1 . Genetic information is important because it stores, processes and transmits biological data from generation to generation. Some scientists even assume that knowing genetic information itself matters.
For example, in quantum mechanics (量子力学), there is a popular theory known as the “observer effect”, which states that the act of observing a phenomenon (usually by making some kind of measurement) necessarily changes that phenomenon. In other words, just by being there and having an interest in the outcome, we affect that outcome.
While the explanations behind the observer’s influence in quantum mechanics come down to the measuring instrument and not the observer’s conscious mind, we also see strong evidence for the “placebo effect” in medicine: a patient’s condition can improve if they just believe they are receiving an effective treatment. And those beneficial effects can happen even if the patient is not actually receiving that treatment or if the treatment doesn’t actually work.
If our minds truly do have power over our surroundings and our bodies, what does having the genetic information do to us? Does simply knowing more about our own physiology (生理机能) change it? A recent study on exercise and obesity suggests that the answer is yes.
Those who were told they were at low genetic risk for obesity produced 2.5 times more of the fullness hormone and claimed to feel fuller despite eating the same meal as they had one week prior. Those who were told they had lower endurance because of their genes did worse on their physical test than they had before receiving that information: they showed lower lung capacity and quit sooner.
Thus, having information about our genetic risk can lead to improvements in our physiology (as was true for the eaters of the study), but it can also put us at a disadvantage (as with the poor exercise performers). So we certainly need to be cautious of incorrect genetic information. But as the Stanford study shows, even if the genetic information we receive is correct, how we receive it is also important.
1. How does the “placebo effect” in medicine work?| A．The patient recovers with the timely treatment. |
| B．The patient’s condition worsens due to a lack of treatment. |
| C．The patient’s condition remains unchanged despite their belief. |
| D．The patient’s condition improves with the belief in the treatment. |
| A．They showed lower lung capacity. |
| B．They quit their physical test sooner. |
| C．They needed more food to satisfy their appetite. |
| D．They felt fuller with more fullness hormone released. |
| A．Positive. | B．Objective. |
| C．Ambiguous. | D．Negative. |
| A．The great power of the observer’s mind. |
| B．The influence of knowing genetic information. |
| C．The amazing application of genetic information. |
| D．The connection between Quantum Mechanics and Medicine. |
2 . Most of us travel with our parents as children and teenagers. For some of us, during the travel, our parents are our inspiration. These trips are normally full of rental (租借的) cars, beaches, and hamburgers. My family would go to Galiano island every summer, and we spent a week in Mexico in 1995, and then we took two different trips to Anaheim to experience the magic of Disney, Universal, and Knott’s Berry Farm, the US.
But all of these are childhood experiences and memories. I didn’t truly travel with my parents until I’m an adult when I got the chance to travel with mom and dad.
I was in New Zealand for a study abroad, and invited my parents to come down for a 2-week road trip around the North Island and then 10 days in Fiji. Why not? They said as if this was something they were invited to do every day. I didn’t really plan anything, but my mom had done some reading and I knew some highlights (亮点) after living in New Zealand for 5 months.
I had booked a hotel for their first night in Auckland. The only other preparation I had done was to book a rental car. My parents immediately reached an agreement that I should be the driver, for the whole two weeks. The main reason for this, understandably, was that neither of them had ever been in a country where you drive on the left hand side of the road and on the right hand side of the car. This led to me driving my parents around the entire North Island of New Zealand for 2 weeks! But still, everybody had jobs. Dad had the maps, and mom had the guidebook, and I just took them where they told me to go.
Sometimes as two kids’ father, I was asked who I was traveling with. When I said “my parents”, the response was, “Ohhh, older people.” Actually, I have some tips on travelling with parents happily.
1. What do we know about the author’s childhood?| A．He had a terrible memory. | B．He had trips to many countries. |
| C．His parents often took him to travel. | D．His parents traveled in their own cars. |
| A．He had done some reading. | B．He had booked a hotel and a car. |
| C．He had surfed for the highlights online. | D．He had taken a driving license exam. |
| A．They were not used to the driving rules. | B．They were afraid of the mountain roads. |
| C．They were too old to drive for a long time. | D．They were not familiar with the car condition. |
| A．The argument with parents. | B．The memory in Fiji as a child. |
| C．The scenery during the road trip. | D．The advice on outing with parents. |
1. What does the man ask the woman to do?
| A．Offer information on pandas. |
| B．Do research about pandas in the wild. |
| C．Give advice on protecting pandas. |
| A．Pandas spend about 12 hours sleeping every day. |
| B．Pandas live in groups in the wild. |
| C．Pandas can live to be 20 years old. |
| A．They can protect themselves well. |
| B．They can see each other easily in the forest. |
| C．They can attract more tourists. |
| A．Human beings are damaging their habitats. |
| B．They are not used to cold and rainy weather. |
| C．They are killed by their enemies. |
Horses are picky eaters
Horses have an even better sense of smell than humans do. When horses raise their noses and open their nostrils (鼻孔), their nervous system allows them to sense smells we can’t sense. This might explain why they refuse dirty water and carefully move around meadows, eating only the tastiest grasses, experts say.
Whale says thanks
In 2018, a whale expert spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.
Pandas like to be naughty
Is there anything more lovely than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? In fact, baby pandas sometimes behave like human babies. They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs. Pandas are shy by nature for its shy behaviors such as covering its face with a paw or ducking its head when confronted by a stranger.
A cat honors its owner
Paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave every day since the man died in September 2018. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” the grave for hours at a time.
1. What can horses do to pick delicious grasses?| A．Feel them. |
| B．Taste them. |
| C．Smell them. |
| D．Observe them. |
| A．They are clever. |
| B．They have a grateful heart. |
| C．They are active and lovely. |
| D．They have a good sense of smell. |
| A．The whale |
| B．The cat. |
| C．The horse. |
| D．The panda. |
5 . The sound of the music floated through the ruins of the school corridor. Its
Like millions across the city, I woke up to the sound of the
The next morning, I looked out of the window and saw the
It was the war that left millions of children without
Finishing the song, I silently stood up and slowly walked away. “How I wish my school could be
| A．dull | B．delightful | C．heartbreaking | D．solemn |
| A．celebrated | B．survived | C．worsened | D．reduced |
| A．windows | B．walls | C．balls | D．keys |
| A．explosion | B．clock | C．music | D．nature |
| A．thrill | B．fear | C．eagerness | D．embarrassment |
| A．touched | B．patted | C．pushed | D．covered |
| A．fled | B．walked | C．leapt | D．slept |
| A．facilities | B．ruins | C．blueprint | D．shadow |
| A．afraid | B．ready | C．hesitant | D．reluctant |
| A．loss | B．stress | C．curiosity | D．courage |
| A．access | B．devotion | C．barriers | D．clues |
| A．violence | B．aggression | C．safety | D．compassion |
| A．decent | B．tight | C．empty | D．faulty |
| A．banked on | B．lit up | C．took in | D．wiped out |
| A．decorated | B．designed | C．reconstructed | D．recommended |
6 . We were a group of people who took a bus to work every day. One of the
But one July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled at others. The driver nodded. The rest of us were
The next day, the old man got on the bus and said in a loud voice, “A very good
One morning he had some flowers in his hand. The driver turned around
Until one morning Charlie wasn’t
She said she knew who we were talking about. The elderly gentleman was sick. We
The next Monday when Charlie got on the bus, all of us who he had brought happiness to in that summer sat with a
| A．workers | B．drivers | C．friends | D．passengers |
| A．hid | B．shouted | C．sat | D．slept |
| A．interest | B．attention | C．energy | D．expectation |
| A．silent | B．upset | C．excited | D．bored |
| A．trip | B．morning | C．meal | D．time |
| A．worried | B．tired | C．surprised | D．moved |
| A．talk | B．admit | C．introduce | D．write |
| A．politely | B．proudly | C．carefully | D．smilingly |
| A．until | B．so | C．but | D．as |
| A．brought | B．found | C．bought | D．wore |
| A．walking | B．waiting | C．greeting | D．arriving |
| A．ordered | B．invited | C．asked | D．promised |
| A．tears | B．breath | C．hands | D．flowers |
| A．kept | B．got | C．expected | D．looked |
| A．letter | B．ticket | C．card | D．flower |
7 . Are you looking for some good places for you and your four-leg friend? Here are some for you.
Tahmoor Gorge (峡谷)
The number and quality of swimming holes in this valley immediately take us back to some of our favourite places in Kakadu national park. The only difference here is that you don’t need a four-wheel drive, so the best way togo to the gorge is walking. This pet-friendly walk follows the Bargo River through an open gorge that gradually drops to a deep gorge. It is a popular place for locals on weekends. The further you run into the gorge, the less people there are.
Sirius Cove, Mosman
Sirius Cove is one of many quietly beautiful places along the Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Beach walking trail (路线). The deep, U-shaped bay, with a large grassy area, is popular with picnicking families and their dogs.
Kutti Beach, Vaucluse
We heard about it from a friend, but it is so hidden that it is not easy to find the entrance. Follow Wharf Road until it dead ends at the Vaucluse Amateur Sailing Club. Go right up to the building and look left. There is a very narrow set of stairs leading to the beach. Go down the steps and open the gate at the bottom. Follow the narrow road along the wall to the sand. The best bit? It’s dog-friendly.
MacKenzies Beach, Tamarama
From whale watching hot place MacKenzies Point, follow the sloped (斜的) road to MacKenzies Beach, a dog-friendly, short-time beach that only appears every couple of years when the right combination (结合) of wind and sand on the normal rocky reef. They say you aren’t a local until you’ve seen sand at MacKenzies.
1. What do we know about Tahmoor Gorge?| A．It’s a must to drive there. |
| B．It’s a popular place on weekdays. |
| C．It’s a good way to go there on foot. |
| D．It’s a popular place for foreign visitors. |
| A．Tahmoor Gorge. | B．Kutti Beach, Vaucluse. |
| C．Sirius Cove, Mosman. | D．MacKenzies Beach, Tamarama. |
| A．They are beside the sea. |
| B．They are dog-friendly. |
| C．They are places where whales are seen. |
| D．They are open to the public only on weekends. |
8 . As a young boy my family was very poor. I would often help do something for the neighbors to
One day I
I put my hands in the jar and
I was twelve years old when I moved from that neighbourhood. I will never forget the huge
| A．save | B．give | C．earn | D．change |
| A．turned | B．knocked | C．worked | D．looked |
| A．how | B．when | C．why | D．if |
| A．school | B．time | C．trouble | D．bed |
| A．bag | B．carpet | C．coat | D．sofa |
| A．allowed | B．forced | C．helped | D．stopped |
| A．punished | B．tested | C．praised | D．paid |
| A．set up | B．took out | C．talked about | D．put away |
| A．boring | B．new | C．fine | D．terrible |
| A．keep | B．make | C．remove | D．buy |
| A．visit | B．forgive | C．welcome | D．serve |
| A．recognize | B．reward | C．understand | D．protect |
| A．goals | B．stories | C．marks | D．ideas |
| A．room | B．money | C．food | D．time |
| A．grabbed | B．lost | C．borrowed | D．charged |
| A．rare | B．special | C．simple | D．enough |
| A．promised | B．discovered | C．knew | D．admitted |
| A．asked | B．required | C．showed | D．wrote |
| A．decision | B．progress | C．mistake | D．difference |
| A．courage | B．kindness | C．honesty | D．happiness |
1. 人物简介；
2. 尊敬和爱戴的原因。
注意：1.词数80左右，标题和开头句已给出，不计入总词数；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
The person I respect
There are many respectable people around us.
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Easton retired(退休) as a school teacher, and he didn’t have enough savings. What’s worse, his wife, Cassandra, had heart disease that needed expensive treatment.
To save his wife’s life, Easton didn’t have a choice but to take up a job, and he found one as a pizza delivery(递送) man at Rooster’s Pizza. On his first day on the job, his co-workers judged him because the sight of an 84-year-old pizza delivery man was undoubtedly a rare one. But Easton didn’t care.
After delivering the first two orders that day, Easton was on his way to deliver the third one, when he realized his car was low on gas. He stopped at a gas station, worried he would be late for his next delivery. Determined to make it on time, Easton grabbed the steering wheel and drove as fast as he could. However, as he reached one of the main roads, a police car stopped him.
When Officer Jenkins and Officer Matthew walked up to Easton’s car, they were shocked to see an 84-year-old behind the wheel of a pizzeria car. Moreover, they didn’t expect an old man to be speeding.
“You see,” Easton said nervously, “I am running late for pizza delivery. We have a policy of delivering pizza within 45 minutes, or I’ll have to pay for it out of my pocket, and I need money for my wife’s treatment. I hope you understand…”
Officer Matthew looked at Easton’s teary eyes and trembling hands and felt deeply sad for him. However, he couldn’t go against his line of duty. They had to give him a ticket anyway. Easton was late for the delivery that day, prompting his manager to deduct(扣除) it from his salary. He was also warned that he would have to leave if he repeated the mistake.
Not losing heart, Easton set out for his deliveries the following day. “Rooster’s Pizza!” he shouted as he rang the doorbell of one of the houses on his list.
注意：1. 续写词数应150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
When the door opened, Easton recognized his customer was Officer Matthew!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Easton couldn’t believe what had just happened and was surprised by what Officer Matthew did for him.
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