1 . Elizabeth Bishop is considered one of the best American poets of the 20th century. She was born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1911. Her dad died when she was just a baby and her mom never recovered from the loss; she went to live with her grandparents in Nova Scotia, Canada when she was five. Eventually Bishop attended Vassar College, where she began to write poetry.
At Vassar she discovered Marianne Moore's poetry and met “Ms. Moore” and began their life-long friendship. She later met poet Robert Lowell. She wrote tons and tons of letters to both of them, which is good for us because we would otherwise know very little of her personal life. Bishop's poetry is sometimes considered objective and cold because it shows almost nothing about the poet or her life.
Bishop published her first book of poetry in 1946 and wrote until her death in 1979. She would spend years working on a single poem. Her poems are not the result of hasty scribbling (匆忙乱写) on paper while eating breakfast. Over a lifetime of writing, she only published about 275 pages of poetry, and about 40 of those are translations. She would look through drafts of poems again and again and improve them until they were as close to perfect as she could get them.
Reading Elizabeth Bishop is like being transported to the very place, the very moment she’s writing about. She leads us to a microscope so we can see every smallest part of the scene. It seems she's always asking us to notice more, and more until the poem is so clear in our minds that it’s almost painful — like a light that's too bright. It might take your eyes a while to get used to it, but once they do, you'll like what you see.
1. What do we know about Bishop's early life?| A．She started to write poems at five. |
| B．She was always encouraged by her parents. |
| C．She spent her childhood mainly in Worcester. |
| D．She was mainly brought up by her grandparents. |
| A．She liked to write in the morning. |
| B．She could write poems at high speed. |
| C．She tried her best to achieve perfection. |
| D．She published hundreds of books of poetry. |
| A．Exact. | B．Informal. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Enthusiastic. |
2 . The Valley Art Center energizes and encourages art appreciation in people of all ages and backgrounds through education，inspiration, and opportunities to experience the visual arts. We support art students and artists through quality curriculum and programming along with exhibition space. We promote the growth of each individual's potential and the advancement of the arts in the community.
Basic Oil Painting
This course, with a four-hour format, is for serious artists of all levels from beginners to advanced learners. Guidance will be offered on issues such as composition, colors, tools and techniques, but the emphasis of the course will be on thinking creatively. Individual attention will be available whenever needed. The course will end up with a group discussion of the students' works.
IMPORTANT：students will be responsible for bringing all necessary materials，including any desired photographic reference. Supply list is available online. And don't forget your lunch. $192/$173.
Digital Photography for the Fraidy Cat
Learn the basics of digital photography. We will start with understanding what those symbols on your camera mean. We will explore how to set your own film speed，aperture (孔径) and shutter (快门) speed. We will also learn when to use a flash. We will explore taking action shots，landscapes and family portraits (全家福). In this class you will practice and apply what you have learned using your camera! $96/$86.
Drawing for the Fraidy Cat
Everyone can draw! If you have ever wanted to learn how to draw or just want to refresh yourself in drawing basics, then this is the class for you. This class will focus on building drawing skills through the use of line, value，perspective，and composition. Students will work on a variety of projects with different drawing mediums to develop their personal style. A list of suggested supplies is available online. $96/$86.
Enamel on Metal
In this art form, drawing skills are not required for this colorful and expressive craft. Beginners learn several basic classical techniques and those with experience are guided in other techniques of choice. For those who are making jewelry, this is another form to add to your artist's toolbox!
All equipment and supplies are included in the first project fee of $8, payable to the instructor at the first class. $96/$ 86.
1. The Valley Art Center intends to ________.| A．discover the art students' potential |
| B．have exhibitions of students' art works |
| C．offer people some ways to experience arts |
| D．promote the development of the community |
| A．the skills of composition |
| B．the discussions of art works |
| C．the guidance of basic painting |
| D．the creative thinking of students |
| A．Drawing for the Fraidy Cat |
| B．Digital Photography for the Fraidy Cat |
| C．Enamel on Metal |
| D．Basic Oil Painting |
| A．involves drawing skills for craft |
| B．charges the first project fee of $96 |
| C．supplies different techniques of choice |
| D．adds another toolbox to make jewelry |
3 . Kids in primary schools in Bellaire, Ohio, have something to sing about. For the past eight years, public primary schools in that town didn’t offer music classes. They didn’t have the money to pay for them. But the school district got some support to bring back music this school year.
Many school officials across the country say music classes get students excited about going to school. And studies have shown that music classes may boost brainpower. For example, researchers from the University of Southern California recently released the results of a fiveyear study. They found that the brains of 10and 11yearolds who learned to play a musical instrument developed faster than the brains of kids who didn’t.
Though most people aren’t against teaching music in schools, not everyone says it’s necessary. Many school officials argue (争论) that learning music means less time spent on maths, writing, and science, all of which may be more useful to students later in life.
Here’s what two of our readers think.
Music should be taught in school for the simple reason that it makes learning more fun. We have music classes at my school, and I love them!
Taking music lessons can also build character. In 2015, a research company called Grunwald Associates did a survey on music education. More than 60 percent of parents whose kids took music classes in school said their child became more focused (集中注意力的).
—Noah Falcon, New Jersey
At my school, we don’t have music classes. I think that’s OK because it gives us more time to focus on main subjects, like reading and maths. It’s more important to learn these subjects than it is to learn how to play an instrument or sing.
If someone wants to take music lessons, he or she can do it outside of school. Once I took a mariachi (墨西哥流浪乐队音乐) class after school, so it didn’t take time away from my other classes.
—Sophia Salazar, California
1. What change has happened in primary schools in Bellaire this year?| A．Music classes are offered. |
| B．The school year is shortened. |
| C．Singing is allowed in schools. |
| D．Kids can get prizes if they learn music. |
| A．Create. |
| B．Prevent. |
| C．Increase. |
| D．Discover. |
| A．It is unnecessary. |
| B．It is very important. |
| C．It is a waste of money. |
| D．It is easy to continue. |
| A．She didn’t like music at all. |
| B．Music brings her more fun. |
| C．Music helps her keep focused. |
| D．She took a music class after school. |
4 . When I was a kid, I used to spend hours listening to Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky on their Sunday night radio show Loveline. I listened so often that I began to use one of their well-known phrases — “good times” — in my daily conversations. Scientists have a name for this phenomenon: behavioral mimicry.
You’ve probably experienced this before: after spending enough time with another person, you might start to pick up on his or her behavior or speech habits. You might even start to develop your friend’s habits without realizing it. There is a large body of literature concerning this sort of phenomenon, and it regularly happens for everything from body gesture to accents to drink patterns (模式). For example, one study found that young adults were more likely to drink their drink directly after their same-sex drinking partners, than for the two individuals to drink at their own paces.
And the effect isn’t limited to real-life face-to-face activities. Another study found that the same you-drink-then-I-drink pattern held even when watching a movie! In other words, people were more likely to take a drink of their drinks in a theater after watching the actors on the screen enjoy a drink. At least I don’t feel so strange anymore, having picked up on Adam Carolla’s “good times”.
New research published today in the journal PLOS ONE indicates that the same sort of behavioral mimicry is responsible for social eating, at least among university-age women of normal weight. That’s right: the young women were more likely to adjust their eating according to the eating pace of their same-sex dining companion.
As with most experiments, these results raise a whole new set of questions. However, the finding that behavioral mimicry may at least partly explain eating behavior is important, and has real effects on health. The researchers note that “as long as people don’t fully recognize such important influences on intake (eating), it will be difficult to make healthy food choices and keep a healthy diet, especially when people are exposed to the eating behavior of others”.
1. The author takes his own example of using “good times” to_______.| A．show the influence of the hosts’ words | B．express his love for radio shows |
| C．prove the popularity of the show | D．introduce the topic of the passage |
| A．behavioral mimicry is beneficial to our health |
| B．behavioral mimicry decides our eating behavior |
| C．people have realized the effect of behavioral mimicry on our health |
| D．It’s impossible to keep a healthy diet without knowing behavioral mimicry |
| A．To introduce behavioral mimicry and its influence. |
| B．To appeal to readers not to fall into others’ habits. |
| C．To advocate healthy food choices among readers. |
| D．To draw readers’ attention to popular radio shows. |
5 . Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year a Canadian scientist George Kill proved the English professor was right. Dr Kill filled an open oil pail (桶) with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both in the same low temperature. The warm water froze first. The lack of covers on the pails is the secret. Some of the warm water changed into vapor. This meant that less of the warm water was left to be frozen. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water even though it had a greater temperature drop to make.
1. Hundreds of years ago, Sir Francis Bacon found _______.| A．the temperature of warm water drops faster than that of cold water |
| B．warm water is heavier than cold water |
| C．warm water has the same temperature as cold water |
| D．warm water is not as useful as cold water |
| A．cold water freezes first |
| B．warm water turns into ice before cold water |
| C．warm water and cold water freeze at the same time |
| D．much of cold water is changed into air. |
| A．Because some of the warm water turns to vapor, the amount becomes less than that of cold water. |
| B．Because warm water is lighter than cold water. |
| C．Because the temperature of warm water is lower than that of cold water. |
| D．Because cold water freezes with more difficulty than warm water. |
6 . Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all whether rich or poor, clever or stupid, one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough: we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees; they refuse to do what they think “low” work; and in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we would get terrible diseases in our towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we are educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability, and secondly, that we realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
1. The writer of this passage thinks that________.| A．free education can solve all of the world’s problems |
| B．free education for all probably leads to a perfect world |
| C．free education won’t help to solve social problems |
| D．all the social problems can’t be solved by free education |
| A．work with hands is dirty and shameful |
| B．work with hands is low work |
| C．work with hands is the most important |
| D．we can’t regard work with hands as low work |
| A．to choose a system of education |
| B．to let everyone receive education |
| C．to prepare children for their future life |
| D．to prepare children for well-paid jobs |
7 . Some high school students think it useless to receive higher education.
While limited within the walls of the educational places, we openly explore other cultures of the world!
When there’s a recession (衰退) in the economy, those who attended college will be more likely to find a new job than those who only finished high school and have a limited skill set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.
When you’re skillful and knowledgeable, you gain access to people of similar backgrounds and tastes.
| A．Therefore, they choose not to go to college. |
| B．We come to know that ours is not the only culture. |
| C．There is a negative side to earning a good education too. |
| D．A good education makes you a more interesting person. |
| E．It means a good education leads to excellent networking. |
| F．Schools and universities are the first places to get knowledge. |
| G．It has long been understood that an education can lead to long-term financial success. |
8 . Europe has a rich history and it is a good place to journey.
Paris
Paris, the heaven of fashion, culture and entertainment, is the most visited city in the world. It is also held as a numerous tourist destination due to the presence of the Eiffel Tower and several other historic buildings, museums and churches.
Rome
A talk about Europe is incomplete without a mention of Rome. Held as a place where one of the oldest civilizations of the world prospered(繁荣), Rome is where you'd get to see numerous castles, palaces, ancient buildings, fountains, squares and beautiful parks. Several tourists come here especially to have a look at the Renaissance architecture that the buildings of this city boast.
Barcelona
Barcelona, a major city in Spain, is regarded among the 10 best beach cities in the world. The city's coastline has clear waters and a mild climate which makes it a favorite destination among sunbathers. Besides that, Barcelona has a glorious past to show off. You must wander through its busy streets and take a look at the historic buildings, castles, churches, parks and museums.
Vienna
If you are a music lover and a steady devotee of Beethoven or Mozart, then a visit to Vienna is like going on a pilgrimage(朝圣). This is because Vienna is the birthplace of these artists. You'd find their houses there and also find their memorial graves. Besides that, Vienna is known for castles, palaces, museums and historic monuments. If you are a devoted art lover, Vienna is the place for you. It has nearly a hundred museums devoted to art!
1. Which place has the most tourists in the world according to the passage?| A．Vienna. | B．Barcelona. |
| C．Rome. | D．Paris. |
| A．the birthplace of artists | B．castles |
| C．fountains | D．the Eiffel Tower |
| A．Some ancient architecture in Europe. |
| B．Some best places people can visit in Europe. |
| C．Some best attractions people can enjoy in Paris. |
| D．Some famous musicians and their famous works. |
9 . I remember the first time I got on a horse. When I was a little boy aged two, my mom agreed to let me take a short ride and that was it! From then on, I drove my parents crazy begging for a horse.
When I was four, I had mutism, in which children stop speaking in certain social situations. I went days, weeks, months without a sound at school. At most, I might quietly whisper to a friend. I suffered silently through school until I was ten when a psychologist (心理学家) had an idea. He asked me what I wanted more than anything else in the world. He explained I was going to be given a chance to work for that. And I was permitted to whisper the answer in my mother’s ear, “A horse.”
I was to get a pony, but I had to live up to my end of the bargain (讲价). I had a list of weekly tasks I had to finish. I had to answer the phone five times per week, something I had never done before. I had to say one word to my teacher at school and the list went on. For a child with mutism, saying one word to someone can be like climbing Mount Qomolangma. I did everything that was asked of me and the day came. His name was Sequoia, whom I fell in love with immediately. When I was in Sequoia’s presence, I forgot all about my problems and felt strong and secure.
I am a fully participating member of society these days. My horse and I made it through a master’s degree. I may have made it otherwise, but I’m not sure. I feel I owe my life to the horse and I try to give it back to him. He has given me the best gift I could ever imagine, my life.
1. What was the situation like when the author was four?| A．He didn’t say a word at all. |
| B．He learned how to ride a horse. |
| C．He found his classmates unfriendly. |
| D．He had difficulty in communicating. |
| A．He completed some tasks easily. |
| B．He pushed himself extremely hard. |
| C．He fell in love with Sequoia gradually. |
| D．He found the psychologist’s idea useless. |
| A．To share his unfortunate childhood. |
| B．To give tips on how to cure mutism. |
| C．To show his deep gratefulness to his horse. |
| D．To encourage kids struggling against mutism. |
10 . How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes.” But Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, developing on features. The U. S. is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.
1. Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?| A．It can sense how users brush their teeth. |
| B．It can track users’ school performance. |
| C．It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist. |
| D．It can help users find their phones. |
| A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist. |
| B．You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis. |
| C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist. |
| D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day. |
| A．It can be used to update mobile phones. |
| B．It can be used to play mobile phone games |
| C．It can send messages to other users |
| D．It can talk to its developers. |
| A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth |
| B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes. |
| C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head. |
| D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home. |
| A．The brush handle will be removed. | B．A mobile phone will be built into it. |
| C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth | D．It will be able to check users’ teeth |
