1 . In the UK, there is a popular route for cyclists: the road from Land’s End in England to John O’Groats in Scotland, about 874 miles long. It covers almost the full length of Great Britain. The 12-year-old boy named Laurence Chandler became the youngest cyclist to finish the route.
Chandler took 20 days to finish the challenge. Each day, he cycled between 40 to 60 miles. He spent six hours on his mountain bike daily. Chandler had to push through rainy and windy days. Cycling uphill was also hard. “It was much harder than I thought. I wasn’t expecting so many hills and how busy the roads were,” Chandler said. “But if you put your mind to anything, then no matter how big, you can do it.”
Chandler first thought of trying the route when he read an article about it two years ago. Later, as his father’s 50th birthday came around, he decided to go for it. He was already used to cycling around his village and to school before starting his journey.
During his ride, Chandler raised 600 pounds for Smile Train, a children’s organization that pays for treatment for children in developing countries who have deft lips (兔唇).
1. What do we know about Laurence Chandler?| A．He is a cycling lover. | B．He is fond of reading. |
| C．He cycled through England. | D．He is a green hand in cycling. |
| A．Chandler was challenged by the trip. |
| B．Few people chose to cycle the route. |
| C．The journey was really disappointing. |
| D．Chandler rode the same distance every day. |
| A．A related article. | B．The voluntary work. |
| C．His father’s birthday. | D．The disabled children. |
| A．A teenager finishing a great trip |
| B．A popular cycling route in the UK |
| C．A road leading England to Scotland |
| D．A children’s organization for cyclists |
2 . How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
● “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker
One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose. The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age. The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures.
● “Ran LU”, ancient small hot pot
The “Ran LU” is a small size cooking vessel (器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel’s structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period (475—221 BC).
●Bronze You, ancient kettle
The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can’t do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink
●Bronze Yan, ancient steamer
Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.
1. The Bronze You, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening to________.| A．store wine | B．pour water |
| C．place charcoals | D．hold charcoal ashes |
| A．It is warm | B．It is convenient |
| C．It is useful | D．It is environment-friendly |
| A．The “Wen Ding” | B．The “Ren LU” |
| C．The Bronze You | D．The Bronze Yan |
3 . I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving and never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism(乐观), but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather(继父)and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times.”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with immigration officers(移民局官员), took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles go away at last! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
1. How did the author get to know America?| A．From radio programs | B．From books and pictures |
| C．From her mother | D．From her relatives |
| A．often lost her way | B．did not think about her future |
| C．studied in three different schools | D．got on well with her stepfather |
| A．She worked as a translator. | B．She attended a lot of job interviews. |
| C．She paid telephone bills for her family. | D．She helped her family with her English. |
| A．her future will be free from troubles | B．it is difficult to learn to become patient |
| C．there are more good things than bad things | D．good things will happen if one keeps trying |
4 . Cayce Zavaglia is an artist with a unique transformation to her work.
Cayce starts with the hair and forehead, then moves on to the shoulders and clothing, and finally the face. The human face is what she most enjoys creating in her art.
Cayce believes her success depends on three things: her choice of colors, the length and direction of the stitches, and her ability to make the portrait look true. She loves the surprise when people view her art. From a distance, people believe the portraits are painted.
| A．She makes sure the person looks straight into her. |
| B．The biggest challenge is making the skin look real. |
| C．Instead of painting with a brush,she sews with a needle. |
| D．Cayce's first step is deciding who will be in the portrait. |
| E．She loves creating portraits of her family and close friends. |
| F．It requires a lot of patience, for you often have to rethread your needle. |
| G．But when they take a closer look, they see the portrait has been embroidered. |
5 . Some influential figures have left their marks in the world of science and technology. Sundar Pichai is the current CEO of Google. At present, Google is the most popular search engine and is a word that has entered the dictionary in its verb form, ‘Googling '. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and the family suffered from poverty. But his story never fails to remind all that with determination and hard work, one can beat the odds.
Although Steve Jobs passed on years ago, he was, and still is, the perfect role model for many entrepreneurs. He was fired from the company of Apple, and then he went on to start up two other successful companies. Later, he returned to Apple where he created the iPhone, a product that many consider to be the most significant invention of this century. Elon Musk is the founder of SpaceX and Tesla. He used to be a major shareholder and CEO in PayPal, but was forced to leave from his role as CEO due to disagreements with the company leaders. Currently, he has set his sights on ways to reduce global warming, including keeping a lookout for new sources of renewable energy, and has an exciting ambition to establish a human colony in Mars.
Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook. Many are aware of his enormous success in building the $350-billion company but not many know that he had to journey through a rocky path to get to where he is today. He dropped out of college and had to tide over uncertain times before reaching success.
1. What did Steve Jobs do after being fired from Apple?| A．He gave lectures to young businessmen. |
| B．He became a successful entrepreneur of two other start-ups. |
| C．He started a company where he created iPhone. |
| D．He made the most significant invention in the world. |
| A．Sundar Pichai. | B．Steve Jobs. | C．Elon Musk. | D．Mark Zuckerberg. |
| A．They were born into poor families. |
| B．They went through hardship before success. |
| C．They contributed a lot to renewable energy. |
| D．They quit college to chase their dreams. |
6 . A couple of years ago, Ashok Goel was overwhelmed by the number of questions his students were asking in his course on artificial intelligence. Goel teaches computer science at Georgia Tech, sometimes to large classes, where students can ask thousands of questions online in a discussion forum. Professor Goel already had eight teaching assistants, but that wasn’t enough to deal with the increasing number of daily questions from students.
When students feel confused and reach out with questions that go unanswered, their motivation to continue begins to fade. Professor Goel decided to do something to improve this situation and his solution was to create a virtual assistant named Jill Watson, which is based on the IBM Watson platform.
Goel and his team developed several versions of Jill Watson before releasing her to the online forums. At first, the virtual assistant wasn’t too great. But Goel and his team sourced the online discussion forum to find all the 40, 000 questions that had ever been asked since the class was launched. Then they began to feed Jill with the questions and answers. After some adjustments and enough time, Jill was able to answer the students’ questions correctly 97% of the time. The virtual assistant became so advanced and realistic that the students didn’t know she was a computer. The students, who were studying artificial intelligence, were interacting with the virtual assistant and couldn’t tell it apart from a real human being. Goel didn’t inform them about Jill’s true identity until April 26. The students were actually very positive about the experience.
The goal of Professor Goel’s virtual assistant next year is to take over answering 40% of all the questions presented by students on the online forum. The name Jill Watson will, of course, change to something else next semester. Professor Goel has a rosy outlook on the future of artificial intelligence, believing it will be widely applied.
1. What did Professor Goel find in the online course?| A．The course was too difficult for students. | B．Most students dropped out of his course. |
| C．Students’ questions were too many to handle. | D．Assistants’ capacity made students unsatisfied. |
| A．She was easily identified as an AI. | B．She turned out to be a great success. |
| C．She was released online as the first version. | D．She could answer all the questions correctly. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Sensitive. | C．Adventurous. | D．Cautious. |
| A．An online computer course benefits students. | B．An Al team develops online discussion forums. |
| C．A knowledgeable AI assists in online education. | D．A new outlook promises online AI development. |
7 . Astronauts drink their own pee (尿)—after it's been cleaned.
Chris Hadfield, who lived on the space station for five months, says, "Before you feel uncomfortable with the thought of drinking your leftover wash water and your leftover pee, keep in mind that the water that we end up with is purer than most of the water that you drink on a daily basis at home."
Astronauts, however, tend to be more adventurous than the average person. On Earth, cities in very dry parts of the world have attempted to introduce wastewater purification systems.
| A．And you wouldn't be alone. |
| B．And the disapproval remained strong. |
| C．what comes out is clean enough to drink. |
| D．On the International Space Station, water is a precious resource. |
| E．Lots of people feel sick at the thought of drinking recycled wastewater. |
| F．Though some of these programs have succeeded, others failed miserably. |
| G．Would you pick up a glass of water that's been through a wastewater cleaning system? |
8 . Smiling is a global smart language. Everybody smiles in the same language. We smile when we feel good.
The act of smiling is connected with neurotransmitters related to pleasure sensations and psychological tensions, as well as with certain stress hormones.
But positive effects of smiling aren't limited to our own mental and physical well-being: Our smile goes beyond us having a positive effect on the people around. Research suggests that happy people influence the people closest to them and provide a boost of good energy.
Attractive smiles suggest confidence, capability and authority, and these feelings can motivate others. A smile is the prettiest thing we can wear.
| A．Smiling can even improve our physical health. |
| B．That's why life isn't always full of reasons to smile. |
| C．Smiling may be the most effective and cheapest anti-stress. |
| D．And we can create well-being feelings just by raising a smile. |
| E．Smiling is one of the most infectious expressions of emotion. |
| F．Never let negative emotions prevent you bonding with others. |
| G．So we should smile more and then benefit ourselves and others. |
9 . It's time for people to pick up their boom boxes and dust off their sneakers. Breaking, or competitive break dancing, is going for the gold.
On Dec 7, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that breaking would be an Olympic sport at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. It will be the latest modern sport to be added to the Games. IOC President Thomas Bach said that the new addition of breaking could help the Olympics event be “more youthful”. “We had a clear priority, and this was to introduce sports particularly popular among the younger generation,” Bach said. “And also to take into consideration the urbanization of sport.”
Breaking was originally part of early hip-hop culture in New York in the 1970s. In the decades since, it has spread globally, enjoying huge popularity beyond the US and particularly across Europe and Asia. Though breaking is often categorized as a style of street dance, it more easily lends itself to the field of sports than other styles for the competitive nature.
“Back in the Bronx in New York, when it first started, it was always neighborhoods of kids just battling each other,” 26-year-old break-dancer Victor Montalvo told USA Today. “That's how they did it back in the day.”
“Breaking competitions typically consist of one-on-one battles in which one competitor challenges his or her rival with different moves and the other responds. It's a sport/art just as physically demanding as high-intensity dancing and acrobatics”, Montalvo added.
But as an art, breaking also features coordination and creativity. Some combinations of moves can be practiced, but much of a round is improvised. Combining vitality and creativity, breaking is accepted by young dancers across the world who are motivated by the prospect of representing their countries at the world’s biggest sporting event.
1. What does the underlined words “the gold” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The coins made of gold. | B．The gold medal. |
| C．Great wealth. | D．The deep yellow color. |
| A．It has a short history. | B．It reflects the urbanization of sport. |
| C．It is a new addition to the Olympics. | D．It is popular with the younger generation. |
| A．Creativity. | B．High intensity. |
| C．Physical coordination. | D．Dancing techniques. |
| A．To stress the importance of breaking. | B．To introduce a new Olympic event- breaking. |
| C．To throw light on the rules of breaking. | D．To make a brief historical overview of breaking. |
10 . A couple of days ago I unexpectedly lost my job. It wasn’t anything too important: I was just a carrier for the Scarborough Mirror, delivering newspapers every Wednesday and Friday. But it brought in a good amount of pocket money for a student like me.
During the first week of September I planned to stop my job, as I wanted to focus on my academics with school to start. I found a family on my street who were willing to take over and so I took their names anti numbers and turned them in to my district representative along with my resignation.
That was last week. This Tuesday came and I was supposed to get the newspapers to deliver on Wednesday. They didn’t come. I just assumed there probably wasn’t much to deliver so they would just give me everything tomorrow. It'd happened before so I wasn’t too worried. There was a seed of doubt, however, in my mind, that maybe the handover of this job was misunderstood. But I pushed that thought aside and just went on as usual.
Wednesday morning came and the papers weren’t lying on my driveway as they’d done for the past 9 months. My mom reminded me to call my district representative, who told me the route had indeed been turned over to the other family. She couldn’t have understood my message when I said I would work until September. So much for 2 more weeks of work!
In a way, I’m glad because I don’t have to worry about delivering newspaper in the burning sun. On the other hand, I wasn’t ready to give up my job so early, so the unexpected loss was a tiny blow to me.
Despite these negative feelings, I’m looking forward to the next summer when I’m getting promoted and my wage will rise from what I had with the job, which gave me good experience about hard work and chances to meet my neighbors.
1. Why did the author plan to quit the job?| A．He could barely put up with its hardship. | B．He hoped to shift his attention to studies. |
| C．He had earned enough to afford schooling. | D．He desired to turn it over to a needy family. |
| A．The family to replace me. | B．Messages of my dismissal. |
| C．The papers to be delivered. | D．The district representatives. |
| A．He got fired on account of his own fault. | B．He didn’t have his potential appreciated. |
| C．He didn’t submit his resignation as required. | D．He had intended to stop the job in late September. |
| A．Learning to live with his personal imperfection. | B．Establishing a closer tie with his community. |
| C．Facilitating his organizational skills. | D．Breaking the habit of laziness. |
