．rest | C．watch | D．help |
| A．stolen | B．dropped | C．forgotten | D．damaged |
| A．results | B．story | C．loss | D．sales |
| A．presented | B．took | C．donated | D．shared |
| A．joking | B．saying | C．wondering | D．replying |
| A．number | B．case | C．win | D．receipt |
| A．notes | B．emails | C．letters | D．calls |
| A．trick | B．find | C．lead | D．draw |
| A．recognised | B．reminded | C．recorded | D．recovered |
| A．car | B．suitcase | C．package | D．check |
| A．explain | B．blame | C．believe | D．realise |
| A．deal | B．promise | C．payment | D．offer |
7 . The Government’s sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money as Ministers first predicted it would generate, the first official data on the policy has shown.
First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, was introduced to help reduce childhood obesity (肥胖). It is believed that today’s children and teenagers are consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher risk of the disease.
Initially the sugar tax was expected to make £520m a year for the Treasury. However, data of the first six months showed it would make less than half this amount. At present it is expected to generate £240m for the year ending in April 2019, which will go to school sports.
It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their sugar levels cut by manufacturers (制造商) so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of manufacturers’ efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks companies have been forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar content.
However, some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the sugar tax and are refusing to change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax, as are small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.
Today’s figures, according to one government official, show the positive influence the sugar tax is having by raising millions of pounds for sports facilities (设施) and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is playing its part.
1. Why was the sugar tax introduced?| A．To collect money for schools. | B．To improve the quality of drinks. |
| C．To protect children’s health. | D．To encourage research in education. |
| A．They turned to overseas markets. | B．They raised the prices of their products. |
| C．They cut down on their production. | D．They reduced their products’ sugar content. |
| A．Most alcoholic drinks. | B．Milk-based drinks. | C．Fruit juices. | D．Classic Coke. |
| A．It is a short-sighted decision. | B．It is a success story. |
| C．It benefits manufacturers. | D．It upsets customers. |
8 . Top Three inspirational tech personalities
Who are the leading figures in the tech industry? What were their journeys like?
SUNDAR PICHAI
At the top of the list is Sundar Pichai, the current CEO of Google, who was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, sharing a two-bedroom apartment with his parents and younger brother, and only started having a phone in his house when he was 12. During his time as CBO, Pichai led the launch of Google Chrome, the most used web engine, Google Drive and Google Maps, which are features that have revolutionised modern lifestyle.
STEVE JOBS
Another well-known individual is the CEO of Pixar and NeXT, and the co-founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. Undoubtedly, his life can be compared to that of a rollercoaster. He was fired from the company that he co-founded (which later become known as Apple), then he went on to start up two other successful companies, before returning to Apple, where he created the iPhone, the product that many consider to be the most significant invention of this Century.
SAL KHAN
Then, we have the owner of one of the biggest online education providers, Khan Academy. He may not be as famous as the other two, but his contribution to education deserves as much credit. Using his website, anyone can have unlimited access to educational videos for free, allowing people to gain in-depth knowledge about many subjects without attending a formal course. For this, he is on the list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Their stories will continue to inspire and create new leaders who aspire to attain success regardless of their wealth or circumstances.
1. Who is a perfect example to show “Born poor, one can still succeed.”?| A．Sal Khan | B．Steve Jobs | C．Sundar Pichai | D．All of them |
| A．Because he likes rollercoasters. |
| B．Because his life is full of ups and downs. |
| C．Because he started two other successful companies. |
| D．Because he was fired by the company that he co-founded. |
| A．He is able to beat all the difficulties he has met. |
| B．He owns one of the biggest online education providers, Khan Academy. |
| C．His website provides people with access to various knowledge free of charge. |
| D．His product is considered to be the most significant invention of this century. |
9 . Physical education, or PE, isn’t required for all high school students. In some schools, it isn’t offered for some different reasons. But should high school students have physical education? The answer is certainly “yes”.
Today many people don’t do sports. But as is known to all. doing sports is very important for an adult. Teaching teens the importance of a healthy lifestyle and making fitness plans now can help teens put exercise in the first place as an adult.
High school isn’t that easy. Many students are under a lot of stress. Stress can be harmful to a student’s studies and life. Doing sports can help them deal with stress better, helping them live a happier life at school.
The American Heart Association says that 10 million kids and teens suffer from obesity (肥胖). Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity per day to control their weight and to help their bones get stronger. The increase in activities that don’t get teens to move around, such as computer games, means many teens don’t get their required exercise. PE classes act as a public health measure (措施) to encourage physical activities and help teens have healthy weights.
Not doing sports increases teens’ hazard of developing many diseases. An active lifestyle offers a good way of protection from these health problems. As much as 75 percent of health-care spending goes toward treating medical conditions that can be prevented by lifestyle changes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), students who performed five hours of physical activities each week improved their academic (学业的) performance. Students from programs with no physical activity, who used the extra time for classroom study, did not perform better on tests than those who gave up some study time in support of physical education.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what does physical education in high school mean?| A．Making teens attach importance to ęxercise later. |
| B．Removing the stress faced by teens at school. |
| C．Getting teens to encourage adults to exercise. |
| D．Helping teens learn to make good plans |
| A．Happiness. | B．Risk. | C．Safety. | D．Sadness. |
| A．means making students choose between sports and studies |
| B．helps students make good use of all their time |
| C．means students adjust to their studies better |
| D．helps students do better in their studies |
| A．Why high school students should receive physical education. |
| B．Why some schools consider physical education important. |
| C．How schools can help students love doing sports. |
| D．How high school students can live a better life. |
10 .
The documentary displays Lang’s inspiring journey from her gold medal victory as a volleyball player in the 1984 Olympics to her amazing career as a successful coach for both Team USA from 2005 to 2008 and China since 2013. She was the first person to win Olympic volleyball gold as a player and coach. Lang Ping revealed the secret to such remarkable achievements in the documentary. As she said, “
But illness is certainly not the only difficulty Lang has faced. In 2005, she struggled with balancing raising her daughter Lydia Bai Lang, who lived in the US, and her coaching career. She eventually decided to work for USA Volleyball that year.
There is no doubt that Lang is one of the greatest players and coaches in history. As an American athlete commented in the documentary,
| A．Who is Lang Ping? |
| B．Lang is the hardest to defeat. |
| C．I believe volleyball was my life. |
| D．What makes one a great person? |
| E．Glory and challenges go hand in hand. |
| F．Lang Ping is like Michael Jordan in our minds. |
| G．This decision aroused a lot of negative comments in China. |
