1 . Earth Hour is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It's a big event usually at the end of March every year. On this evening, people “go dark”.     1    

It's true that turning off lights for just one hour saves only a small amount of power.    2    On one level, joining in Earth Hour makes people think about the problem of climate change and what we can do in everyday life to protect nature.

But on another level, a large number of people’s acting together sends a powerful message to governments and companies.     3     They begin considering green issues when big decisions.

The logo(标识) of Earth Hour is “60+” .The number 60 is for the 60 minutes of Earth Hour.     4     In fact, people who join in Earth Hour say that taking part makes them want to do more for the environment.

    5     Musicians give concerts by playing acoustic(原声的) instruments instead of electric ones, and using candles instead of electric lights. Celebrity chefs have created special recipes for families to prepare and eat by candlelight. Tree-planting sessions, group walks and runs are also among the options.

A．But this is only the beginning.

B．Earth Hour represents every hour of every day.

C．After all, everyone has to answer for what they have done.

D．Besides turning off the lights, people get involved in other events.

E．It pushes them to take urgent measures by making changes to policies.

F．That is, they switch off all unnecessary lights at the same time for one hour.

G．The plus invites people to continue their action even after Earth Hour is finished.

2 . A recent study showed that the experiences children have in their first few years are important. These experiences affect the development of the brain. When children receive more attention, they often have higher IQs. Babies receive information when they see, hear and feel things, which makes connections between different parts of the brain. There are a hundred trillion connections in the brain o£ a three-year-old child.

Researcher Judit Gervain tested how good newborns are at telling different sound patterns. The researchers produced images o£ the brains of babies as they heard different sound patterns. For example₅one order was mu—ba—ba. This is the pattern "A -B— B”. Another order was mu—ba—ge. This is the pattern "A-B—C”. The images showed that the part of the brain responsible for speech was more active during the "A—B-B” pattern. This shows that babies can tell the difference between different patterns. They also were sensitive（敏感）to where it occurred in the order.

Gervain is excited by these findings because the order of sounds is the base of words and grammar, "Position is key to language," she says. "If something is at the beginning or at the end, it makes a big difference： 'John caught the bear' is very different from 'The bear caught John.

Researchers led by scientist Patricia Kuhl have found that language delivered by televisions, audio books, the Internet, or smartphones——no matter how educational—— doesn't appear to be enough for children's brain development. They carried out a study of nine-month-old American babies. They expected the first group who'd watched videos in Chinese to show the same kind of learning as the second group who were brought face-to- face with the same sounds. Instead they found a huge difference. The babies in the second group were able to distinguish （辨别）between similar Chinese sounds as well as native listeners. But the other babies-regardless of whether they had watched the video or listened to the audio-learned nothing.

1. Why are early experiences so important to children according to the study?

A．They can show connections in their brains.

B．They can increase new information of IQs.

C．They can offer children more attention,

D．They can help to develop their brains.

2. How was the research carried out?

A．By recognizing babies5 different appearances.

B．By producing images of new words for babies,

C．By testing how babies' brains learn to speak language.

D．By checking babies' brains to identify different sound patterns.

3. Why is Gervain excited about the findings?

A．Grammar is important in learning languages,

B．Different orders of sounds have different meanings.

C．The order of words comes from its grammar meaning.

D．Different languages have different grammar rules.

4. What is Patricia Kuhl most likely to agree?

A．Learning Chinese is of great benefit to babies' brains.

B．Babies are better than adults in learning a foreign language.

C．Face-to-face communication can improve babies' brains.

D．Babies learn a lot from television, audio books or the Internet.

3 . Hall of Human Life(Permanent Exhibit)

Should you have your baby’s DNA sequenced? What keeps you awake? Step inside the Hall of Human Life. the Museums new biology exhibition, and encounter such far-reaching questions on an amazing journey inside the human body. Through digital media and personal interaction, you become “part of the story”, as you contribute your own data in a process of learning and discovery.

A Birds World(Permanent Exhibit)

This exhibit features the Museums extraordinary collection of birds，displaying over 300 species in New England. Here, you can learn to interpret the bird language taking place just outside your window at home.

Test your observation skills and see if you can get past different birds without them alerting(发信号)other animals to your presence. Learn to identify birds from a distance by recognizing unique flight patterns. Practice your flying technique in the Bird Walk.

Butterfly Garden(Permanent Exhibit)

Walk among the free-flying residents of this warm conservatory. It is a wonderful opportunity to get close to a variety of living butterflies from New England and across the globe. The “Emergence Box” offers a window into the butterfly behavior. Look inside to see hanging chrysalides (蝶蛹)transform into adult butterflies. Tickets are required and visitors should reserve at least two weeks in advance.

1. How can you become part of the story in the Hall of Human Life?

A．By keeping awake.	B．On an funny journey.
C．By answering questions.	D．Through offering the personal data.

2. What can you do in A bird’s World?

A．Learn the bird language.	B．Watch all bird species.
C．Make your flying technique better.	D．Send signals to birds.

3. What is the main function of the Emergence Box in the Butterfly Garden?

A．Hanging chrysalides.

B．Getting close to butterflies.

C．Keeping the conservatory warm.

D．Observing butterflies through its window.

4 . Do you remember what happened on Sponge Bob Square Pants yesterday? The day before? If so, you may be in need of a TV timeout!

Kids today are watching more TV than they watched before, researchers say. Kids ages 6 to 11 in the United States watch more than three hours of TV each day. Ten years ago, children watched only about two hours and 40 minutes of TV each day.

Why the increase? Experts say more TV shows today are focused, or aimed, at kids.

Some people want to limit kids' TV time. Researchers say that children who watch TV shows for more than three hours a day do not do as well in school. However, some programs can help kids learn. One example is BrainSurge. Some people say the show teaches kids facts.

How do you know whether a TV show can make you smart? Think about what you learn from watching, says Aletha Huston. She is a TV expert. But, she warns, don't spend too much time watching. “Limit the amount you watch. Get off the couch and do something else.”

TV Guide

This pie chart shows how long kids ages 6－11 use different types of TV technology each week.

1. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Kids today watch more TV than they did before.

B．BrainSurge helps kids learn facts.

C．Kids do not watch proper TV shows.

D．More TV shows today are created for kids ages 6－11.

2. The underlined word “focused” can be replaced by ________.

A．unusual

B．aimed

C．suitable

D．pleasant

3. How many kinds of TV technology are mentioned in the chart?

A．Three.

B．Five.

C．Four.

D．Six.

4. According to the pie chart, kids spend the least time using________.

A．Video games

B．DVD

C．VCR

D．TV

5 . Non-Credit Courses

The Pre-College Program offers non-credit courses. Students will experience college-level courses given by some of our college’s leading experts and will receive written feedback (反馈) on their work at the end of the course. Pre-College students will also receive a grade of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the program.

All non-credit courses meet from 9:00 a. m.-11:30 a. m. daily and may have additional requirements in the afternoons or evenings.

COURSE: Case Studies in Neuroscience

·June 11— July 2

·Leah Roesch

Using student-centered, active-learning methods and real-world examples, this course is designed to provide a fuller understanding of how the human brain works.

COURSE: Psychology of Creativity

·June 15—June 28

·Marshall Duke

Why are certain people so creative? Is it genetic (遗传的), or a result of childhood experience? Are they different from everyone else? This popular psychology course highlights the different theories of creativity.

COURSE: Creative Storytelling

·June 21 — July 3

·Edith Freni

This college-level course in creative storytelling functions as an introduction to a variety of storytelling techniques that appear in different forms of creative writing, such as short fiction and playwriting.

COURSE: Sports Economics

·July 19 — August 1

·Christina DePasquale

In this course we will analyze many interesting aspects of the sports industry: sports leagues, ticket pricing, salary negotiations, discrimination, and NCAA policies to name a few.

1. Who is the text intended for?

A．The general public.	B．College freshmen.
C．Educational experts.	D．High school students.

2. Which course can you take if you are free only in June?

A．Sports Economics.	B．Creative Storytelling.
C．Psychology of Creativity.	D．Case Studies in Neuroscience.

3. Whose course should you choose if you are interested in creative writing?

A．Leah Roesch’s.	B．Edith Freni’s.
C．Marshall Duke’s.	D．Christina DePasquale’s.

6 . The terraced rapeseed(油菜)flower hills of Jiangling, Wuyuan is well-known as one of the four “seas of flowers” in China, attracting thousands of plant-loving tourists to come and appreciate and photograph the vast and endless rapeseed flower fields.

“Rapeseed flowers are the messenger of spring,” said Bin Zhan, manager of Jiangxi Wuyuan Tourism, “Jiangling is the best place for a relaxing spring trip to enjoy the most visually impressive views of golden seas of rapeseed blossoms covering layered terrace fields”.

The rapeseed blossom in the terraced fields of Jiangling, located 45 kilometres to the northeast of Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, reached full bloom in the second week of March.

This year. Wuyuan restores ancient farming traditions and practices to give visitors an idea or the history ，culture and folk customs of the county by adding scarecrows(稻草人) in the rapeseed flower fields. The creative scarecrows of Wuyuan County are designed in the shapes of popular cartoon characters, Hui-style architecture and folk customs. They are placed in the rapeseed fields to provide more fun and interactions for visitors on flower viewing tours.

“As flower viewing is becoming more popular in recent years, Jiangling is seeing a growing number of returning visitors, especially professional photograph who come back every year for the dramatic rapeseed blossoms,” Zhan said. “The blossoms only last one to two months. April is the last chance to catch a flower-viewing tour this year.”

In addition to flower viewing, Wuyuan County is also home to the most well-protected ancient Hui-style architecture in China. As one of the most beautiful countryside villages in China, it attracts photographers from around the world every year to document not only the natural scenery, but also the unique farming culture and folk traditions.

1. Which is NOT one of the features of the rapeseed blossoms of Jiangling？

A．The rapeseed fields cover a limited area.

B．The rapeseed is planted on layered terraces.

C．Rapeseed flowers blossom, at the beginning of spring.

D．When the flowers blossom, the fields are like a golden sea.

2. What does the underlined word “They” refer to？

A．Folk customs.	B．Hui-style buildings.
C．Creative scarecrows.	D．Models of popular cartoon characters.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 5？

A．Returning visitors get discount when entering Jiangling.

B．Visitors could catch the last flower viewing tour in May.

C．It is in March and April that Jiangling has the most visitors.

D．Not many professional photographers will go to see the blossoms.

4. What is the writing purpose of this article？

A．To introduce Wuyuan County as a tourist destination.

B．To report how many people visited Jiangling this year.

C．To introduce the history of rapeseed farming in Jiangling.

D．To remind visitors the best viewing time for rapeseed blossoms.

7 . One day about eight years ago in the departure lounge (休息室) of a flight from New York's LaGuardia airport to O'Hare in Chicago, I found a young boy in tears and his mother at his side also appeared upset, I walked to them and invited them to our VIP lounge.

As it turned out, the boy, Miles and his mom were returning to their home in Kansas City. Miles has had some health problems. Though he had received more than thirty operations in a Jewish Hospital in New York, he would be back for more.

Miles enjoyed spending his time in our VIP lounge looking at the entire wall filled with the pictures of many celebrities (名人) who often came to our office. We soon added Miles' picture to the wall among those celebrities.

Among the celebrities, Miles like the country singer Garth Brooks best. Miles would just sit and stare at Garth's picture,

One day, Mr. Brooks was waiting in the lounge for his flight. As he looked at the collection of photographs, Garth asked about the youngster with the big smile. We told him about Miles. We also told him how much Miles loved and respected (尊重) him. He nodded and left.

About six months later, Garth was going to be performing in Kansas City and he asked our workers to help him get in touch with the family. He wanted Miles to be his guest. That evening, not only did Miles sit in the front row, but he and Garth also had a private meeting after the performance.

Although Miles would receive many more treatments after that special evening, his smile greeted us with every following visit. The face of a sick boy was changed by the joy of a stranger.

1. What does the author probably do?

A．A worker at an airport.	B．A killed photographer.
C．A country music singer.	D．A doctor in a Jewish hospital.

2. What did Miles enjoy doing in the VIP lounge?

A．Interviewing celebrities he saw there.

B．Seeing pictures of celebrities on the wall.

C．Drawing pictures of the celebrities there.

D．Singing together with his favorite singer.

3. Which words can best describe Garth Brooks?

A．Determined and generous.	B．Proud and selfish.
C．Kind and helpful.	D．Powerful and rich.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Importance of Good Service	B．Kindness from Strangers
C．A Serious Health Problem	D．A Helpless Mother

8 . Later this month, Tate Britain will host its first Van Gogh exhibition since 1947. Here we've rounded up 4 of his best paintings before the show.

Potato Eaters

Potato Eaters was Van Gogh's first major work and, despite a distinct lack of colour, it was one that he was most proud of. His aim was to represent the difficulties of country life, so the farmers are painted in earthy tones with rough faces and bony hands. He was more concerned with conveying his message than achieving technical perfection in this painting.

Irises

Van Gogh finished almost 142 pieces during his stay in the Saint Remy de Provence asylum (精神病院), where he was a voluntary patient from 1889 to 1890. This piece was started shortly after he arrived there. The hospital garden provided much inspiration for the artist during his stay there. Originally, the flowers in this work were painted purple but the red pigment (色素) faded over time and has now turned blue.

Cafe Terrace at Night

Despite being painted more than 130 years ago, this cafe still exists in France and has since been renamed the Cafe Van Gogh. This artwork marks the first time Van Gogh's famous post-impressionistic star-filled sky was seen in a piece, and it was painted on the ground, in person, rather than from memory. While the artwork doesn't bear his signature, it's widely known to be Van Gogh's, as he mentioned Cafe Terrace at Night in a number of his letters.

Wheat Field With Cypresses

This piece was inspired by the view from Van Gogh's asylum window and was finished on the spot. The work was the title of three paintings that offer an insight into his stay at the hospital.' Van Gogh was 80 pleased with the summer landscape that he made three copies there, one of the same size—which hangs in the National Gallery and two smaller copies which he planned to gift to his mother and sister.

1. Which painting did Vincent van Gogh take most pride in?

A．Irises.	B．Potato Eaters.
C．Cafe Terrace at Night.	D．Wheat Field With Cypresses.

2. What is the original color of the flowers in Irises?

A．Purple.

B．Blue.

C．Red.

D．Yellow.

3. What do the last two paintings have in common?

A．They were the same in size.	B．They had more than one copy.
C．They were signed by the artist,	D．They were painted on the ground.

9 . Jack was born without eyes. He was very lucky as he grew up having other kittens (young cats) to socialize (交往) with, and was used to people from the moment he was born. However, when it came time to find the kittens homes, no one knew where Jack would end up.

That’s when I got an e-mail from my friend. All she asked was “Do you still want one of the kittens? There’s one here with no eyes and no one would like to take him”. Without thinking I told her that I did want the kitten.

When we first brought him home, Jack stayed mostly in my room. After about a day he had no issues running around and climbing on everything. At times he gets lost in the house, he’ll stop. But we just call his name and talk to him and it isn’t long before he finds his way back to us.

A few weeks after getting Jack, we got a new cat named Bear. Jack and Bear have become best friends. It doesn’t matter that he can’t see. He always knows when Bear is around. He’ll run across the yard straight to Bear and wrap his front legs around his neck in a big hug. They run after each other around and wrestle (摔跤). They’ll lie down in the grass together when tired.

Jack is truly an inspiration. I’ve owned lots of kittens in my life, but Jack is the happiest and most playful. He doesn’t feel sorry for himself. He doesn’t need pity. I think Jean, owner of Gumbo, another eyeless cat, said it best when she told me that cats don’t have disabilities; they have adaptability.

1. Why did Jack come to the author’s home?

A．The author cared for an eyeless cat.

B．The author didn’t mind whether he was blind.

C．No other young cats kept him company.

D．The author’s friend begged the author to take him home.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Jack often wrestles with Bear indoors.

B．Jack likes to play with a new eyeless cat.

C．Jack quickly adapts to the new environment.

D．Jack is good at talking and playing with people.

3. What does the underlined word “issue” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trouble.

B．Fun.

C．Luck.

D．Business.

4. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．A cat has nine lives.	B．All is well that ends well.
C．God helps those who help themselves.	D．A good beginning makes a good ending.

10 . Alexa is Amazon’s cloud-based voice service available on hundreds of millions of devices from Amazon and third-party device manufacturers. With Alexa, you can build natural voice experiences that offer customers a way to interact with the technology they use every day.

Alexa is always eavesdropping (窃听). (So are Siri, Google Assistant, and any other virtual assistant you invite into your home.) This is and isn’t as horrible as it sounds. Although it’s true that the device can hear everything you say within range of its microphones, it is listening for its wake word before it starts recording.Once it hears that —“Alexa” is the default (默认), but there are other options — everything in the following few seconds is considered to be a command or a request and is sent to (and stored on) servers in the cloud, where the correct response is triggered. Think of a smart speaker like a dog: It’s always listening, but it understands only “cookie,” “walk,” or “Buddy.” Everything else goes right over its head.

Every time Alexa hears a command, Amazon — its parent company — has just learned something about you. Maybe the company learned only that you like to listen to the Police, or that you like funny jokes, or that you turn your lights off at 11 p.m. every night. If you were to say “Alexa, where should I bury the body?” you’re not going to have the police showing up at your door. (I know because I’ve tried it.)

Alexa does make mistakes.Sometimes this can be funny, such as when Alexa hears its wake word in a TV show.Other times it’s more serious, including an instance in 2018 when Alexa mistakenly sent an entire private conversation to a random person’s Echo device. Occasionally there are even humans listening to your request for weather reports or trying to figure out what you meant when you added “mangosteens” to your shopping list. Sound disturbing? You likely already agreed to it in the app’s terms of use when you installed the device.

What bits of privacy are you willing to sacrifice for the convenience provided by a smart speaker? If you trust that Amazon’s intentions are no more immoral than getting a better idea of what you want to buy on Prime Day, then you have your answer. If you worry about your private information falling into the hands of the wrong people, then you have another answer.

1. Why does the author compare smart speakers to dogs?

A．To show smart speakers are life companions like dogs.

B．To show smart speakers are sensitive to users’ commands.

C．To show smart speakers are woken by specific words.

D．To show wake words for smart speakers are different.

2. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．The tech company knows less than users imagine.

B．The tech company is spying on users’ everyday life..

C．The tech company turns a blind eye to some crimes.

D．The tech company is interested in users’ music taste.

3. Which of the following best describes Alexa?

A．All-round.

B．Imperfect.

C．Funny.

D．Immoral.

4. What does the author think of using smart speakers?

A．It is a matter of opinion.

B．Privacy is a high price to pay.

C．It is part and parcel of life.

D．Convenience always comes first.