1 . 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.

2 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.

According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger” (视频博主). The survey, carried out among 1,002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.

This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience of the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.

In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.

However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and fortune. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.

Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his enthusiasm, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job.

B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’career choice.

C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios.

D．Young Britons can not find jobs without the Internet.

2. Why do more and more young Britons choose to be vloggers?

A．Vloggers can earn greater fame and more money on the Internet.

B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business.

C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business.

D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 5?

A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy.

B．A vlogger can not earn fame and fortune.

C．People often see the bright side of being a vlogger.

D．Dreams will always remain dreams.

4. What do young people like David do on the Internet?

A．Learn from others.	B．Become an online hit.
C．Hold running races.	D．Combine jobs with hobbies.

3 . If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and

philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.

So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.

Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to______________.

A．provide some key facts about Confucius

B．attract the readers' interest in the subject

C．show great respect for the ancient thinker

D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

2. We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students___________.

A．have a great interest in studying Chinese

B．take an active part in Chinese competitions

C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams

D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Forgotten Wisdom in America

B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language

C．Chinese Culture for Westerners

D．Old Thinker with a Big Future

4. The passage is likely to appear in__________.

A．a personal biography	B．a history paper
C．a cultural newspaper	D．a philosophy textbook

4 . Why Is Exercise Cool?

•Exercise Strengthens Muscles

Did you ever do a push-up or swing across the monkey bars at the playground?    1    By using your muscles to do powerful things, you can make them stronger. For older teens and adults, this kind of workout can make muscles bigger, too.

•    2    

Can you touch your toes easily without yelling ouch? Most kids are pretty flexible, which means that they can bend and stretch their bodies without much trouble. Being flexible is having “full range of motion”, which means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain.

•Exercise Keeps the Balance

    3    Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to function, breathe, walk around, and do all the basic things.    4    If you’re not very active, your body won’t need as many calories. Whatever your calorie need is, if you eat enough to meet that need, your body weight will stay about the same. If you eat more calories than your body needs, it may be stored as extra fat.

•Exercise Makes You Feel good

It feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy—like running, jumping and playing with your friends. It’s also fun to be good at something, like scoring a basket, hitting a home run, or perfecting a dive.

But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.    5    It’s just another reason why exercise is cool!

A．Exercise Makes You Flexible

B．Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy

C．Those are exercises that can build strength.

D．So you want to do some aerobic (有氧的) exercise right now?

E．But if you’re active, your body needs an extra measure of calories or energy.

F．Food gives your body fuel in the form of calories, which are a kind of energy.

G．When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical which may make you feel happier.

5 . For decades, China had wanted a Nobel Prize in science. Tu Youyou, a researcher who helped to develop a malaria（疟疾）medicine, finally won the country that honor.

In fact, Tu is not the only scientist in China who is catching the world’s attention. In 2016, the Nature journal published a list of the top 10 science stars in China. Gao Caixia and Cui Weicheng are two of them.

Gao Caixia has been devoted to genetic engineering for her whole career. She is known for using CRISPR-Cas9, the revolutionary gene-editing technique that is sweeping through biology labs around the world – in crops.

At first, Gao was unwilling to take up gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9 because her lab at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology in Beijing had already created mutations（变异）in 82 genes using an older type of technology. But after thinking carefully about it, she decided to give it a try.

After a year of hard work, her lab finally succeeded. Gao worked on genetic engineering in wheat, a crop that is famous for being difficult to work with. Now she is considered one of the best in the world at engineering wheat.

Cui Weicheng is the developer of China’s record-setting Jiaolong submersibl（e   潜水器）. He is now a professor at Westlake University. In 2012, Cui rode inside China’s Jiaolong submersible and reached a depth of more than 7,000 meters in the Pacific.

Thanks to Jiaolong and the 57-year-old developer, China is now one of only a few nations that can explore the deep sea. Jiaolong can travel deeper than any other manned research submersible currently in use, which shows China’s increasing ambition and leadership in deep-sea research.

1. Why is Tu Youyou mentioned at the beginning of the passage?

A．To show one of China’s long-held dreams.

B．To stress the importance of the Nobel Prize.

C．To praise Tu Youyou for her contributions.

D．To introduce more top Chinese scientists.

2. Why did Gao Caixia work on wheat?

A．Because she failed in her attempt to study other crops.

B．Because she was expert at wheat engineering.

C．Because wheat is hard to be genetically engineered.

D．Because wheat is the most widely planted crop in China.

3. What is Cui Weicheng’s biggest contribution to China?

A．He teaches about sea at a university.

B．He developed Jiaolong submersible.

C．He is devoted to genetic engineering.

D．He reached the bottom of the ocean.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．China’s Science Stars	B．China’s Nobel Prize Dream
C．Gao Caixia－China’s Crop Engineer	D．Cui Weicheng－China’s Deep Diver

6 . Train Information

All customers travelling on TransLink services must be in possession of a valid ticket before boarding. For ticket information，please ask at your local station or call 13 12 30.

While Queensland Rail makes every effort to ensure trains run as scheduled，there can be no guarantee of connections between trains or between train services and bus services.

Lost property(失物招领)

Call Lost Property on 13 16 17 during business hours for items lost on Queensland Rail services.

The lost property office is open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm and is located(位于)at Roma Street station.

Public holidays

On public holidays, generally a Sunday timetable operates. On certain major event days，i.e.

Australia Day, Anzac Day, sporting and cultural days, special additional services may operate.

Christmas Day services operate to a Christmas Day timetable，Before travel please visit translink. com. au or call TransLink on 13 12 30 anytime.

Customers using mobility devices

Many stations have wheelchair access from the car park or entrance to the station platforms.

For assistance, please Queensland Rail on 13 16 17.

Guardian trains (outbound)

Depart	Origin	Destination	Arrive
6:42pm	Altandi	Varsity Lakes	7:37pm
7:29pm	Central	Varsity Lakes	8:52pm
8:57pm	Fortitude Valley	Varsity Lakes	9:52pm
11:02pm	Roma Street	Varsity Lakes	12:22am

1. What would you do to get ticket information?

A．Call 13 16 17.	B．Visit translink .com.au.
C．Ask at the local station.	D．Check the train schedule.

2. At which station can you find the lost property office?

A．Altandi.

B．Roma Street.

C．Varsity Lakes.

D．Fortitude Valley.

3. Which train would you take if you go from Central to Varsity Lakes?

A．6:42 pm.

B．7:29 pm.

C．8:57 pm.

D．11:02 pm.

7 . Books Recommended by TED Speakers

A Mathematician’s Apology by G. H. Hardy

This is the best book I know about the sheer beauty of mathematics. Here’s one lovely quote from the book: “A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.”

— David Brenner (TED Talk: A new weapon in the fight against superbugs)

The Future by Nick Montfort

This is a short read but a great look at some key future thinkers throughout history. Through delightfully written case studies, Montfort makes the argument that the future can be made and not predicted. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in future studies and the role that sci-fi, speculative design and big ideas play in shaping our future relationship with technology.

— Raphael Arar (TED Talk: How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions)

Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson

“We all could use a lesson on how to have fun in business and in life. Madson does a wonderful job providing strategies on how to deal with life’s many challenging situations by drawing from the maxims of improvisational theater.”

— Lisa Dyson (TED Talk: A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food)

If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland

For those who know they have something to express, these stressful times can feel a bit hopeless — it may seem impossible to find the time, skill and energy to create. This is one of the most timeless books on how to regain that hope, and it’s also a delightful read, in and of itself.

— Sebastian Wernicke (TED Talk: How to use data to make a hit TV show)

1. What is the topic of the talk given by Raphael Arar?

A．A new weapon in the fight against superbugs.

B．How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions.

C．A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food.

D．How to use data to make a hit TV show.

2. Who are advised to read Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up?

A．Those interested in mathematics.	B．Those interested in future studies.
C．Those faced with life’s difficulties.	D．Those eager to create books.

3. Which book does Sebastian Wernicke recommend?

A．A Mathematician’s Apology.

B．The Future.

C．Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up.

D．If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit.

8 . It seems we can’t get off the planet fast enough. Two thirds of NASA’s money is spent on manned space exploration, and that number will grow with the USA’s decision to send a man to Mars in 2037. We’ve seen all there is to see on Earth, right? Wrong. The final place is here, under the surface of the sea.

Heading down into the ocean, human limits are quickly reached. At 200 metres, the water is as black as a moonless night. Most nuclear submarines (核潜艇) would implode (内爆) before they reach 1 km down. At 3 km — still less than the average depth of the ocean — there’s a good chance that you’ll discover a new species. The deepest­diving whales go no further. At the very bottom, about 11 km down, lies the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Eighteen humans have walked on the Moon, but only three have seen the Deep with their own eyes.

Yet things live down there. Big things. A very loud sound was once heard and scientists suggested that it was produced by an animal bigger than a blue whale, the largest creature known on the planet.

In the late 1990s, a deep­water submarine was dropped in the Southern Ocean, and passing 4,000 metres, it discovered something huge passing under it. Surprised? Don’t be. The ocean covers 70% of the planet’s surface and we’ve studied less than 5% of it. We know more about the dark side of the Moon than about the bottom of the sea.

One reason that we explore space is to find evidence of other life forms. The search for life outside of Earth is important, but robots can look under the dry rocks of Mars better than humans. They’re absolutely important for doing ocean research too, but they can’t look under the sea. The cost of exploration is rising, but the results would benefit all our lives. Understanding the oceans will help us find new sources of food, drugs and energy.

Perhaps now it's time to begin a new period of sea exploration. Manned exploration of space is science fiction (科幻小说). The adventure of the deep sea is science fact.

1. What do the examples in Paragraph 2 suggest?

A．Sea exploration is no easy task.

B．Nuclear submarines need to be improved.

C．The ocean is far deeper than people expected.

D．The condition under the sea is similar to that on the Moon.

2. What do we know about the Challenger Deep?

A．Blue whales live there.

B．No one has ever been there.

C．People are terrified by the sight of it.

D．It is the deepest known location on Earth.

3. What does the author think of the discovery in the Southern Ocean?

A．It’s surprising.	B．It’s no wonder.
C．It’s worrying.	D．It’s no success.

4. What does the author want to tell us?

A．Space exploration is of little value.

B．We spend too much money on space travel.

C．Humans’ success lies in how much they explore the sea.

D．The ocean is the place where we should make our efforts.

9 . The Internet has become part of modern life, bringing convenient services to everyone who can connect. While it seems hard to live without the Internet, it also brings new problems. For example, individuals, organizations and even governments can become targets of cyber attacks.

The past week marked China's sixth annual Cybersecurity Week, held from Sept 16 to 22 nationwide. The opening ceremony and major activities were held in Tianjin. First launched in 2014, the event was designed to raise public awareness of the importance of fighting online threats and cyber attacks. The theme of this year's event is "cybersecurity for the people and by the people".

The leaking (泄露）of personal information now stands out. " Efforts should be made to raise people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security in cyberspace," said President Xi Jinping in an instruction for the event. "The country will safeguard the security of personal information and citizens' legal rights and interests in cyberspace. According to a report from the 2017 China Internet Security Conference, more than 90 percent of Android smartphones for sale in China contained serious safety bugs. Such flaws (缺陷)allow hackers to control entire phones and obtain the users' passwords, bank information and more.

To protect personal information, China issued its first cybersecurity law in June 2017. One key part of this law is meant to protect personal information. It rules that network operators are not allowed to leak, change or damage the personal information they gather. They are also not allowed to give personal information to others freely.

Apart from China, issuing laws to protect personal information and prevent junk electronic information is a common practice in other countries.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the new Internet-based problems.

B．To show readers a new Internet-based trend.

C．To make a list of new cybercrimes online.

D．To call for protection of personal security.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．Android smartphones sales are on the decrease.

B．Personal data protection comes into focus.

C．Netizens are sensitive to online information.

D．Nearly all smartphones contain security flaws.

3. Who does China's first cybersecurity law mainly intend to regulate?

A．Website designers.	B．Illegal hackers.
C．Network operators.	D．Internet-based companies.

4. What will be probably mentioned after the last paragraph?

A．Foreign practices to safeguard cybersecurity.

B．Countries producing laws of national security.

C．Effective ways to deal with personal security.

D．Advice on how to avoid leaking personal data.

10 . Artificial intelligence (Al) is practically everywhere today. There are so many products out there which use Al. Some are being developed, some are already in use, and some failed and are being improved, so it’s very difficult to name a few of them and regard them as the best.

Vi

It is an Al personal trainer which is mainly concerned with fitness and coaching. It, however, requires the use of bio-sensing earphones and other fitness tracking equipment! It can play your favourite music while you work out and all you have to worry about is the exercise you're doing.

Deep Text

Do you ever wonder how an ad appears suddenly just when you are looking for something similar? This is because of Deep Text. It uses real-time consumer information to produce data which in turn is used to target consumers. Thus, if you search online for flight tickets from Bangalore to Delhi, it is very likely that an ad relating to hotels in Delhi will soon follow.

Hello Egg

If you live alone and miss your mother because you always miss your breakfast or don’t know what to eat for dinner, then Hello Egg is exactly what you are looking for. A very healthy choice of the 2-minute noodles and oats, Hello Egg provides you with a detailed weekly meal plan about the needs of your body. It is truly a modern AI-powered home cooking tool for the young.

Wordsmith

You can put Mr. Smith into your Microsoft Excel using their free API, and let it write up detailed analysis of the stories behind your numbers. It can produce detailed reports on thousands of pages of spreadsheets in seconds.

1. What can we learn about Vi from the text?

A．It is an AI music player.

B．It is a bio-sensing earphone.

C．It doesn't work without bio-sensing earphones.

D．It can make you more energetic while you work out.

2. Which can help you improve cooking skill?

A．Deep Text.	B．Vi.
C．Wordsmith.	D．Hello Egg.

3. What can Wordsmith do for us?

A．Produce a detailed report.	B．Provide us with a detailed meal plan.
C．Book a ticket ahead of time.	D．Offer us information on hotels for traveling.