1 . Be a good tourist

Tourism can be good or bad. Yes, it brings in money for the local economy and creates lots of jobs for locals, but it may also bring some problems.

    1     Tourists have used paint, rocks or even keys to write on the Luxor Temple in Egypt, the Colosseum in Rome, Stonehenge in the UK, memorial stones at the bottom of Qomolangma, and many, many other places. Thousands of tourist sites are being destroyed by tourists who “love them to death”.     2     If you want to leave a mark on the world, do it by changing someone’s life with kindness and love. Pass kindness along to future generations, not destruction.

Another big problem in some places has been tourists disturbing the local people and life.       3     For example, Chang Mai University in Tailand and Yonsei University in South Korea have great numbers of tourists visiting their campuses and walking through their libraries and other public areas, taking pictures of students and disturbing their studies. I have three words for tourists like this: please be considerate.     4    

The number of problems from tourists is endless: walking in large groups without considering others who need to walk by, crossing roads without observing local traffic laws, and many more. The only way to solve the issue of the terrible tourist is to make sure that you not the one!     5    

Remember, whenever you step outside your country’s borders, you are representing your country to the rest of the world.

A．Just think from other aspects.

B．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

C．Have fun in a way that does not disturb others.

D．Be the best, kindest, most polite tourist possible.

E．I have three words for people like this: please stop it.

F．One growing problem is tourists who want to prove that they have visited someplace.

G．Some tourists wander around and take pictures of local people without asking for their permission.

2 . Wherever we humans go, we leave behind a mess. That goes for space, too. An estimated 500,000 pieces of debris (碎片) litter the Earth’s orbit as a result of man’s explorations of space. Some satellites have been hit by fast-moving pieces of junk. The remains of old rockets can be the size of a bus, while other debris pieces are simply tiny spots of paint.

Today, our species is responsible for the junk dashing around Earth at high speeds, and if we don’t start actively removing the largest pieces, the risk of collisions will only grow worse. “Imagine how dangerous sailing the high seas would be, if all the ships ever lost in history were still floating on top of the water,” says Jan Wörner, ESA director general. “That is the current situation in orbit, and it cannot be allowed to continue.”

It’s almost as if we need a truck to remove all of failed satellites from our orbit. By 2025, the agency plans on launching the world’s first orbiting junk collector, a four-armed robot that tracks down space waste. The first-of-its-kind task, known as ClearSpace-1, will start collecting only a single piece of space junk to prove the concept works. The target in this case is called Vespa, a leftover from ESA’s Vega rocket launch in 2013. This piece of junk weighs roughly the same as a small satellitle and has a simple shape that should make it easy to grab with four robotic arms. Once it’s safely in the arms of the garbage collector, it will then be dragged out of orbit and allowed to burn up in the atmosphere.

In addition, an Australian company, Electro Optic Systems, has received a $ 3.5 million government fund to develop the world’s first laser tracking (激光跟踪) technology. It would replace existing radar (雷达) networks that currently monitor that part of space. The goal is to track small objects with great accuracy.

1. Why does Jan Wörner refer to ships on the high seas?

A．To explain the danger of space debris.	B．To describe the universe’s huge space.
C．To praise man’s explorations of space.	D．To compare the oceans with the universe.

2. Humans plan to handle debris by____________.

A．ClearSpace-1 and Vespa

B．ESA’s Vega rocket launch and radar networks

C．the orbiting junk collector and the first laser tracking technology

D．truck to remove all of failed satellites and track small objects

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Dangerous Space Exploration	B．Cleaning up Space Junk Pieces
C．Developing Space Technology	D．Launching A Four-armed Robot

4. Where is this text probably from?

A．An astronomy report.	B．A travel guidebook.
C．A science fiction.	D．An environmental magazine.

3 . If you could change your child's DNA in the future to protect them against diseases, would you? It could be possible because of technology known as CRISPR- Cas, or just CRISPR.

CRISPR involves a piece of RNA, a chemical messenger, designed to work on one part of DNA; it also uses an enzyme that can take unwanted genes out and put new ones in, according to The Economist. There are other ways of editing DNA, but CRISPR will do it very simply, quickly, and exactly.

The uses of CRISPR could mean that cures are developed for everything from Alzheimer's to cancer to HIV. By allowing doctors to put just the right cancer-killing genes into a patient's immune system, the technology could help greatly.

The US' National Academy of Sciences plans to discuss questions about CRISPR s ethics(伦理问题). For example_, CRISPR doesn't work properly yet. As well as cutting the DNA it is looking for, it often cuts other DNA, too. In addition, we currently seem to have too little understanding of what DNA gives people what qualities.

There are also moral questions around playing God. Of course, medicine already stops natural things from happening-for example, it saves people from infections. The opportunities to treat diseases make it hard to say we shouldn't keep going.

Also, according to The Economist, gene editing may mean that parents make choices that are not obviously in the best interests of their children: “Deaf parents may prefer their children to be deaf too; parents might want to make their children more intelligent at all costs.”

In the end, more research is still needed to see what we can and can't do with CRISPR. “It's still a huge mystery how we work,” Craig Mello_, a UMass Medical School biologist and Nobel Prize winner, told The Boston Globe, “We're just trying to figure out this amazingly complicated thing we call life.”

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．What we can and can't do with CRISPR.

B．The advantages of CRISPR and arguments about its ethics.

C．How CRISPR was developed by scientists.

D．Scientists' experiments of using CRISPR to edit human embryos.

2. What does the writer mean by saying “playing God” in Para. 5?

A．Playing jokes on religious people.

B．Asking God to help deal with moral questions.

C．Following the instructions of God.

D．Doing things that go against nature.

3. According to the passage, the technology of CRISPR           .

A．is very safe because it only cuts the DNA it is looking for

B．is very helpful to cure people of any disease

C．could cause parents to make unwise choices for their children

D．could help us understand how complicated life is

4. What is the author's attitude towards CRISPR?

A．Objective.	B．Worried.
C．Negative.	D．Supportive.

4 . Humans were made for walking. With our upright posture and strong leg muscles, our bodies were actually designed with walking in mind which makes it such perfect exercise. It’s kind to our bodies and great for our waistlines.     1    

Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of tracing the same old route day after day, or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started.     2    Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people? See new places? Get out into the countryside or explore a new city? Knowing your goals will help you decide on the type of walk you want to do.

If making friends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them.    3     Many malls have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall.” These groups are always happy to include one more walker!

    4    Many large cities have incredible gardens and parks that include quiet walking trails getting you off the beaten path. Thanks to the Rails to Trails program, railways across the country are being transformed into scenic walking paths that are a perfect way to seek calmness.

From the benefits to your heart to your overall happiness, walking is just plain good for you.    5    It’s a fantastic way to get to know a place by the power of your own two feet.

A．Headed to a new city?

B．This month, pick up a map and start walking.

C．Ask your friends where they like to walk and just go there.

D．Either way, it's time to accept the idea of walking with a purpose.

E．And best of all, it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people!

F．Recently, science has proved that walking is good for your body shape.

G．If you're after walking alone, ask about local hikes that get you out of town and into the countryside.

5 . If you grew up in a household that had its fair share of book shelves, it might say something positive about your personally now that you're all grown up.

This new study found that people who grew up in book filled homes have higher reading, math, and technological skills. The researchers analyzed data featuring 160,000 adults (ages 25 to 65) across 31 nations. All participants were asked how many books there were in their home when they were 16 years old. They chose from a series of alternatives ranging from “10 or less” to “more than 500.”

If a household held at least 80 books, then participants went on to display the average rate of literacy and numeracy(认字和计算). The rate of literacy continued to increase in parallel to the number of books a household contained until the rate didn't increase from 350 books onwards. Furthermore, young teenagers who grew up around books were shown to have the same levels of literacy and numeracy as university graduates who had only grown up around a few books.

Literacy was clarified as “the ability to read effectively to participate in society and achieve personal goals.” Participants took tests that “captured ' a range of basic through advanced comprehension skills, from reading brief texts for a single piece of information to synthesizing information from complex texts.” Numeracy tests measured the “ability to use mathematical concepts in everyday life,” while IT-related tests “assessed the ability to, use digital. technology to communicate with others, as well as to gather, analyze, and synthesize information.”

The results suggest those books made a long-term difference. “Growing up with home libraries improves adult skills in these areas beyond the benefits from parental education or one’s own educational attainment, “the researchers report. Not surprisingly, the biggest effect was on reading ability. “The total effects of home library size on literacy are large everywhere,” the researchers report.

1. What can we learn from the new study?

A．Homes filled with books do much benefit to one’s growth.

B．One’s literacy and numeracy are finally shaped at the age of 16.

C．All participants need to have ten to more than 500 books at home.

D．Those reading a lot are more competent than university graduates.

2. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The benefit of literacy, numeracy and IT ability.

B．The measurement of literacy, numeracy and IT ability.

C．The relation between literacy, numeracy and IT ability.

D．The difference between literacy, numeracy and IT ability.

3. According to the text, books influence one's_________ most.

A．parental education.	B．occupational attainment.
C．calculating ability.	D．reading ability.

4. What is the writer's purpose in writing the text?

A．To describe the importance of receiving good education.

B．To clarify the effect of home library size on one's adult skills.

C．To explain the necessity of acquiring literacy and numeracy.

D．To introduce methods of improving one's literacy and numeracy.

6 . 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.

2. Which of the following words best describe Katie?

A．Kind and curious.	B．Patient and helpful.
C．Strict and independent.	D．Tough and determined.

3. What message does Katie convey in the last paragraph?

A．Sweet is pleasure after pain.	B．Experience must be bought.
C．Many drops make a shower.	D．Good medicine tastes bitter.

7 . As a dropout myself, I often feel it is my duty to defend my fellow non-scholars. Common wisdom would have you believe we are the “bad kids", the future criminals, the worst sort of people. But not all dropouts are likely to deal drugs,steal goods from a shop, or shoot pool all day.

My own favorite place to go when skipping school was always the public library. My early retirement meant that at last I had the time to read everything I wanted to. I found reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow a lot more interesting than reading about Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple.

Best of all was the time I finally had to myself. I felt liberated. I had been in school nearly my whole life. I wanted to find out for myself who I was,and until I did,everything else felt like a waste of time.

However, after nearly three years, a series of strange thoughts began to make me anxious and unsure. Images of myself at the age of 35 began to haunt(缠扰）me in my sleep. And a voice in my head began asking over and over,"Who is paying the hot water bills? Who buys the microwave pizza?"The answer, of course, was my poor old parents. Sure,I was having an enjoyable time doing plenty of nothing, discovering myself and all, but that's unfair to them. What parents long to see their child drop out of school,with no plans for the future? Could they be expected to support me forever? Certainly not. I immediately moved out of the house and out of town, in search of a future for myself.

And it is here, in my new home of San Francisco, that I have decided to do what was once unthinkable: go back to school. I plan to take adult education classes and then apply for City College. On the one hand, I can hardly believe I'm doing it: a return to desks, chalkboards, and clocks that tell you when to stop thinking about one thing and start thinking about another. But at City College, I'll be able to take film production, semiotics, and sociology—just because I want to know about them.

So next time you see a dropout, be sympathetic. And please don't push him to do something he doesn't want to do. It never works. He'll come around when he's ready.

1. It is commonly believed that dropouts are_____.

A．bad kids from birth

B．interested in studying drugs

C．very likely to commit crimes

D．responsible for defending non-scholars

2. What did the author find most enjoyable after dropping out of school?

A．Living in comfort with his parents.

B．Reading in the public library.

C．Escaping the pressure from school.

D．Having time for self-discovery.

3. Why did the author move to San Francisco?

A．To fight for his own future.

B．To apply for City College.

C．To break away from his parents.

D．To live up to his parents' expectations.

4. What does the author suggest people do to deal with dropouts?

A．Push them to the limit.

B．Open their hearts to them.

C．Try to be understanding.

D．Encourage them to be friendly.

8 . Before the end of the year, employees at Ubiquitous Energy, a company in Redwood City, Calif, will gather in a window-lined conference room to stare toward the future. That’s because their new glass windows will offer more than an amazing view of the North California landscape. They will also be able to power the company’s lights, computers and air conditioners.

Several years in the making, Ubiquitous’ energy-producing glass is a remarkable technological achievement. Its power lies in the layers of organic polymers (聚合物) between sheets of glass. As light enters the window,the flow of electrons between the polymer layers creates an electric current, which is then collected by tiny wires in the glass.

“It’s sort of like a transparent computer display run in reverse (反过来),” says Veeral Hardev, director of business development at Ubiquitous Energy. “Instead of electricity being shuttled to different points in a display to light them up, light is producing electricity to be shuttled out of different points in the window.”

Right now the windows produce about a third as much electricity from a given amount of sunlight as the typical solar cells used in roof panels (板).These windows, about half as transparent as ordinary glass, don’t work as well as transparent ones. Hardev says the company is likely to improve the transparency significantly. As for the lower output of electricity, he notes that windows can cover a much greater surface area than a roof, so numerous windows will produce a surprisingly larger amount of electricity than the production from a rooftop full of higher-efficiency solar panels. “You could do both.” says Hardev. “But you’ll get more from the windows. The biggest challenge, he adds, is increasing the windows from less than two square feet currently to about 50 square feet.”

1. What makes the new glass windows special?

A．They can offer an amazing view.

B．They are controlled by computers.

C．They can power the conference room.

D．They can help stare toward the future.

2. What is Hardev trying to explain in Paragraph 3?

A．The source of light.

B．The significance of different points.

C．The similarity of computer and glass.

D．The working principle of energy-producing glass.

3. What can affect power production according to the passage?

A．The transparency of the glass.

B．The quality of the rooftop.

C．The height of the solar panels.

D．The thickness of the glass.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Windows: A New Challenge of Technology

B．Windows: No Longer Just for Letting in the Light

C．Power: A Pressing Problem in the Near Future

D．Power: Not Enough from Rooftop Solar Panels

9 . The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person    1    

One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

    2    

Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.    3    A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    4    Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.    5    Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A．Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

B．The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

C．Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

D．There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

E．Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

F．One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.

G．A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available.

10 . 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

2. It can be learned from paragraph 4 that ________.

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

3. According to the passage, the most complex pieces of audio equipment lie ________.

A．at a college	B．in a brain
C．in the concert	D．in the headphone