1 . A recent study suggests that vitamin D pills can help speed up the time taken for burns to heal, and prevent scarring(结疤). The vitamin, which is produced naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunshine, is believed to help protect against burning.

Previous studies have shown that vitamin D pills help decrease redness and swelling after sunburn, and may be one of the reasons why the body produces the chemical.

The research from Birmingham University, has found they may also help relieve other types of burn. Researchers monitored 38 patients who had suffered serious burns for a year and recorded their levels of vitamin D. They found that those with the highest levels of vitamin D had better wound healing and fewer scars.

Professor Janet Lord said: “Low vitamin D levels were associated with worse results in burn patients including life-threatening infections(感染),death and delayed wound healing. Major burn injury severely reduces vitamin D levels and adding this vitamin back may be a simple, safe and cost-effective way to improve the condition for burn patients.” Professor Lord and her team are now focusing on finding out why there is a rapid loss of vitamin D in patients immediately following burn injury and hope that they may be able to prevent this in future.

The amount of reduction in patients’ vitamin D levels was not related to the severity(严重程度) of the burn, so levels may also be decreased in minor burn injury, suggesting taking vitamin D pills could also help people with everyday burns. Public Health England now recommends that all Britons take vitamin D pills in the winter because it is impossible to make sufficient quantities in the darker months.

1. What does the new study find?

A．People with low vitamin D levels get burned easily.

B．Vitamin D helps with the recovery from burn injury.

C．Vitamin D pills aid in reducing the swelling from burns.

D．Vitamin D is more beneficial to serious burns than minor burns.

2. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．The severity of one's burn reflects his vitamin D levels.

B．Vitamin D pills are more needed in the autumn months.

C．Burn patients lacking vitamin D are at high risk of infection.

D．Minor burns have no effect on patients’ vitamin D levels.

3. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The researchers.	B．Vitamin D pills.
C．Previous studies.	D．Some kinds of vitamins.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A．Vitamin D: A Necessity for Our Health

B．Vitamin D Pills: When Are They Needed?

C．Vitamin D: How Much Does the Body Need?

D．Vitamin D Pills: Heal Burns &. Prevent Scarring

2 . Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way.

The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated(截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused misfortune for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as nothing short of inspiration for living her best life.

To spread the message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the globe. Besides, she writes her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.

Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canals in Amsterdam, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, posing with a waffle (华夫饼) in Brussels, taking spectacular pictures in Athens and enjoying a river cruise in Budapest, with all the well-known locations written on her artificial leg.

“I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought of getting a chalkboard,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too interested in the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”

Gallagher said people often stare when she’s writing on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she receives only positive feedback. “My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do,” she said, “I know it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it. Therefore, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers and lead a pretty great life.”

Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.

1. What message did Gallagher want to spread in her special way?

A．She enjoys her traveling across the globe.

B．She suffers little from her leg amputation.

C．She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing.

D．She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online.

2. Which of the statements is right according to the passage?

A．Gallagher was interested in art.

B．Gallagher had her right arm amputated at the age of four.

C．Gallagher wrote her travel’s locations on her artificial leg.

D．Gallagher’s family supported Gallagher’s idea of getting a chalkboard.

3. Which can best describe Gallagher?

A．Helpful and cooperative.	B．Friendly and generous.
C．Independent and selfless.	D．Determined and creative.

4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?

A．Never Too Late to Share	B．A Special Artificial Leg
C．An Outstanding Photographer	D．Gallagher’s Summer Holidays

3 . As we live longer and technology continues its rapid development, we can imagine a future where machines will enlarge our human abilities and help us make better life choices, from health to wealth. Through our dialogue and digital pieces, AI (artificial intelligence) will understand our life goals and wishes, our duties and limitations. It will help us plan different life events, so we can spend more time enjoying life’s moments.

The ability for AI to understand the complexities and slight differences of human conversation is, however, one hurdle. There are several thousand known living languages in the world today. Adding to the difficulties are the varied ways words are shared and used across different cultures, including grammar, levels of education and styles of the speakers. Google Duplex, the technology supporting Google Assistant, which places phone calls using a natural-sounding human voice instead of a robotic one, is an early attempt to address such challenges in human communications. But these are just initial whispers in voice of AI’s long journey.

Beyond making reservations and conducting simple dialogues, virtual assistants will need to become far more useful and further fit into the parts of our everyday lives. Not only will they need to foresee what we need before we ask, they also need to understand the context of our conversations and react accordingly. Imagine a snow day when school is canceled for the kids. Knowing that you must now stay at home with your children, your phone would remind you, asking if you’d like your meetings moved to the following day. Alternatively, imagine how much more pleasant your journey home from a business trip would be if your phone could automatically arrange for a ride waiting to pick you up at the airport, based on your travel plan, location, and habits. The possibilities are endless.

1. What do we know about AI?

A．It stops us living longer.	B．It narrows our abilities.
C．It doesn’t know our limitations.	D．It helps us enjoy life better.

2. What makes it hard for AI to understand what humans say?

A．Low level of speakers.	B．Imperfection of AI.
C．Varieties of languages and cultures.	D．Similarities between languages.

3. Which word can best describe the author’s attitude towards AI?

A．Doubtful.

B．Approving.

C．Negative.

D．Critical.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．AI Will Replace Humans	B．AI Will Set Goals for Us
C．AI Will Be Part of Our Daily Lives	D．AI Will Meet Challenges

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

As you know, science plays     1    very important role in our education. Do you want to keep up    2    the latest research and discoveries in science? There are many good websites     3    you can check out the latest in the science world.

One great site is Science News for Kids. This site reports science news     4     (cover) a wide range of subjects. The articles are intended for younger readers, but adults will find this site     5     (suit) for them as well. Another wonderful site, one that I check out every day,     6     (call) Science Daily. The site is    7     (constant) updated with news, often about exciting    8     (find) that change how we view the world.

These sites post the latest stories and also keep all the past articles they    9     (post) earlier. That way you can find articles just about anything that    10     (be) related to the science fields you are interested in.

5 . The Internet has opened up a whole new online world for us to meet, chat and go where we’ve never been before.

But just as in face to face communication, there are some rules of behavior that should be followed when on line.    1    Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes.

For anything you’re about to send: ask yourself, “Would I say this to the person’s face?” if the answer is no, rewrite and reread.    2    

If someone in the chat room is rude to you, your instinct (本能) is to fire back in the same manner. But try not to do so.    3    If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.

    4    Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake, whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it’s a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you license to correct everyone else.     5    At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those that you have offended.

It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex and marital status. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don’t ask such questions.

A．It’s natural that there are some people who speak rudely or make mistakes online.

B．Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying the words to the person’s face.

C．Everyone was new to the network once.

D．The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way you would want to be treated.

E．When you send short messages to a person online, you must say something beautiful to hear.

F．You should either ignore the person, or use your chat software to block their messages.

G．If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely.

6 . Most people can't wait for spring to arrive. It means flowers and warmer weather, all welcome changes from the dark winter days. Now we know that spring is arriving sooner in the Northern Hemisphere   (北半球）than it was in the past, thanks to a study published in Scientific Reports.

For example, Los Angeles may experience spring only a day earlier than it did 10 years ago, but further north, in Seattle or Chicago, spring will arrive four days earlier. If you lived in the Arctic, spring could arrive 16 days earlier than it used to.

To determine how springtime is starting earlier, researchers looked at temperature records and 743 earlier studies over 86 years. These studies were about various biological indicators of spring, including birds migrating, plants flowering and amphibians（两栖动物）sounding their mating calls. Researchers then studied these data to see if they were occurring earlier. The result showed that not only is spring making itself known sooner but it's warmer, too.

Before you go out in a happy springtime hike, spring arriving sooner isn't so good. The livelihood of migratory birds, for instance, may be concerned.

“The food that birds rely on when they move to the north might not be reliable if the beginning of spring at these higher latitudes（维度）is expanded by future warming." said Eric Post. He is a fellow of the John Muir Institute and a polar ecologist.

Animals relying on Arctic sea ice, like polar bears, probably aren't crazy about things warming up sooner, either, because it impacts on their ability to hunt. Spring's early arrival could cause disorder in the delicate balance of various ecosystems~~not to mention how soon you'll need to buy allergy medicine.

1. We learn from the study published in Scientific Reports that.

A．spring comes earliest in Los Angeles

B．Los Angeles is further north than Seattle

C．spring comes 12 days earlier in Arctic than in Chicago

D．the further north a place lies, the sooner spring comes than before

2. Researchers made the discovery mainly by.

A．comparing related data available

B．conducting research and test

C．calculating the exact length of each spring

D．observing animal's behavior all year round

3. What do the last two paragraphs focus on?

A．Concerns over spring's early arrival.

B．Springtime emergence of creatures.

C．Early springtime's impacts on humans.

D．Disorder in the balance of ecosystems.

4. In which section of a magazine can we read this text?

A．Medical Report.	B．Survival Stories.
C．Scientific Discoveries.	D．Natural environment

7 . In an ancient folktale, a giant rock blocks the entrance to a care filled with treasure. A door appears only for those who speak a secret phrase aloud: “Open, sesame (芝麻)!”     1    

Passwords have changed ever since. Now they safeguard digital treasures, such as pictures, messages, and documents. But the reason why the phrases exist is still the same: to keep the wrong people out.     2     And when they can figure out a person’s password, they can access private information. This allows them to play practical jokes, such as posting that information online.     3    

There are passwords to avoid if you want to be safe online. The most popularly used password is 123456. This is the first guess hackers will make. They will then try to use public information about a potential target.     4     Hackers type this information into computer programs that can guess the target’s passwords.

One of the best ways kids can keep their information secure is by thinking up strong passwords. So how can you invent a password that’s easy for you to remember but hard for someone else to guess?     5     For example, a lyric from your favorite song, or the title of a book or movie. It’s best if the phrase is relevant to your life because you’ll be less likely to forget it. Then take the first letter or first couple of letters from each word in that phrase, and begin switching those letters to symbols or numbers. Use both uppercase and lowercase (大写和小写) letters to make the password even trickier to crack (破解).

A．You can think of a fun phrase.

B．This is an early example of a password.

C．This may include a date of birth or a pet’s name.

D．You will benefit from making your passwords stronger.

E．No wonder your information was stolen a couple of times.

F．In the digital world, these “wrong people” are called hackers.

G．Even worse, the hackers might use the information to commit crimes.

8 . A recent study from a team of South Korean researchers suggests that eating alone often may lead to poor eating habits and poor food choices. Specifically, the study found that men who ate alone more than twice a week had a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

For children, eating with their families is not only about preventing bad results—it is also about developing good ones.

In 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) looked at data from nearly three-quarters of the world’s countries. Among its findings was the fact that students who shared a main meal with their families were less likely to skip school. Children who eat a main meal with their families are also less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

In the report titled “The Importance of Family Dinners”, researchers say that “teens who have frequent family dinners are more likely to say their parents know a lot about what’s going on in their lives”. They also claim that when teens say they feel closer to their parents, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.

Another study from the University of Montreal found that children who ate with their families experience long-term physical and mental health benefits. These children were physically in better shape and drank fewer sugary soft drinks. These children also seemed to have better social skills and they were less aggressive (好斗的).

Professor Linda Pagani says that mealtimes shared with parents “likely provide young children with first-hand social interactions, discussions of social issues and day-to-day concerns”. She adds that they may likely help the child have better communication skills with others.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Advantages of eating with parents.	B．Benefits of eating alone.
C．Ways of developing social skills.	D．Dangers of using drugs and alcohol.

2. Which is the benefit of eating with the families?

A．Abuse drugs and alcohol.	B．Drink more sugary soft drinks.
C．Get on well with their parents.	D．Be more socially active and aggressive.

3. Why is Professor Pagani mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．To introduce a famous person.	B．To offer background information.
C．To explain further.	D．To show the disadvantage of eating with parents.

4. Where does the passage most probably come from?

A．A popular novel.	B．A travel magazine.
C．A science report.	D．A biology textbook.

9 . Essay

Epic Fails: The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving into History By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12. The first book in the Epic Fails series deals with one of the most ambitious goals humans have pursued: the quests to fly. Authors Slader and Thompson focus on life-or-death scenes, such as when the Wright brothers crashed their glider over and over on the sandy coast of North Carolina; it took them two more years to get it right.

Epic Fails: The Race to Space: Countdown to Liftoff By Erik Slader and Ben Thompson. Ages 6 to 12 Today, everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong’s famous words as he first set foot on the moon, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” He made it look easy, but America’s journey to the moon was anything but simple. Our first attempt was a failure. Still, we didn’t give up. We tried again. And again. And each time we failed, we failed a little bit better.

Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First By Luke Reynolds. Ages 6 to 12. Teacher Luke Reynolds opens each chapter with a quick, impossibly perfect version of one person’s life and then says how that person actually had to face huge challenges to accomplish goals. In this book, Reynolds writes about various common men, women and children.

Cyrus Field’s Big dream：The Daring Effort to Lay the First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable By Mary Morton Cowan. Ages 6 to 12. In 1853，it took at least a week to relay a message between the United States and Europe because people had to be transported on ships over the Atlantic Ocean. Cyrus Field tried to reduce that transmission（传送）time to just minutes by laying a long undersea cable. In this book，Cowan describes many failures Field suffered before he achieved this major breakthrough.

1. Who are the four books intended for?

A．Children.

B．Teenagers.

C．Adults.

D．Old people.

2. What do we know about Fantastic Failures?

A．It was written by a famous actor.	B．It tells stories of ordinary people.
C．It is about science fiction stories.	D．It is a picture book by a teacher.

3. What lesson can we learn from the four books?

A．All roads lead to Rome.	B．Failure is the mother of success.
C．An early bird catches worms	D．Actions speak louder than words.

10 . People generally see themselves through achievements. In doing that, they end up caring more about their image than the reality of who they actually are. Rather than their performance at work, they end up defining themselves by external markers that they hope will earn them respect.

The problem with this is that it encourages both themselves and other people to judge their worth based on some relatively unimportant measure. For example, one day, their educational diploma may overshadow what they actually learned. Therefore, a better way to know a person, I think, is to ask a different set of questions: What motivates them? What makes them ache? What do they long for?

It’s in this spirit that I want to publicly share my values. They are the compass(罗盘) that guides my life. The kindest and most sincere thing I can do is to see, recognize, and understand another person before I make judgments. From there, I can learn to treat others appropriately, depending on the context, learning from my mistakes with time and experience. It's just a reminder that life is hard for all of us, while at the same time accepting that it's important we are all also held accountable for our actions.

I have learned that we are all deeply self-interested. I hope to be self-aware enough to check out of the power and status games. That means I'm not competing with anyone for a shiny object; I'd rather compete with myself. It's about becoming so uniquely different that it would be an insult for me to measure myself against someone else. I believe if I do the work to be internally free from the pull of the power and status games, then I can add value to others based on my unique knowledge and experience.

If this resonates with(与……共鸣) you, I invite you to join me on this journey in understanding and relating to this complex world. It's a wonderful mystery, and I think together we can better define it—not just personally, but also collectively.

1. According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?

A．People generally judge others' worth by what they have achieved.

B．The external markers are better ways to know a person.

C．The author is someone who is keen on power games.

D．Learning from mistakes is the first step of treating others kindly.

2. What does the underlined word “overshadow” probably mean?

A．be relatively similar to	B．cause something to be stronger than
C．make something less important	D．block off light from something

3. Which of the following might the author agree with?

A．People should be self-aware enough and compete with themselves.

B．Life is hard, so we shouldn't criticize others when they are not responsible.

C．Everyone is unique, so showing off uniqueness is an insult to others.

D．One should see and understand another person using a real compass.

4. What is the writer's purpose of writing the article?

A．To promote harmonious living.

B．To ask people not to judge others.

C．To call on readers to learn his values.

D．To share his values of understanding the world.