1 . Much of the work in today’s world is accomplished(完成) in teams. Most people believe the best way to build a great team is to gather a group of the most talented individuals.     1    Companies spend millions hiring top business people. Is their money well spent?

    2    They focused on football, basketball and baseball. The results are mixed. For football and basketball, adding talented players to a team proves a good method, but only up to the point where 70% of the players are top talent; above that level, the team’s performance begins to decline. Interestingly, this trend isn’t evident in baseball, where additional individual talent keeps improving the team’s performance.

To explain this phenomenon, the researchers explored the degree to which a good performance by a team requires its members to coordinate(协调) their actions.     3    In baseball, the performance of individual players is less dependent on teammates. They conclude that when task interdependence is high, team performance will suffer when there is too much talent, while individual talent will have positive effects on team performance when task interdependence is lower. If a basketball star is, for example, trying to gain a high personal point total, he may take a shot himself when it would be better to pass the ball to a teammate, affecting the team’s performance. Young children learning to play team sports are often told, “There is no I in TEAM.”     4    

Another possibility is that when there is a lot of talent on a team, some players may make less effort. Just as in a game of tug-of-war(拔河比赛), whenever a person is added, everyone else pulls the rope with less force.

    5     An A-team may require a balance--not just A players, but a few generous B players as well.

A．It’s not a simple matter to determine the nature of talent.

B．Sports team owners spend millions of dollars attracting top talent.

C．The group interaction and its effect drew the researchers’ attention.

D．Stars apparently do not follow this basic principle of sportsmanship.

E．Several recent studies examined the role of talent in the sports world.

F．Building up a dream team is more complex than simply hiring the best talent.

G．This task interdependence distinguishes baseball from football and basketball.

2 . Everybody knows the importance of drinking enough water.As we all know, drinking water benefits your skin, muscles and organs.    1    

The major reason for that is related to human biological needs.When you're a baby, you're 75 percent water.Then, as the years get higher, you get drier.    2       It helps you lose weight, according to a study from the University of Birmingham.

The researchers found that drinking 500 ml of water thirty minutes before a meal helped participants lose 10 more pounds than those who did not.    3     All participants were advised to improve their diet and physical activity levels.84 overweight adults were involved.Among them 41 were told to “preload” with water, while 43 were told to control their water intake before eating.After 12 weeks, the participants instructed to “preload” with water lost 2.87 pounds more than those in the control group on average.In addition, the participants preloading with water before each of their three main meals every day lost 9.48 pounds over the 12 weeks.    4    

Dr.Helen Parretti, a lecturer at the University of Birmingham, had this to say of the study:       5    Just drinking 500 ml of water, three times a day, before your main meals may help reduce your weight...and this could be an easy way for weight loss. Furthermore, it can be significant for an individual to lose extra weight, making a potential contribution to public health.

A．Another reason to drink water is right here.

B．The study began with a weight management consultation.

C．The beauty of these findings is that losing weight is simple.

D．But not everyone can get access to tap water in some areas.

E．It also helps prevent certain diseases and improve your mood.

F．In contrast, those preloading once a day or never, lost just 1.76 pounds.

G．So kids should drink more water instead of coke to keep healthy.

3 . Have you ever lost your temper (脾气)? Did you scream or want to hit someone?

    1    . You may get angry when something doesn't go your way. Maybe you get mad at yourself when you don't understand your homework or when your team loses an important game. Maybe your teacher gave you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrowed your favorite video game and then broke it. That made you angry!

There are different ways people feel anger.    2    . Are you breathing faster? Is your face bright red? Do you want to break something or hit someone? Anger can make you scream at those around you, even people you like or love.

Some people keep their anger buried deep inside. If you do this, you might get a headache or your stomach might start to hurt. You may start to cry.    3    . You should find a way to let it out without hurting yourself or others.

Don't lose control if you get angry    4    . Instead, admit to yourself that you are angry and try to know why. What can you do to keep the situation from happening again? If your little sister gets a toy and you don' t, it's not OK to break that toy. Maybe you can ask her to share it with you.

It helps to talk about your anger with an adult, such as a parent, teacher, or relative.    5    .

A．It's not good to hide your anger.

B．Anger can even be a good thing.

C．Taking it out on others never solves anything.

D．Many things may make you angry.

E．Usually your body will tell you when you are angry.

F．Once you talk about anger, those bad feelings usually start to go away.

G．When someone you know is angry, he or she may stop talking to you or become quiet.

4 . In 1812, the year Charles Dickens was born, there were 66 novels published in Britain. People had been writing novels for a century—most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719—

but nobody wanted to do it professionally. The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy（识字） rate in England was under 50%. Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors, often with something like “By a lady.”Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral, or just plain bad.

In 1870, when Dickens died, the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher, famous and beloved, who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters — from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim— were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon（名人堂） of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.

How did Dickens get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories, literature is a numbers game, and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass. Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age, from 1837 to1901; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them. It’s partly true that Dickens’ style of writing attracted audiences

from all walks of life. It’s partly that his writings rode a wave of social, political and scientific progress. But it’s also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center. No one will ever know what mix of talent, ambition, energy and luck made Dickens such a singular writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible — and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.

1. Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18^th century?

A．They were difficult to understand.

B．They were popular among the rich.

C．They were seen as nearly worthless.

D．They were written mostly by women.

2. Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress________.

A．his reputation in France

B．his interest in modern art

C．his success in publication

D．his importance in literature

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To remember a great writer.

B．To introduce an English novel.

C．To encourage studies on culture.

D．To promote values of the Victorian age.

5 . It is probably the strangest sport anyone has ever invented. And at first sight, it looks like the easiest. Competitors have to do two things. The first is to stand still. The second is to place their hands anywhere on the body of a car, and keep it there.

This is where things start getting difficult. Lots of people are doing the same thing. And the winner of the “handathon” contest is the person who can carry on doing it for the longest time. That person gets to own the car.

It still seems to be an easy thing to do. At the beginning it is. Anyone can stand still. But when the contest has been going for four or five days, standing still seems like the most difficult job in the world. And keeping the hand in place over this time becomes an act of serious attention. After a few days, the hand seems to belong to someone else—someone who wants to go home and get some sleep.

Competitors are allowed to take a five-minute break every hour to eat, drink or do whatever else is necessary. No one is allowed to lean on the car for support. Winners need to be able to show great powers of attention. They also need to be able to develop special skills.

Maybe the popularity of the handathon is due to the fact that it is not necessary to be a trained athlete to enter. Competitors in the Longview handathon certainly don’t seem to do much preparation. Most say they will prepare by “getting lots of sleep”. Others say they will “eat healthy food” or “pray for success”. The whole event gives ordinary people the chance to do something interesting and win something in the end.

Handathons are competitions, but there is little rivalry (敌对) between competitors. They help each other out and keep each other’s spirits up. People who drop out early return with food, drink and encouragement.

1. What does the word “handathon” probably mean?

A．A sport involving walking a long distance.

B．A sport involving moving hands fast.

C．A sport involving keeping hands in place for long.

D．A sport involving holding up hands steadily for long.

2. What might make handathon seem to be the strangest sport?

A．It seems to be a very easy sport but in fact very difficult.

B．At first sight people think it obviously very difficult.

C．It is very interesting and an easy to all kinds of people.

D．It requires people to have strength instead of attention.

3. Why is handathon popular?

A．Specially trained athletes can enter the competition.

B．Competitors don’t need to make any preparations.

C．Anyone who is interested can be specially trained for it.

D．Ordinary people can have the chance to play and win something.

4. Which of the following is against the rule for handathon?

A．Standing still.

B．Changing the place of hands.

C．Placing hands in one place.

D．Taking a four-minute break.

6 . Nowadays, the Internet is usually one of the first places a lonely heart turns to as the following story shows.

A 63-year-old retired woman in Zhengzhou, made headlines two days after she posted an advertisement on her Wechat(微信) page, in which she said she wanted to find a young female companion for a trip to Sanya, China’s Southern Hainan island, a local newspaper Dahe Daily reported. In the advertisement, the Chinese dama (Chinese term for middle-aged and elderly women) surnamed(a person’s last name) Li said she is in good health, and she was particularly looking forward to a sea trip this winter.

"I have a daughter who works in Canada, and I don't want to disturb her. My husband rarely has time to travel with me. But I’m afraid of traveling alone, so I am looking for a sweet, happy young woman, aged between 19 and 25 to travel with me. Hope she could chat with me, take photos with me."

At the end of the advertisement, Dama Li showed her sincerity by saying she would be responsible for all the costs of the trip, including accommodation(膳宿) and air tickets, plus an iPhone 7 as a gift. Dama Li told Dahe Daily that she did not expect her advertisement to receive so much attention. "My phone keeps buzzing all the time."However, some people question the truth of Li's advertisement. They say it might be organized by travel agencies aiming to promote(促进，推销) Sanya tourism, or even served as a promotional advertisement for real estate（房地产） on the island. Li denied those doubts and said all she wants is just to find a sweet "daughter".

But Li's advertisement for a daughter has also received as many online mockeries(嘲笑) as positive feedback.

1. Which girl may meet Dama Li’s requirements?

A．A girl aged 20 who wants to travel very much but has little money.

B．A girl student aged 18 who is very interested in an iPhone 7.

C．An airsick girl aged 21 who wants to take a train trip to travel.

D．A girl aged 22 who wants to travel alone to Sanya.

2. Dama Li wants to find a girl to go with her on a trip because __________

A．her own daughter has to stay home to work

B．her husband only cares about his work

C．it is easy for a lonely person to find a companion through the Internet

D．she doesn’t want to travel alone but no other family members are free

3. What’s the writer’s tone in writing about this event?

A．Objective.

B．Subjective.

C．Negative.

D．Positive.

7 . 阅读理解
阅读短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

After a terrible electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, the whole world became completely dark and quiet for Robert Edwards for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water at the base of the tree. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a plough and a wall. When Mrs. Edwards came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread, and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a convincing answer as to why this should have happened. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Robert lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock.
1. The reason for Robert’s attempts to kill himself was that             .

A．a terrible traffic accident happened to him

B．he had to live in a dark and silent world

C．he was struck by the lightning once more

D．nobody in the world cared about him

2. What was Robert doing when he was struck by the lightning?

A．Sheltering from the rain under a tree.

B．Driving a car.

C．Taking a walk with a stick.

D．Lying on the ground.

3. We can infer from the text that          .

A．there was no accurate explanation for Robert's recovery

B．many doctors came because Robert was badly injured

C．Robert’s wife sent for doctors immediately after the shock

D．a sudden Injury In the head led to Robert’s recovery

4. What’s the best title of the whole passage?

A．A Terrible Electrical Accident

B．Robert Edwards and His Wife

C．What a Sudden Shock

D．An Unforgettable Experience

8 . Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
1. According to the passage, sharing bread______.

A．indicates a lack of food

B．can help to develop unity

C．is a custom unique to rural areas

D．has its roots in birthday celebrations

2. What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?

A．Trust.	B．Success.
C．Health.	D．Togetherness.

3. The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.

A．using examples	B．making comparisons
C．analyzing causes	D．describing processes

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The custom of sharing food.

B．The specific meaning of food.

C．The role of food in ceremonies.

D．The importance of food in culture.

9 . Low-cost Gifts for Mother’s Day

Gift No. 1

Offer to be your mother’s health friend. Promise to be there for all doctor’s visits whether she has a disease or needs a regular medical check-up. Most mothers always say there is no need, but another set of eyes and ears is always a good idea at a doctor’s visit. The best part? This one is free.

Gift No. 2

Help your mother organize all of her medical records, which include the test results and medical information. Put them all in one place. Be sure to make a list of all of her medicines and what time she takes them. “Having all this information in one place could end up saving your mother’s life,” Dr. Marie Savard said.

Gift No. 3

Enough sleep is connected with general health conditions. “Buy your mother cotton sheets and comfortable pillows to encourage better sleep,” Savard said. “We know that good sleep is very important to our health.”

Gift No. 4

Some gift companies such as Presents for Purpose allow you to pay it forward this Mother’s Day by picking gifts, 10 percent of whose price you pay goes to a charity (慈善机构). Gift givers can choose from a wide variety of useful but inexpensive things — many of which are “green” — and then choose a meaningful charity from a list. When your mother gets the gift she will be told that she has helped the                                        chosen charity.

1. What are you advised to do for your mother at doctor’s visits?

A．To take notes.	B．To be with her.
C．To buy medicines.	D．To give her gifts.

2. Where can you find an idea for gifts to improve your mother’s sleep?

A．In Gift No. 1.	B．In Gift No. 2.
C．In Gift No. 3.	D．In Gift No. 4.

3. Buying gifts from Presents for Purpose allows mothers to ______.

A．enjoy good sleep	B．be well-organized
C．get extra support	D．give other help

10 . Avoid Internet Addiction

    1    Many people suffer from addition to the Internet and have a hard time paying attention to the important things around them．How can we prevent ourselves from going online too much？

Admit you have an addition．    2    Realize more and more people in the world are becoming addicted．You are not the only one with this problem．Do not be embarrassed；find others with the same problem and help each other beat it．

Limit your computer time．Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week．Before using your computer，decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes．Set the clock and make sure that you get off the computer when the time is up．    3    

Try using the computer at the library．You won't be as attracted to look at certain websites and they do have a limit on how long you can stay online．    4    ．So you won't be as attracted to be on the Internet as at home．

    5    Go for a run with a friend or get exercise some other way．Keep up with the local events in your neighborhood．There may be talks，films，concerts and sports events etc．Find some，as long as it is not on the Internet，and get involved．

A．You will be happier if you use the Internet less．

B．There is no use avoiding the truth．

C．Also，it is a good place to get some good books and magazines to read．

D．Get a hobby or an interest．

E．Internet addition affects a lot of people．

F．Get your family to remind you if you've been on a long time．

G．Try to reduce the amount of time by 5minutes each time．