1 . When it comes to technology, adults won’t be able to keep up with their children. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million people, but it took only 20 years for the phone to reach the same number, and 13 years for the television. However, it took Facebook 3.6 years and Twitter only needed 88 days. Over the last 15 years, digital communication has brought in more changes than the printing press did in 1570. And those most likely to use them in this world are teenagers, whose brains appear to have a great ability to adapt to the world around them, according to Dr. Jay Giedd, a brain expert.

We are now discovering that our brains during the teenage years are still flexible (灵活的). Having a more flexible brain means that certain functions of it , such as the ability to make long-term decisions, haven’t developed yet, which may also explain why we spend a long period living under the protection of our parents rather than leaving home at the age of 12 or 13. This also means that the teenage brain can adapt to new technology, allowing teenagers to keep up with the increasing pace (速度) of digital technology, giving them an advantage when doing different tasks.

As they look at these screens, they’re dealing with information. There are concerns about how social media is affecting the way in which the brain learns to socialize. Giedd says that a lot of what goes on inside our brains is social. Social interactions are being changed by technology - you could have hundreds of friends, all of whom are real people that you interact with and scientists aren’t sure whether we’ll be able to develop the same skills using social media.

There is an advantage to the growing digital trend (趋势)：YouTube shows that teenagers all over the world are watching the same things and laughing at the same jokes, showing that they are more global-minded than teenagers in the past. They are more open to other cultures, other countries, and other people.

1. How many years did it take for television to reach 50 million people?

A．38 years.

B．20 years.

C．15 years.

D．13 years.

2. What does the underlined word “ This ” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Teenagers’ brains are flexible.

B．Teenagers are protected by their parents.

C．Teenagers are good at doing different tasks.

D．Teenagers’ abilities to make decisions haven’t developed.

3. What does the trend of using YouTube show?

A．Teenagers prefer to socialize online.

B．Teenagers spend much time on social media.

C．Teenagers are now more open-minded than those in the past.

D．Teenagers are more likely to be attracted by the Internet than grown-ups.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Concerns about social media influence	B．Teenage brains in the digital world
C．Teenager-related technologies	D．Development of teenage brains

2 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:

Disneyland, California

Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.

Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida

Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.

EPCOT, Disney World, Florida

EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.

Disney­MGM Studios, Florida

MGM’s streets are the home for some great movie­themed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.

Universal Studios, Florida

Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.

1. Which of the following theme parks have similar attractions?

A．Disneyland & Magic Kingdom.

B．Disneyland & Universal Studios.

C．EPCOT & Disney­MGM Studios.

D．Magic Kingdom & Universal Studios.

2. Which park has the longest history?

A．Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida.

B．Disney­MGM Studios, Florida.

C．EPCOT, Disney World, Florida.

D．Disneyland, California.

3. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To attract tourists to these theme parks.

B．To increase the sales of Amusement Today.

C．To introduce world’s best amusement parks.

D．To compare attractions in different theme parks.

3 . 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。

29 outstanding Party members were conferred the July 1 Medal, one of     1     was Zhang Guimei. She founded a high school,     2    (offer) free education to girls in a less­developed area of Yunnan Province.

Zhang’s efforts helped nearly 2,000 girls go to college. She visited poor     3     (family) and persuaded them not to let their children drop out of school. This shows     4     educators should work with a greater sense of responsibility.

Another important lesson from Zhang’s story is that we should take a long­term view of rural education. Zhang has been working     5     (improve) education in rural areas because of her high degree of     6     (commit) and making the education of talents as her goal.     7    is because of the very goal that Zhang could overcome difficulties, and help the poor throw off     8     wrong idea that “education is useless”. It also reminds us that more efforts should     9     (make) to develop education in rural areas, and we should focus     10     long­term goals and interests.

4 . Art and science may seem like opposite things. One means the creative flow of ideas, and the other means cold, hard data-some people believe. In fact, the two have much in common. Now, a study finds art can help students remember better what they have learned in the science class.

Mariale Hardiman, an education specialist at Johns Hopkins University, noticed that students who used art in the classroom listened more carefully. They might ask more questions. They might volunteer more ideas. What’s more, students seemed to remember more of what they had been taught when their science lessons had involved(涉及) art. To prove that, Hardiman teamed up with some researchers and six local schools.

In the experiment, the researchers worked with teachers in 16 fifth-grade classrooms. They provided traditional science lessons and art-focused ones. In a traditional science class, for example, students might read aloud from a book. In the art-focused one, they might sing the information instead.

The team randomly assigned(随机分配) each of the 350 students to either a traditional science classroom or an art-focused one. Students then learned science using that way for the whole unit-about three weeks. When they changed to a new topic, they also changed to the other type of class. This way, each student had both an art-focused class and a traditional one. Every unit was taught in both ways, to different groups of students. This enabled the researchers to see how students did in both types of classes.

The team found that students who started off in a traditional class performed better after they moved into an art-focused class. But those who started off in an art-focused class did well even when they went back to a traditional science class. These students appeared to use some of the art techniques(技巧) after going back to a traditional class. Classroom teachers reported that many students continued to sing the songs that they learned after finishing the unit. “The more we hear something, the more we retain it,” Hardiman says. “It suggests that the arts may help students apply creative ways of learning on their own.”

1. Why did Mariale Hardiman do the study?

A．To prove the importance of art at school.

B．To see if art might improve science learning

C．To find a way to help her students learn better.

D．To know how to encourage students to ask questions.

2. What were the students required to do in the experiment?

A．Take two types of classes.	B．Learn three units in total.
C．Learn two topics for three weeks.	D．Choose what they’d like to learn.

3. What does the underlined word “retain” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Finish.

B．Express.

C．Improve.

D．Memorize.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Art helps students develop creativity.

B．Art-focused classes interest students a lot.

C．Art can make science easier to remember.

D．Art has something in common with science.

5 . UNESCO World Heritage Sites were created to celebrate and safeguard the most unique places around the world. Below are my 4 favorite UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Cinque Terre, Italy

With cars banned here, you’ll really get to feel the unique history and character of the Cinque Terre’s five centuries-old coastal villages. The breathtaking views of harbors far below the wild coastline along with the rich colors will definitely make it a memorable holiday.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious (宗教的) monument and it contains impressive remains from the Khmer Empire (9th to 15th century). The site has dozens of iconic temples like Ta Prohm (a magnificent temple ruin hidden in the jungle). Hosting more than two million visitors annually, this artistic masterpiece is a must-see site.

Petra, Jordan

Petra’s rock-cut architecture has contributed to its nickname, the Rose City, based on the color of the stone it was carved from. The delicate constructions of temples and tombs along with the remains of churches and temples are only a couple of reasons why this world-famous site is a must-visit destination.

Yellowstone National Park, USA

Yellowstone’s vast wilderness includes mountain ranges, lakes and waterfalls. One of the main reasons for tourists to visit Yellowstone is to observe the amazing wildlife like grizzly bear, bison, bighorn sheep wander the plains and valleys.

For a daily moment of travel inspiration, click here to follow me.

1. Where can tourists enjoy beautiful harbor views?

A．In Cinque Terre.	B．In Angkor Wat.
C．In Petra.	D．In Yellowstone National Park.

2. What do Angkor Wat and Petra have in common?

A．Colorful stones.	B．Religious relics.
C．Coastal villages.	D．Amazing wildlife.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A news report.	B．A wildlife brochure.
C．A travel blog.	D．An economic magazine.

6 . 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。

One day my grandfather gave me a gift — a piggy bank. It had an opening through which one could put money in, but the opening was not big enough to reach in and get the money out. The only way to get at the money was to break the piggy bank open. My grandfather explained that was the whole idea: the piggy bank would help save my money so that, at the end of the year, I might have enough for that bike I dreamt about. He asked if I would put some of the money he gave me into the piggy bank. I agreed immediately and promised that I wouldn’t break it open until I could afford my dream bike.

Whenever he gave me a little bit of money, he would say, “This is for spending. But you can save some and put it in the piggy bank if you want to save it up.” When he gave me larger amounts, it was clearly for saving in the piggy bank. For some time, this worked fine. I loved shaking the piggy bank and hearing the sound of the coins. As it became heavier, I grew more excited, dreaming about buying my new bike, and all the adventures I could have on it.

Whenever I wanted to take some money from the piggy bank to buy delicious ice-creams or beautiful pens, I would imagine riding my bike on the street, and thinking of that, my thoughts about ice-creams or pens went away. So for almost six months, I only put money into the piggy bank without taking any out. I thought I wouldn’t break my piggy bank for anything. But one day something unexpected happened. I saw a piece of news on the television that a serious earthquake (地震) had happened in a nearby province. As many houses were destroyed, a lot of children became homeless. Seeing their shabby clothes and crying faces, I was sleepless that night.

注意：
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
Paragraph 1: I knew I should do something.__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2: My grandfather was surprised by my behavior._____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral

Chinese state media has praised a viral video series telling the story of a jade teapot coming to life and fleeing the British Museum to make its way back home.

The set of three short videos, entitled Escape from the British Museum, shows the teapot turning into a young woman in a green dress, who then engages a London-based Chinese journalist to help her reunite with her family. It appears to have struck a chord (弦) in China after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin. By Monday evening, it had reportedly received more than 310 million views. The plot line taps into growing Chinese criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass, were missing, stolen or damaged.

In August the state media Global Times called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. “The huge holes in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed by this scandal (丑闻) have led to the collapse of a long-standing and widely circulated claim that ‘foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum’,” it said. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s desiring for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics.”

State broadcaster CCTV also gave the short films a glowing review saying: “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition... We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displayed overseas.”

The museum scandal made headlines around the world and reawakened earlier demands by the Chinese media to restore the country’s relics. The new three-part show has triggered a wave of nationalism among viewers, with many praising the creative plot that reduced them to tears by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.

1. What excuse does Britain give for keeping other nations’ cultural objects in its museum?

A．It has taken possession of these objects by all lawful means.

B．These objects are safer and taken better care of in its museum.

C．It is requested by other nations to protect their cultural objects.

D．These objects may come to life, flee their countries and go viral.

2. What does the underlined word “repatriation”(Para.3) probably mean?

A．Repair.

B．Reflection.

C．Reserve.

D．Return.

3. Which of the following can we infer from the passage?

A．China had already demanded the restoration of its cultural relics before the scandal.

B．The museum’s awful management and security systems are involved in the scandal.

C．The Britain Museum is under pressure to return the cultural relics to China sooner or later.

D．A London-based Chinese journalist has contributed a lot to the viral three-part video series.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To appeal to Britain to return China’s cultural objects.

B．To introduce a viral video series about a fleeing jade teapot.

C．To arouse readers’ concern about Chinese cultural objects abroad.

D．To praise Chinese young people’s passion for history and tradition.

9 . Endangered polar bears are breeding (繁殖) with grizzly bears (灰熊), creating “pizzly” bears, which is being driven by climate change, scientists say.

As the world warms and Arctic sea ice thins, starving polar bears are being forced ever further south, where they meet grizzlies, whose ranges are expanding northwards. And with that growing contact between the two come increasing hybrids (杂交种).

With characteristics that could give the hybrids an advantage in warming northern habitats, some scientists guess that they could be here to stay. “Usually, hybrids aren’t better suited to their environments than their parents, but these hybrids are able to search for a broader range of food sources,” Larisa DeSantis, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, told Live Science.

The rise of “pizzly” bears appears with polar bears’ decline: their numbers are estimated to decrease by more than 30% in the next 30 years. This sudden fall is linked partly to “pizzly” bears taking up polar bears’ ranges, where they outcompete them, but also to polar bears’ highly specialized diets.

“Polar bears mainly consumed soft foods even during the Medieval Warm Period, a previous period of rapid warming,” DeSantis said, referring to fat meals such as seals. “Although all of these starving polar bears are trying to find alternative food sources, like seabird eggs, it could be a tipping point for their survival.” Actually, the calories they gain from these sources do not balance out those they burn from searching for them. This could result in a habitat ready for the hybrids to move in and take over, leading to a loss in biodiversity if polar bears are replaced.

“We’re having massive impacts with climate change on species,” DeSantis said. “The polar bear is telling us how bad things are. In some sense, “pizzly” bears could be a sad but necessary compromise given current warming trends.”

1. Why do polar bears move further south?

A．To create hybrids.	B．To expand territory.
C．To relieve hunger.	D．To contact grizzlies.

2. What makes “pizzly” bears adapt to natural surroundings better than their parents?

A．Broader habitats.	B．More food options.
C．Climate preference.	D．Improved breeding ability.

3. What does the underlined phrase “a tipping point” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A rare chance.	B．A critical stage.
C．A positive factor.	D．A constant change.

4. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Polar bears are changing diets for climate change.

B．Polar bears have already adjusted to climate change.

C．“Pizzly” bears are on the rise because of global warming.

D．“Pizzly”bears have replaced polar bears for global warming.

10 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.

For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.

Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”

Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.

1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?

A．By analyzing a mass of data.

B．By conducting genetic research.

C．By comparing various levels of activity.

D．By tracking the subjects for many years.

2. What does the study show about depression?

A．Physical activity betters medical treatment.

B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it.

C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same.

D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment.

3. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Harmful.	B．Complex.
C．Unusual.	D．Common.

4. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To discuss a disease.

B．To introduce a method.

C．To analyze a genetic risk.

D．To explain a phenomenon.