2 . Everyone is afraid of something. Maybe you're afraid of spiders, or heights, or dogs, or the dark. And traditionally, we’ve thought that's because you learned to be afraid. Probably because you had a bad run-in with something at some point. But there's a different idea out there that's been getting more attention lately: the idea that fears aren’t just learned …they also can be inherited.

It sounds like a wild idea. How do you inherit something as abstract as fear? But over the last fifty years, researchers have been studying just how much fears have to do with inheritance and genetics. And their results have been kind of surprising.

In this work, they’ve put a lot of effort into understanding one extreme kind of fear, called a phobia. To get a sense of how much genes influence fear, scientists have begun looking at identical twins. Since identical twins have almost the same DNA, researchers can figure out how heritable a fear is by comparing how often specific phobias appear in identical twins as opposed to other brothers or sisters. Because even though twins often have lots of similar experiences, they probably don't share the types of experiences that cause phobias — like getting bitten by a dog or falling out of a tree.

One 1998 study of 659 pairs of identical and fraternal twins in Australia looked at how many had a fear of blood. The study found that genetics accounted for 71 percent of the variation among those people, meaning genetic factors play a pretty big role in determining whether a person has some specific fear.

A 2016 study also found that fear of dental work was over 30 percent heritable. So, if you are afraid of going to the dentist, it really might not be your dentist's fault. Overall, first-degree relatives of people with phobias are more likely to have similar phobias than people with no family history.

So, it's pretty clear that phobias are heritable!

1. What does the author mean by saying the underlined sentence in Para. 2?

A．It's unbelievable that people can inherit something so abstract like fear.

B．It's surprising that people know so little about inheritance and genetics.

C．It's natural that people become afraid of things that they had bad experience with.

D．It's interesting that people are afraid of so many things such as spiders and the dark.

2. Why did the scientists choose identical twins as their test subjects?

A．They look very much alike.	B．They have shared experiences.
C．They have similar personalities.	D．They share basically the same DNA.

3. What did the author try to prove by mentioning the studies in Para. 4 and 5?

A．Dentists are scary to many kids.	B．Most people have some kind of fear.
C．Fear of blood is the most common phobia.	D．Fear of things can be a result of genetic inheritance.

4. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A travel brochure.	B．A science talk show.
C．A commercial advertisement.	D．A history book.

3 . The Benefits of Digital Art

Digital art is the process of creating artwork using computers and software.     1     Lets have a look.

Digital art is often quicker to finish.

Take oil paintings for example. If you create one in the traditional way, you will need all kinds of tools like paper, water, paints, etc.     2     But with my computer and the right software, I can start a digital oil painting in less than 10 seconds.

    3    

A computer with the right apps and software might cost you $1, 000, but physical art is pretty expensive. Pencils, paper, paints, paintbrushes and all of the other things you need soon get expensive. And they all need replacing — things can easily reach that $1, 000 and beyond.

Digital art avoids using much space of your room.

Drawings and paintings can take up lots of physical space. I have many physical drawings which are stored in boxes in my room. Some of the drawings took me weeks to complete.     4     It sounds crazy to say this but they just kept building up. Joyfully, digital art will not take up much space of the room.

Digital art makes it easy to deal with mistakes.

Digital art gives you the wonderful ability to correct your mistakes. Any time you make a mistake, you can step back from it right away with a push of a button. As for traditional art, it’s not easy to correct a mistake. For example, when your pen accidentally falls on your painting, you may not be able to deal with it.     5    

A．Digital art helps save money.

B．These tools can be very important.

C．It takes time to prepare all of these.

D．And your painting will be destroyed.

E．Digital art will never be a paper killer.

F．But they never see the light of day now.

G．Compared with traditional art, digital art has some advantages.

4 . “Your mind is a garden; your thoughts are the seeds. The harvest can either be flowers or weeds,” William Wordsworth wrote. In the above quote, William suggests that the process of gardening mirrors human life. Depending on what we “plant” in our lives, we bloom (生长茂盛) or don’t. Before you start to work in your garden, it’s necessary to have a vision for it. Thinking of what you want to grow in your garden and how to lay it out is a good first step in making your vision a fruitful reality. In life, you should consider what you want to create and what you want to achieve, because your mind-garden is like the white paper and the possibilities are endless.

Regardless of what you choose to plant, poor soil isn’t suitable for growth. This is why gardeners take the time and energy to upgrade the soil before planting. So, creating the right soil is important to the realization of your goals and dreams. Fortunately, there are countless ways to make your personal bedrock better. Getting an education is one of the most effective ways, which can help you enrich your life’s soil.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic gardener to understand the meaning of “You reap(收获) what you sow.” When a gardener wants tomatoes, they just need to plant tomato seeds. It’s a very clear act that produces an expected result. Each of us has the power to decide which “life seeds” to plant. For example, if you plant ill seeds, it's likely that you’ll experience pain in return. Contrarily, if you plant seeds of kindness and understanding, your life will bloom with happiness and love.

A gardener’s truly arduous work begins after the seeds are in the ground because a garden requires a lot of care and attention. Regular watering and weeding are required for a healthy garden. So, to ensure your dreams take root, you should be devoted, aware, and present. After countless hours and energy spent, the crops have grown well and are finally ready to be harvested.

1. What is important before gardeners break ground in their gardens?

A．Receiving some training in planting.

B．Drawing up a good plan for their gardens.

C．Having the courage to accept the worst outcome.

D．Doing research on the common local garden plants.

2. What is compared to getting education by the author?

A．Improving the condition of the soil.	B．Growing your most favorable plants.
C．Taking care of the plants in your garden.	D．Selecting proper goals in gardening work.

3. What does the author want to express in Paragraph 3?

A．Your quality of life depends on your positive action.

B．Your experience can help you understand plants better.

C．Your choice of soil is an important part in your gardening.

D．Your knowledge of planting will make you a successful gardener.

4. What does the underlined word “arduous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Beneficial

B．Creative

C．Boring.

D．Tough

5 . Leslie Nielsen’s childhood was a difficult one, but he had one particular shining star in his life — his uncle, who was a well-known actor. The admiration and respect his uncle earned inspired Nielsen to make a career (职业) in acting. Even though he often felt he would be discovered to be a no-talent, he moved forward, gaining a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse and making his first television appearance a few years later in 1948. However, becoming a full-time, successful actor would still be an uphill battle for another eight years until he landed a number of film roles that finally got him noticed.

But even then, what he had wasn’t quite what he wanted. Nielsen always felt he should be doing comedy but his good looks and distinguished voice kept him busy in dramatic roles. It wasn’t until 1980 — 32 years into his career — that he landed the role it would seem he was made for in Airplane! That movie led him into the second half of his career where his comedic presence alone could make a movie a financial success even when movie reviewers would not rate it highly.

Did Nielsen then feel content in his career? Yes and no. He was thrilled to be doing the comedy that he always felt he should do, but even during his last few years, he always had a sense of curiosity, wondering what new role or challenge might be just around the comer. He never stopped working, never retired.

Leslie Nielsen’s devotion to acting is wonderfully inspiring. He built a hugely successful career with little more than plain old hard work and determination. He showed us that even a single desire, never given up on, can make for a remarkable life.

1. Why did Nielsen want to be an actor?

A．He enjoyed watching movies.	B．He was eager to earn money.
C．He wanted to be like his uncle.	D．He felt he was good at acting.

2. What do we know about Nielsen in the second half of his career?

A．He directed some high quality movies.	B．He avoided taking on new challenges.
C．He focused on playing dramatic roles.	D．He became a successful comedy actor.

3. What does Nielsen’s career story tell us?

A．Art is long, life is short.	B．He who laughs last laughs longest.
C．It’s never too late to learn.	D．Where there’s a will there’s a way.

6 . By day, Robert Titterton is a lawyer. In his spare  time though he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova — not as a musician but as her page turner. “I’m not a trained musician, but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”

Mr Titterton is chairman of the Omega Ensemble but has been the group’s official page turner for the past four years. His job is to sit beside   the pianist and turn the pages of the score so the musician doesn’t have to break the flow of sound by doing it themselves. He said he became just as nervous as those playing instruments on stage.

“A lot of skills are needed for the job. You have to make sure you don’t turn two pages at once and make sure you find the repeats in the music   when you have to go back to the right spot.” Mr Titterton explained.

Being a page turner requires plenty of practice. Some pieces of music can go for 40 minutes and require up to 50 page turns, including back turns for repeat passages. Silent onstage communication is key, and each pianist has their own style of “nodding” to indicate a page turn which they need to practise with their page turner.

But like all performances, there are moments when things go wrong. “I was turning the page to get ready for the next page, but the draft wind from the turn caused the spare pages to fall off the stand,” Mr Titterton said, “Luckily I was able to catch them and put them back.”

Most page turners are piano students or up-and-coming concert pianists, although Ms Raspopova has once asked her husband to   help her out on stage.

“My husband is the worst page turner,” she laughed. “He’s interested in the music, feeling every note, and I have to say: ‘Turn, turn!’ Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”

1. What should Titterton be able to do to be a page turner?

A．Read music.	B．Play the piano.
C．Sing songs.	D．Fix the instruments.

2. Which of the following best describes Titterton’s job on stage?

A．Boring.	B．Well-paid.
C．Demanding.	D．Dangerous.

3. What does Titterton need to practise?

A．Counting the pages.	B．Recognizing the “nodding”.
C．Catching falling objects.	D．Performing in his own style.

4. Why is Ms Raspopova’s husband “the worst page turner”?

A．He has very poor eyesight.	B．He ignores the audience.
C．He has no interest in music.	D．He forgets to do his job.