1 . For years and years people have been saying that railways are dead. “We can do without railways,” people say--as if motorcars and planes have made those railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, lose money and are dying. But this is far from the truth. In these days of expensive oil, railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they’re cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What’s more, a railway takes you from the city centre into another centre. It doesn’t hold you up as a car does in endless traffic jams. And a single train can carry goods which no plane or motorcar could ever do.
Far from being dead, railways are very much alive. Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are travelling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, which are travelling at 250 miles an hour or more. So we will be wondering why we spend so much on motorcars we can't use and planes we can't fly in. After all, we have not enough money to buy the oil.
1. People say railways are unnecessary because they think ______.| A．trains cause traffic jams |
| B．trains carry goods only |
| C．trains go in a straight line |
| D．trains are slow and lose money |
| A．motorcars and planes are better than trains |
| B．trains go as fast as motorcars and planes |
| C．we still need railways in modern times |
| D．trains have nothing in common with motorcars |
| A．can take you from place to place |
| B．carry goods and people cheaply |
| C．don't hold you up on the way |
| D．can travel at 250 miles an hour |
| A．It is more expensive to travel by train than by plane. |
| B．No railway station is at the city centre. |
| C．It is comfortable travelling on a train. |
| D．Planes and motorcars have replaced trains. |
| A．Railways, Still Alive. |
| B．Planes Are Dead. |
| C．Trains, Motorcars or Planes? |
| D．Super-fast Trains. |
2 . In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing has been square dancing since the earlier days. In those days, men and women worked in groups to build a house or harvest crops. When the work was done, they usually danced merrily and happily in a store or in a farm kitchen.
Nowadays square-dancing is still performed. A square, which has four sides, is formed by four couples. Each couple stands on one side of the square, the man on the left and the woman on the right. That is to say, one square has eight people and they stand facing the center of the square.
Large or small numbers of people can dance together. Sometimes as many as 800 or 1,000 people may be dancing all at the same time.
Costumes are worn by those who do the square-dancing. This makes the dancing more colorful to watch. Men may have colored shirts and western trousers they wear only on special days. Women often wear full skirts of different colors with a pretty blouse. In some country areas, everyone wears their best clothes.
Today in all parts of the US you will find some schools, clubs, or other groups that are square dancing for fun. They enjoy it very much.
1. In the earlier days, when did people do square-dancing?2. How many people are square-dancing if there are 100 squares?
3. What does the underlined word "costumes" mean in Paragraph 4?
4. What do people in some country areas wear in square-dancing?
5. How do people of the US like square-dancing today?
3 . As a people-pleaser, you care about pleasing other people so much because you want to be liked and don't want other people to think ill of you. It's a bad, never ending way of life, because people are always going to ask things of you.
Here's how you can stop being such a people-pleaser:
Wait!
Next time someone texts or emails a request, wait to reply. Wait up to 24 hours if you can! Show people how to treat us. And train them on what to expect from us.
Provide a choice
For those who want to say no in a gentle way, instead of giving an excuse, you can provide a choice. It's more useful too! Something like," I'd love to help you pick out a new sofa but not this weekend. Lucy has an excellent eye for sofas." is much more helpful.
Realize you have a choice
More times than you think, you can say no. Stop for a second when a choice comes up that feels uncomfortable. Then decide if, finally, a yes or no feels like freedom--and choose that.
K(no)w it gets easier
Saying no needs practice. The more you do it, the more used to it you become and the less people expect from you. Once you say you are unavailable a few times, people stop asking so much from you.
Recognize you can't please everybody
Other people will always control our lives if we let them. You can't please everyone. And a rich, wonderful life has lots of those "yes" moments--as well as plenty of loving "nos".
1. The passage is written for the people ________.| A．who like satisfying everyone |
| B．who always make requests |
| C．who need to buy sofas |
| D．who want more freedom |
| A．Pretend not to see it. |
| B．Give an immediate answer. |
| C．Teach him a good lesson. |
| D．Avoid giving a quick reply. |
| A．less helpful |
| B．more important |
| C．less believable |
| D．more acceptable |
| A．Lose touch with you. |
| B．Leave you immediately. |
| C．Stop asking you so much. |
| D．Consider you to be impolite. |
| A．3. | B．4. |
| C．5. | D．6. |
Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there are more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.
Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.
Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will benefit you at work and in family life.
Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松).
Playing sports builds self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.
Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you—both on and off the field!
1. What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)2. List three advantages that exercise can give you when you are in school. (no more than 6 words)
3. In your opinion, why are sports good for your health? (no more than 20 words)
4. What does “they” refer to in Para. 5? (one word)
5. What can lift your mood while playing sports? (no more than 15 words)
5 . Ancient Chinese folk paintings and many other art styles have been passed down from generation to generation, and are still practised in different parts of China. Here's a look at four unique Chinese folk art forms.
Chinese Opera (戏剧) is the traditional form of Chinese drama. According to incomplete statistics, in China's various ethnic regions there are about more than 360 kinds of operas. The most famous ones include Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, Yueju Opera, Yuju Opera, Sichuan Opera, Fujian Opera, Hebei opera, Huangmei Opera arid so on, in total more than 50, among which Peking Opera is the most popular in China.
Shadow Play (皮影戏) dates back to Western Han Dynasty in Shaanxi more than 1,000 years ago. The moving figures, usually carved out from leather, are operated by folk artists, accompanied by music and singing. It is the world's first dubbed (配音的) motion picture art form, thus considered the "ancestor" of modern film. Today this art form is still popular in northern China.
Paper-cutting (剪纸) is one of the most popular traditional decorative arts in China with a long history. Paper-cutting can be seen across China and it has even developed into different local genres (流派). They are usually used to decorate gates and windows during festivals.
The Kite was invented by Chinese people. According to legend the earliest kite in China was a wooden bird by Mo Di in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Later his student Lu Ban improved the tech and used bamboo as material to make a kite. Today, various kite-flying activities can be found in different regions of China. Shandong Weifang Kite Festival is held every year and attracts lots of kite lovers and travelers.
1. Which Chinese Opera is the most popular in China?| A．Peking Opera. | B．Kunqu Opera. |
| C．Yueju Opera. | D．Yuju Opera. |
| A．It has a history of more than 1,000 years. |
| B．It was operated by ancient folk artists. |
| C．It is accompanied by music and dances on the stage. |
| D．It is the world's first dubbed motion picture art form. |
| A．Different local genres. |
| B．Traditional decorative pictures. |
| C．Paper-cutting art works. |
| D．Popular Chinese handwriting. |
| A．Paper. | B．Wood. |
| C．Bamboo. | D．Leather. |
| A．Chinese folk art. | B．Chinese folk paintings. |
| C．Chinese operas. | D．Chinese folk plays. |
Every person has a history of pain and tragedy that includes regret from the situation. At times, it’s often hard to explain that pain to someone else. The challenge with a tragedy is the lack of support from someone.
This has often been my challenge when I try to explain what occurred to me. When I was younger, I was a victim of a tragic accident that changed my life both academically and emotionally. At sixteen months old, due to the neglect of my babysitter I fell off the bed. The injury was so severe that I was rushed to the emergency room and the doctors explained to my mom that I suffered from a blood clot (血块) located on the left side of the brain.
I was later diagnosed with what is known as a traumatic brain injury (外伤性脑损伤). This accident affects my long term memory and testing ability. I often struggle with understanding information related to school and feel frustrated that I will not pass my tests. The pressure of school is so much, since I must always work harder than most students.
I become easily disappointed that I study a lot but often flunk or re-take tests. It is hard to imagine, because in my mind I feel prepared for the work; however, the test results do not connect with the information in my brain. Although I always don’t pass my tests, I feel like this injury encourages me to work and shows me that I can be confident when it comes to the future. For example, I have been able to maintain my grades, been employed for over a year at a local restaurant, and obtained my drivers license. I look forward to attending college, getting married, raising a family, and being a success. I will continue to live my life to the fullest and prove that an injury does not limit my life journey.
1. What is worse when someone suffers a tragedy in his life according to the author?(no more than 7 words)2. What was the author’s tragic accident that changed his life? (no more than 9 words)
3. Why is the author always struggling with his study at school? (no more than 8 words)
4. What does the underlined word “flunk” mean in the last paragraph? (1 word)
5. What do you think of the author? Give your reasons. (no more than 25words)
7 . Are we alone in the universe? A team of scientists announced on January 6, 2015 that they had identified eight planets beyond our solar system, three or four of which orbit in their stars’ “Goldilocks Zone” — the region where temperatures are not too hot or too cold for water, which is a necessary ingredient for life as we know it, to exist liquid form. This may be good news for people hoping that Earth is not the only inhabited world in the universe.
The scientists, led by Dr. Guilermo Torres of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, made the discoveries using data collected by the planet-seeking Kepler telescope.
NASA launched Kepler in 2009. Since then, the telescope has identified more than 1,000 planets outside of our solar system. Torres and his team analyzed the data about the eight newly discovered world to determine which ones are most likely to be similar to our Earth.
Among the new discoveries, the scientists say the planets called Kepler438b and 442b are the closest to Earth. Kepler 438b is just about 10% larger than our planet, and gets 40% more of its energy from its star than Earth receives from the Sun. Temperatures there would be about 140 degrees. Kepler 442b is about 33% larger than Earth, but receives 30% less energy from its star. That would make it a potentially chillier world than our own. Torres says it is possible for life to exist and survive in either of those temperatures, but for that to happen, these planets would need to have another key ingredient for life: a heat-trapping atmosphere like Earth’s.
While these findings add to the possibility that life exists beyond Earth, Torres cautions against drawing conclusions, “We are not claiming they are inhabited,” he says. In fact, these planets are so far away that the scientists cannot observe them directly, which can be explanation for why for now it remains unknown whether these planets contain life. But the discovery of planets in their stars’ habitable zones suggests that somewhere out there, some form of alien life may have taken hold.
1. The scientists have identified eight planets, ________.| A．which are suitable for humans to live on |
| B．some of which are possible for life to exist on |
| C．some of which have the same situations as Earth |
| D．which are not too hot or too cold for water to exist on |
| A．Kepler 438b is too hot for any life to exist on. |
| B．Kepler 438b and 442b are the farthest to Earth. |
| C．They have made the discoveries through Kepler. |
| D．They have discovered over 1000 planets in 7 years. |
| A．The water | B．The sunlight |
| C．The soil | D．The atmosphere |
| A．there is a lot left to learn |
| B．they have had decisive gains |
| C．it is the first in human history |
| D．it is certain for life on the planets |
| A．Are We Alone? |
| B．Eye on the Stars |
| C．Discover Another Earth |
| D．Discovery of New Stars to Live on |
8 . Wondering what to see and do in India in November? November is an excellent month to visit India. Here are the best festivals in November, 2018 in India.
International Yoga and Music Festival
Organized by Nada Yoga School every year since 2008, the International Yoga and Music Festival features 50 of the best professional yoga teachers Ayurvedic（印度草药按摩）doctors, dancers, musicians, and philosophers from Rishikesh and abroad. Free classes and lectures are held with topics including yoga, Ayurveda, philosophy, and Indian classical music. There’s an Indian classical music concert in the evenings as well.
Time: November 1-7, 2018. Location: Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
Wangala Festival
Also known as the 100 Drum Wangala Festival this is the biggest harvest festival of Meghalaya’s Garo tribe in northeast India. Held in honor of the Sun God of fertility, the festival marks the end of the seeding season and agricultural year. It's celebrated by the beating of drums, blowing horns, and traditional dancing.
Time: November 6, 2018. Location: Garo Hills, Meghalaya.
Bandra Wine Festival
Being popular with local people for six years, the Bandra Wine Festival is a fun opportunity to sample the best wines in India. In addition to tasting wine, there are market stalls, food stalls, live music in the evenings, and dancing.
Time: November 7-8, 2018.
Location: D'Monte Park, Bandra West, Mumbai.
Pushkar Balloon Festival
The International Hot Air Ballooning Festival is an added attraction at the Pushkar Camel Fair. Similar to the Taj Balloon Festival in Agra, it’s hosted by Sky Waltz, and features hot air balloons from around the world and a Night Glow Music Concert. Accommodation and balloon flight packages are offered to visitors.
Time: November 21-23, 2018. Location: Pushkar, Rajasthan.
1. If you want to learn health knowledge, you’d better go to ________.| A．Pushkar, Rajasthan |
| B．Garo Hills, Meghalaya |
| C．Rishikesh, Uttarakhand |
| D．D'Monte Park, Bandra West, Mumbai. |
| A．thank Sun God for his giving |
| B．celebrate their sowing season |
| C．show their pleasure after harvest |
| D．celebrate the end of the old year |
| A．News reporters. | B．Successful leaders |
| C．Professional dancers. | D．Wine lovers. |
| A．There is no fee to attend it. |
| B．It is an event during the Pushkar Camel Fair. |
| C．All the hot air balloons come from India. |
| D．It is held to produce beautiful hot air balloons. |
| A．Wangala Festival | B．Bandra Wine Festival |
| C．Pushkar Balloon Festival | D．International Yoga and Music Festival |
9 . There’s a new frontier in 3D printing that’s beginning to come into focus: food. Recent development has made possible machines that print, cook, and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn’t stopping there.
Food production
With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and beautiful pieces for decoration on a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that — it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to “re-create forms and pieces” of food that are “exactly the same,” freeing cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and desserts it serves are 3D-printed,rather than farm to table.
Sustainability(可持续性）
The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and some analysts estimate that food production will need to be raised by 50 percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity. 3D food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe printers could use hydrocolloids (水解胶体) from plentiful renewables like algae(藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients(烹饪原料). 3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions. Grocery stores of the future might stock "food" that lasts years on end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.
Nutrition
Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia University, said, “Food printing could allow consumers to print food with customized nutritional content, like vitamins. So instead of eating a piece of yesterday’s bread from the supermarket, you’d eat something baked just for you on demand.”
Challenges
Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many challenges to overcome. Currently, most ingredients must be changed to a paste(糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing process is quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other in very complex ways. On top of that, most of the 3D food printers now are restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go bad. Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are better suited for fast food restaurants than homes and high-end restaurants.
1. What benefit does 3D printing bring to food production?| A．It helps cooks to create new dishes. |
| B．It saves time and effort in cooking. |
| C．It improves the cooking conditions. |
| D．It contributes to restaurant decorations. |
| A．It solves food shortages easily. |
| B．It quickens the transportation of food. |
| C．It needs no space for the storage of food. |
| D．It uses renewable materials as sources of food. |
| A．is more available to consumers |
| B．can meet individual nutritional needs |
| C．is more tasty than food in supermarkets |
| D．can keep all the nutrition in raw materials |
| A．The printing process is complicated. |
| B．3D food printers are too expensive. |
| C．Food materials have to be dry. |
| D．Some experts doubt 3D food printing. |
| A．3D Food Printing: Delicious New Technology |
| B．A New Way to Improve 3D Food Printing |
| C．The Challenges for 3D Food Production |
| D．3D Food Printing: From Farm to Table |
10 . A scientist working at her lab bench and a six-old baby playing with his food might seem to have little in common.After all,the scientist is engaged in serious research to uncover the very nature of the physical world,and the baby is,well, just playing…right?Perhaps,but some developmental psychologists have argued that this “play” is more like a scientific investigation than one might think.
Take a closer look at the baby playing at the table. Each time the bowl of rice is pushed over the table edge, it falls in the ground—and, in the process, it belongs out important evidence about how physical objects interact; bowls of rice do not flood in mid-sit, but require support to remain stable. It is likely that babies are not born knowing the basic fact of the universe; nor are they ever clearly taught it. Instead, babies may form an understanding of object support through repeated experiments and then build on this knowledge to learn even more about how objects interact. Though their ranges and tools differ, the baby’s investigation and the scientist’s experiment appear to share the same aim(to learn about the natural world), overall approach (gathering direct evidence from the world), and logic (are my observations what I expected?).
Some psychologists suggest that young children learn about more than just the physical world in this way—that they investigate human psychology and the rules of language using similar means. For example, it may only be through repeated experiments, evidence gathering, and finally overturning a theory, that a baby will come to accept the idea that other people can have different views and desires from what he or she has. For example, unlike the child, Mommy actually doesn’t like Dove chocolate.
Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws on how children learn, but it also offers an inspiring look at science and scientists. Why do young children and scientists seem to be so much alike? Psychologists have suggested that science as an effort—the desire to explore, explain, and understand our world—is simply something that comes from our babyhood. Perhaps evolution provided human babies with curiosity and a natural drive to explain their worlds, and adult scientists simply make use of the same drive that served them as children. The same cognitive systems that make young children feel good about figuring something out may have been adopted by adult scientists. As some psychologists put it, “It is not that children are little scientists but that scientists are big children.”
1. According to some developmental psychologists, ________.
| A．a baby’s play is nothing more than a game. |
| B．scientific research into babies; games is possible |
| C．the nature of babies’ play has been thoroughly investigated |
| D．a baby’s play is somehow similar to a scientist’s experiment |
| A．scientists and babies seem to observe the world differently |
| B．scientists and babies often interact with each other |
| C．babies are born with the knowledge of object support |
| D．babies seem to collect evidence just as scientists do |
| A．exploring the physical world |
| B．investigating human psychology |
| C．repeating their own experiments |
| D．observing their parents’ behaviors |
| A．The world may be more clearly explained through children’s play. |
| B．Studying babies’ play may lead to a better understanding of science. |
| C．Children may have greater ability to figure out things than scientists. |
| D．One’s drive for scientific research may become stronger as he grows. |
| A．Convincing. | B．Confused. |
| C．Confidence. | D．Cautious. |
