1 . 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

2 . 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.

3 . If you wear glasses, chances are you are smarter. Research published in the famous British journal Nature Communications has found that people who displayed higher levels of intelligence were almost 30 percent more likely to wear glasses.

The scientists studied the genes of thousands of people between the ages of 16 and 102.The study showed intelligence can be connected to physical characteristics. One characteristic was eyesight. In out of 10 people who were more intelligent, there was a higher chance they needed glasses. Scientists also said being smarter has other benefits. It is connected to better health.

It is important to remember these are connections which are not proven causes. Scientists call this correlation. Just because something is connected to something else does not mean one of those things caused the other. And it’s worth noting that what constitutes intelligence is subjective and can be difficult, if not impossible, to measure.

Forget genes though. Plenty of proof shows wearing glasses makes people think you are more intelligent, even if you do not need glasses. A number of studies have found people who wear glasses are seen as smarter, hard-working and honest. Many lawyers use this idea to help win their cases. Lawyer Harvey Solves explained this. Glasses soften their appearance. He said Sometimes there has been a huge amount of proof showing that people he was defending broke the law. He had them wear glasses and they weren’t found guilty.

Glasses are also used to show someone is intelligent in movies and on TV. Ideas about people who wear glasses have begun to shift. People who do not need glasses sometimes wear them for fashion only. They want to look worldly or cool. But not everyone is impressed by this idea, though. GQ magazine said people who wear glasses for fashion are trying too hard to look smart and hip (时髦的). However, that hasn’t stopped many celebrities from happily wearing glasses even if they do not need them. Justin Bieber is just one high-profile fan of fashion glasses.

1. What does the new study show?

A．People wearing glasses are smarter.

B．People wearing glasses are healthier.

C．Wearing glasses can make people cleverer.

D．Wearing glasses is associated with higher IQ.

2. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Shift.

B．Link.

C．Proof.

D．Consequence.

3. Why do some lawyers ask their clients to wear glasses in court?

A．Because it can create a moral image.

B．Because it can mislead the witnesses.

C．Because it can highlight clients’ qualities.

D．Because it can prove the clients’ innocence.

4. What is the general attitude to those who wear glasses for fashion?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Mixed

D．Indifferent.

4 . I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes(糖尿病) in 2017. And then I was told that I couldn’t ___for a few weeks until my blood sugar levels had _______.

Driving was a _______very soon after diagnosis for me. I needed to get to the chemist’s shop for my diabetes _______and to hospital appointments, but initially couldn’t ---- having been told not to drive. I didn’t want to be a ______ -----having to ask for lifts all the time.

I found it really ______ to be unable to drive, but things settled down after that and seemed to be_______ -----for a while.______, to my surprise, I had a severe hypoglycemia(低血糖) last year and wasn’t able to _______it myself. I called an ambulance and was taken to ______, where I saw doctors and nurses I didn’t ______as none of them were connected to the diabetes team who usually cared for me. That’s where my _______began----- they advised me not to drive on the basis of this ______. They told me to call the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency(DVLA) and _______what they’d told me to them. This _______my license being withdrawn.

I couldn’t ______ all that had happened---- it seemed ______. I needed answers and ______, so I phoned the Diabetes UK Helpline number I got from their website. They ______ I was right in thinking that the DVLA shouldn’t have ______ my license based on this hypoglycemia, according to the law. With their help, the DVLA sent me a letter admitting making a mistake. I got it back in six weeks.

1.

A．walk

B．speak

C．drive

D．ride

2.

A．settled

B．increased

C．worsened

D．changed

3.

A．task

B．concern

C．habit

D．relief

4.

A．report

B．bill

C．picture

D．medicine

5.

A．witness

B．burden

C．mistake

D．success

6.

A．hard

B．convenient

C．safe

D．funny

7.

A．worrying

B．trouble

C．amazing

D．fine

8.

A．Thus

B．Meanwhile

C．However

D．Instead

9.

A．record

B．describe

C．examine

D．manage

10.

A．hospital

B．school

C．office

D．factory

11.

A．assist

B．interview

C．know

D．study

12.

A．symptoms

B．problems

C．dreams

D．experiments

13.

A．disease

B．status

C．law

D．discussion

14.

A．explain

B．return

C．suggest

D．repeat

15.

A．relied on

B．resulted in

C．stuck to

D．took the place of

16.

A．forget

B．regret

C．believe

D．remember

17.

A．unafraid

B．unfair

C．unsure

D．unhealthy

18.

A．blood

B．money

C．evidence

D．help

19.

A．predicted

B．wondered

C．confirmed

D．imagined

20.

A．cancelled

B．used

C．borrowed

D．copied

5 . 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.

6 . Google previously announced successful tests of machine learning systems designed to assist doctors. In one case, Google reported AI had examined eye diseases with equal accuracy to doctors. Other tests showed that machine learning can be used to study large amounts of patient data to predict future medical events.

Now the company has published two new studies showing a high level of success in identifying metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic means that cancer has spread from its main area to other parts of the body. Metastatic breast cancer is one of the deadliest, causing about 90 percent of all breast cancer deaths worldwide.

In metastatic breast cancer patients, the cancer often travels to nearby lymph nodes(淋巴结). Usually doctors examine lymph node tissue under a microscope to see whether cancer is present. Google notes that previous studies have shown that up to one-fourth of metastatic lymph node classifications end up being changed after a second examination. In addition, studies show that small metastatic material can be missed up to 67 percent of the time when examinations happen under extreme time restrictions.

Google says it created a mathematical algorithm(算法). The algorithm, called Lymph Node Assistant, is trained to find characteristics of tissue affected by metastatic cancer. When the system examined tissue images(图像), it was able to differentiate between metastatic cancer and non-cancer 99 percent of the time. In addition, the Lymph Node Assistant is highly effective at finding the positions of the cancers. Some of these positions would be too small for doctors themselves to identify. The research also showed that the algorithm method can reduce the usual time needed to examine the disease by about 50 percent.

But Google makes clear the AI-based system is not meant to replace the work of medical professionals. Instead, it is designed to reduce the number of false identifications and help doctors work faster and more effectively.

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．Google became a pioneer in training doctors.

B．Machine learning is able to stop future medical events.

C．Google developed artificial intelligence to help doctors.

D．Artificial intelligence cured eye diseases with equal accuracy to doctors.

2. What can we infer about metastatic breast cancer?

A．One-fourth of the metastatic breast cancer patients die in the end.

B．Metastatic breast cancer is very difficult to identify.

C．It results in 90 percent of deaths of all cancers.

D．It can be identified after a second examination.

3. What is the advantage of Google’s new mathematical algorithm?

A．It can offer effective treatment.

B．It can tell the exact positions of cancers

C．It costs 99 percent less time than before.

D．It improves the accuracy of identifying cancers by 50%.

4. What influence will the mathematical algorithm bring?

A．False identification of cancers will be avoided.

B．More effective prevention of cancers will be found.

C．The number of medical professionals will be reduced.

D．Doctors can have a faster understanding of patients’ condition.

7 . It wasn’t that I was embarrassed my husband was out of work. It’s just that we were ________ people and didn’t share our ________ much with others. So when he lost his job, we just acted like nothing had changed and no one seemed to ________.

It didn’t take long before my friends found out that my husband ________ a lot more. When asked about it, I told my good friend and neighbour Tammy the ________ and I said we were still looking. She then told me that her husband had also been hunting for ________ all over town because his company was closing down. I was ________. We constantly did things together, yet I hadn’t found any sign of their ________.

After knowing what they were ________, I wanted to help them even though we didn’t have much ourselves. So, I became a ________ shopper. I looked for discount offers everywhere, and when I finished my ________, I would offer to buy things for Tammy at the ________ price. It seems like our money goes even further because we are willing to ________.

It goes the other way too. Tammy and her husband have given us enough wood to ________ our house this winter. It has been a huge ________, reducing our gas bill to almost nothing. There are other ________ of helping each other. I teach Tammy how to make bread; she ________ my kids when I go to job interviews... and the ________ goes on.

I don’t have much to give, but I can give of myself. I can have ________, love and hope, and the more I give these away, the more I ________.

1.

A．strange

B．selfish

C．mature

D．private

2.

A．duties

B．problems

C．opinions

D．plans

3.

A．mind

B．care

C．notice

D．sympathize

4.

A．went hunting

B．visited neighbors

C．stayed home

D．dined out

5.

A．difference

B．truth

C．result

D．message

6.

A．jobs

B．friends

C．promotion

D．comfort

7.

A．relieved

B．disappointed

C．confused

D．shocked

8.

A．starving

B．hesitating

C．struggling

D．quarrelling

9.

A．going through

B．preparing for

C．looking for

D．looking forward to

10.

A．professional

B．personal

C．modem

D．secret

11.

A．housework

B．project

C．search

D．conversation

12.

A．earlier

B．lower

C．average

D．suggested

13.

A．shop

B．bargain

C．compromise

D．share

14.

A．decorate

B．support

C．build

D．heat

15.

A．help

B．victory

C．burden

D．profit

16.

A．difficulties

B．examples

C．expenses

D．traditions

17.

A．watches

B．praises

C．adopts

D．raises

18.

A．interview

B．negotiation

C．list

D．party

19.

A．curiosity

B．ambition

C．freedom

D．kindness

20.

A．hunt for

B．get back

C．believe in

D．come across

8 . In a recent series of experiments at the University of California, researchers studied toddlers’ thinking about winners and losers, bullies (欺凌) and victims.

In the first experiment, toddlers (学步儿童) watched a scene in which two puppets (木偶) had conflicting goals: One was crossing a stage from right to left, and the other from left to right. The puppets met in the middle and stopped. Eventually one puppet bowed down and moved aside, letting the other one pass by. Then researchers asked the toddlers which puppet they liked. The result: 20 out of 23 toddlers picked the higher-status puppet — the one that did not bow or move aside. It seems that individuals can gain status for being dominant (占优势的) and toddlers like winners better than losers.

But then researchers had another question: Do toddlers like winners no matter how they win? So, researchers did another experiment very similar to the one described above. But this time, the conflict ended because one puppet knocked the other down and out of the way. Now when the toddlers were asked who they liked, the results were different: Only 4 out of 23 children liked the winner.

These data suggest that children already love a winner by the age of 21-31 months. This does not necessarily mean that the preference is inborn: 21 months is enough time to learn a lot of things. But if a preference for winners is something we learn, we appear to learn it quite early.

Even more interesting, the preference for winners is not absolute. Children in our study did not like a winner who knocked a competitor down. This suggests that already by the age of 21-31 months, children’s liking for winners is balanced with other social concerns, including perhaps a general preference for nice or helpful people over aggressive ones.

In a time when the news is full of stories of public figures who celebrate winning at all costs, these results give us much confidence. Humans understand dominance, but we also expect strong individuals to guide, protect and help others. This feels like good news.

1. One of the purposes of the experiments is to ________.

A．teach toddlers how to gain higher status

B．offer toddlers a chance to watch a scene

C．observe the process of toddlers’ solving a conflict

D．find out toddlers’ attitude toward winners and losers

2. The toddlers regarded bowing and moving aside as a sign of ________.

A．obeying rules

B．gaining status

C．giving in to the other

D．showing good manners

3. What does the second experiment tell us about toddlers?

A．They are excellent learners.

B．They are always changeable.

C．They show mercy to the loser.

D．They value kindness over winning.

4. What does the author think of the results of the series of experiments?

A．Disappointing.	B．Encouraging.
C．Unexpected.	D．Controversial.

9 . It is often difficult for farmers to identify diseases quickly enough to protect their crops and those on neighboring farms. Now, some farmers are using a simple device directly in the field to find viruses before they spread.

In Tanzania, several viruses are a threat to cassava crops. Farmers struggle to identify the diseases in an urgent effort to avoid severe crop damage. The disease identification process is often difficult when farmers are acting on their own. If they do not know what is attacking their crops, they cannot decide the best way to fight the disease. A device from British technology company Oxford Nanopore is changing that. The device extracts deoxyribonucleic acid, better known as DNA, from plants. DNA is the carrier of genetic information in nearly all living things. The device helps farmers identify what is harming their crops so they can change to more resistant crops.

Laura Boykin is with the University of Western Australia and also works with the Cassava Virus Action Project. She brought the device to a Tanzanian farm owned by Asha Mohamed. She said, “We are here collecting leaf punches from infected material to test, to do a DNA extraction and then start sequencing (排序) in the field.” The testing identified a number of viruses in the cassava fields near Mohamed’s farm. The process also discovered that plants considered resistant to disease had a very low viral level. Once the viruses were identified, Asha Mohamed was given two kinds of seeds that are resistant to the diseases.

In another case, DNA was collected from a pawpaw tree farm in Kenya. With that test, the technology was able to identify diseases affecting Naomi Mumo’s crops. Naomi Mumo said, “All my pawpaw were affected by a disease, and I didn’t know what kind of disease it was. But now, I have people who have identified the disease using new technology, and within a very short time. So I’m very happy.”

The speed at which farmers identify diseases can mean the difference between the success or failure on large areas of crop land. Now, the use of such simple and easily transportable DNA sequencing devices is making that possible.

1. What’s the main idea of the whole passage?

A．Farmers In Tanzania struggle to identify the diseases in their crops

B．How Laura Boykin helped Asha Mohamed to identify the viruses.

C．DNA sequencing device helps farmers to find viruses and identify the diseases in their crops quickly.

D．A DNA sequencing device helps farmers to identify the diseases and keep healthy.

2. Which of the following best explains “extracts” underlined in paragraph 2?

A．produces

B．creates

C．refuses

D．gets

3. We can infer from the passage that Naomi Mumo is ________ with the DNA sequencing device.

A．relaxed

B．satisfied

C．disappointed

D．annoyed

4. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A．Farmers often have difficulty in identifying diseases in their crops quickly by themselves.

B．DNA carries genetic information in nearly all living things.

C．Both Asha Mohamed and Naomi Mumo are farmers in Tanzania.

D．If farmers can identify diseases in their crops quickly, they can protect their crops and succeed on large areas of crop land.

10 . Don't get mad the next time you catch your teenager texting when he promised to be studying. He simply may not be able to resist. A University of lowa(UI) study found teenagers are far more sensitive than adults to the immediate effect or reward of their behaviors. The findings may help explain why the initial rush of texting may be more attractive for adolescents than the long-term pay off of studying.

"For the teenager, 'the rewards are attractive." says Professor Jatin   Vaidya，an author of the study. "They draw adolescent. Sometimes, the rewards are a kind of motivation for them. Even when a behavior is   no   longer in a teenager's best interest to continue, they will, because the effect of   the reward is still there and lasts much longer in adolescents than in adults ."

For parents,that means limiting distraction (分心的事情）so teenagers can make better choices. Take the homework and social media dilemma: At 9 p.m., shut off   everything except a   computer that has no access to   Facehook or Twitter, the researchers advise. "I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed access to technology," Vaidya says. But some help in netting their concentration is necessary for them   so they can develop those impulse-control skills.”

In their study,Vaidya and co-author Shaun Vecera note researchers generally believe teenagers are impulsive（冲动的)，make bad decisions，and engage in risky behavior because the frontal lobes（额叶）of their trains are not fully developed. But the UI researchers wondered. whether something more fundamental was going on with adolescents to cause behaviors independent of higher-level reasoning.

"We wanted to try to understand the brain's reward system how it change from chillhood to adulthood," Says Vaidya, who adds the reward character in the human brain is easier than decision-making. “We've been trying to understand the reward process in adolescence and     whether there is more to   adolescence behavior than an under-developed frontal   lobe,”he adds.For their study ,the researchers persuaded 40 adolescents, aged 13 and 16,and 40 adults, aged 20 and 35 to participate.

In the future,researchers hope to look into the psychological and neurological（神经学上的）aspects of their results.

1. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．The initial rush of texting is less attractive for adolescents than the long-term pay off of studying.

B．Always, rewards are attractive to teenagers.

C．Resistance can be controlled well by adolescents.

D．Getting rewards is the greatest motivation for adolescents to study.

2. Which   statement   agrees with Vaidya's idea?

A．The influence of the reward is weak in adolescents.

B．Parents should help children in making decisions.

C．Children should have access to the Internet.

D．Children need help in refocusing their attention.

3. What result does teenagers' brain underdevelopment lead to?

A．Doing things after some thought.

B．Making good decisions.

C．Joining in dangerous actions.

D．Escaping risky behavior.

4. How did the researchers carry out their study?

A．By making a comparison of brain examinations.

B．By examining adults’ brain.

C．By examining teenage brain.

D．By building the train’s reward system.