1 . Art has always been a polarizing(分化的)subject.Some people like realism,others like abstract.But do you know why some people value art in the millions,while others see the same piece as little more than a child’s finger painting?

Many consider art to be quite random in terms of our likes and dislikes.But according to new research,there may actually be a scientific reason behind our fondness for certain works.The answer lies in how a person’s brain breaks down the visuals(视觉效果)of a painting combined with their judgment.

To prove their theory,neuroscientist(神经科学家)Kiyohito Iigaya and his team from the California Institute of Technology(Caltech)gathered more than 1,300 volunteers and asked them to rate 825 different paintings from four different art genres(类型).

After analyzing the data,scientists found that the same groups of people tended to prefer similar aspects of the same paintings.These characteristics were then grouped into“low-level”features like color and blending,and“high-level”features like the emotion behind the painting.

From this experiment,Caltech’s system was then able to predict an individual’s specific taste in art and organize different works into one group,according to the paintings’features and volunteers’preferences.

In a second test,researchers repeated the experiment on six volunteers,showing each 1,000 paintings while inside an MRI—a machine that scans a person’s brain activity.The test revealed(揭示)that the different features of a painting are sent to the part of the brain that deals with valuing items,allowing someone to form their overall opinion.

Finally,the team repeated the first test on new volunteers.Again,the algorithm(算法)was able to accurately predict individuals’art preferences.According to Iigaya,this shows that the factors that contribute to whether a person likes an image are universal,not random.

Lesley Fellows,a neurologist at McGill University who studies value judgments,stated,“We know a lot about‘how’the brain carries out actions,but‘why’is far less well understood.”

1. What did the Caltech team try to discover?

A．What kinds of artwork appeal to people.

B．Why only some people value art.

C．Whether an individual’s preference for art is predictable.

D．Whether one’s mood influences their opinion of artwork.

2. How did the Caltech team’s first experiment help their second test?

A．Some features of paintings were categorized（分类）.

B．It helped decide the types of paintings to be used.

C．Part of the brain to process paintings was identified.

D．Volunteers were grouped based on their response.

3. What did the Caltech team find from their second test?

A．The brain reacted differently to different paintings.

B．MRIs influence people’s opinion of paintings.

C．Individuals have different valuing systems in their brain.

D．A certain part of the brain helps people judge paintings.

4. Why does the author quote Lesley Fellows’words in the last paragraph?

A．To question the Caltech team’s research.

B．To approve of the research on why we make value judgments.

C．To show there is still a lot left to learn about the brain.

D．To point out the focus of the future brain research.

2 . 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。

The fourth Thursday in November is called Thanksgiving Day, which has been one of the most important festivals in the United States. The theme is thankfulness for peace and happiness of family life during the past year. People usually eat roast turkey and pumpkin pie to celebrate the holiday.

There are always moving stories about Thanksgiving Day. Though the stories have different leading roles, the topics of them are the same: showing the sincere appreciation to their loved people, such as parents, siblings（兄弟姊妹），friends, teachers and so on.

I also have a moving story that happened on Thanksgiving Day. At first it sounded like a thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The story went like this: when Thanksgiving Day was coming, a teacher gave her class an interesting task-to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.

Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey, corn, pumpkins and other traditional things of the season, like all of those symbols drawn on the holiday decorations and greeting cards. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her students art.

All students drew their pictures as the teacher thought, except one boy-Peterson. He made a different kind of picture. Peterson seemed to be a strange student in the class. As other children played during break, he usually chose to quietly stand close by the teacher's side. They didn't know what had ever happened to him and nobody could guess how Peterson felt behind his sad eyes. He didn't like to play with the other students nor talk with them.

When the little boy was asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. There was nothing else but an empty hand on the picture. It was different from other pictures.

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。

His abstract picture caught the imagination of his classmates.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When the children went on to discuss other pictures,the teacher paused at the boy's desk.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . 你校准备在新建的“名人长廊”中为每一位名人画像配上英语介绍, 以便让同学们有更多的机会学习英语。请你根据以下信息写一篇80词左右介绍郎平的短文。
1. 郎平, 1960年12月10日出生于天津市。1973年, 13岁的郎平开始练习打排球;
2. 1978年, 因在全国排球比赛中表现突出, 进入国家队;
3. 从1980年起, 郎平获得很多荣誉;
4. 退役后, 郎平成为排球教练。2016年, 郎平带领中国女排, 时隔12年, 在里约奥运会(the Rio Olympic Games)上获得金牌;
5. 郎平是中国第一个作为球员和教练员均夺取过奥运会冠军的排球运动员。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Rishi Sharma, a young man, is living his life differently. When he was a kid, Sharma was __ by the men who __ World War II. They were lucky to __ bullets (子弹), finally returning home and living a simple life, which interested Sharma very much. Sharma watched many documentaries on WWII and became __ that some of these men were still alive and he could __ them.

One day, Sharma came across the information that Lyle Bouck, a WWII hero, was living quite near his home. __, Sharma looked up the __ and dialed. Soon after, he __ visiting military veterans (退伍军人) in nursing homes.

Since graduation from high school, Sharma has made it his __ to interview as many WWII veterans as he can. Because many of them are in their 80s and 90s, Sharma __ that he has just around 10 years before the veterans of the so-called greatest generation are gone. Therefore, he’s __ everything else in his life — college, dating and hunting a job — to __ himself to this cause.

For each veteran __, Sharma creates a DVD of their stories. These men are known for their stoicism (淡泊) and the __ to discuss what happened during the war. __, with frequent contact with the veterans, they’re finally __ to share their stories.

Sharma tried to meet at least one WWII veteran every day until the last of them __. In May 2016, Sharma founded Heroes of the Second World War, a non-profit organization aiming to __ the stories of WWII veterans. He also launched a GoFundMe page which has __ in more than $186,000 up to now. Sharma uses that money to pay for his travel and __ equipment. He hopes to collect as many stories as he can — for their sakes, and for ours.

1.

A．adopted

B．selected

C．attracted

D．trained

2.

A．looked into

B．ran into

C．commented on

D．fought in

3.

A．shoot

B．escape

C．load

D．remove

4.

A．aware

B．worried

C．shocked

D．grateful

5.

A．consult

B．encourage

C．visit

D．praise

6.

A．Eventually

B．Immediately

C．Suddenly

D．Naturally

7.

A．number

B．file

C．address

D．schedule

8.

A．imagined

B．considered

C．denied

D．began

9.

A．lesson

B．duty

C．profession

D．challenge

10.

A．argues

B．declares

C．hopes

D．figures

11.

A．putting off

B．searching for

C．giving away

D．preparing for

12.

A．introduce

B．refer

C．recommend

D．devote

13.

A．helped

B．admired

C．interviewed

D．appointed

14.

A．intention

B．curiosity

C．refusal

D．anxiety

15.

A．However

B．Therefore

C．Otherwise

D．Besides

16.

A．satisfied

B．willing

C．afraid

D．confident

17.

A．showed up

B．set off

C．got away

D．passed away

18.

A．sell

B．design

C．preserve

D．assess

19.

A．turned

B．brought

C．broken

D．taken

20.

A．video

B．office

C．research

D．computer

5 . Experienced⁃Based Education

Everyone is familiar with traditional education. You sit in a class and a teacher teaches.   This is an important part of development. But at some point, every individual has to take charge of their own education. To do this, one must look at the root of learning.    1    

Basically, unfamiliar experiences usually add more value than experiences that are familiar.

    2     And we are in a better state to learn something new. Honestly, someone who never experiences the same thing twice will never have a chance to benefit from anything learned. However, new experiences are generally what make people interesting and push them to grow.

High school is a new experience. College is a new experience. However, at some point traditional education becomes repetitive. It is not that you won’t learn anything else, but that the environment is so familiar.    3    

To solve this, an individual needs to introduce new experiences into their life. You may spend a summer in a different part of the country or learn a new language through trial and error. You can also go to a drive⁃in movie（or some other entertainment event that is new to you）.    4    

These types of experiences often result in very little“book knowledge”.   Instead, they will often provide you with a better understanding of yourself as you experience your reaction to different situations.    5     It can be invaluable for you to work effectively with others. Becoming a well ⁃ rounded human isn’t something that happens by accident. You can spend your entire lifetime developing your potential.

A．Has education changed so much in the last decade?

B．They will also provide you with a better understanding of others.

C．Those new experiences may not lead to great personal development.

D．These are all things that can stretch and expand your experience in life.

E．This is because unfamiliar experiences require much more of our attention.

F．As a result, you can easily become less aware of your experience and not learn as much.

G．What makes some experiences add great value to our lives while other experiences do not?

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。续写的词数应为150左右。

I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn't be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. A PhD student with not a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date.

We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversation between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile—warm and reassuring(安慰的)-and I returned her gift by smiling back.

''Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers," she said.

''Yes, she's special," I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. ''It's only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she's the one'' jokingly, I added, ''The only problem is that I can't figure out why she'd want to date a guy like me. ''

''Well, I think she's very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her," the woman said. ''My husband used to bring me flowers every week-even when times were tough and we didn't have much money. Those were incredible (难以置信的)days； he was very romantic and-of course-I miss him since he's passed away. ''

Para. 1 There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Para. 2 It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Ecology is a complicated thing. Given the facts that elephant damage often kills trees and bush fires often kill trees, it would be________to assume that a combination of the two would make things worse. Contrary to this assumption, ________, as the recently-published research by Benjamin Wigley shows, if a tree has already been damaged, fire can________help to make things better.

One common way in which elephants harm trees is by stripping(剥) them of their bark(树皮). Dr Wigley, who did indeed start from the obvious________, set off to find out how much worse bush fires would make the effects of this bark stripping. To serve this purpose, he set up a study in the Kruger National Park. Since 1954, the Kruger has been the site of experiments in which plots of land have been burned________, to understand the effects of fire on plain ecology. In these experiments, Dr Wigley looked at trees in three different zones, in one of which, the trees were burned every year; in the second, they were burned every other year, while the third zone, by contrast, was actively________fire. To keep things consistent, he looked at the fate of the same tree species, the marula(马鲁拉树), in all three zones. He picked marulas because they are particular________of elephant activity. Their fruit are delicious, and prized by elephants and people alike. But elephants also seem to enjoy eating their bark. In July 2016 he and his colleagues identified 20 marulas in every zone and used special tools to________from each of them a circular section of bark 5 cm in diameter. Having imposed this damage, they________the wounds over the course of the following two years, to see what would happen. To their________, they discovered that the wounds of trees in fire zones recovered far better than those of trees that had seen no fires at all. Wounded trees in the annual burn zone re-grew 98% of their lost________during the two years of the study. Those living in the biennial(两年一次的) burn zone re-grew 92% of it. But those in the zone where fires were________re-grew only 72%.

The researchers also found something else when they were measuring the trees’ wounds: ants. Ten of the 20 trees in the fire-prevention zone developed ant colonies in their wounds. The ants in question were a species that is known to damage trees and is supposed to________tissue healing. By contrast, only five trees in the biennial burn zone and three in the annual zone developed ants’ nests in their wounds. It looks, therefore, as if bush fires are treating trees’ wounds by killing ants that might________colonize and damage them. Though such fires are surely harmful to healthy trees, it seems, in an example of two negatives making a positive, as if they are actually________to sick ones.

1.

A．difficult

B．reasonable

C．necessary

D．awful

2.

A．however

B．therefore

C．furthermore

D．somehow

3.

A．uniquely

B．barely

C．actually

D．merely

4.

A．phenomenon

B．evidence

C．imagination

D．assumption

5.

A．equally

B．regularly

C．severely

D．purposely

6.

A．burnt with

B．protected from

C．covered by

D．exposed to

7.

A．participants

B．partners

C．victims

D．friends

8.

A．mark

B．remove

C．hit

D．measure

9.

A．regulated

B．checked

C．healed

D．monitored

10.

A．disappointment

B．surprise

C．joy

D．relief

11.

A．vitality

B．height

C．bark

D．strength

12.

A．controlled

B．prevented

C．started

D．boosted

13.

A．disturb

B．promote

C．impact

D．quicken

14.

A．therefore

B．nevertheless

C．then

D．otherwise

15.

A．beneficial

B．unbelievable

C．effective

D．cruel

8 . In the Fake News Era, Building Trust with Consumers Is Crucial

With consumers growing increasingly frustrated with online advertising and privacy concerns, how to you convince shoppers to buy your narrative（叙述）, let alone your product?

A recent report by Trust-Radius, a software review company that connects buyers and vendors（供应商）, may be able to shed some light. Among other interesting findings, it turns out that it may actually benefit brands to be painfully _____ about their products.

Consumer awareness of influencer marketing tactics（策略）is increasing. _____   according to the report, most consumers trust online peer _____ as much as recommendations from friends -- and well above company advertising message. Feedback from everyday folks, it seems, actually carries more _____ than a brand ambassador （大使）from an out-of-reach personality.

Transparency（透明度）is crucial. The report found that there is a large trust _____ between vendors and buyers. While vendors believe they are transparent, most buyers don’t appear to see it. During the sales process, for example, 85 percent of vendors -- _____ to be open about their product’s limitations during the sales process -- but   only 36 percent of buyers share that same view. The reality is, consumers don’t expect any products to be _____ -- they just want to enter relationships with their eyes wide open so that they can _____ the options that are best for   them. They also want brands to be more _____. 66 percent of consumers say they will leave a company if they feel they are being treated like a number and not an individual.

Along with the combination of take news, advertising fraud, and data leaks, there have been fake reviews as well. Review sites have been _____ giving preferential（优惠的）treatment to paid advertisers, and consumers are increasingly discerning（有辨别力的）, as a result. _____, review sites are not our only source of peer reviews, with social media providing customer experiences on a second - to - second basis. When brands treat every _____ with a customer as a potential review, they’ll start paying more attention to detail, and being alert to delivering a valued and memorable experience every time. Taking feedback seriously also lets current customers feel valued and respected and makes your business seem more approachable. This helps secure _____, and often, these customers   will become brand ambassadors to their friends, family and people they meet online.

The challenge for brands today is determining how to use the _____ of the consumer to their advantage. In an age of cutting - edge technology, artificial intelligence, and self-service customer care, it’s odd to acknowledge that the best way to build trust with your customers is by holding an open _____ with your customers. Being more human, transparent, and listening to what people are saying will see your company thrive in an era marked by consumer suspicion.

1.

A．nervous

B．honest

C．careful

D．particular

2.

A．Instead

B．Otherwise

C．Moreover

D．However

3.

A．reviews

B．reactions

C．experiences

D．instructions

4.

A．weight

B．risks

C．warnings

D．burdens

5.

A．relationship

B．influence

C．gap

D．extension

6.

A．refuse

B．hesitate

C．desire

D．claim

7.

A．advanced

B．perfect

C．remarkable

D．unique

8.

A．consider

B．offer

C．select

D．exercise

9.

A．efficient

B．profitable

C．human

D．responsible

10.

A．associated with

B．mistaken by

C．praised as

D．criticized for

11.

A．On the contrary

B．In fact

C．By contrast

D．In a word

12.

A．cooperation

B．complaint

C．interaction

D．appointment

13.

A．safety

B．loyalty

C．convenience

D．employment

14.

A．money

B．choice

C．habit

D．voice

15.

A．dialogue

B．debate

C．competition

D．contract

9 . The expression, "everybody's doing it," is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence applied on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a(n) ___ way as a larger group. This influence can be negative or positive, and can exist in both large and small groups.

People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly ___that some part of their self-respect comes from the approval of others. This instinct explains why the approval of peers, and the fear of ____, is such a powerful force in many people's lives. This instinct drives people to dress one way at home and another way at work, or to answer a simple “fine" when a stranger asks "how are you?" even if it is not necessarily true. There is a(n) _____aspect to this: it helps society to function efficiently, and encourages a general level of self-discipline that ___day-to-day interaction between people.

For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes a(n) ___: in order to satisfy the desire, they may go so far as to ___their sense of right and wrong. Teens and young adults may feel forced to use drugs, or join gangs that ____criminal behavior. Mature adults may sometimes feel ___ to cover up illegal activity at the company where they work, or end up in debt because they are unable to hold back the desire to buy a house or car that they can't afford in an effort to ___ the peers.

However, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends are good at ___may be urged to work harder and get good grades. Players on a sports team may feel driven to play harder in order to help the team win. This type of ___can also get a friend off drugs, or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one.

Although peer pressure is sometimes quite obvious, it can also be so ___that a person may not even notice that it is affecting his or her behavior. For this reason, when making important decisions, simply going with a(n) ___is risky. Instead, people should seriously consider why they feel drawn to taking a particular action, and whether the real ____ is simply that everyone else is doing the same thing.

1.

A．traditional

B．similar

C．peculiar

D．opposite

2.

A．understandable

B．believable

C．acceptable

D．surprising

3.

A．disapproval

B．failure

C．absence

D．independence

4.

A．uncertain

B．practical

C．impossible

D．vague

5.

A．promotes

B．prevents

C．simplifies

D．increases

6.

A．challenge

B．inspiration

C．promise

D．addiction

7.

A．recognize

B．abandon

C．decrease

D．define

8.

A．avoid

B．encourage

C．decline

D．punish

9.

A．pressured

B．respected

C．delighted

D．regretted

10.

A．catch sight of

B．stay away from

C．make fun of

D．keep up with

11.

A．competitions

B．interaction

C．academics

D．adaptation

12.

A．knowledge

B．interest

C．assistance

D．influence

13.

A．abstract

B．ridiculous

C．subtle

D．reasonable

14.

A．consciousness

B．motivation

C．instinct

D．encouragement

15.

A．motivation

B．danger

C．support

D．achievement

10 . A block chain is a data structure that stores time-ordered data in an ever-growing list, like an accounting ledger (分类账簿). The block chain data structure is maintained using a distributed, peer-to-peer network of computers with no central “master”. As with many new concepts, block chain technology generates much optimism and also a huge amount of interest and excitement. Just what is it good for?

In short, block chains may improve any process where people need to access, confirm, send or store information securely. This information could be a person’s identity, a product’s shipment history or digital property like money.

Typical databases, spreadsheets (电子数据表), and ledgers store information about objects, people, and the interactions between them. Much of the world’s information, from credit card transactions to medical and financial records, is stored in these types of systems.

These types of systems have considerable, well-documented weaknesses that arise from their being centralized. A centralized record is hard to understand and is exposed to unauthorized access or distribution. It is also, because it is a ‘master’ copy, exposed to permanent changing or deletion.

Block chains are also used to store information. Crucially, however, they differ in two ways.

First, information is parceled up into blocks and sealed. Bitcoin, for example, which is the most famous practical example of a production block chain, stores all transactions across the network every ten minutes or so in a single, newly formed block. Each block is then added to the previous one to form a chain.

Second, this “chain of blocks” is not stored centrally. Instead, each block is copied and distributed around an entire network of peers - be they individuals, public institutions, or businesses - using distributed ledger technology. (The terms “block chain” and “distributed ledger” are often used interchangeably; for the sake of clarity, block chain technologies tend to employ distributed ledger technology.)

Each time someone adds a new block to the chain, meanwhile it is added to everyone’s copy.

1. What is the biggest strength of a block chain?

A．It promotes people’s enthusiasm about new technology.

B．It strengthens the security of processing information.

C．It enables people to store more data in time order.

D．It stores a large part of world’s information.

2. The typical systems used to store information are weak in that ________.

A．they are difficult to operate	B．they can be accessed easily
C．they have a central “master”	D．they store considerable documents

3. The passage is developed mainly by ________.

A．making comparisons	B．giving examples
C．making a list	D．showing the effect and causes

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To analyze the weaknesses of typical systems.

B．To encourage the popularity of the block chain.

C．To introduce the new concept of the block chain.

D．To compare the two different data structures.