1 . First impressions are important, but are first impressions correct? Personally, I’m not so sure, and according to new research, neither is science.
You really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I certainly have, and I’m willing to bet (打赌) you’ve done it, too. Consider this, though: If I’d let my opinion on, say, the boring cover of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath stop me from reading this great novel, I would have missed out on one of my favorite books to date. First impressions are important because they can influence you one way or another, but they shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of your opinion on someone.
According to Jonathan Freeman, a professor at New York University, first impressions are collected within only a few hundred milliseconds and are often based on the person’s facial appearance.
“First impressions of faces can influence how we make decisions about people,” Freeman explained in a statement. Therefore, in order to put an end to such first impressions, you have to understand where your first assumptions(假设) come from. In order to do this, a team of researchers in Switzerland performed two experiments: The first required participants to judge the personalities of dozens of people only based on photos they were shown online. For example, in this part of the study, researchers took note of how participants related personality features like friendliness with various appearances. The second experiment explored what kind of facial features were connected with exact personality features. For example, someone who has a round face with “babyish features” might be considered as friendlier or more harmless than someone who isn’t smiley in their photo.
The results showed that first impressions often aren’t all right. Look, it’s really unfortunate that first impressions aren’t always right. Still, these first impressions happen regardless of whether or not they’re right, so the best thing you can do is try to put your best foot forward without, of course, giving up your authenticity (真实性); you are exactly who you were meant to be, and all you can do is be the best person you can.
1. What does the author want to show by mentioning John Steinbeck’s novel?| A．First impressions are influential. | B．The cover of a book is unnecessary. |
| C．We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. | D．Few people tend to make judgments at first-sight. |
| A．First impressions are difficult to change. |
| B．How a person looks influences his first impression. |
| C．It takes some time to form the first impression. |
| D．First impressions are influenced by many factors. |
| A．Relate personalities with photos. | B．Choose photos they like. |
| C．Show their opinions of smiley faces. | D．Talk about their impressions of other participants. |
| A．Don’t be too realistic. | B．Disregard others’ suggestions. |
| C．Don’t be judgmental. | D．Try to be your best self. |
2 . In October, Mediterranean fruit flies were discovered in an area of Los Angeles. California is a big farming state, and this was serious news for farmers. The key to the problem may seem a little unusual: releasing millions more of the flies.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, often known as the “Medfly”, is one of the most serious threats faced by farmers worldwide. Once the pest makes its way into an area, it can be very hard to remove. The flies lay their eggs in over 300 kinds of fruits and vegetables. When the eggs hatch, they turn into worm-like larvae (幼虫) that can destroy these products.
Three Mediterranean fruit flies were discovered in a Los Angeles neighborhood called Leimert Park in October. To stop the problem from spreading, the government set up a large quarantine (隔离) area, which means that no produce (fruits, nuts, or vegetables)can be moved out of that area. The quarantine area is 90 square miles.
That may seem extreme, since only three Medflies were found, but experts believe there are probably more out there. “It’s really important to get on top of this fast,” said Jason Leathers. Luckily, California has developed a program to control Medflies, and it’s been working well for 30 years. The plan involves using planes to drop millions of Medflies over the area. That may sound like a bad idea, but it’s actually a good way to make sure that Medfly numbers go down.
The airplanes only drop male flies, and all of them have been treated so that they can’t help produce new fruit flies. The males are sterile (不育的). This means that even though they can mate with female fruit flies, the eggs produced will never grow or hatch. The plan has worked well in the past. The government says that the number of flies has been cut by over 90%. To deal with the problem near Leimert Park, the government will be dropping two airplane loads of sterile Medflies every week.
1. Why is the figure mentioned in Paragraph 2?| A．To show farmers require more help. | B．To stress the great harm done by the Medfly. |
| C．To remind people to be particular about health. | D．To appeal for urgent concerns about the Medfly. |
| A．To destroy the native produce. | B．To limit the spread of the Medfly. |
| C．To kill the Medfly completely. | D．To reduce the losses of local farmers. |
| A．California values the control of Medflies. | B．Using planes to drop Medflies saves money. |
| C．Jason Leathers is in charge of Medflies’ study. | D．The public care little about killing Medflies. |
| A．A research article. | B．A short story. | C．A news report. | D．An agricultural research. |
3 . Simple Sports Themed Activities
Kids love learning about sports and engaging in sports themed activities! This free simple activity plan includes doable (可做的) sports activity ideas that are perfect for preschoolers.
Literacy: Football Name Dot (画点) It!
Draw a football outline on a sheet of paper. Label it with letters including letters in your child’s name. Write your child’s name on the page and then have them hunt to find and dot all the letters in their names on the football.
Math: Sports Flag Line Up
Cut out multiple colored paper flags. Label each with a number from first to tenth. Lay the flags flat on the ground or stick on the wall with painter’s tape. Have your child order the flags. Say things like: The second flag is blue. Where is the green flag in the line? What flag is the 4th in the line?
Create: Decorate A Shirt
Draw a painting of a sports shirt on a large sheet of paper. Set out various supplies for decorating like markers, paint sticks, stickers, etc. Ask your child to design and decorate their very own sports shirt! I had my girls include their own name and sports number.
Gross Motor: Sports Themed Obstacle(障碍) Course
Use tapes, chalk, balls and bats and so on to create your own sports themed obstacle course. Add things like making a basket jumping, swimming under the rope, swinging the bat 5 times, etc. Get creative and have fun! This is such a great way to get your kids moving!
1. Who is the text intended for?| A．Coaches. | B．Policemen. | C．Managers. | D．Parents. |
| A．To let children know some different sports. |
| B．To make children do more physical activities. |
| C．To help children get some sports techniques. |
| D．To encourage children to play with the best players. |
| A．Literacy: Football Name Dot It! | B．Math: Sports Flag Line Up. |
| C．Create: Decorate A Shirt. | D．Gross Motor: Sports Themed Obstacle Course. |
4 . Atomic shapes are so simple that they can’t be broken down any further. Mathematicians are trying to turn to artificial intelligence (AI) for help to build a periodic table of these shapes, hoping it will assist in finding yet-unknown atomic shapes.
Tom Coates at Imperial College London and his colleagues are working to classify atomic shapes known as Fano varieties, which are so simple that they can’t be broken down into smaller components. Just as chemists arranged element s in the periodic table by their atomic weight and group to reveal new insights, the researchers hope that organizing these atomic shapes by their various properties will help in understanding them.
The team has given each atomic shape a sequence of numbers based on its features such as the number of holes it has or the extent to which it bends around itself. This acts as a bar code (条形码) to identify it. Coates and his colleagues have now created an AI that can predict certain properties of these shapes from their bar code numbers alone, with an accuracy of 98 percent.
The team member Alexander Kasprzyk at the University of Nottingham, UK, says that the AI has let the team organize atomic shapes in a way that begins to follow the periodic table, so that when you read from left to right, or up and down, there seem to be general patterns in the geometry (几何) of the shapes.
Graham Nib lo at the University of Southampton, UK, stresses that humans will still need to understand the results provided by AI and create proofs of these ideas. “AI has definitely got unbelievable abilities. But in the same way that telescopes (望远镜) don’t put astronomers out of work, AI doesn’t put mathematicians out of work,” he says. “It just gives us new backing that allows us to explore parts of the mathematical landscape that are out of reach.”
The team hopes to improve the model to the point where missing spaces in its periodic table could point to the existence of unknown shapes.
1. What is the purpose of building a periodic table of shapes?| A．To gain deeper insights into the atomic shapes. |
| B．To create an AI to predict the unknown shapes. |
| C．To break down atomic shapes into smaller parts. |
| D．To arrange chemical elements in the periodic table. |
| A．Its holes. | B．Its bends. |
| C．Its atomic weight. | D．Its properties. |
| A．Design. | B．Help. | C．Duty. | D．Threat. |
| A．Thanks to AI, new atomic shapes have been discovered. |
| B．Mathematicians turn to AI to create more atomic shapes. |
| C．AI helps build a relationship between chemistry and maths. |
| D．A periodic table of shapes can be built with the help of AI. |
5 . This Is How You Walk the Walk
People call walking the“perfect exercise”. It gets your heart pumping, clears your head and fills your lungs with fresh air. Not bad, but we found a way to make it even better. Before you take your next 10,000 steps, add a little stuck to your stroll. Take a Stawer walking stick anywhere and I promise that you’ll feel like a conquering hero. Its powers will astonish you.
What’s the secret?
Our Stawer walking sticks are a tip of the top hat to turn-of-the-century tradition.Today, serious collectors gladly pay thousands for rare and handcrafted sticks from the 19th century. But only Stawer walking sticks can deliver a modern version of these classics that looks and feels as good as the original for only $59 each!
Details
·36 inches long. Imported Eucalyptus wood.
·Solid brass handles with varying finishes.
·Rubber tips. Supports up to 250 pounds.
·All models available in 40 inches height.
Your satisfaction 100% guaranteed
Experience the comfort and elegance of our delicate walking sticks for 30 days. If you’re not feeling the power, simply send it back within 30 days for a refund (退款) of the item price.
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Praise for Stawer walking sticks
“An excellent walking stick. Solid and elegant. Perfect for a night out. Well crafted.”
Mr Jacob/from Pacific Grove, CA
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1. Which is unrelated to Mr Jacob’s review about the Stawer walking stick?| A．Its firmness. | B．Its craftsmanship. |
| C．Its cheapness. | D．Its practicality. |
| A．Prepare enough money. | B．Check reviews first. |
| C．Apply for a discount. | D．Buy as soon as possible. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A business magazine. | C．A product survey. | D．An instruction book. |
6 . My family and I recently went to Australia, to see my grandparents. But before we visited them, we went sightseeing along the Great Ocean Road, on the Australian coast.
Dad had planned to drive, but even though he was used to driving miles without getting exhausted, he then read on the website that the road wouldn’t be an easy drive. Anyway, we thought he deserved to enjoy the fantastic views too, which he couldn’t do as our driver. So instead, we booked discount bus tickets and off we went.
Our first stop was where wild kangaroo lived — and Dad and I were taking a walk when a big one appeared! For a moment, it seemed to consider coming towards us, which made me a little nervous — but then it went off along the road and into the bushes.
That wasn’t the only wildlife we saw. I thought it unlikely we’d see famous Koala bears during our short visit. In fact, at our next stop, we saw roughly six million in that area! Sadly, some gum trees they were in had very few leaves left, which people told us was because of the Koalas, although I’d read that lack of water is indeed the problem.
Dad had booked a campsite for the night, with ready-made tents — for an adventure! I wasn’t sure about that, but they were really luxury tents, within walking distance of some famous rocks and other places we hoped to visit. However, Dad also said the sounds of wild creatures would help us sleep. That sounded worrying — until the “wild creatures” turned out to be frogs! So I was embarrassed by my fears and kept awake by the frogs! But we had fun making meals together.
In fact, this whole trip was fantastic!
1. How did the author’s family choose to travel at last?| A．By car. | B．By bike. | C．By boat. | D．By bus. |
| A．A little excited. | B．A little proud. | C．A little afraid. | D．A little upset. |
| A．heard the sound of frogs | B．was a little cold |
| C．dreamed of some famous places | D．was scared by a dangerous wild animal |
| A．Long. | B．Wonderful. | C．Cheap. | D．Boring. |
7 . Friends always ask why I, a middle-aged woman with no athletic (运动) talent (天赋), travel to perilous places — the jungles (丛林) of Thailand or Borneo, for example, where the water is often unsafe and the food risky; places with infectious diseases, poisonous snakes and the wildest animals.
I never know how to answer. Nine years ago I suffered a stroke (中风). To prevent another stroke, my doctors told me, I’d have to take dangerously high levels of blood thinner (血液稀释剂) for the rest of my life and any travel would be risky (冒险的).
I had to think about what was important to me: family, of course, and friends. But then what? No matter how many times I thought about it, I could not be happy without travel. Then I had to decide how I might manage the risk.
The first real test of my travel courage came nine months after my stroke when I joined my husband, Jack, on a business trip to China. After we’d toured the remains of a Tang dynasty temple on a high mountain, Jack wanted to ride down on a toboggan (长雪橇).
Before the stroke it would’ve seemed like fun. But now? I hesitated. My mental klaxon (高音喇叭) screamed warnings about the consequences of a cut, a fall, and a crash. Then, gaining confidence from who knew where, I lowered myself carefully into the toboggan, which marked my adventure (冒险) travel come back.
In the years since then, I’ve traveled about twenty-five percent of the time. Through it all, my lucks held out — no deadly falls, no car accidents or serious infections. For me, adventure travel is a risk worth taking. Travel broadens my world and keeps me connected to nature. What’s more, saying “yes” to travel keeps me connected to myself.
1. What does the underlined word “perilous” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Energetic. | B．Dangerous. | C．Romantic | D．Famous. |
| A．Do proper exercise. | B．Enjoy the rest of her life. |
| C．Spend more time with her family | D．Keep away (远离) from traveling |
| A．It was her last adventure. | B．She recovered (恢复) her courage (勇气) through it. |
| C．She liked the beautiful scenery in China. | D．It was the most dangerous experience in her life. |
| A．A business trip to China | B．Stroke, a dangerous disease |
| C．How I overcame the fear of disease | D．Why I still travel to the wild |
8 .
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1. If you want to be a Trainee Hairdresser you can contact
| A．careers@a golden-care. com | B．cathy@acut-above. Brighton. com |
| C．info@ wowee. com | D．info@ top model-agency. uk |
| A．Lucy, who can work all the week. |
| B．Betty, who has no previous experience. |
| C．Peter, who once worked as a news reporter. |
| D．Fland, who is handsome with a height of 190 cm. |
| A．Good personality. | B．Enough experience. |
| C．Required age. | D．Required height. |
9 . Fresh fish should have a mild smell. Strong fishy smells are the first signs to go bad. How do the fishy smells come from?
It can be several days from when the fish are caught to when they reach the supermarket. In that time, bacteria that grow naturally in fish start to consume a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)in fish. These bacteria change TMAO into trimethylamine (TMA), the substance responsible for the fishy smells. Bacteria in fish can also change lysine(赖氨酸)into cadaverine(尸胺), a substance that’s associated with breaking down the fish once they are caught and giving off fishy smell.
Chemical reactions can also lead to fishy smells. This happens through the oxidation(氧化)of fat. Fish are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids. When these fats are exposed to oxygen, they oxidize and break down into the substance that you can smell.
To slow down the fishy smell, what is beyond question is that the less time between when the fish are caught and when they reach the kitchen, the better. But today, fish are often flown across the globe. To keep smell-producing bacteria at bay, the fish must be frozen or kept at the low temperature possible as soon as they are caught and cleaned.
Controlling fat oxidation can function as well, especially for fattier fish species. While freezing slows bacterial growth, it does not stop fat oxidation. This reaction will occur as long as oxygen is present. Fatty fish are usually not frozen because, despite the cold temperature, they’re going to oxidize pretty fast unless they are stored in a low oxygen container. That’s why those species are often canned.
It’s also important to remember that smell is not always an indicator of safety, especially in processed fish products. “What you might consider the fishy smell may be a delicacy in another culture,” said Carl A. Batt, a professor of food science at Cornell University.
1. Which of the following has the fishy smell?| A．Fish fat. | B．TMAO. | C．Cadaverine. | D．Lysine. |
| A．Drying them in the air. | B．Storing them in closed containers. |
| C．Carefully cleaning them. | D．Exposing them to rich oxygen. |
| A．Objective. |
| B．Negative. |
| C．Acceptable. |
| D．Unclear. |
| A．Topic—Example—Conclusion. | B．Topic—Comparison—Opinion. |
| C．Question——Cause——Solution. | D．Question—Effect—Opinion. |
10 . It was 1963 in the Toronto suburb. I was eight years old and hockey (冰球) -crazy. My next-to-zero skills had not stopped my passion for the game. The players of the great hockey club Toronto Maple Leafs were of course my heroes, and their posters and photos covered the walls of my room.
There is always some price to pay for maintaining a love. I raised funds in an old-fashioned way, selling something the public could actually sink their teeth into. I joined the local annual event — Margaret’s Doughnuts (甜甜圈) to sell doughnuts, which offered choices of honey-glazed or chocolate-glazed.
Door-to-door I went, notebook in hand to record. I sold dozens of dozens; hardly a soul turned me down. My notebook was almost full, and my stomach was almost empty when I went up the last house on the south side.
I rang the doorbell and went over my speech while staring at the screen door. Suddenly, the door opened. My unforgettable memory was looking up from a large pair of fuzzy slippers, way up, to the face staring down. I stood there speechless for what seemed 10 years, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. Collecting my calmness, but still unable to go into doughnut-promoting overdrive, I told him something he seemed have already known and he replied with a nod and a smile.
I have an unclear memory of murmuring through my speech “Please-buy-some-doughnuts”, and then a vivid memory of him taking the notebook from my hand. I followed with new information — that we shared our given name. With pride from our first-name-basis farewells, I flew home holding the notebook tightly to my chest.
The next morning before the school bell, I cautiously showed off the precious paper. It is surely mine alone to claim: I sold a dozen doughnuts to Tim Horton, one of my most respected players who lived a mere three blocks away!
1. What can we know about the author?| A．He obtained posters and photos from a star team. |
| B．He joined Toronto Maple Leafs as a young child. |
| C．He was not much of an experienced hockey player. |
| D．His love for hockey was influenced by a star team. |
| A．To follow the fashion. | B．To respond to an event. |
| C．To taste more flavors. | D．To pursue his hobby. |
| A．He was so speechless with astonishment. | B．He was looked down upon by the owner. |
| C．He was scared by the owner’s appearance. | D．He forgot his speech for selling doughnuts. |
| A．A Successful Sale Promotion Of Doughnuts |
| B．An Amazing Journey To Following My Dream |
| C．A Grateful Doughnut Helping Awaken My Dream |
| D．An Unexpected Meeting With My Favorite Hockey |
