1 . Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves frustrated(懊恼的) or angry with other people, or even find that we argue with them. The reality is that nobody is perfect and we need to realise that we should find ways to live happier and less stressful lives. Here are some tips on how to make relationships happier and healthier.
Respect other people and accept themThis is the most important point. If we want to show someone we love them, we need to first respect who they are and show them we accept them for who they are: Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. By always remembering this, we will be able to develop and maintain strong relationships.
Be interested in others’ interestsWe might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. Or perhaps a parent’s hobby seems boring to us but it is something they love. If we want to keep our relationships strong and positive, we should at least take time to listen to them and talk about what matters to them. By doing this, we show them that we care about them and their interests
Apologise when you make a mistakeThis is the hardest thing for most of us to do, yet a simple “I’m sorry” can undo a lot of tension. By being humble when you make a mistake, you can fix any problem you may have caused and also show that you are a mature person
Stay connected through communicationGood communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When you experience a positive emotional connection with your partner, you feel safe and happy. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out the disconnect. It may sound simplistic, but as long as you are communicating, you can usually work through whatever problems you’re facing.
So, try and follow the advice and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones
1. What can be concluded from Paragraph 2?| A．We need to realise that others are often wrong in our dealings with them. |
| B．Our friends and loved ones can cause us stress by being wrong. |
| C．Everyone can be right and wrong at times and we need to remember that. |
| D．We should accept the people we love and respect them. |
| A．be positive and confident |
| B．discuss our partner’s concerns |
| C．put our friends’ interests first |
| D．be familiar with our parents’ hobbies |
| A．Ignore our friends’ preferences. |
| B．Never apologize for our mistakes. |
| C．Check in with our friends regularly. |
| D．No need to be mature. |
| A．Being mature and admitting our mistakes when we make them. |
| B．Respecting the fact that others may not appreciate our hobbies and interests. |
| C．Showing our love for others when they hurt us or disrespect us. |
| D．Accepting that our friends will eventually grow apart from us. |
| A．To offer some tips on making healthier relationships |
| B．To remind us about the challenges in friendships and relationships. |
| C．To help us maintain relationships with family members. |
| D．To share ways to live happier and less stressful lives. |
Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur (创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids’ teeth, instead of destroying them.
It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, “Why can’t I make a healthy candy that’s good for my teeth so that my parents can’t say no to it?” With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.
With her dad’s permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting trials to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.
Moore then used her savings to get her business off the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore’s product — CanCandy.
As CanCandy’s success grows, so does Moore’s credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she’s also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.
Meanwhile, with her parents’ help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn’t driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy’s profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.
1. How did Moore react to her dad’s warning? (No more than 10 words)2. What is special about CanCandy? (No more than 10 words)
3. What does Moore expect from her business? (No more than 10 words)
4. How do you understand the underlined part in the last paragraph? (no more than 5 words)
5. How does Moore’s story inspire you to achieve success? Put it in your own words. (No more than 20 words)
3 . “Robot, stand up” — Oscar Constanza, 16, gives the order, and slowly but surely a large frame (支架) lifts him up and he starts walking. Fixed to his shoulders, chest, waist, knees and feet, the exoskeleton (外骨骼) allows Oscar — who has a genetic neurological condition that means he was unable to move — to walk across the room and turn around.
“Before, I needed someone to help me walk ... this makes me feel independent,” said Oscar, as his father Jean-Louis Constanza, one of the co-founders of the company that makes the exoskeleton, looked on.
“One day Oscar said to me: ‘Dad, you’re a robotic engineer. Why don’t you make a robot that would allow us to walk?’” his father said in Paris. “Ten years from now, there will be no, or far fewer, wheelchairs,” he said.
Other companies across the world are also making exoskeletons, competing to make them as light and usable as possible. Some are focused on helping disabled people walk, others on applications, including making standing less tiring for factory workers. Wandercraft’s exoskeleton, an outer frame that supports but also simulates (模仿) body movement, has been sold to many hospitals in France, Luxembourg and the United States, for about 150,000 euros a piece. It cannot yet be bought by private individuals for everyday use — that is the next stage the company is working on. A personal skeleton would need to be much lighter, Wandercraft engineers said.
Just outside Paris, 33-year-old Kevin Piette, who lost the ability to walk in a bike accident 10 years ago, tries one on, walking around his apartment, remote controller (遥控器) in hand. “In the end, it’s quite similar: instead of having the information going from the brain to the legs, it goes from the remote controller to the legs,” he said, before making his dinner and walking with it from the kitchen to the living room.
1. What difficulty did Oscar face?| A．He didn’t get along well with his father. | B．He didn’t get the right treatment. |
| C．He failed to invent a robot. | D．He lost his ability to walk. |
| A．Support his dream of being an engineer. | B．Help him get away from the wheelchair. |
| C．Stop limiting his freedom. | D．Set up a robot company. |
| A．Other companies. | B．Exoskeletons. |
| C．Disabled people. | D．Factory workers. |
| A．They are affordable for most disabled people. | B．They will have a big market. |
| C．They have reached the common family. | D．They are not as useful as expected. |
| A．It is difficult to control. | B．It is worse than real legs. |
| C．It can satisfy his daily needs. | D．It helps him follow his dreams. |
4 . It all started with a tweet from a social media influencer Jérôme Jarre on March 15 after he was on a call with a volunteer in Somalia who had just seen a 6-year-old girl die after walking 90 miles with her mother in search of water. In Somalia alone, 6.2 million people are in need of help.
In his video, Jarre says that everyone is on social media from food and water companies to airlines. What if they could find an airline willing to send food and water to Somalia?
With Turkish Airlines being the only airline that flies to Somalia, he started a GoFundMe campaign (活动) called “Love Army for Somalia” and challenged viewers to post on social media #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia to get them to set aside one of their flights to Somalia for food.
The campaign took off, and other social media influencers joined the movement to help spread the word. Within days, many famous people joined the cause. Turkish Airlines listened and came back with an answer, saying they would keep donating (捐赠) a plane to be filled with food until the end of the famine (饥荒). This campaign received $1 million within 24 hours with the average (平均的) donation being around $28 — the highest donation of $50,000 came from Alex and Ani, a jewelry company.
The goal was to reach $1 million in 10 days and the amount (数量) of money raised in such a short time by so many people surprised Jarre. However, they don’t want this to be a one-off campaign, and to keep the campaign going they’ve come up with another hashtag, #NominatedForSomalia, and ask each donor to encourage three friends to donate through social media.
Jérôme Jarre is in Somalia right now and sharing wonderful images that will put a smile on your face and make sure help is reaching the right people.
1. What happened to the 6-year-old girl?| A．She lost her way. | B．She lost her life. |
| C．She failed to be a volunteer. | D．She failed to stay close to her mother. |
| A．To set up an organization. | B．To give up using social media. |
| C．To raise money from the public. | D．To apply for a job in an airline. |
| A．Paragraph 2. | B．Paragraph 3. | C．Paragraph 4. | D．Paragraph 5. |
| A．It was a great success. | B．It drew little attention. |
| C．It fell short of its goal. | D．It was questioned by viewers. |
| A．Hopeful people in bad situations |
| B．Huge social influence of famous people |
| C．The big change social media makes in our life |
| D．A powerful story on using social media for good |
5 . My name is Jaimic Eckert and I’ve been into volunteer work since childhood. As a girl, I volunteered at animal shelters, played music at nursing homes, and helped with community cleanup after disasters. In college, I volunteered heavily at a large yearly conference for young adults, which is where I fell in love with my husband-to-be, who was on my team of co-volunteers. Since getting married in 2013, we’ve been living in Beirut, Lebanon. I actually have an online coaching business but I’ve had many opportunities to volunteer with projects for Syrian refugees (难民) and youth education.
I enjoy volunteering because most of the time, I do feel that I’m making a difference. Once I was leading out a project that provided food boxes to Syrian refugee families. When it was nearing Ramadan, the biggest holiday season in Islam, I literally stuffed the food package with extra treats...dates, nuts, olive oil and sweets. We took the package unannounced and ended up arriving just as the Syrian family was sitting down on their floor for breakfast. They had nothing more than a few pieces of bread and a pot of tea. The mother was in tears as she received us. I’ll never forget their gratitude.
Another time, back when I was in college in the US, a group of friends and I volunteered to drive to a distant church that was way out in the suburb and had only a few elderly members. The building was in disrepair and the churchyard needed attention. We stayed the weekend in the home of one of these old ladies so we could clean and repair the church. I’ll never forget how new life sparkled in her eyes. She couldn’t repair broken doors or pull weeds, but her love for us was unmatched. It breaks my heart to remember this old lady’s broad smile for such small efforts that we made. Sometimes, volunteer work is fulfilling not because of the actual job you get done, but because of how your presence impacts the people around you.
Volunteering makes me a better person because it gets me outside of myself. It puts my focus on others. It makes me grateful for what I have.
1. In writing Paragraph 1, the author aims to .| A．provide an explanation |
| B．introduce a topic |
| C．reach a conclusion |
| D．propose a definition |
| A．We brought food to Syrian families. |
| B．Ramadan is the most important holiday season in Islam. |
| C．Volunteering affects people in some way. |
| D．Volunteering reminds Eckert of people’s gratitude. |
| A．Because finally someone came to comfort them in the church. |
| B．Because she could clean and repair the church with us. |
| C．Because of our presence and help. |
| D．Because we made efforts to entertain her. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Positive. |
| A．What volunteering means to me. |
| B．My volunteering dream. |
| C．My efforts as a volunteer. |
| D．Volunteering for Syrian refugees. |
6 . Why did humans evolve to walk upright? Perhaps because it’s just plain easier. Make that “energetically less costly,” in science-speak.
Bipedalism — walking on two feet — is one of the defining characteristics of being human, and scientists have debated for years how it came about. In the latest attempt to find an explanation, researchers trained five chimpanzees to walk on treadmill while wearing masks that allowed measurement of their oxygen consumption. The chimps were measured both while walking upright and while moving on their legs and knuckles. That measurement of the energy needed to move round was compared with similar tests on humans and the results are published in this week’s online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It turns out that humans walking on two legs use only one quarter of the energy that chimpanzees use while knuckle-walking on four limbs. And the chimps, on average, use as much energy using two legs as they did when they used all four limbs.
However, there were differences among chimpanzees in how much energy they used, and this difference corresponded to their different gaits and anatomy. One of the chimps used less energy on two legs, one used about the same and the others used more, said David Raichlen, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona.
“What we were surprised at was the variation,” he said in telephone interview. “That was pretty exciting, because when you talk about how evolution works, variation is the bottom line, without variation there is no evolution.”
Walking, on two legs freed our arms, opening the door to manipulating the world, Raichlen said. “We think about the evolution of bipedalism as one of first events that led hominids down the path to being human.”
The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation.
1. The underlined word “Bipedalism” means .| A．moving sideways | B．walking upright |
| C．walking on four legs | D．running fast |
| A．Masks protect chimpanzees from any harm. |
| B．Masks help chimpanzees walk steadily. |
| C．There was heavy smoke in the room. |
| D．Masks helped to measure how much oxygen chimpanzees consumed. |
| A．have no idea on how human walking on two legs came about |
| B．have had different views on why chimpanzees walk on four legs |
| C．have had different views on how human walking on two legs came about |
| D．have had similar views on how human walking on two legs came about |
| A．How did chimpanzees save energy? | B．Why didn’t chimpanzees walk on two legs? |
| C．David Raichlen researched into chimpanzees. | D．Different chimpanzees consume different energy. |
| A．conserve energy | B．differ from other animals |
| C．free their brains | D．strengthen their legs |
7 . Most Chinese know the story of mythological Chang’e. It’s a story about a woman who takes an immortality pill and flies to the moon. The story is s0 popular that people can’t hear the word Chang’e without thinking of romantic images of a moon goddess.
For this reason, China’s mission to the moon was calling for a strong female figure. Therefore, pictures of a 24-year-old female space commander have gone viral on Chinese social media for her work on the Chang’e-5 Moon exploration programme with comments about how she is a “frontline soklier in the field of aerospace” that young Chinese can look up to.
Ms Zhou, 24-year-old lady of the Tujia ethnic group, is China’s youngest ever space commander. She was involved in the successful launch of the Chang’e-5 lunar probe on 24 November, in charge of the rocket connector system, described as a key role.
In Wenchang space launch site, though she is only 1.58 meters tall and looks “mini”, she is called “Big Sister” for her powerful core and energy. Since senior high, she has dreamed! of being a member of a space research team. With her great efforts, she was admitted to an aircraft system and engineering major of a domestic university in 2014, making her acrospace dream come true. To grow into a commander, in two and a half years, she changed five positions to be familiar with multiple posts and types of work, each of which takes great courage and is full of challenges. In a working space with no air conditioning and narrow space to accommodate only three people, she worked for 60 days until the completion of “the Long March 5 rocket goes around” battle.
Her story has received attention from Chinese state-run media as well as overseas media outlets. However, it has not appeared to have had much of an effect on her. According to the media, she declined repeated requests for interviews because she does not wish to let fame get in the way of her work.
1. Why does the writer mention the myth of Chang’e at the beginning of the passage?| A．To tell a romantic story. | B．To spread Chinese culture. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To give an example. |
| A．Her youth and beauty. | B．Her pictures on the media. |
| C．Her identity of the Tujia ethnic group. | D．Her performance in the moon-landing program. |
| A．She was the youngest space commander of the Tujia ethnic group. |
| B．She was called “Big Sister” not because of her physical strength but her central status. |
| C．To become a commander, she took five challenging and courageous jobs in two and a half years. |
| D．She worked in severe conditions for 60 days until the Long March 5 rocket was-launched. |
| A．Because she was too shy. | B．Because she was not available. |
| C．Because she was devoted to work. | D．Because she hated being famous. |
| A．Attitude is altitude. | B．The early bird catches the worm. |
| C．Many hands make light work. | D．Diligence makes up for inability. |
8 . From talking robots and video phones to rovers (探测器) on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet—we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can’t we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses (鼻病毒), Scientific American reported. There are at least 160 types. They mutate so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn’t likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can’t spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome (基因组) one by one for thousands of cell.
These modified cells were then exposed to a range of enteroviruses (肠道病毒), including the rhinoviruses which cause the common cold. All the viruses were unable to replicate inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase (甲基转移酶) SETD3. Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein. “Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral infection,” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC.” These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong reduction in viral replication and very strong protection. “Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily suppress the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans.
“We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance,” said Carette. “This is a really good first step—the second step is to have a chemical that mimics this genetic deletion,” he added.
1. What does the underlined word ”mutate” mean in English?| A．To change a new form. |
| B．To identify a new gene. |
| C．To check a modified cell. |
| D．To cure a viral infection. |
| A．Why it is so hard to cure the common cold. |
| B．The possible link between rhinoviruses and the common cold. |
| C．A possible way to stop viral infections that cause the common cold. |
| D．The functions of a protein needed by viruses. |
| A．It helps the viruses replicate inside our bodies. |
| B．It allows the viruses to change easily. |
| C．It helps the viruses become resistant to drugs. |
| D．It increases the spread of the viruses. |
| A．Genetically modified mice died because they lacked the protein. |
| B．The modified cells seemed to protect the mice against viral infections. |
| C．More methyltransferase SETD3 was produced after the cells were modified. |
| D．The gene-editing technique was more effective against enteroviruses than rhinoviruses. |
| A．Conduct experiments on genetically modified humans. |
| B．Identify a drug that can help reduce the protein. |
| C．Apply this gene-editing technique to control other viruses. |
| D．Find a chemical that can cure all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses. |
9 . In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartments. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent-controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.
Some theorists argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low-paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. The price, which is the wage that employers must pay, increases. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics claim, an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.
Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.
Economic theory predicts the results of economic decisions such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be correct only if “other things are equal” Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.
1. There is the possibility that setting maximum rent may ______.| A．cause a shortage of apartments | B．worry those who rent apartments as homes |
| C．increase the profits of landlords | D．encourage landlords to invest in building apartment |
| A．will always benefit those who rent apartments | B．is unnecessary |
| C．will bring negative effects in the long run | D．is necessary under all circumstances |
| A．if the minimum wage is set too high | B．if the minimum wage is set too low |
| C．if the workers are unskilled | D．if the maximum wage is set |
| A．the relationship between supply and demand | B．the possible results of government controls |
| C．The necessity of government control | D．the urgency of getting rid of government controls |
| A．The results of economic decisions cannot always be predicted. |
| B．Minimum wage cannot always protect employees. |
| C．Economic theory can predict the results of economic decisions if other factors are not changing. |
| D．Economic decisions should not be based on economic theory. |
10 . If you want to learn something new in your spare time, there are some choices for you.
AR Workshop
615-258-5569 | arworkshop.com/nashville
AR Workshop is a DIY studio that offers hands-on classes for decorating home from raw materials. Join an instructor-led workshop where you can make wood signs, framed signs, round signs, centerpiece boxes and more! AR Workshop will help you take your home decoration to the next level and have fun while creating it!
Artistic Elements Dance
615- 472-9471 | artisticelementsdance.com
Artistic Elements’ aim is to develop dancers with excellent, professional technique, humble character and team spirit. We offer Beginner to Pre-Professional Level Classes to dancers from 18 months to adults in the styles of ballet, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop and more! Our experienced teachers all well-trained are willing to share the love of dance with each student who walks through our doors and ensure our dancers train safely in a positive environment. In addition to group classes, Artistic Elements offers private lessons, open master classes and birthday parties.
Melody Music Studios
615-510-3798| melodymusicstudios.com| musiclessonsnashvilletn. asp Melody Music Studios offers exciting music and voice lessons, in the student’s home or the instructor’s personal studio. We offer all styles, traditional and/or by ear, in a fun and positive environment. There’s a grace period (宽限期) of three business days to cancel after the trial lesson (试课), and if you’re not satisfied, it’s FREE! So you have nothing to lose to sign up today!
My Gym of Brentwoo
615-371-5437| mygym.com/brentwood
My Gym is the expert in children’s fitness. It has good programs and facilities designed to help children 6 weeks through 13 years of age develop physically and mentally. Our structured, age-appropriate, weekly classes include music dance, games, special rides, gymnastics, sports and more. Children have loads of fun as they gain strength, balance, coordination and flexibility while developing social skills and confidence.
1. If Mary wants to make her new home more beautiful, which one suits her best?| A．Melody Music Studios. | B．My Gym of Brentwood. |
| C．AR Workshop. | D．Artistic Elements Dance. |
| A．It provides various courses for dancers of all ages. |
| B．Its teachers can give professional training to learners. |
| C．It provides summer and winter camps for dance lovers. |
| D．It only focuses on developing dancers’ professional dancing skills. |
| A．must pay for it |
| B．must take the courses |
| C．can call off the class at any time free |
| D．have right to decide whether to continue |
| A．Tom, a 6-month old boy, was born with a weak heart. |
| B．Mark, a 12-year-old student, wants to get stronger. |
| C．Tony, a 31-year-old teacher, likes to build up his body. |
| D．John, a 65-year-old retired man, wants to kill his spare time. |
| A．an advertisement | B．an art show review |
| C．an exhibition guide | D．a school announcement |
