1 . Overhear any conversation or pay close attention to your own, and you will hear laughter. You will probably also notice that, more often than not, the laughter is in response to something that was not very funny—or was not funny at all. Take Hillary Clinton’s strategic laughter during heated exchanges with Donald Trump in the presidential debates.

In one research in my Vocal Communication Lab at UCLA, we played recorded laughs to listeners and asked them, “Is this laugh ‘real’ or ‘fake’?” Our recorded laughs were either taken from real conversations between friends in a laboratory setting, or produced by request, also in the lab. It turned out that about 70 per cent of the listeners were able to tell the “real” laughs from the “fake” ones. Quite a few fake laughs sound pretty good, but why are fake laughs not as convincing as we expect? We can detect part of a laugh that is hard to fake—and that part has to do with the control of our breath.

Laughs could essentially be broken up into two different vocalisation (发声) systems: speech and emotion. Although both kinds of laughs are vocalised as “ha-ha-ha,” the intermittent breaths a person takes in—between the sounds give away a fake laugh. Real laughs have a higher proportion of breathy parts in between. Think about every time you force a laugh. You have to actually say the “ha-ha-ha,” and probably never consider how you breathe while doing it.

A fake laugh is basically an imitation of a real laugh. If you slow down a real laugh about two and a half times, it sounds like an ape (猿). But a slowed fake laugh sounds more like human speech. We put this observation to the test with the slowed-down versions of the laughs used for our first experiment, and asked participants whether the recordings were from a human or an animal. Though they couldn’t tell the origin of the real laugh, they were able to tell that the fake laugh came from a human.

Real laughs are produced by an emotional vocal system that humans share with all primates (灵长目动物), whereas fake laughs are produced by a speech system that is unique to humans. Laughter in humans likely evolved from play vocalisations in our primate ancestors. If one animal bites another during a rough-and-tumble (小打小闹的) play, it could be taken as an attack. But if they signal while panting (喘气) that they are just playing, the play can continue without being interrupted by an unnecessary real fight. In this way, real laughter reveals our animal nature.

1. Fake laughter is easy to detect because _________.

A．it is not in a real conversation

B．it responds to something that is not funny

C．its control of breath is different

D．it sounds too good to be true

2. A fake laughter sounds more like _________.

A．human emotion	B．human speech
C．ape emotion	D．ape nature

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Fake laugh is an imitation of real laugh.

B．Real laugh demonstrates our animal nature.

C．Humans and apes share an emotional vocal system.

D．A speech vocal system is unique to primates.

2 . As is known to all, a large number of Chinese students are studying abroad. The United States has always been a hot choice for Chinese students to begin their college studies. But now more and more Chinese parents are ________ sending their kids there for senior high school as well. They believe this will make ________ easier for their children to ________ top universities in the United States later.

Wenhui Daily carried an article on Sunday saying that ________ there are many advantages to this approach, some negative side effects may also ________.

The article quotes Zhang Hengrui, a consulting expert, ________ that the experience of studying in U.S. high schools can help universities better recognise students’ scores, behaviour and achievements. It will also do good for students to be more ________. All these can make students more ________ than   children who choose to study in domestic (国内的) high schools when applying to U.S. universities.

But the expert says ________ children begin senior high school at around 15 or 16, careful preparations should be made to ________ negative effects that may occur when they find themselves in a ________ unfamiliar place.

The expert offers two ________. First, parents should tell their children the purpose of studying in a foreign high school ________. Second, after the kids go abroad, parents should be kept ________ of their children’s situation and offer care and ________ from home.

1.

A．wondering

B．considering

C．thinking

D．expecting

2.

A．this

B．that

C．it

D．what

3.

A．turn down

B．look up

C．apply for

D．apply to

4.

A．because

B．although

C．unless

D．while

5.

A．put up

B．take up

C．turn up

D．make up

6.

A．telling

B．talking

C．saying

D．speaking

7.

A．patient

B．careful

C．independent

D．curious

8.

A．valuable

B．competitive

C．clever

D．effective

9.

A．since

B．until

C．even if

D．in case

10.

A．allow

B．predict

C．operate

D．avoid

11.

A．totally

B．normally

C．specially

D．generally.

12.

A．ways

B．views

C．instructions

D．suggestions

13.

A．in order

B．in turn

C．in advance

D．in return

14.

A．told

B．informed

C．said

D．mentioned

15.

A．guidance

B．effect

C．service

D．position

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．How to handle spiders.

B．Spiders in the United States.

C．People’s fear of spiders.

D．A special kind of spider.

2.

A．Most spiders will not bite even when handled.

B．Most spiders are poisonous and dangerous.

C．Most spiders are likely to attack people.

D．Most spiders have sharp eyes.

3.

A．Because she cannot find a husband for herself.

B．Because the female spider is larger than the male one.

C．Because the female spider often eats her husband.

D．Because she is a black female spider.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．To gain support for the space programme.

B．To inform the audience about the space suit.

C．To describe her experience on space missions.

D．To show a videotape on survival in outer space.

2.

A．The lack of gravity or air pressure.

B．Exposure to radiation.

C．An inadequately ventilated space suit.

D．The extremely hot or cold temperatures.

3.

A．A videotape.	B．A book.
C．A picture.	D．An oxygen tank.

5 .

A．The man is asking for an opinion.

B．The woman is introducing herself.

C．The woman is offering the man help.

D．The woman can’t help the man.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．Ways to create happiness.

B．Nature’s effect on the brain.

C．Approaches to dealing with stress.

D．Advantages of living in the suburbs.

2.

A．Regular forest walkers had a relatively high level of stress hormone.

B．City life helped people learn how to handle highly stressful situations.

C．Looking at city scenes led to more blood flow in the anxiety-processing area.

D．Those who were sympathetic and selfless preferred natural scenes to urban ones.

3.

A．We are away from where we evolved.

B．We fail to find a way to relax ourselves.

C．We underestimate the importance of happiness.

D．We spend 30 minutes or more outside every day.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。1.

A．A novelist’s successful career.

B．A novelist’s childhood experiences.

C．How Charles Dickens became a great writer.

D．How Charles Dickens’ childhood affected him.

2.

A．The employer made him do so.

B．He was unhappy with his school life.

C．His father was in prison for a long time.

D．He needed to earn money to help his family.

3.

A．He was ashamed of those days.

B．He didn’t make much money then.

C．He didn’t want to frighten his family.

D．He wanted to include it in his novel.

8 . Why Is Exercise Important to Teenagers and How to Get Started?

Teens get involved in a lot of things in high school. Some are involved in clubs and others are part of the band. There are many reasons why sports are great for teens and here’s how they can get started.

One of the biggest benefits for teens to be involved in sports is that it keeps them active. Some teens would be content to play video games or watch television all the time they’re at home. If a teen spends all their waking time being inactive they could gain weight and become unhealthy.     1    

Be sure your child knows to warm up properly before playing any sport. Warming up before any physical activity will help your child avoid injury.     2    

Encourage your teens to try out for one high school sport. Perhaps they’re not comfortable with football, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t excel in swimming or tennis. They may also enjoy playing baseball or soccer. Girls may enjoy basketball, swimming.

Many sports team will require that students try out before being able to join. Try-outs may include showing how active your teen is, running, jumping or if they are quick enough. They want to ensure your teen has at least the minimum skills required for the sport they’re trying out for.     3     That shouldn’t prevent them from trying to play team sports. There are often teams with the YMCA or other leagues which are just for fun.

Being a part of a sports team can also help your teen make friends.     4     They spend so much time during practice and at games that they can become very close. Of course, no one will be able to take your place as their family, but you’ll be glad they’re able to make good friends.

A．Athletes almost become like a second family.

B．This is a good practice whether they’re practicing with the team or exercising on their own.

C．Do everything you can to encourage your teen.

D．Being a part of a sports team will help them burn calories so they will remain healthier.

E．Your teens may not feel that they’re good enough to make their high school sports team.

F．High school coaches are going to do their best to keep their team members healthy.

9 . O. Henry was an American writer whose short stories are known for wit, wordplay and clever twist endings. He wrote nearly 600 stories about life in America. He was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father was a medical doctor. When Henry was three his mother died and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.

Like many other writers, O. Henry’s early career aspirations were unfocused and he wandered across different activities and professions before he finally found his calling as a short story writer. He left school at the age of 15 and then had a number of jobs, including bank clerk. In 1896 he was accused of embezzlement(挪用公款). Although there has been much debate over his actual guilt, he was convicted of embezzling funds from the bank that employed him, he was sentenced to 5 years in jail.

While in prison he began writing short stories in order to support his young daughter. He published 12 stories while in prison. After serving 3 years of the five-year sentence, he was released for good behaviour. He moved to New York City in 1902 and wrote a story a week for the New York World and also wrote for other magazine.

His first collection of stories was Cabbages and Kings (1904). The next collection, The Four Million (1906), included his well-known stories The Gift of the Magi, The Cop and the Anthem and many others.

Unfortunately, O. Henry’s personal tragedy was heavy drinking. By 1908, his health condition became worse and his writing dropped off. He died in 1910. The funeral was held in New York City, but he was buried in North Carolina, the state where he was born. He was a gifted short story writer and left us a rich legacy of great stories to enjoy. All of his stories are highly entertaining, whether read for pleasure or studied in classrooms around the world.

1. Why was O. Henry sentenced in jail?

A．He was the murderer of his wife.

B．He was accused of embezzlement.

C．He stole jewellery from the bank.

D．He was sentenced for drink-driving.

2. O. Henry began to wrote short stories to _________.

A．support his daughter

B．make a living by himself

C．realise his dream of being a writer

D．make money for travel

3. According to the passage, which following statement is WRONG?

A．O. Henry’s father was a medical doctor.

B．O. Henry’s sentence of five years was shortened.

C．O. Henry was buried in a different place from where his funeral was hold.

D．O. Henry had a great life in his later life.

10 . Have you tried to run or walk for exercise and then given up? If you answered yes, you should try a new kind of exercise: aquatic (水中的) exercise. Aquatic exercise is like exercise on land, but you do it in a swimming pool. More and more people are trying aquatic exercise now.

Aquatic exercise feels easier than exercising on land. Why? You weigh about 90% less in the pool. It is better for your knees than running or walking. Water is about 1,000 times thicker and heavier than air. To move through the water, your body has to work four times as hard. As a result, you can burn more calories (卡路里).

In fact, most people say they feel more relaxed in the water. They stop thinking about the things that make them worried. They feel in control of their bodies. The cool, quiet environment makes them feel good.

But what if you are afraid of the water? No problem! There is nothing to worry about. Aquatic exercise is safe and easy to learn. It doesn’t require any special skills. You don’t even need to know how to swim. Aquatic exercise is for everyone.

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Difference between air and water.

B．Weight change of one’s body.

C．The advantages of aquatic exercise.

D．The ways to do aquatic exercise.

2. What do most people think of aquatic exercise?

A．Relaxing.	B．Worrying.
C．Challenging.	D．Boring.

3. According to the passage, aquatic exercise is _________.

A．done in groups	B．fit for everyone
C．difficult to learn	D．done with special skills

4. In which part of a magazine can we read the passage?

A．Culture.	B．Health.
C．Nature.	D．Travel.