1 . Katie always wanted to be a performer. She, the youngest of, the three kids from Cleveland, was crazy about musicals and Disney movies from an early age and would often watch them singing with her mom, Karen. However, Katie’s happy childhood took a turn when her mother was diagnosed(诊断)with cancer. When the doctor informed the family that Karen’s disease was terminal, they decided to make a trip to Disney World.
The family spared no expense for their once-in-a-lifetime vacation and stayed at Disney’s hotel for eight nights. They spent their days in the parks, seeing the sights, greening characters, all the while pushing Karen in her wheelchair and watching her face light up with joy. They all shared in the merriment of experiencing the parks for the first time with Karen. The trip to Disney World at the height of Karen’s battle with cancer slowed them to escape into a world of magic and laughter. This was the day Katie decided she wanted to work for Disney.
Sadly, Karen lost the battle and died later, but the whole family remembered her every day and often thought of that Disney vacation Katie went on to go after her dream. After she received her degree in musical theater, she struggled for years, working as a waitress and trying to be a performer. Her hard work finally paid off when she was hired to work for Disney.
As a Disney performer, Katie is aware that many other families visit the parks and have similar stories to her own. She encourages everyone, especially children, who may be experiencing a hard time. “Every moment -is meant for you, even the painful ones.” she says. “It’s just like in your favorite Disney movie: There is always some kind of conflict or hardship or pressure. Remember to celebrate those moments, too, because they are taking you to whatever your version of a happy ending is.”
1. What made Katie decide to work for Disney?| A．The dream that she wanted to live a lire full magic. |
| B．The memory that she watched Disney movies as a kid. |
| C．The great joy the Disney vacation brought to her family. |
| D．The great courage her mother showed in fighting cancer. |
| A．Kind and curious. | B．Patient and helpful. |
| C．Strict and independent. | D．Tough and determined. |
| A．Sweet is pleasure after pain. | B．Experience must be bought. |
| C．Many drops make a shower. | D．Good medicine tastes bitter. |
2 . We spend a great amount of time listening to music. Most college students listen to music at least three or four times a week, and more than 50 percent of them go to at least one concert per year.
According to new research, we may be born liking music, because human beings are born to find certain combinations of sounds attractive. For example, young children can recognize a familiar song even when its key is changed. Similarly, they respond with more emotions to their mothers' singing than to their mothers' speech. Careful analysis of mothers' child-directed songs indicates that each mother's songs remain stable from one “performance” to the next, and this may encourage children's engagement with the songs.
Research with adults suggests that music catches our attention by activating (激活) brain pathways that are most suited to processing music than to processing other kinds of sound. Specifically, music appreciation relies on the auditory cortex (听觉皮层) on the right side of the brain, which is specialized to process sound that characterizes music — in contrast to the left auditory cortex, which processes the stop-and-start bursts of sound that characterize speech.
Although some psychologists remain skeptical about whether music may have powerful effects on our thinking, a number of studies have shown that listening to music can increase people's spatial reasoning abilities. Furthermore, it is clear that music can greatly influence our emotions. Personally significant music activates areas of the brain associated with pleasure and reward, the same areas that are activated by good food.
Researchers do not agree about how humans' abilities to process and enjoy music have come into being. Anyway, the next time you enjoy listening to a piece of music, remember that the most complex pieces of audio equipment are the ones between your headphones.
1. Which of the following might belong to the “certain combinations of sounds” in paragraph 2?| A．A debate | B．A song |
| C．A dialogue | D．A quarrel |
| A．no doubt music can increase people's thinking ability |
| B．music simply gives people positive emotions |
| C．music has a great influence on human beings |
| D．only music can give people pure pleasure and reward |
| A．at a college | B．in a brain |
| C．in the concert | D．in the headphone |
3 . Japans biggest airline is betting that the future of travel isn't traveling at all. For the last month, a married couple has been interacting with a robot -called an Avatar -that's controlled by their daughter hundreds of miles away. Made by ANA Holdings Inc. it looks like a cleaner with an iPad attached But the screen displays the daughter's face as they chat, and its wheels let her move slowly about the house as though she's really there.
"Virtual travel"is nothing new, of course. Storytellers, travel writers and artists have stimulating(刺激)the sense of armchair tourists for centuries. It's only in recent decades that frequent, safe travel has become available to the non-wealthy.
Yet even as the world's middle classes climb out of the armchair and into economy-class seats, there are signs of a post-travel society coming into being. Concerns about sustainability(可持续发展)are having an negative influence on carbon-intensive airlines. And the aging of wealthy societies is both slowing down physical travel and creating demand for various ways to experience the world. For the travel industry, virtual (虚拟的)reality offers an attractive response to these trend.
Of course, far- out technologies encourage far-out claims. ANA doesn't plan to start selling Avatars until next year. Profits, too, will probably be difficult to achieve: according to one investigation, the global market for this kind of technology will be worth only about $300 million by 2023. By contrast, ANA's traditional travel business brought in more than $19 billion last year .
But if the business case for virtual vacations is still weak, the market for technologies that bridge physical distances between families and coworkers seems likely to soy expand.ANA's robots may not replace its airplanes any time soon, but they ' ll almost certainly be a part of travel’s high-tech future.
1. “Avatar” is mentioned in paragraph 1 to_________.| A．display how people travel with the robot “Avatar”. |
| B．introduce a new service offered by Japan's biggest airline. |
| C．lead in the topic of virtual travel by providing a vivid scene. |
| D．describe what the robot"Avatar" looks like and how it works. |
| A．the demand for safe travel |
| B．wealthy people's growing old |
| C．worries about low-carbon airlines |
| D．the support of advanced technologies |
| A．traditional travel business is not profitable |
| B．global market for virtual travels is hard to predict |
| C．the time is ripe for selling Avatars in term of technology |
| D．virtual travels will take the place of traditional ones very soon |
| A．Uncertain. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Enthusiastic. | D．Optimistic. |
4 . The disease malaria(疟疾) has caused trouble to mankind throughout history. In the 1860s as the drug called chloroquine began to lose its effectiveness, malaria began to appear again in Southeast Asia. Every country in the world then poured huge amounts of human resources into discovering another anti-malaria drug In 1964, China put forward the plan to seek a breakthrough from among traditional Chinese medicinal drugs. There was no great discovery until 1981. When Chinese scientist Tu Youyou gave a speech titled" Chemical Research into Artemisinin(青蒿素)”. at an international conference of the WHO. The speech was regarded as a lifeline for malaria sufferers.
Tu Youyou graduated from the Medical College of Peking University. In 1969, just as the research into treating malaria had reached dead end, the 39 year-old Tu, in order to overcome this terrible problem, took on the job as head of a research team into this problem. The first thing Tu did was interview experienced doctors of Chinese medicine. Then she and her colleagues conducted various kinds of experiments on hundreds of kinds of Chinese medicinal herbs, including artemisinin. However, the results were disappointing: even those involving artemisinin, which had been universally well regarded, were less than satisfactory.
But later, when Tu found a relevant passage written by Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), it occurred to her that high temperatures destroy artemisinin's effectiveness: it needs a low temperature to work properly. The discovery pointed to a brand-new direction for Tu and her research team. Finally, in 1972, an extract(# R40) of it was found to be one hundred percent effective against the disease!
In 2000 the WHO announced artemisinin was a leading anti-malarial drug, and promoted it worldwide. So far, it has been playing a great role in the battle against malaria. Beginning at the age of 39, Tu devoted her life to her research. In 2015, at the age of 85 and as the first Chinese scientist, she received a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. How did Tu manage to accomplish such a great achievement? You probably have the answer to that already.
1. What can be learnt about “chloroquine”from paragraph1?| A．It contributed to Tu’s great discovery. |
| B．It was discovered by experts in Southeast Asia. |
| C．It was a breakthrough out of Chinese medicine. |
| D．It used to be effective against the disease of malaria. |
| A．She interviewed doctors to collect their experience. |
| B．She attempted to heat the extract at a low temperature. |
| C．She made necessary adjustments in each stage of her research. |
| D．She expanded access to the anti-malarial drug around the world. |
| A．You reap what you sow. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Don't claim to know what you don’t know. |
| D．Live and learn through your mistakes or experience. |
5 . Notre-Dame, the cathedral (大教堂) that serves as one of Paris’s most beloved monuments, is on fire. According to The New York Times, the fire began around 6: 30 p.m. local time, when tourists urgently rushed out of the building. While Andre Finot, a spokesman for the cathedral, told The Times, that the cause of the fire is still unknown and that no one has been hurt while damage to the building appears catastrophic(灾难性的).
CNN reports that over 400 firefighters have been sent to fight the fire, but that they may be unable to save the cathedral. Built in the 12th century, Notre-Dame houses several relics important to Catholics (天主教徒). NBC News reports that relics from Saint Genevieve and Saint Denis may been lost, together with a relic believed to be from Jesus Christ’s crown of thorns, but it states that authorities now believe that the cathedral has been saved from “total destruction”.
Notre-Dame is visited by a reported 30, 000 people a day and 13 million people per year. Its destruction represents a global cultural loss. “This is just horrible”, Mohamed Megdoul, 33, a film producer and witness to the fire told The Times, speaking through tears. “A thousand years of history is being wiped away. This belonged to the whole world, and now it’s disappearing.”
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his sadness on Twitter. “Notre-Dame of Paris in flames,” reads an English translation of his statement. “Emotion for a whole nation. Thoughts for all Catholics and for all the French. Like all our countrymen, I’m sad together to see this part of us burn.” Other politicians, including Melanis Trump, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, U. K. Prime Minister Theresa May also shared their sadness on Twitter.
1. What do we know about Notre-Dame according to the passage?| A．It has been completely destroyed by the fire. |
| B．It’s a huge political loss to the world. |
| C．It’s only meaningful to Catholics. |
| D．The reason of the fire remained to be found out. |
| A．The history of France is destroyed because of the fire. |
| B．The loss the fire caused is huge. |
| C．The damage of Notre-Dame is being wiped off. |
| D．The cathedral has been saved from “total destruction”. |
| A．To report a disaster of Notre-Dame. |
| B．To express people’s sadness of the destruction. |
| C．To emphasize the value of Notre-Dame. |
| D．To show the concerns from the worldwide. |
6 . Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40,000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics’ soul: “We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original.”
Most relics have to rely on tourist fees for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: “We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surrounding of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value.”
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum Dang Quoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, “The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival-related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government.”
Nguyen Thi Minh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: “This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations. Creative restoration (修复) must be based on previous (先前的) values.”
Experts have called for a systematic (系统的) guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
1. Where is the passage most probably taken from?| A．A government survey. | B．A research paper. |
| C．A newspaper report. | D．A travel guide. |
| A．Human activities. | B．Poor building materials. |
| C．War influence. | D．The passing of time. |
| A．turn to the UNESCO for financial help |
| B．improve the scenic value by raising tourist fees |
| C．encourage the community to join in the rescue work |
| D．make full use of the money raised by the local people |
| A．Guide the Community in Proper Behaviors |
| B．Replace the Ruined Construction with a New Style |
| C．Hundreds of Relics in Vietnam Are In Ruins |
| D．Experts Call for a Systematic Way to Preserve Relics |
7 . Financial Education-Awareness Dilemma
When it comes to financial education, the majority of today's youth will regard it as a necessity for certain specific people who want to make their career in the financial world.
Suppose you have $100 in a saving account that pays simple interest at the rate of 2%per year. lf you leave the money in the account, how much will you have accumulated after 5 years: more than $102, exactly $102, or less than $102? The test might look simple, but only half of the people surveyed gave the correct answer.
On the contrary, people who have a lower degree of financial literacy tend to borrow more, accumulate less wealth, and pay more in fees related financial products. They are less likely to invest, more likely to experience difficulty with debt, and less likely to know the terms of their mortgages and other loans. Thus, the cost of this financial ignorance is very high.
What is the solution?
| A．Financial education must start early. |
| B．However, they miss an important point. |
| C．Why does each of us have to face a financial challenge? |
| D．Why does financial literacy matter so much in our society'? |
| E．Rich people are generally better educated on financial management. |
| F．Besides, these people have more than double the wealth of people who don’t. |
| G．For example, they frequently make late credit card payments, overspend their credit limit, etc. |
8 . Mohandas Gandhi, widely considered the father of his country, was the most important Indian political and spiritual leader of the 20th century.
Gandhi was born into a middle-class Hindu family. In 1888, he traveled to England for further education. After graduation, he became a lawyer. At the age of 23, Gandhi worked for an Indian company offering guidance on legal problems in South Africa, where like many other Indians, he was treated unfairly. So he devoted himself to the fight for equal rights. He founded a community against European rulers and developed a political movement based on the methods of non-violent civil disobedience (非暴力不合作),which he called “satyagraha”.
In 1915, Gandhi returned to India and helped settle many local arguments, thus winning lots of respect throughout the country. India’s most well-known writer, Rabindranath Tagore, gave Gandhi the title Mahatma (“Great Soul”). Gandhi himself, however, refused the honor even though within the Hindu culture, being called “Mahatma” is a symbol of great respect. From 1920-1922, he led a national “non-cooperation movement” calling upon Indians to stop cooperating with the British and become independent.
After World War Ⅱ,Gandhi was involved in the deliberations (审议)that led to India’s independence. The same deliberations, however, also led to the separation of India into two countries: modern-day India (primarily for Hindus) and Pakistan (for Muslims). On January 30,1948, Gandhi was murdered at the age of 78. The killer hated Gandhi for the separation of the country.
Gandhi believed in the unity of all mankind under one god. He viewed life as a very long series of small steps towards his goals. By the time he died, India had finally become an independent country, free of British rule. Gandhi is remembered as a political leader, whose methods were later followed by many political leaders around the world. Gandhi is also remembered for his belief and practice to seek the true kindness of mankind. As such, he changed the world.
1. Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．By answering violence with violence. |
| B．By keeping a close relationship with the British. |
| C．By asking for more support from Britain. |
| D．By fighting against the British rule in a peaceful way. |
| A．He himself thought highly of the title. |
| B．He considered the title a symbol of power. |
| C．He wasn’t willing to accept the honor. |
| D．He enjoyed the honor he deserved. |
| A．The Fight for Equal Rights | B．The Road to Independence |
| C．A Man of Great Soul | D．A Deadly Deliberation |
9 . Last year, Donald J．Trump made history when he took office as the 45th president of the United States． At 70 years old, he became the oldest elected president． Before Trump, Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to take office． He was 69 years old when he became president in 1981．As the first billionaire president, Trump also replaced John F．Kennedy, the 35th president, as the richest man to serve as president．
Kennedy still holds the record for the youngest person to be elected president． He was 43 when he took office． Kennedy is also the youngest president to die in office． He was assassinated (暗杀) in 1963 when he was 46．
Another presidential assassination actually put the youngest person in the office of the president． In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt, then the vice president, became president at the age of 42．He took office after William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot and killed in Buffalo, New York．
Another Roosevelt holds the record for the longest time in office． Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president, held office for 4,422 days． After his death, the 22nd amendment (修正案) was passed． It limited a person to two four-year terms as president． The two Roosevelts were distant relatives.
But they were not the first relatives to both serve as president． That title belongs to the Adams． John Adams was America’s second president． His son． John Quincy Adams was elected as the nation’s sixth president．
The Bushes are the other father-son presidential pair． George Herbert Walker Bush was elected as the 4l st president. His son, George W. Bush. was the county’s 43rd president．
Not everyone can run for president． The U.S. Constitution (宪法) says that person must be at least 35 years old． A person must also have lived “within the United States” for at least 14 years． And they must be a “natural-born citizen”．
1. Who is the youngest US president when taking office?| A．Donald J．Trump | B．John F． Kennedy |
| C．Theodore Roosevelt | D．George W． Bush |
| A．1 | B．2 |
| C．3 | D．4 |
| A．US Presidential Facts and Firsts． | B．All Famous Presidents in the US． |
| C．the Richest US President． | D．Running for US President． |
10 . As the Camp Fire continued, killing at least 85 people and displacing thousands more in Northern California, Madison waited there.
Gaylord, the Anatolian shepherd mix’s owner, was not able to get to her home in Paradise, when the fire began to spread, meaning Madison was left behind. For weeks, all Gaylord could do was pray for Madison’s safety, according to California-based animal rescue organization Paw Print Rescue.
Sullivan, a volunteer with the organization, had already helped locate Madison’s brother Miguel in a different city. But Madison was even more difficult to find. Sullivan spotted Madison a few times in a canyon (峡谷), apparently guarding his land, and put out fresh food and water regularly in hopes that the dog would turn up, according to a Facebook post by Sullivan. She even placed an article of clothing that smelled like Gaylord near the home “to keep Madison’s hope alive until his people could return,” Sullivan wrote.
When the evacuation (疏散) order was lifted last week and Gaylord went back to her home—which had been ruined by the fire—her prayers were answered: Madison was there, seemingly protecting what little remained of his family’s home. “Well, I’m so happy to report that Gaylord was allowed to return to her home today and THERE MADISON WAS!!!! He had stayed to protect what was left of his home, and never gave up on his people!” Sullivan wrote in the comment on her Facebook post. “I’m so happy I’m crying as I write this! He didn’t give up through the storms or the fire!” she added.
Soon afterward, Madison was reunited with Miguel for the first time since the fire broke out. An emotional Gaylord said in an interview with the network that she was overcome with joy to see Madison waiting for her. She also expressed how grateful she was to Sullivan. Gaylord said fighting through tears, “You could never ask for better animals. He is the best dog.”
1. What did Madison do during the Camp Fire?| A．He rescued Sullivan. |
| B．He waited for Gaylord. |
| C．He stayed with Miguel. |
| D．He ran away from Paradise. |
| A．To keep Madison warm. |
| B．To get Madison to turn up. |
| C．To help Madison remember his owner. |
| D．To encourage Madison not to give up. |
| A．In a different city. | B．In a canyon. |
| C．At a camp. | D．At his home. |
| A．Patience. | B．Unity. |
| C．Devotion. | D．Wisdom. |
