1 . Sunshine For All
The Beijing Sunshine Secondary School students are holding a charity show at the school hall of Beijing Sunshine Secondary School, Sunny Street, Sunshine Town.
Date：29 April
Time：7：30 p.m.-9：00 p.m.
We hope to raise money to help poor children go to school.
Ticket price：$20
Donations are welcome.
Programme：
7：30p.m. Introduction 7：40 p.m. Songs 8：00 p.m. Break
8：15p.m. Speech 8：30 p.m. Drama 9：00 p.m. End of the show
Project Hope is an organization that raises money to build schools and buy books or poor students. We would like to thank the following for their help and support：
The teachers at Beijing Sunshine Secondary School
The Star Shopping Mall for the costumes
Sunshine Advertisement Company for the posters
1. Where will the charity show be held?| A．In the classroom | B．In the meeting room. |
| C．In the shopping mall. | D．At the school hall. |
| A．To build schools and buy books for the poor students. |
| B．To help poor children improve performance. |
| C．To buy books for the old. |
| D．To hold the charity show |
| A．Watch a drama. | B．Enjoy songs. |
| C．Have a rest. | D．Listen to a speech. |
2 . In May this year, as part of our 150th anniversary, we asked readers aged between 18 and 25 to enter an essay competition. The task was to tell us, in no more than 1,000 words, what scientific advance they would most like to see in their lifetimes, and why it mattered to them.
The response was phenomenal: we received 661 entries. Some entrants hoped that science would make their lifetimes much longer than they can currently expect. Many looked forward to work that will end climate change. Others wanted to see advances in our understanding of human history, crop growth, space exploration, and medical technologies. The ideas were inspiring.
The winner is a compelling essay by Yasmin Ali, a PhD student at the University of Nottingham, UK. Ali submitted a piece on Beethoven, her brother’s hearing loss and the science which she hoped would one day cure it. It stood out to the judges as a reminder of why many scientists do research: to make the world better tomorrow than it is today.
All essays were judged by a group of Nature editors. The top ten submissions were then ranked by three members of a separate judging group: Magdalena Skipper, editor-in-chief of Nature; Faith Osier, a researcher; and Jess Wade, a physicist. All submissions were kept anonymous throughout the process.
We also selected two runners-up(非冠军的获奖者).Physicist Robert Schittko at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, proposes that nuclear fusion(核聚变) could offer a solution to the climate crisis, in a piece that effortlessly mixes grand ambition with gentle humour. And chemist Matthew Zajac at the University of Chicago in Illinois wrote a powerful personal account of why he wants to see advances in the field of same-sex reproduction.
The results show that today’s young scientists have a wealth of ideas, talent and conviction that research can transform their world. We look forward to seeing what they do next.
1. What’s the essay competition about?| A．The scientific expectation. |
| B．The fantastic scientific ideas. |
| C．The dreams of future life. |
| D．The celebration of anniversary. |
| A．She showed great talent in music. |
| B．She found the cure for the loss of hearing. |
| C．She appealed for people to care about hearing loss problem. |
| D．She reminded people to remember the meaning of science development. |
| A．Robert Schittko won the second place. |
| B．There were two winners in the essay competition. |
| C．Matthew Zajac presented his view of same-sex reproduction. |
| D．The two runners-up were selected for the same field they chose. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Favorable. |
| C．Impossible. |
| D．Ignorant. |
3 . Last Tuesday, a robotic ship called the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) took off from Plymouth, England. Its mission (使命) was to recreate the 1620 crossing of the Atlantic by the Mayflower, which brought the first European settlers to the USA. But unlike the original Mayflower, there are no people on the MAS. Everything about the ship is designed to run automatically. The ship is guided by an artificial intelligence (AI) system called "AI Captain".
The MAS is a project run by a group called ProMare along with the computer company, IBM. The ship's electric motor is powered by solar energy. The goal of the project is to test different kinds of technologies for collecting information about the sea. If these can be handled by machines, it could be a big advance in ocean research.
Because the MAS didn't have to carry humans, its designers were free to think about how to make the best ship for the job. In addition to cameras and radar to help the ship guide itself, the ship is carrying many different kinds of tools and sensors. It has special listening devices which can detect whales and dolphins. It even has a special "tongue" which can report back on the chemicals in the water.
Last Friday morning, scientists tracking the ship noticed that it was going about half as fast as it should have been going. The AI Captain was working well, but there seemed to be something slowing the motor down. Since the ship had only covered 10% of the way across the Atlantic, the team decided to bring it back to Plymouth so they could fix the problem and send it out again. They sent the MAS instructions to turn back.
When the MAS finally does put out to sea again, it is expected to take about three weeks to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The fastest speed for the MAS is about 10 mph (16 kph). That may seem slow, but it's about 5 times faster than the original Mayflower, which took 66 days to make the journey.
1. What is the main mission of the MAS project?| A．Take more Europeans across the Atlantic. |
| B．Explore the ocean with high technologies. |
| C．Develop new artificial intelligence system. |
| D．Test the new robotic ship of IBM on the sea. |
| A．There was something wrong with the AI Captain. |
| B．The scientists failed to guide the ship completely. |
| C．The ship couldn't reach its destination as planned. |
| D．The robotic ship's electric motor didn't work well. |
| A．The robotic ship will set sail again soon. |
| B．The journey will be difficult and dangerous. |
| C．The entire journey will be about 2, 100 miles. |
| D．The MAS will travel farther than the original one. |
| A．A Robotic Ship Guided by the AI Captain System. |
| B．Self-Driving Mayflower Ship Forced to Turn Back. |
| C．The Fastest Robotic Ship Sailing Across the Atlantic. |
| D．Another Mayflower Recreating the Cross-Atlantic Trip. |
4 . Pret A Manger looks like any traditional London sandwich shop. It features freshly prepared sandwiches, salads and coffee. But it is not your usual restaurant; it is a food shop with a mission. The company has been giving unsold food daily to the homeless since the first shop opened in 1986. It started small with just a handful of sandwiches but has grown to over three million meals across the UK every year.
Pret A Manger also has a Rising Star Program. For those with a bad record or without a home address, it's tough to find a good job and have a fresh start. Since 2008, the program has opened the door to over 500 people, offering jobs in local Pret shops. The program takes on 40 rising stars every year and so far has helped 462 people and has an 80 percent success rate since it began.
This project is managed by The Pret Foundation, an international charity that was founded to help the homeless and is funded by private donations and the sale of the shop's products. "When we set up The Pret Foundation, we want to break the cycle of homelessness so that the homeless can live on their own and no longer lead a poor life. To do that, we believe that people need three things: food, work and a place to live, " said CEO Clive Schlee.
Now Pret is doing even more for the homeless. It has partnered the West London Mission to open a new home for the homeless. The home can hold up to 13 people at a time who will live there for 6-12 months before moving into a privately rented home. The program provides more than just a place to live, and the participants will also get expert advice to help them know how to live off the streets. Each of them will be offered guidance on necessary skills like opening a bank account, reading and writing, and computer skills.
1. What is special about Pret A Manger?| A．It has a pretty long history. |
| B．It offers free food regularly. |
| C．It provides free and quality customer service. |
| D．It presents customers with various healthy food choices. |
| A．Raising money for the needy. |
| B．Helping small businesses grow big. |
| C．Giving away wasted food to the poor. |
| D．Providing work chances for people in difficulty. |
| A．To open more coffee shops worldwide. |
| B．To advertise Pret A Manger's products. |
| C．To improve the living conditions of the homeless. |
| D．To make more young people join in volunteer work. |
| A．They are to learn some life skills. |
| B．They can live there as long as possible. |
| C．They will get their own houses for free. |
| D．They will gain knowledge of building houses. |
5 . Ellie was a skilled gymnast（体操运动员）. But she liked showing off（炫耀））. At the gymnastics tryout（选拔赛）, she put on a perfect performance. "See who can do that! " she said proudly.
The next Friday, the list was posted announcing who had made the team. Ellie's name wasn't on it. "It's unfair. I'm better than all the other girls! " she said. She went to see the coach.
"You are quite talented, but your attitude is terrible, " the coach said. "Making the gymnastics team isn't just about gymnastics. It's also about being on a team. " That night Ellie complained to her parents. Her mother was angry, but her father said that the coach had a point. They had a big argument. Ellie couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what the coach had said.
Ellie couldn't stay away from the gym, so she practiced alone. One day, after watching Ann fall off the parallel bars（双杠）again and again, Ellie ran to her and explained to Ann what she was doing wrong. Ann did as Ellie suggested and improved. Ellie didn't notice the coach was looking at her. Over the next few months, Ellie always helped the other girls. They did better and better. "We couldn't have done this without Ellie's help, " the girls said.
The following year, Ellie tried out for the gymnastics team again. This time, she was modest. When the girls praised her, she just smiled and thanked them. When the coach posted the list of who had made the team, her name was on it. Ellie and the other girls were all very happy.
1. How did Ellie feel when she went to see the coach?| A．Angry. | B．Happy. | C．Proud. | D．Nervous. |
| A．she slept too much in the afternoon |
| B．she had an argument with her mother |
| C．she was worried about the gymnastics tryout |
| D．she was thinking about the meanings of the coach's words |
①Ellie practiced alone. ②Ellie's parents argued.
③Ellie coached other girls. ④Ellie showed off at the gymnastics tryout.
| A．③①④② | B．③④②① | C．④②①③ | D．④①③② |
| A．A serious coach | B．A gymnastics team | C．Gymnastics tryouts | D．Gymnastics competitions |
6 . In the villages of the English countryside there are still people who remember the good old days when no one bothered to lock their doors. There simply wasn't any crime to worry about.
Amazingly, these happy times appear still to be with us in the world’s biggest community. Anew study by Dan Farmer, a gifted programmer, using an automated investigative program of his own called SATAN, shows that the owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have setup home without fitting locks to their doors.
SATAN can try out a variety of well—known hacking tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in. Farmer has made program publicly available, amid much criticism. A person with evil intent could use it to hunt down sites that are easy to burgle.
But Farmer is very concerned about the need to alert the public to poor security and, so far, events have proved him right. SATAN has done more to alert people to the risks than cause new disorder.
So is the Net becoming more secure? Far from it. In the early days, when you visited a Website your browser simply looked at the content. Now the web is full of tiny programs that automatically download when you look at a Web page, and run on your own machine. These programs could, if their authors wished, do all kinds of nasty things to your computer.
At the same time, the Net is increasingly populated with spiders, worms, agents, and other types of automated beasts designed to penetrate the sites and seek out and classify information. All these make wonderful tools for antisocial people who want to invade weak sites and cause damage.
But let’s look on the bright side. Given the lack of locks, the Internet is surely the world's biggest (almost) crime—free society. Maybe that is because hackers are fundamentally honest. Or that there currently isn't much to steal. Or because vandalism(蓄意破坏) isn't much fun unless you have a peculiar dislike for someone.
Whatever the reason, let’s enjoy it while we can. But expect it all to change, and security to become the number one issue, when the most influential inhabitants of the Net are selling services they want to be paid for.
1. By saying “...owners of well over half of all World Wide Web sites have set up home without fitting locks to their doors” (Lines 3—4, Para. 2), the author means that________.| A．those happy times appear still to be with us |
| B．there simply wasn’t any crime to worry about |
| C．many sites are not well protected |
| D．hackers try out tricks on an Internet site without actually breaking in |
| A．to investigate the security of Internet sites |
| B．to improve the security of the Internet system |
| C．to prevent hackers from breaking into websites |
| D．to download useful programs and information |
| A．it causes damage to Net browsers |
| B．it can break into Internet sites |
| C．it can be used to cause disorder on all sites |
| D．it can be used by people with evil intent |
| A．we should make full use of the Internet before security measures are strengthened |
| B．we should alert the most influential businessmen to the importance of guaranteeing quality of their services |
| C．influential businessmen should give priority to the improvement of Net security |
| D．net inhabitants should not let security measures affect their joy of surfing the Internet |
7 . Susan Brownell Anthony was a lady ahead of her time. She fought for women's rights long before they became a popular issue.
Susan was born on February 15,1820, in Adams, Massachusetts. At that time, women had few rights. They could not own property. Money earned by a married woman belonged to her husband. Major decisions regarding children were made by the fathers. Women could not vote.
At the age of 15, Susan became a school teacher. She taught for 15 years. Then she began organizing women's groups to promote causes that were important to women. She helped gain better educational rights for women. She helped give married women possession of their earnings.
After the Civil War, Susan became very involved in the women's suffrage movement. After years of lecturing, writing, and appealing by Susan and other women, some parts of the United States changed their laws to give women the right to vote. The first state was Wyoming in 1869. Other areas and states gradually followed Wyoming's decision. It was not until 1920 that the U.S Constitution was changed to give all women voting rights.
Susan Brownell Anthony died in 1906 at the age of 86.She was elected to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1950.She was the first American woman to have a likeness(肖像) of her face on a coin. It was the 1979 Susan Brownell Anthony dollar.
1. What was the situation of American women like when Susan was born?| A．They could vote after getting married. |
| B．They were responsible for decision making. |
| C．They had low social status. |
| D．They managed money for their husbands. |
| A．Susan's efforts to abolish slavery. |
| B．Susan's fighting for women's causes. |
| C．Susan's educational background. |
| D．Susan's teaching experiences. |
| A．Uniting other areas and states. |
| B．Changing the U.S Constitution. |
| C．Promoting the social movement. |
| D．Giving women voting rights. |
| A．The first American woman to invent coins |
| B．The problem of women’s rights in the US |
| C．The most popular women organizations |
| D．A pioneer in fighting for women’s rights |
8 . Last July, my 12-year-old car died on California’s Santa Ana Freeway. It was an hour before sunset, and I was 25 miles from home. I couldn’t reach anyone to pick me up, so I decided to take a bus. Not knowing the routes, I figured I’d just head east. A bus pulled up, and I asked the driver how far she was going. “Four more lights,” she said. There was another bus I could take from there. This clearly was going to be a long night. She dropped me off at the end of her route and told me which bus to look for.
After waiting 30 minutes, I began to think about a very expensive taxi ride home. Then a bus pulled up. There was no lighted number above its windshield (挡风玻璃). It was out of service. But the door opened, and I was surprised to find that it was the same driver. “ I just can’t leave you here,” she said. “ This isn’t the nicest place. I’ll give you a ride home.” “You’ll drive me in the bus?” I asked, perplexed(困惑的). “No, I’ll take you in my car,” she said. “ It’s a long way,” I protested. “Come on,” she said. “I have nothing else to do.” As we drove from the station in her car, she began telling me a story. A few days earlier, her brother had run out of gas. A good Samaritan picked him up, took him to a service station and then back to his car.
“I’m just passing the favor along,” she said. When I offered her money as a thank-you, she wouldn’t hear of it. “That wouldn’t make it a favor,” she said. “Just do something nice for somebody. Pass it along.”
1. Judging from its context, the place where the writer waited for the second bus was ________.| A．very quiet and peaceful | B．dark without street lights |
| C．neither clean nor beautiful | D．a little unsafe |
| A．No bus would come at the time. |
| B．A taxi ride would be more comfortable. |
| C．He became impatient and a bit worried. |
| D．He knew the driver would never return. |
| A．she happened to go in the same direction |
| B．she wanted to do something good for other people |
| C．her brother told her to do so |
| D．she wanted to earn more money |
| A．would do as she did | B．would keep her in memory |
| C．would give the money to others | D．would do her a favor |
9 . Many cars in advertisements and on exhibition in the United States are red, blue or green, but almost 75 percent of new cars sold in the United States are black, white, silver or gray.
Les Jackson is a reporter who writes about cars. He says the colors of cars Americans choose do not show dirt. He says that means the owners wash their cars less in order to save money. And he notes some areas that are suffering from water shortages do not permit people to wash their cars often.
Dan Benton works for a company called Axalta, which makes supplies for international car makers. He says white cars are often sold more expensive than cars of other colors. And he notes that white cars “absorb(吸收)less energy” than cars of other colors. This means temperatures inside them are lower in warmer areas. Benton also says research at Monash University in Australia suggests that there is a lower risk of crashes during the day for white cars compared with darker ones.
Car buyers in other countries also like white. Jane Harrington works for PPG Industries, a company that makes paint for cars. She said in China, buyers say white makes a small car look bigger.
About 11 percent of cars sold in North America are red and 8 percent are blue. Green has become less popular. Benton notes that in the mid-1990s green was the most popular color in North America. Today, green is hard to find.
Sometime in the future, people may not have to choose the color of their cars —— technology may let owners change their cars’ paint color anytime.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．Most Americans don’t like red cars. |
| B．People in America are not allowed to wash their cars. |
| C．Many people prefer to choose white cars in America. |
| D．Americans may consider the cost of cleaning when choosing cars. |
| A．They are much cheaper than cars of other colors.. |
| B．They are much safer while crashing. |
| C．They are bigger than cars of other colors. |
| D．They are more comfortable inside in warmer areas. |
| A．Les Jackson is a member of Axalta. |
| B．Most Americans rarely wash their cars. |
| C．PPG Industries mainly produces cars in China. |
| D．Green cars were once popular in North America. |
| A．Choices of car colors | B．How to buy a good car. |
| C．Differences of car colors. | D．Popular car colors in history. |
10 . Humans’ overconsumption of resources is a leading contributor to global climate change, says University of Arizona researcher Sabrina Helm. Therefore, it’s increasingly important to understand the choices consumers make and how those decisions affect the health of a planet with limited resources. In a new study, published in the journal Young Consumers, Helm and her colleagues explore how materialistic(物质享乐主义的) values influence pro-environmental behaviors in millennials, who are now the nation’s most influential group of consumers.
The researchers focused on two main categories of pro-environmental behaviors: reduced consumption, which includes actions like repairing instead of replacing older items; and “green buying,” or purchasing products designed to limit environmental impacts. The researchers also looked at how engaging in pro-environmental behaviors affects consumer well-being.
More materialistic participants, the researchers found, were unlikely to engage in reduced consumption. However, materialism did not seem to have an effect on their likelihood of practicing “green buying.” That’s probably because “green buying,” unlike reduced consumption, still offers a way for materialists to fulfill their desire to get new items, Helm said.
Study participants who reported having fewer materialistic values were much more likely to engage in reduced consumption. Consuming less was, in turn, linked to higher personal well-being and lower psychological suffering. Green buying—which may have some positive environmental effects, although to a smaller degree than reduced consumption—was not found to improve consumer well- being, Helm said.
The take-home message for consumers: “The key is to reduce consumption and not just buy green stuff. Having less and buying less can actually make us more satisfied and happier,” Helm said. “If you have a lot of stuff, you have a lot on your mind,” she said. “For example, it requires maintenance and there’s a lot of burdens of ownership, and if you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better and freer.”
Understanding how materialistic values impact consumer behaviors, and how those behaviors in turn affect personal and environmental well-being, is important, Helm said. However, she acknowledges that for many consumers, shifting behaviors to be more financially proactive and consume less will be challenging.
1. What do we know about pro-environmental behaviors?| A．They are a cause of climate change. |
| B．They are categorized by purchasing preference. |
| C．They vary in different age groups. |
| D．They are affected by materialism. |
| A．ownership of green products brings a sense of happiness |
| B．green buying helps control people’s desire to buy new items |
| C．materialists prefer practicing green buying to buying less |
| D．buying less and green buying have similar effects on people |
| A．Replacing older items. | B．Developing new resources. |
| C．Buying greener products. | D．Being careful with expenses. |
| A．When people develop proactive financial behaviors. |
| B．Why it is hard to change people’s financial behaviors. |
| C．Which financial behaviors lead to mental well-being. |
| D．How materialistic values influence financial behaviors. |
