1 . A British friend told me he couldn’t understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds(嗑瓜子) as a snack so much.“I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth, I believe that’s from cracking the seeds,”he said.
I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware, I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn’t like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so much just to get one small seed.
When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go door-to-door on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.
I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. Out in the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with fancy tablecloth, ready-made dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds. Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.
I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.
It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins your breath. They think it’s a delicacy(美味佳肴), and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What did the writer become aware of?| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She had various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She had a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| A．The families get together for it. | B．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it. |
| C．The traditions of celebrating it disappear. | D．Children can eat delicious food on that day. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Understandable. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．It is good to form healthy eating habits. |
| B．Eating habits come from a certain culture. |
| C．Changing your eating habits will change your life. |
| D．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. |
2 . With the development of our society, cellphones have become a common part in our lives. Have you ever run into a careless cellphone user in the street? Maybe they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new "species" of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name—phubbers (低头族).
Recently a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cellphone while letting his patient die. A pretty woman takes a selfie (自拍) in front of a car accident site. And a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events will finally lead to the destruction(毁灭) of the world.
Although the ending of the film sounds unrealistic, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and the result of it. "Always bending your head to check your cellphone could damage your neck," Guangming Daily quoted doctors' words. "The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching." Also, staring at cellphones for a long time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that's not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. When getting together with family or friends, many people prefer to play their cellphones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cellphones in broad daylight.
1. Why does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2?| A．To suggest phubbers will destroy the world. |
| B．To call for people to go walking without phones. |
| C．To tell people the bad effects of phubbing. |
| D．To advise students to create more cartoons like this. |
① Destructing the world.
② Affecting his social skills.
③ Damaging his neck and eyesight.
④ Getting separated from his friends and family.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Supportive. | B．Confident. | C．Disapproving. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Ways to avoid the risks of phubbing. | B．Bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．Daily life of phubbers. | D．Behaviours of phubbers. |
3 . Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa’s white, racist regime(政权).
Mandela, who won the nation’s first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid(种族隔离) in 1944,retired in 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
＂He’s loved by all people, whether you’re white or black, whether you’re young or old,＂ said Ali Bacher, South Africa’s former cricket(板球) chief.
His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a metropolitan(大都会的) area was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness — the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York’s Statue of Liberty.
His popular appeal is similar to that of John F. Kennedy with US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in his times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand.＂ Sometimes it isn’t completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He is a very, very clever man,＂ However, he is far from perfect.
Most articles for his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have his shortcomings. Then they returned to their flowing praises. ＂Through the ages, the human race has had its icons(偶像) — men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generation,＂ The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. ＂In our generation, the gods presented us Nelson Mandela.＂
1. Nelson Mandela is loved by all the people of South Africa because________.| A．he’s as popular as Kennedy and Churchill | B．he spent 27 years in prison |
| C．he’s a great fighter against the racialism | D．he won the first all-race elections |
| A．It inspired the whole nation to develop business. |
| B．His portrait appears on the Statue of Freedom. |
| C．His portrait is used to raise money for the Statue of Freedom. |
| D．His portrait is similar to that of John F. Kennedy or Winston Churchill. |
| A．Mandela is as great as a god | B．We are proud to have this hero |
| C．Mandela lives together with us today | D．We are proud to know Mandela |
| A．science book | B．travel journal | C．newspaper | D．story book |
The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie by Chavonne D. Stewart The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie is the first book in a wonderful children's books series, which is fun and exciting and also teaches kids valuable lessons. It tells the story of Amilya Rose Patterson, a creative eight-year-old with “can do” attitude and full of imagination, who is determined to set out on a new adventure, even if it means getting into trouble in the end and learning a lesson. Once she sets her mind to do something, nothing can stop her. |
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry The Little Prince, the most translated book in the French language, tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to explore the universe, learning the unexpected and unpredictable changes of adult behaviour through a series of his personal journeys to Earth and further adventures. |
Chester and Gus by Cammie McGovern Chester has always wanted to become a service dog. When he fails his test, though, it seems like that dream might never come true—until a family adopts (收养) him to be a companion for their ten-year-old son, Gus, who has autism (自闭症). But Gus acts so differently from anyone Chester has ever met. He never wants to pet Chester, and sometimes he doesn't even want him in the room. Chester is not sure how to help Gus since this isn't exactly the job he trained for—but he's determined to find it out and show he's the right dog for the job. |
Invisible Emmie by Terri Libenson The novel tells the story of two totally different little girls—quiet, shy, artistic Emmie and popular, outgoing, athletic Katie—and how their lives unexpectedly intersect (相交) one day, when a note falls into the wrong hands. |
| A．Gus. | B．Emmie. |
| C．Katie. | D．Amilya. |
| A．The Adventures of Amilya Rose: The Lie. |
| B．The Little Prince. |
| C．Chester and Gus. |
| D．Invisible Emmie. |
| A．They are stories about children. |
| B．They are written for parents. |
| C．They are about popular people. |
| D．They are love stories. |
5 . The M3 Challenge is a contest that gives high schoolers the chance to experience working as a team to deal with a practical problem within limited time. The challenge is meant to give high schoolers a sense of the kinds of problems faced by professional mathematicians working in the real world. Students who are gifted at coding (编程) might consider this competition since extra credit awards are available for teams who include outstanding code as part of their solution.
High school juniors and seniors from anywhere in the U. S. are welcome to participate in the M3 Challenge. Teams of students must consist of three to five people and at least one teacher-coach. Another cool thing? The M3 Challenge is. entirely online until the final round, and there are no participation fees !.
At the end of the M3 Challenge, six teams are identified and invited to present their work in New York City. The finalist teams are also eligible to receive cash awards, which are as follows:
◆ M3 Challenge Champions (Summa Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 20,000
◆ M3 Challenge Runner Up (Magna Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 15,000
◆ M3 Challenge Third Place (Cum Laude Team Prize) $ 10,000
◆ M3 Challenge Finalist (Meritorious Team Prize) $ 5,000 (3 teams)
In addition to these top prizes, there are also awards in the amount of $ 1,500 and $ 1,000 for semi-finalist and honorable mention teams respectively. Finally, Challenge finalists, semi-finalists, and honorable mention teams may be invited to submit applications for summer internships in STEM.
1. What's the purpose of the M3 Challenge?| A．To promote coding. |
| B．To select math professionals. |
| C．To solve difficult math problems. |
| D．To enrich high schoolers' knowledge. |
| A．Having only one coach in a team. |
| B．Coming from a remote U. S. state. |
| C．Including eight students in a team. |
| D．Failing to pay the participation fees. |
| A．$ 1,000. | B．$ 1,500. | C．$ 5,000. | D．$ 10,000. |
6 . Are you interested in working with animals? Now here comes the CHANCE. Kirby Wildlife Park has set up the unique "Keeper Experience" package. The fantastic experience is available to anyone over the age of 18 who is reasonably fit. We regret that for health and safety reasons, participants who are pregnant, in a wheelchair or suffering from illnesses cannot take part.
A typical day
9:15 Arrival
9:30 Health and Safety Briefing
10:00 Apes and Monkeys
While cleaning out the enclosure (围场)you will find out about how enclosures are enriched with novel items and new smells to stimulate (刺激)the animals* senses and imitate their natural environment.
12:00 Lunch
14:00 Big Cats
On the highlight of most volunteers’ day, you will feed the cats and learn about their nutritional needs. The keeper will give you an introduction to how cat behavior can be read to get an idea of their welfare and health.
16:30 Meet the Team
Meet more of the staff and learn how you can get further involved with work at the park. Learn about our animal adoption plan, what it takes to be a good keeper and where to obtain the right qualifications for a career in animal welfare.
Booking and cancellation
The Keeper Experience is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, and must be booked at least two weeks in advance. Full payment is needed when booking.
Cancellations must be made more than fourteen days before the event, or you won’t receive a full refund (退款).
1. What kind of people can experience working with animals in Kirby Wildlife Park?| A．A teenager boy sitting in a wheelchair. | B．A man who is quite healthy. |
| C．A pregnant woman. | D．A girl under the age of 18, |
| A．At 12:00. | B．At 9:30. | C．At 10:00. | D．At 16:30. |
| A．A booking must be cancelled over two weeks before the event. |
| B．Anyone can cancel a booking throughout the year. |
| C．The cancelling is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. |
| D．You can cancel a booking with a full refund at any time. |
7 . Is It a Healthy Interest?
The Guinness Book of World Records describes Ranulph Fiennes as the world’s greatest living explorer. His journeys include the first polar circumnavigation (极地环行) and the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic continent on foot. So when he suffered a heart attack, it came as something of a surprise.
Exercise is highly beneficial as it reduces both the pulse (脉搏) rate and the blood pressure so reducing stress on the heart as it brings blood round the body. It also helps to keep the artery (动脉) walls more elastic (有弹性的).
But can you push yourself too much? On the subject of exercise, it is good to take several parts of “moderate” exercise a week，which is a little more than quick walking. “We need to be careful when we’re doing extreme sports,” says expert Len Almond. “Extreme stress can make almost impossible demands on the body’s ability to recover. The stress of extreme sports forces biochemical changes in the body, and the physical response to that kind of activity will be too extreme.”
We all know how the Olympics began. The man who ran 26 miles from the town of Marathon to Athens with news of a victory died as soon as he arrived，and the cause of his sudden death might be the heart attack. Further research was done by scientists. They studied cyclists (自行车运动员) on a race that covers 230km with a height change of 5,500m. They were interested in one particular enzyme (酶), high concentrations of which are found in those who have suffered a heart attack. The scientists found that levels of this chemical increased in most of the cyclists who completed the race. The largest increases were seen in the fastest cyclists who had trained the hardest.
Most of us will never put our bodies to such extreme sports. But if, when you hear about someone like Fiennes，you ask whether exercise is worth it. I advise you to consider your own condition. Personally, I agree with the saying: “Run not to add years to your life but to add life to your years.”
1. According to the passage, taking exercise can_______ .| A．speed up the heart rate | B．increase stress on the heart |
| C．reduce the blood pressure | D．keep the artery walls straight |
| A．Our bodies can easily deal with physical stress. |
| B．Playing extreme sports is harmful to the human body. |
| C．We need a long period of recovery after extreme sports. |
| D．There is more to learn about the effect of physical stress. |
| A．To suggest a different area of research. |
| B．To support the activity of taking part in sports. |
| C．To explain the effect of a height change on cyclists. |
| D．To prove that extreme sports may cause heart attacks. |
| A．helps you have a regular life | B．adds years to your life |
| C．should be done in moderation | D．will be worth the effort |
8 . My mother always told me, “You should explore your own country before stepping out into the world. ”However, it seems like a tough mission to travel all across its expansive surfaces. But luckily for me, Via Rail Canada offered youths between the ages of 18 and 25 the chance to ride the train across Canada for the month of July. The ticket was a bargain $150. My best friends Trevor, Joel and Jeremy and I immediately jumped at the opportunity and secured four tickets on the great Canadian railroad.
For a group of 20-year-olds, this was like the first flight of young birds from the nest. When we approached the train station in the morning, our 22-day adventure from Sudbury to Vancouver was to begin. Eyes baggy from lack of sleep, we jumped on board as if it was the train to Hogwarts in Harry Potter. Although the thought of three full days on those tracks covering close to 3, 000 kilometres crushed our spirits a little, what happened next caught us by surprise.
The three days on board turned into a summer camp on rails. At night, we would climb up the glass-domed train car, which gave us a scenic view of the starry night sky, untouched by the harmful light pollution. Before we knew it, the warm sun rays beating down on our faces woke us up for another day on the rails. To my surprise, a sea of golden grain fields dominated the landscape we were in the Canadian Prairies.
Another day slipped away and we set up for another night in the dome. And this time we were greeted by night sky painted by a fantastic thunderstorm. Lightning was striking at an incredible rate. The spectacular and memorable light show left everyone in the glass bubble in complete disbelief.
Arriving in the Rocky Mountains was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. Before the train adventure, if I could have skipped the travel and arrived at the destination, I would have. That is no longer true. I’ve learned that the journey can be more enjoyable than the destination.
1. What has made the author’s train adventure across Canada a reality?| A．The encouragement given by his mother. | B．The appeal of the scenic views in the country. |
| C．The discount ticket offered by Via Rail Canada. | D．His great courage to challenge a tough mission. |
| A．They were excited about the coming train journey. |
| B．They left their parents for the first time in their life. |
| C．They never thought of having a train adventure. |
| D．They were hooked by the magic story of Harry Potter. |
| A．A brain in lack of imagination. | B．The glass-domed train car. |
| C．A summer camp on the train. | D．The sightseeing bus. |
| A．Opportunities are hard to get. | B．Enjoying a journey counts a lot. |
| C．Splendid scenery attracts young people. | D．The traveling experience is not real to him. |
9 . Do you know a famous Chinese saying, "He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man?" We can help you realize your dream now.
◆12-Day Tour in China
Tour Type: Private Tour
Guide: English-speaking guide
Must-see sights in China: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors. Giant pandas
Try biking on the Ming Dynasty City Wall of Xi'an, or tour by electric car. Have a once-in-a-life chance to get close to the incredibly cute treasure---Pandas.
Price: $1,669 per person
◆8-Day Tour in China
Tour Type: Private Tour
Guide: English- speaking guide
Must-see sights in China: the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Take rickshaw（人力车）through the Hutongs and get close touch with the original Beijing lifestyle. Experience the Bund, classical garden, modern and old in contrast in Shanghai.
Price: $1,159 per person
◆10-Day Tour in China
Tour Type: Private Tour
Guide: English-speaking guide
Must-see sights in China: the Great Wall Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Walk into a local family, learn to cook Chinese food and dine with the hosts in their home.
Price: $1, 629 per person
◆15-Day Tour in China
Tour Type: Private Tour
Guide: English-speaking guide
Must-see sights in China: the Great Wall, Forbidden City. Terracotta Warriors
Enjoy the breathtaking landscape along Li River and escape from the busy and noisy city life. Unwind with a Yangtze River sail tour and see the Three Gorges.
Price: $2.699 per person
1. Which tour provides visitors with a chance to see pandas?| A．8-Day Tour in China. | B．10-Day Tour in China. |
| C．12-Day Tour in China. | D．15-Day Tour in China. |
| A．Nature lovers. | B．Folk custom and culture lovers. |
| C．Swimming lovers. | D．Animal lovers. |
| A．It costs visitors the least to visit. | B．It lets visitors communicate with local people. |
| C．Visitors can visit ancient buildings. | D．Visitors can see water scenery. |
10 . Michael Shirazi is a 67-year-old American who has been feeding more than 150 homeless cats in Shanghai for the past eight years. Every night, he leaves his home at 11:00 pm and takes 20 kilos of cat food to the street feeding the homeless cats. So he is called by people "the king of homeless cats".
Eight years ago, Michael came to Shanghai for his family's business. At that time, he was a successful businessman. Until one day after living in Shanghai for a year, a homeless cat he named "short tail" came into his life. He still remembers the night when he saw "short tail" and the way it searched for food in the garbage can for her and her newborn babies. He had pity on "short tail" and brought it food and water. Since then, he has been feeding more and more homeless cats. He even shut down his company and closed his family business because of it.
These homeless cats have brought many happy moments to Michael. Every time they see him, they jump with excitement and kiss him. But unfortunately, his wife left him because he no longer managed his family business and spent nearly 10, 000 yuan a month on cat food. Though all the things happened to Michael, he still leaves his home on time every night.
Michael said: "My experience makes me feel that people are made of love. We must return our love to the world so that we can find our inner(内心的) peace." This is the happiness he gets every night when he's on his way to feeding food: feeling loved and needed.
1. Why do people call Michael "the king of homeless cats"? ______| A．He plays with homeless cats. | B．He raises homeless cats at home. |
| C．He takes photos of homeless cats. | D．He gives food to homeless cats. |
| A．Before he came to Shanghai. | B．After meeting "short tail". |
| C．When he was 62 years old. | D．After closing his family business. |
| A．Homeless cats love and trust Michael. | B．Michael's wife strongly supported him. |
| C．Michael made money by selling cat food. | D．The feeding will never continue any more. |
| A．Kind and generous. | B．Ordinary and shy. |
| C．Helpful and calm. | D．Brilliant and serious. |
