1 . My First Marathon（马拉松）

A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.

The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂

By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

By mile 21, I was starving!

As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.

1. A month before the marathon, the author ____________.

A．was well trained	B．felt scared
C．made up his mind to run	D．lost hope

2. Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?

A．To acknowledge the support of his teacher.

B．To amuse the readers with a funny story.

C．To show he was not talented in sports.

D．To share a precious memory.

3. How was the author’s first marathon?

A．He made it.	B．He quit halfway.
C．He got the first prize.	D．He walked to the end.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．A man owes his success to his family support.

B．A winner is one with a great effort of will.

C．Failure is the mother of success.

D．One is never too old to learn.

2 . Pacific Science Center Guide

◆Visit Pacific Science Center’s Store

Don’t forget to stop by Pacific Science Center’s Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located(位于) upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laser Dome.

◆Hungry

Our exhibits will feed your mind, but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour before Pacific Science Center closes.

◆Rental Information

Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.

◆Support Pacific Science Center

Since 1962, Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion(热情) for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today, Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and brings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and community events all over Washington State. It’s an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Visit pacificsciencecenter.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.

1. Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?

A．In Building 1.

B．In Building 3.

C．At the the Laser Dome.

D．At the Denny Way entrance.

2. What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?

A．Train Science teachers.

B．Distribute science books.

C．Inspire scientific research.

D．Take science to the classroom.

3. What is the purpose of the last part of the text?

A．To encourage donations.

B．To advertise coming events.

C．To introduce special exhibits.

D．To tell about the Center’s history.

3 . Choose Your One-Day-Tours!

Tour A - Bath &Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge -￡37 until 26 March and ￡39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum, Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.

Tour B - Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s -￡32 until 12 March and ￡36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires(尖顶）” from St Mary‘s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.

Tour C - Windsor Castle &Hampton Court: including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace -￡34 until 11 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry VILL’s favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle(entrance fees not included).With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze(迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!

Tour D –Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great -￡33 until 18 March and ￡37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.

1. Which tour will you choose if you want to see England’s oldest university city?

A．Tour A	B．Tour B
C．Tour C	D．Tour D

2. Which of the following tours charges the lowest fee on 17 March?

A．Windsor Castle & Hampton Court	B．Oxford & Stratford
C．Bath & Stonehenge	D．Cambridge

3. Why is Hampton Court a major tourist attraction?

A．It used to be the home of royal families	B．It used to be a well-known maze
C．It is the oldest palace in Britain	D．It is a world-famous castle

4 . A thief dropped a winning lottery ticket (彩票) at the scene of his crime, but he has been given a lesson in _______. The man whom he robbed _______ the ticket and won the ￡25,000 prize. But the man managed to find the thief, and handed over the _______.

The robbery happened when Professor Sabbatucci was changing a tyre on a highway. Another motorist, who stopped “to_______”, stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the _______ ticket and brought it home.

The next day, the professor saw the lottery _______ on TV and realised it was a winner. He _______ the ￡25,000 prize, but he decided not to keep the money. He made an announcement on the radio, _______, “I’m trying to find the man who robbed me. I have ￡25,000 for him — a lottery _______. Please meet me.”

The professor received hundreds of ________ from people who were hoping to ________ him into handing them the money. But there was one voice he ________ and he arranged to meet the man in a park.

The robber gave back the ________ and burst into tears. He could not ________ what was happening.“Why didn’t you keep the money?” he asked. The professor replied, “Because it’s not mine.” Then he walked off, turning down the thief’s ________ to share the prize.

1.

A．friendship

B．honesty

C．bravery

D．adventure

2.

A．held out

B．took out

C．made up

D．picked up

3.

A．crime

B．lecture

C．money

D．evidence

4.

A．explore

B．rest

C．watch

D．help

5.

A．stolen

B．dropped

C．forgotten

D．damaged

6.

A．results

B．story

C．loss

D．sales

7.

A．presented

B．took

C．donated

D．shared

8.

A．joking

B．saying

C．wondering

D．replying

9.

A．number

B．case

C．win

D．receipt

10.

A．notes

B．emails

C．letters

D．calls

11.

A．trick

B．find

C．lead

D．draw

12.

A．recognised

B．reminded

C．recorded

D．recovered

13.

A．car

B．suitcase

C．package

D．check

14.

A．explain

B．blame

C．believe

D．realise

15.

A．deal

B．promise

C．payment

D．offer

5 . How similar are language and music?

Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.     1     Both language and music play a huge role in our culture and here are some of their similarities.

Both language and music have a writing system.

In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes (音符) to keep a record of music. Musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music.     2     By writing pieces of text or music, we are able to share experiences through time. We can read the ideas or hear the composition (作品) of someone who lived hundreds of years ago.

    3    

You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language he uses. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.

Both share emotion.

    4     Of course you may be able to see it in my face, but you will know for sure through my words. Similarly, music can sound angry, sad or happy. Music can show you exactly how the composer was or is feeling, and allows us to share that emotion. When you feel happy, you might want to sing and dance to a happy song to celebrate your happiness.     5     I think we have all used music to express or process our emotions, often combining it with language in the form of song lyrics (歌词).

A．Both are expressive.

B．Both vary with culture.

C．How do you know that I am angry?

D．We use language to express our thoughts.

E．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives.

F．So just as you read English, you can read music.

G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down.

6 . My great-grandfather, my grandfather and my father are all farmers. My father expects me to become a farmer and _______ them all but I don’t agree with my father.

Three years ago, my father took me to an airport to visit one of his friends. His friend _______ a small airline. It was the first time I had seen a _______ airplane. After my father’s friend discovered I had never been in an airplane, he _______ me to fly with them. When we took off, I felt excited. While we were in the air, I almost forgot I had to _______ the ground. All I could think of was flying would be my _______ in life and how I wanted to fly again and again.

Since then, if I had time, my father’s friend would teach me how to fly. He _______ let me fly alone once. I wanted to become a pilot but I would have to go _______ my father.

At the age of 18, I had to tell my father what I wanted to do but I didn’t want to make him _______. As he walked ahead of me and I ________, I didn’t know what I could say to help him understand my ________ for flying. I took my courage and said, “Father, I have something ________ to tell you. I want to go to college and become a pilot. I have talked to the schools and they agreed to give me financial (金融的) help. “I felt nervous in his ________. Then he spoke,” I was wondering when you would tell me. I have been ________ money for you. ” When I heard this, I couldn’t help crying. For the first time, I really understand his ________ love for me.

1.

A．respect

B．join

C．remember

D．believe

2.

A．introduced

B．examined

C．needed

D．owned

3.

A．real

B．special

C．huge

D．popular

4.

A．ordered

B．allowed

C．forced

D．trained

5.

A．return to

B．look at

C．think about

D．care for

6.

A．problem

B．custom

C．challenge

D．goal

7.

A．even

B．still

C．never

D．already

8.

A．for

B．through

C．after

D．against

9.

A．sick

B．worried

C．angry

D．excited

10.

A．waited

B．followed

C．left

D．ran

11.

A．plan

B．love

C．excuse

D．explanation

12.

A．terrible

B．amazing

C．important

D．encouraging

13.

A．silence

B．sadness

C．surprise

D．anger

14.

A．counting

B．searching

C．saving

D．changing

15.

A．different

B．strange

C．lost

D．deep

7 . A robot created by Washington State University (WSU) scientists could help elderly people with dementia (痴呆) and other limitations live independently in their own homes.

The Robot Activity Support System, or RAS, uses sensors installed in a WSU smart home to determine where its residents are, what they are doing and when they need assistance with daily activities. It navigates (定位) through rooms and around obstacles to find people on its own, provides video instructions on how to do simple tasks and can even lead its owner to objects like their medication or a snack in the kitchen.

“RAS combines the convenience of a mobile robot with the activity detection technology of a WSU smart home to provide assistance in the moment, as the need for help is detected,” said Bryan Minor, a postdoctoral researcher in the WSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Currently, an estimated 50 percent of adults over the age of 85 need assistance with every day activities such as preparing meals and taking medication and the annual cost for this assistance in the US is nearly $2 trillion. With the number of adults over 85 expected to triple by 2050, researchers hope that technologies like RAS and the WSU smart home will relieve some of the financial strain on the healthcare system by making it easier for older adults to live alone.

RAS is the first robot researchers have tried to incorporate into their smart home environment. They recently published a study in the journal Cognitive Systems Research that demonstrates how RAS could make life easier for older adults struggling to live independently.

“While we are still in an early stage of development, our initial results with RAS have been promising,” Minor said. “The next step in the research will be to test RAS’ performance with a group of older adults to get a better idea of what prompts, video reminders and other preferences they have regarding the robot.”

1. How does RAS serve elderly people?

A．Through sensors.	B．Through objects.
C．Through a mobile robot.	D．Through their daily activities.

2. What can we know about RAS?

A．It is the first robot used in daily life.	B．Its function remains to be tested.
C．It can locate people and do any task.	D．It can cook for owners on its own.

3. What’s Minor’s attitude toward the future of RAS?

A．Doubtful.	B．Negative.
C．Optimistic.	D．Uncertain.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Elderly people leave the nursing home.

B．Smart Home Tests first elder-Care robot.

C．RAS, the first robot to make home smart.

D．Older adults have benefited from RAS.

8 . England

England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Over 50 million people live in England, which is around 80% of the total UK population.

    1     It is spoken today by billions of people all over the world. Many students go to England from other countries to study the language and learn about the culture. Although everyone speaks English, there are many different accents around the country. French was the official language in England between 1066 and 1362.       2    

The English people love music.       3     Glastonbury is a five-day festival of music, dance, comedy, and theatre and around 175,000 people go there. Many people stay at the festivals for a few days and they camp in tents. People listen to all types of music, especially pop and rock. England has produced many international groups and singers.

The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket. Most towns have a football, rugby and cricket ground where teams can play.       4           Womenˈs football is also popular. Cricket is a traditional sport played with a bat and a ball. People like to watch all these sports on TⅤ．

England is a multicultural country.       5       Indian, Chinese and Italian foods are popular. Traditional English food includes fish and chips, roast beef, sausages and mashed potatoes. Many English people drink several cups of tea every day, usually with milk. However, different types of coffee are also popular.

A．The official language of England is English.

B．This has a big influence on the food people eat.

C．The lion is the symbol of many English sports teams.

D．It is a fact that English is accepted as an international language.

E．In the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country.

F．This is why there are many French words and expressions in English.

G．English football teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-famous.

9 . Some students get so nervous before a test. They do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers. The students start worrying about the results. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources (资源).

Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.

The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short maths tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.

Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12% worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of 5%. Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test. Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not.

“What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done our writing intervention (干预), all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. They were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these tests.”

But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.

1. What may the students start worrying about before an exam?

A．Whether they can pass the exams.

B．What other students do during the test.

C．Whether they have remembered the materials.

D．What kind of problems they will meet on the test paper.

2. What is the solution developed by researchers?

A．Asking the students to ignore the test.

B．Asking the students to focus on the test.

C．Asking the students to sit quietly before the test.

D．Asking the students to write about their worries before the test.

3. According to Professor Beilock, those who thought about things unrelated to the test ________.

A．became less nervous before the test

B．were better at controlling their feelings

C．did worse than those who wrote about their feelings

D．did better than those who wrote about their feelings

4. What can be learned from the last paragraph?

A．Writing about our worries before an exam can work a bit.

B．We can only write about our worries right before an exam.

C．The best place to write about our worries is in the test room.

D．It doesn’t matter where we write about our worries before an exam.