The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, especially at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings (人行道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about rubbish. It isn't lawful to drop rubbish in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a dustbin.
Finally, as regards (至于) smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact the police, who will be pleased to help you. You can call, write or directly go to ask any policeman.
1. Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?| A．A guide | B．A person who makes laws |
| C．A teacher | D．An English officer |
| A．Four | B．Three | C．Six | D．Five |
| A．tell people that those above 18 can drink and smoke there |
| B．declare (宣布) the different laws of England |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．warn people against going to the country |
| A．keep in touch with (联系) | B．turn to | C．make a call to | D．write to |
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo. The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shanghai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.
1. In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.
| A．a terrible animal that is not popular |
| B．a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck |
| C．a reflection of China’s national characteristics |
| D．an animal that can create harmony and bring rain |
| A．China. | B．Wales. | C．Bhutan. | D．India. |
| A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies. |
| B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo. |
| C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports. |
| D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries. |
3 . Cats have no emotions . At least, that's what my husband once claimed. I
When my next-door neighbour moved in, he had a she cat named Juliet. She was an indoor lady, always watching
Then one day when I
Five months later, my neighbour had to
For months after Juliet moved away and the new neighbour moved in, I often
Sebastian
Even now, when my husband and I walk through the backyard and see that window, he
| A．argued | B．quarreled | C．suggested | D．discussed |
| A．energy | B．power | C．strength | D．happiness |
| A．referred to | B．prepared for | C．stuck to | D．approved of |
| A．Therefore | B．However | C．Besides | D．Meanwhile |
| A．the environment | B．the sky | C．her owner | D．her boyfriend |
| A．forbade | B．prevented | C．accompanied | D．left |
| A．called attention to | B．caught sight of | C．took charge of | D．paid a visit to |
| A．ambitious | B．doubtful | C．skeptical | D．obvious |
| A．secretly | B．straight | C．quietly | D．worriedly |
| A．lovingly | B．angrily | C．hungrily | D．greedily |
| A．in trouble | B．in sorrow | C．in amazement | D．in horror |
| A．settle | B．travel | C．apologize | D．move |
| A．react | B．reply | C．reduce | D．replace |
| A．took | B．caught | C．met | D．sensed |
| A．in place of | B．on the basis of | C．in search of | D．on account of |
| A．explained | B．requested | C．blamed | D．asked |
| A．discovered | B．reformed | C．preserved | D．marked |
| A．street | B．backyard | C．window | D．village |
| A．birthday | B．departure | C．death | D．arrival |
| A．reminds | B．informs | C．tells | D．Accuses |
4 . You use her as a shoulder to cry on. She texts you back with casual jokes. But she, Xiaoice, is only a virtual chatbot.
Xiaoice, Microsoft’s latest artificial intelligence robot, was briefly released in 2014, and returned to WeChat in 2015, where she became a big hit. Millions young Chinese now exchange with her daily, The New York Times reported. On WeChat, Xiaoice is an official account. After following it, users can start text-based conversations with Xiaoice.
“People loved to talk with Xiaoice for her incredible learning ability,” Liu Jinchang, a researcher at High-tech Research and Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, told China Daily. Apart from her ability to identify photos and send emojis in conversations, Xiaoice gains 45 percent of her knowledge from interacting with users, China Daily reported.
Chatbot programs first appeared in the mid-1960s in the US. Driven by top tech companies, they are becoming smarter and more common. For instance, IBM’s latest artificial intelligence program serves as an academic consultant at Australia’s Deakin University, answering students’ questions about course schedules and financial aid. Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have been used as voice assistants who can read news, play music and even make jokes for their users.
These programs are expected to move beyond smartphones, into televisions, cars and living rooms, The New York Times pointed out. However, it may take decades before scientists develop a “Samantha”, the advanced chatbot seen in the fiction film Her. In the film, Samantha sparks a romantic relationship with her user played by US actor Joaquin Phoenix. Many viewers are enthusiastic about this fantasy of virtual soul mate.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?| A．She became a best-seller. |
| B．She became very powerful. |
| C．She became a moneyman. |
| D．She became very popular. |
| A．Do housework. |
| B．Spread messages. |
| C．Identify various photos. |
| D．Read news to her users. |
| A．Microsoft. | B．IBM. |
| C．Apple. | D．Amazon. |
| A．Chatbots mainly run on smartphones now. |
| B．It’ll take decades to apply Chatbots to cars. |
| C．Samantha is played by a US actor in the film. |
| D．The film Her doesn’t interest many audiences. |
The smiling face of Santa Claus appears all across China．Local governments are decorating trees and lamp posts with lights and ornaments．At first glance，visitors would think they were in Europe．
Despite the fact that most Chinese are not Christians，Christmas season has become increasingly popular．
"If you walked around major Chinese cities 15 years ago，you wouldn`t have seen many signs of Christmas．However，if you were to visit those same Chinese cities again today，you’d be surprised to see signs of Christmas almost everywhere，" says Cai Jiming，a professor with Tsinghua University，who has served as an expert in developing China`s holiday schedule．
Although Christmas is not a public holiday，many Chinese cities are still getting into the Christmas spirit．
Cai says his e-mail inbox and cell phone have been flooded with messages wishing him a merry Christmas．The greetings have been coming in since the end of November．
In his view，Christmas seems like a "warm-up" for the truly important coming month-long Spring Festival．
However，despite the prevalence (流行)of Christmas celebrations，for most Chinese，it neither means a religious celebration nor an occasion for family reunions．Instead，it is a time for relaxing with friends，a time to shop，a time to have a party and it is especially a time for romance．
"I expect my boyfriend to take me out on Christmas Eve and I expect a romantic night，" says Christine Zhou，28，a hotel manager in Beijing．"It seems to me that everything associated with Christmas time is romantic．"
On the streets，rose and chocolate peddlers are vying （竞争）for their business．
Christmas has become another Valentine`s Day，and at the same time，more people feel it is a time to reward themselves with good food and a good time．
However，as more Chinese join in the Christmas celebrations each year，some feel the Western-based festival is harming time-honored traditions．
But Cai considers it is unnecessary to boycott （抵制）a Western cultural festival．"All important festivals in different cultures have now developed into universal holidays，" he says．”
1. From the first paragraph，we know________．
| A．Christmas has become the most important festival in China |
| B．Christmas is celebrated by a great number of people in China |
| C．Santa Claus doesn’t appear in Europe any more on Christmas |
| D．The smiling faces of Santa Claus are hung on the trees in local governments |
| A．show he is a famous expert in China’s holiday schedule |
| B．prove Tsinghua University is the best university in China |
| C．prove Christmas season has become more and more popular |
| D．show great changes have taken place in China |
| A．a religious celebration． |
| B．an occasion for family to get together． |
| C．a lover’s celebration． |
| D．relaxing with friends and a time for romance． |
| A．Christmas in Europe |
| B．Chinese celebrating Christmas holiday |
| C．Romantic holiday－Valentine’s Day |
| D．The smiling face of Santa Claus |
Now a group of psychologists from Yale University say they have found the reason why, and that crying tears of joy may well be the body’s way of keeping emotional balance. “They seem to take place when people are overtaken by strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions,” Oriana Aragon, the lead researcher said.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants’ emotional responses to different things, including happy reunions and cute babies. Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things —— to cry at happy moments and want to pinch(捏)a cute baby’s face or even tell them “I want to eat you up!” But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction. At an exciting concert, fans scream at their idols(偶像). People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears. “These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationships with others, and even how well people work together.” said Aragon．
1. What have professors from Yale University found in their research?
| A．The reason why people cry with tears. |
| B．Crying tears of joy helps to balance emotions. |
| C．Strong negative feelings are useful to people. |
| D．People recover slowly from strong emotions. |
| A．Crying at good news. |
| B．Crying at a failure. |
| C．Kissing a cute baby. |
| D．Laughing at happy reunions. |
| A．A science fiction novel. |
| B．A psychological science journal. |
| C．A popular biology book. |
| D．An adolescent literature book. |
Melbourne is a hotspot travel destination, and it’s easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.
Why it’s a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won’t be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!
Thailand
Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.
Why it’s a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hotspot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party- central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical (热带的) jungle.
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen Moments”, such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.
Why it’s a great choice: Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you’re not well traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.
Bali, Indonesia
Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendid visual culture has made Bali number one tourist attraction.
Why it’s so great: you won’t be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you’re sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat (静修). The Sacred Monkey Foresting Ubud is fantastic 一 if you like monkeys, anyway.
1. What do the four places have in common according to the text?| A．They’re cheap to travel around. | B．They’re great for solo travelers. |
| C．They offer good spas and yoga. | D．There’re no language barriers. |
| A．Melbourne, Australia. | B．Thailand. |
| C．Hong Kong, China. | D．Bali, Indonesia. |
| A．Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. |
| B．Friendly people and splendid visual culture. |
| C．Meeting some amazing characters along the way. |
| D．Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A business report. |
| C．A travel guide. | D．A press advertisement. |
Every day we watch TV or read magazines or newspapers to get more information. But what are the advantages or disadvantages of the two media?
However,
Reading allows more freedom of choice than television.
| A．TV news is not a person’s only source of news. |
| B．Television news shows are impressive and interesting. |
| C．More people get news by watching television than by reading newspapers. |
| D．The TV audience cannot decide which stories to watch. |
| E．Television provides a useful glance at what’s happening. |
| F．newspapers and magazines do a better job of explaining complex events. |
| G．As a result, a complicated story is often cut short. |
9 . According to statistics published by the University of Scranton, about 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions (决心)—and the most popular resolution is losing weight. Of those who make resolutions, a mere 8 percent achieve them.
Setting a resolution to lose pounds isn’t a goal that’s achievable now. It may be a good long-term goal.
The same concept applies to weight loss.
Notice that these goals are simple and achievable. “Instead of going from zero to 60, from never going to the gym to going four to five times a week, why not start with three days a week, get consistent and build from there,” Zied says. Set yourself up for success and map out your course by making appointments with yourself to be active.
You also need to be aware of your current exercise and eating habits to make achievable goals. Keeping a diary of your food and exercise habits can help. Record everything you eat and drink for three to five days and review it.
| A．So why do so many of us fail to achieve our goals? |
| B．Once you notice your not-so-good habits, start fixing them. |
| C．Set one to three weekly goals that you want to achieve. |
| D．Resolutions usually involve a commitment to sticking to your goals. |
| E．However, in order to reach it, you need to take baby steps to get it down. |
| F．If you treat your goals like set appointment, you’re more likely to achieve them. |
| G．Losing weight, as well as getting a better job, is among the most popular resolutions for adults. |
10 . When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.
When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He hardly watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They were all tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now.
I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity(逆境) seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb’s trees in ways comfort and ease never could.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to meet with hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.
1. With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs __________.| A．kept watering them every morning | B．paid little attention to them |
| C．talked to them to get their attention | D．beat them to make them grow deep roots |
| A．strange | B．deep | C．strong | D．old |
| A．Have an easy life, without too much to worry about. |
| B．Meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future. |
| C．Have good luck, encountering less hardship in their life. |
| D．Be able to stand the rain and wind in their lives. |
| A．Growing roots | B．Doctor Gibbs and his trees |
| C．Prayers for my sons | D．Watering trees |
