1 . A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those who want a good night’s sleep. But now a study has found it really does help people nod off—if it is milked from a cow at night.
Researchers have discovered that “night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety.
The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder that made from cows which are milked both during the day and at night.
Those who are given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those who are fed with the milk which is collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food.
Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.
While the effect of cow milk which is harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who are struggling to fall asleep at night.
Previous studies have also indicated that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax.
Milk is also sugar-free and additive-free(不含添加剂) with nutritionists recommending skimmed milk as the best choice before bed because it is the least fattening. The more fat you take in before bedtime, the greater burden you will put on your body at night.
1. According to the text,the mice that were fed with daytime milk ________.| A．started sleep more easily | B．woke up later |
| C．were less active | D．were more anxious |
| A．It’s been tested on mice for ten times. | B．It’s used in sleeping drugs. |
| C．It exists in milk in great amount. | D．It can make people more energetic. |
| A．Because it contains calcium. | B．Because it is the least fattening. |
| C．Because it contains sugar. | D．Because it is full of fat. |
| A．Milk Drinking and Health | B．Fat, Sugar and Health |
| C．An Experiment on Mice | D．Night Milk and Sleep |
2 . As an Asian country, Singapore has a reputation for being highly westernized, with English among the country’s four official languages, but a couple of signs found on local buses that have recently become a hit online may say otherwise.
Quite different from English we know, the signs read, for example, “Here cannot go in” instead of “No entry”, and Here can charge phone instead of Charge phone here. This language that resembles English is called Singaporean English or Singlish.
The New York Times calls Singlish “patchwork” because Singapore consists of migrants(移民) from several countries including China, India and Malaysia, and they all speak their own versions of “English”.
“Everyone who speaks it shapes it,” wrote the newspaper.
For example, in Singlish, you can easily recognize influences from Chinese, including vocabulary such as “mee siam” and “da bao”. Sentence structures like “toilet where” instead of “where’s the toilet” also come from Chinese.
Interesting and diverse as it may seem, the trend for Singlish is worrying Singapore’s government. It is concerned that the dialect is lowering the country’s English standard and may affect its relationship with visitors. It even started the Speak Good English Movement.
Unfortunately, the problem was not solved. Instead, Singlish has boomed, especially among young people who think of it as a sign of being cool and a way of identifying themselves as Singaporean.
But this does not mean that standard English is being abandoned by young people. In fact, they are much more capable than the government gives credit—they can speak both.
“We are a nation good at code switching—we know that the way we speak to friends or drivers must be different from how we act at work or school,” wrote Cheryl, a Singaporean author, in Time, “To actively urge us to give up a language that speaks to the very heart of who we are, that so beautifully represents the melting pot of Chinese, Indians, Malaysians and Eurasians(欧亚人) that we are, is shortsighted, surely.”
1. Singapore has many different versions of English because ________.| A．Singlish is influenced by Chinese | B．Singapore is made up of migrants |
| C．Singlish is affected by the official languages | D．Singapore is highly westernized |
| A．To better the relationship. | B．To stop the new trend |
| C．To give the government credit. | D．To keep English standard. |
| A．It’s their identity. | B．It’s a sign of status. |
| C．It’s a way of code-switching. | D．It’s interesting. |
| A．Chinese | B．Italian |
| C．Indian | D．Malaysian |
3 . If you need to prove who you are in China, you’ll usually need to use an ID (identity) card. It shows your name, date of birth, address, nationality, photo and ID number.
On April 17, Alipay introduced its first electronic ID card. The card is an electronic version (版本) of a real ID card and is recognized by the Ministry of Public Security.
The electronic ID card can now be used in Hangzhou, Quzhou and Fuzhou. People in these cities can use the card to check into hotels, buy train tickets and do other tasks.
About 4 million people will be able to use the service within the next year. “
It’s safe to use Alipay’s new service, in case you’re worried that someone might steal your identity.
| A．This gives people another choice. |
| B．But now, you can prove your identity using your smartphone. |
| C．First, you must unlock your phone, and enter your Alipay password. |
| D．It’s quite easy to get an electronic ID card by using the Alipay app. |
| E．But not all people have welcomed the electronic ID cards. |
| F．They don’t have to show their standard ID card anymore. |
| G．The safety of the electronic ID card is the main concern. |
4 . A recent study questions whether placing attention on economic growth is the best way to improve child nutrition in low-and middle-income countries. Subu is a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Massachusetts. He says there is a common belief on the best way to improve child health in developing countries. He puts it this way: “Let’s just go after economic growth and then everything else will just follow.” But he says that is not always true.
Take India for example. A common measure of a country’s economic health is GDP (gross domestic product). India’s GDP has been growing by more than five percent a year. That is a higher growth rate than most Western countries. Yet more than two-fifths of India’s children are underweight. And Subu says, the percentage of underweight children has changed little since the early 1990s. He and other researchers asked a question, “Was economic growth failing to benefit children in countries other than India?” They looked at health surveys carried out since 1990 in 36 low-and middle-income countries, mostly South of Africa’s Sahara Desert. The researchers compared the effect of GDP growth and signs of child malnutrition-like physical weakness, slow growth and being underweight. But the researchers found only a small relationship.
The group reported their findings in the Journal Lancet Global Health. Subu says money should be spent on clear water, waste-treatment system and other programs. “Without these directing measures, what we are seeing is that economic growth by itself is not making much difference,” said Subu.
But that is not how Lawrence Haddad sees the case. He is head of the Institute of Development Studies in Britain. Lawrence Haddad says malnutrition has dropped sharply over the past 20 years in countries like Vietnam, Ghana or Brazil. He says economic growth was responsible for half of those declines. “The other half is because of improvements in water, health systems and nutrition programs,” said Haddad.
1. Why does the author take India for example?| A．To stress the importance of GDP. |
| B．To arouse reader’s interest in the topic. |
| C．To prove economic growth can’t improve child nutrition. |
| D．To show India has a higher growth rate than most Western countries. |
| A．Lacking nutrition. | B．Getting nutrition. |
| C．Providing nutrition. | D．Wasting nutrition. |
| A．Two-fifths of India’s children are underweight. |
| B．Economic growth only fails to benefit children in India. |
| C．Lawrence Haddad looked at health surveys carried out since 1990. |
| D．Subu believed economic growth itself could hardly make a difference. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Unconcerned. | D．Doubtful. |
5 . You can either travel or read, but either your body or soul must be on the way. The popular saying has inspired many people to read or go sightseeing. Traveling just like reading, is a refreshing journey from the busy world. Books, brain food, can keep you company on your travel.
On the Road, 1957, by Jack Kerouac
The book is a globally popular spiritual guide book about youth. The main character in the book drives across the US continent with several young people and finally reaches Mexico. After the exhausting and exciting trip, the characters in the book begin to realize the meaning of life. The book can be a good partner with you to explore the United States.
Life is Elsewhere, 1975, by Milan Kundera
Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” The book tells a young artist’s romantic but miserable life, about how he reads, dreams, and has a relationship. Experience the artist’s passionate life in the book during a trip to Central Europe. The book invites you to deeply reflect on your current life.
The Stories of Sahara, 1967, by Sanmao
The book narrates the author’s simple but adventurous life in the Sahara Desert, which seems a desolate and dull place. The fancy natural scenery and life there, along with the author’s romantic and intensive emotion, will inspire you to explore the mysterious land. Reading the book is like participating in a dialogue with the author, who is sincere and humorous.
Lotus, 2006 by Annbaby
This novel set in Tibet, tells three people’s stories, each with their unique characteristics. It reveals modern people’s emotions and inner life, their confusion about love, and exploration of Buddhism.The book is a good partner to bring you to the sacred land Tibet.
1. Which book is about the exploration of life value through a journey?| A．On the Road. | B．Life is Elsewhere. |
| C．The Stories of Sahara. | D．Lotus. |
| A．Jack Kerouac’s. | B．Sanmao’s. |
| C．Annbaby’s. | D．Milan Kundera’s. |
| A．Lotus is a religious book exploring Tibetan Buddhist culture. |
| B．On the road advises a classic route for driving across the US. |
| C．The stories of Sahara records its authors’ own life in the desert. |
| D．Life is Elsewhere demonstrates Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s own life. |
6 . “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Eleanor Roosevelt once said. If we want to accomplish anything in life, let us remember that we should never give up.
Viennese-born composer Frederick Loewe, whom we remember from his musical scores that include My Fair Lady, Gigi and Camelot, was not always famous. He learned to play the piano with the great masters of Europe and achieved huge success as a musician and composer in his early years.
But when he immigrated to the United States, he failed as a pianist. For a while he tried other types of work. But he never gave up his dream and continued to play the piano and write music. During those years, he could not always afford to make ends meet by playing the piano.
One day, bent over the keyboard, he heard nothing but the music that he played with inspiration. When he finished and looked up, he was surprised to find that he had an audience—three men who were seated on the floor. They said nothing and made no movement toward the piano. Instead they dug into their pockets, took out all the money they had, placed it on the piano and walked out, empty-handed. Deeply touched by the beauty of his music, these men recognized excellence and responded to it.
Whatever you do, try your best. If what you do is worth doing and if you believe that who you are is of value, then you cannot afford to be content with mediocrity (平庸). When you choose the path of excellence through this life, you will bring out the best in yourself and receive the best it can offer in return.
1. What can we learn from Roosevelt’s words?| A．It is difficult to do our best. |
| B．It is important to be successful in life. |
| C．We should be strict with ourselves. |
| D．We should face the future with the most dreams. |
| A．He lost his hearing. | B．He led a hard life for a while. |
| C．He enjoyed great success. | D．He became a famous pianist. |
| A．They were supposed to do that. | B．They wanted to show their sympathy. |
| C．They were moved by his performance. | D．They wanted to make friends with him. |
| A．Practice makes perfect | B．Never give up your dream |
| C．It’s never too old to learn | D．Rome was not built in a day |
7 . Google previously announced successful tests of machine learning systems designed to assist doctors. In one case, Google reported AI had examined eye diseases with equal accuracy to doctors. Other tests showed that machine learning can be used to study large amounts of patient data to predict future medical events.
Now the company has published two new studies showing a high level of success in identifying metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic means that cancer has spread from its main area to other parts of the body. Metastatic breast cancer is one of the deadliest, causing about 90 percent of all breast cancer deaths worldwide.
In metastatic breast cancer patients, the cancer often travels to nearby lymph nodes(淋巴结). Usually doctors examine lymph node tissue under a microscope to see whether cancer is present. Google notes that previous studies have shown that up to one-fourth of metastatic lymph node classifications end up being changed after a second examination. In addition, studies show that small metastatic material can be missed up to 67 percent of the time when examinations happen under extreme time restrictions.
Google says it created a mathematical algorithm(算法). The algorithm, called Lymph Node Assistant, is trained to find characteristics of tissue affected by metastatic cancer. When the system examined tissue images(图像), it was able to differentiate between metastatic cancer and non-cancer 99 percent of the time. In addition, the Lymph Node Assistant is highly effective at finding the positions of the cancers. Some of these positions would be too small for doctors themselves to identify. The research also showed that the algorithm method can reduce the usual time needed to examine the disease by about 50 percent.
But Google makes clear the AI-based system is not meant to replace the work of medical professionals. Instead, it is designed to reduce the number of false identifications and help doctors work faster and more effectively.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．Google became a pioneer in training doctors. |
| B．Machine learning is able to stop future medical events. |
| C．Google developed artificial intelligence to help doctors. |
| D．Artificial intelligence cured eye diseases with equal accuracy to doctors. |
| A．One-fourth of the metastatic breast cancer patients die in the end. |
| B．Metastatic breast cancer is very difficult to identify. |
| C．It results in 90 percent of deaths of all cancers. |
| D．It can be identified after a second examination. |
| A．It can offer effective treatment. |
| B．It can tell the exact positions of cancers |
| C．It costs 99 percent less time than before. |
| D．It improves the accuracy of identifying cancers by 50%. |
| A．False identification of cancers will be avoided. |
| B．More effective prevention of cancers will be found. |
| C．The number of medical professionals will be reduced. |
| D．Doctors can have a faster understanding of patients’ condition. |
8 . Black Friday
The day after Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, so the day after is a Friday. This day has come to be known as Black Friday. It has been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005.
Most stores offer great deals on Black Friday. They open their doors in the small hours of the morning. They try to attract shoppers with big discounts. Some items like TVs are much cheaper than usual. Stores may even lose money on these items. They hope that shoppers will buy gifts for other people while they are in the store.
Black Friday is a great time to get good deals. The problem is that there are not enough low-priced items to go around. Each store may only have a few. These items are in high demand. People stand in long lines to get such great deals. They may line up hours before a store opens. They may be hoping to get a low price on a TV or laptop, but not everyone who wants one will get one. Some people leave disappointed.
The situation can be tense. Some Black Friday events have been violent. Large, eager crowds have trampled workers. Fights have broken out over toys or people cutting in line. People have shot one another over parking spots. But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. Still, if you plan on going, expect large crowds and a bit of pushing and shoving.
So where does the name “Black Friday” come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it drew. In the 1960s, spread across the country. It seems that it is here to stay.
Now people all over the country take part in the event known as Black Friday. It is even spreading to other parts of the world. Stores have held Black Friday events in the U.K., Australia, and Brazil since 2012. In Costa Rica Black Friday is known as “Viernes Negro.” And in Mexico, stores offer an annual weekend of discounts. They call it “EI Buen Fin,” which means “the good weekend” in Spanish. I guess the language of savings is universal.
1. Why do stores set prices so low on some items that they lose money?| A．They want people to enjoy the holidays. |
| B．They are generous at the beginning of the holiday season. |
| C．They hope people will buy other gifts while they are in the store. |
| D．They are trying to get rid of old items. |
| A．People stand in long lines on Black Friday. |
| B．Black Friday is a really disappointing time of the year. |
| C．Black Friday is the best time of the year to get good deals. |
| D．Black Friday deals are limited and not everyone will get one. |
| A．Order of time. | B．Problem and solution. |
| C．Order of importance. | D．Compare and contrast. |
| A．Black Friday: Stories from the Parking Lot |
| B．Black Friday: Why You Should Go This Year |
| C．Black Friday: The Stuff That You Should Know |
| D．Black Friday: How to Save Money on the Big Day |
9 . Sydney Cultural Festival — What’s on today!
European Art Show
Location: Art Gallery of New South Wales. Today is the final day of the exhibition featuring 18th and 19th century paintings by some of the greatest European artists, such as Van Gough and Monet. Posters of these great works are available for purchase at the Visitors’ Centre.
Time: 8:30 am –7 pm
Cost: $12 adults; $7 children and students
Nature Walks
Location: Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Come and celebrate our natural environment in one of the world’s only nature parks inside a major city. Join our hourly guided tours, starting at the Eastern Gate, and enjoy breathtaking forests, stunning city escapes and the magnificent Sydney Harbour.
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Cost: Free
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Concert
Location: Sydney Opera House. Australia’s most famous orchestra is best known for its performances of classical French and German music. But in tonight’s concert, the world-famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang is the special guest artist and will perform a series of classic Chinese compositions including Yellow River.
Time: 8:30 pm –11:30 pm
Cost: $175 adults; $90 students and children
Moonlight Cinema
Location: Centennial Park. Sit on the grass and enjoy the latest movies or classics from the past under the stars at Australia’s best and largest outdoor cinema. Tonight features the wonderful Australian film Red Dog. Besides the movie, there will be a display of classic Australian film posters.
Time: 8pm – 10:30pm
Cost: $19 adults; $14 children and students
1. Where should people wishing to join a Nature Walk meet?| A．The Visitors’ Centre. | B．The Harbour Bridge. |
| C．The Eastern Gate. | D．The guides’ building. |
| A．Australian. | B．German. |
| C．French. | D．Chinese. |
| A．1. | B．2. |
| C．3. | D．4. |
10 . Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically. Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past. “Houses” have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products. Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose, it leads to invention of a new tool or device. Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies, which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field. These products are patented and have trade mark licenses. The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long. Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look. All the outdoor dust, mud and snow can be kept out of the house by fixing the dirt drain (排水管)at the entrance of the door. Another important invention is the automatic toilet night-light, in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people. Thus, a variety of new household items are invented every day, which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner.
1. The first paragraph is intended to______________| A．stress the importance of inventions |
| B．introduce the topic of the article |
| C．show the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．tell the differences between human beings and animals |
| A．earn more money and gain awards |
| B．accumulate their wealth |
| C．improve the present living conditions |
| D．meet the new demands of new science |
| A．prevent your shoulder from being over-pressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound when you are in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to make and can be mastered by them |
| C．common people have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
