1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Online “friends” – a threat to development

The impact of technology on the nature of our friendships has been a much - debated topic since the dramatic rise of social networks. Advances in mobile technology and social networking websites mean we spend more time online than ever before. It is therefore not surprising that so many psychologists, sociologists, and others are eager to give their thoughts on how this is impacting negatively on our society.

There is one element of social networking that is deeply worrying. We find ourselves in a hyper - connected world where people access social media day and night, excited to make announcements about the tiniest details of their lives. Research is starting to show that this culture is negatively affecting not our friendships but our character. Professor Larry D. Rosen says that young people who overuse social networking sites can become ineffective, and display anti -social behavior in their offline lives. But perhaps an even more disturbing effect is that one of our most basic emotions seems to be disappearing --empathy. This is the emotion that allows us to see the world from our friends’ points of view. Without it, we are far less able to connect and form meaningful adult relationships.

Professor Sherry Turkle suggests that people are no longer comfortable being alone. This is something confirmed by a study where 200 university students were asked to go without social media for 24 hours. Many admitted an addiction to their online social network; most complained that they felt cut off from family and friends. And yet being alone is a time when we self-reflect and get in touch with who we really are. It is only when we do this that we can make meaningful friendships with others.

These potential changes in our characters are rather alarming, so it is clear that we can’t neglect those negative impacts of social networks.

2 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Sustainable Transport in Cities

Transporthas always shaped cities. In Medieval times crossroads gave birth to bloomingmarket towns. Many North American cities were created for the car. But how arethe cities of today being shaped by a need for more sustainable transport?

Manylocal governments are speeding up change through policy initiatives such asjoined transport, congestion charges and low emission zones, sustainablegaining and life-cycle costing, and opening data up to companies and academics.And these city level policies can move markets in more sustainable directions.    1     This ha resulted in five vehicle manufacturers committing to meetingthat deadline, which is both in their own commercial interests and good for theenvironment.

The least dense cities, for example, Houston, have per capita（人均价）carbonemissions nearly ten times higher than the densest, such as Singapore.     2    This involves gathering mixed use developments around a key transport center, as with the KL Central area in Kuala Lumpur, built around the largest railway station in Southeast Asia.

    3    Others are using motivations and behavioral change to encourage people to choose more efficient -- and often healthier -- forms of transport. Copen has a number of progressive cycling policies including the Green Wave, whichallows people cycling at 20km /h to hit all green lights during rush hour.

Light weighing and new engine and fuel technologies are helping to make existing road and rail vehicles more efficient.     4     The main options are hydrogen fuelcells, fossil fuel hybrids, and electric vehicles, and the best solution may well vary from city to city.

A．Many options require city -   level investment in new facilities.

B．However, it is not yet clear   which technologies and fuels cities will back.

C．Through their actions, city   governments today are helping to shape the cities of the future.

D．For example, London is   requiring all newly licensed taxis to be zero - emission capable from 2018.

E．City planners are using   transport - oriented development to increase density while maintaining quality of life and property value.

F．Some cities, such as Delhi,   are investing heavily in creating the mass transport systems needed to change   how citizens travel.

3 . ① Risk is something we face daily. However, some people are obviously more willing to take risks than others.

② Biologists appear to have discovered a physical reason that explains why some people are risk -takers. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that spreads signals between nerve cells. It is linked to the brains reward system and is the chemical that makes us feel good, and scientists believe it to be inked to risk - taking. Our nerve cells have dopamine receptors（接收器）which control the amountof dopamine that each cell receives. But not all receptors may be active. When a person had few active receptors to control the amount of dopamine that is received, a cell can become flooded resulting in an extreme feeling of happiness.

③ researchers at Vanderbilt University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine asked 34 men and women tocomplete a questionnaire about their risk taking to assess whether they seek new opportunities or are cautious in life. The results of the research were consistent with similar studies carried out with rats, and had the same outcome. It concluded that people who are risk-takers have fewer dopaminereceptors than people who are not. This suggests that the rush of pleasure a risk taker receives when a cell becomes flooded with dopamine can become addictive for some people. They therefore pursue new and exciting activities in order to try to repeat this feeling, and as a result their concern for risk becomes considerable reduced.

④ Dopamine gives us a biological reason for risk - taking, but scientists believe there may bepsychological reasons too. Sensation - seeking is a personality characteristic that describes the desire to find activities that bring us pleasure. In 1964,psychologist Marvin Zuckerman created the sensation - seeking scale. His 40-item questionnaire, still used today, was given to people who were active inseeking new activities, and to people who were more satisfied with a quiet life. While risk - taking is not a characteristic in itself, it is very much associated with sensation - seeking, as a high sensation - seeker does note valuate risk in the same way that a low sensation - seeker does. a desire toachieve pleasure means that there is a greater willingness to take more risks.

⑤ There are both biological and psychological explanations as to why some people may choose to take more risks than others. However, none of these explanations are definitive.

1. If a person has fewer active dopamine receptors.________.

A．he is less likely to feel happy

B．he is more willing to take risks

C．he will eventually become dopamine - addictive

D．he is poorer at controlling the amount of dopamine

2. The underlined phrase “consistent with” is closest to “________” in meaning.

A．contrary to	B．in agreement with
C．atthe cost of	D．persistent in

3. What can be concluded from paragraph 4?

A．The longing for pleasure may lead to risk taking.

B．A willingness to take more risks can be cultivated.

C．The sensation - seeking scale can help to evaluaterisk.

D．High sensation - seekers are more common than lowones.

4. This passage mainly talks about ________.

A．when we learn to take risks	B．how risk - taking benefits us
C．what makes risk - takers	D．why we should take risks

4 . HP ENVY Photo 7155 All -in - One Printer

Special offers: Free shipping!

Print,Scan, Copy, Web, Photo

Printspeed ISO: Up to 14 ppm black, up to 9 ppm color

Gofrom memory card to photo printout with ease

InstantInk ready; High yield ink available

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Product # K7G93A#B1H

For expert advice, price matching, or help withorders, call 1-866-625-6132.

Protect your Device with an HP Care Pack

● 1- Year Standard Warranty                                               Included

○ 2 Year Next Day Exchange ENVY 5055,6255,7155             $ 18.00

○ HP Recommends

   3 Year Next Day Exchange ENVY 5055,6255,7155             $ 25.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Features          Specs        Ink&Paper        Support        Special offers        Reviews

Get true-to- life photos and increased adaptability. Produce true colors, and set up,connect, and print right from your mobile device. Go from memory card to photo printout with ease.

HP Photoand Document All-in-One Printers are designed for families and other home users who want a device capable of printing everything from documents, emailsand web pages to rich, bright lab-quality photos-with copy and scan tools too.

Activesecurity enabled printer. Intended to be used with containers using only HPoriginal electronic electrical system. Containers with modified or non - HPelectronic circuitry may not work, and those that work today may not work inthe future.

Twice as many photos

Print upto twice as many pages with Original HP high-yield ink containers. HP 64 inkcontainers deliver true colors so all your prints will shine. Create splendid borderless photos and leaflets-right in your home.

The Power of your printer in yourhand

Printingphotos just got easier - from social media, the cloud, and your camera - rollgallery.

Amazingscanning, now on your smart-phone. Scan and share to email or the cloud - fromvirtually anywhere. Ordering ink has never been easier - directly through theapp. Easily print photos and everyday documents directly from your smart-phoneor tablet.

A new level of wirelessconnectivity you can count on

Getsimple Wi-Fi setup in minutes, and start printing fast.

Return & exchange information

HP. comwill accept returns or exchanges for this product up to 30 days after delivery.A restocking fee may apply.

1. Which statement is true of this type of printer?

A．It is a portable printer designed for home andoffice use.

B．It is a multi-function printer producing high -quality photos.

C．It is an easy-operation printer with a two - year free care pack.

D．It is a wireless-connected printer protected bymodified containers.

2. Which of the following words best describe its“ink container”?

A．Adaptable	B．Automatic.
C．Cost-effective.	D．Eco-friendly.

3. If you order this type of printer online today, _________.

A．you will receive it tomorrow	B．you can return it without beingcharged
C．you can get a care pack on discount	D．you can save $ 80.

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill inthe blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For theblanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the givenword; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Asleep on a plane: a case for window seats

I love tosleep on planes, and I have an unusual ability to sleep well on them. There have even been one or two occasions     1     I have fallen asleep before takeoff and awakened upon the impact of landing, not having realized we had even left the ground. So when     2     (book) my flights, I always choose the window seat whenever possible. This allows me to lean my sleepy headagainst the wall of the plane for a bit     3     (much) comfort.

Some     4     argue that the aisle（走廊）seat is superior for the leg space and the ability to get off swiftly and eye the snack cart. But in reality, we’re all getting our drinks and snacks     5     few seconds. Also, I find that if a person knows he’s in a window seat, he’ll choose to use the bathroom before boarding so that he     6     (not need) to disturb his neighbor, which is just considerate. And he’ll seize the opportunity to get up when another seatmate gets up so that the seatmate needn’t     7    (bother) more than once.

As a photographer and visually oriented person, the window seat gives me the best views of cottony clouds, or a great sunset, or golden sunrise, etc. Most of all,     8     I’ve been flying for years, I still get pleasure of seeing my departing city or country     9     (shrink) into the distance,and the butterflies in my stomach when I see the horizon of my destination come into view. And those feelings of adventure and excitement are     10    keep me coming back , flight after flight, to my window seat.

6 . Many of China’s ancient architectural treasures smashed to dust before Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng began documenting them in the 1930s. The husband and wife team were among the first preservationists to operate in China, and by far the bestknown. Their efforts have since inspired generations of people to speak out for architecture threatened by the rush toward development.

Becoming China’s best architectural historians was no easy accomplishment. The buildings they wanted to save were centuries old located in distant parts of the country.In many cases, they had to journey through dangerous conditions in the Chinese countryside to reach them. Exploring China’s remote areas during the 1930s meant traveling muddy, poorly maintained roads by mule（骡子）or on foot. Inns were often dirty food could be polluted, and there was always risk or violence from rebels, soldiers and robbers.

Their greatest discovery was the Temple of Buddha’s Light, in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. The breathtaking wooden temple was built in 857 A. D., making it the oldest building known in China at the time.

Liang and Lin crawled into the temple’s most forbidding, forgotten areas to determine itsage, including one hideaway inhibited by thousands or bats and millions of bedbugs, covered in dust and littered with dead bats. “In complete darkness andamong the awful smell, hardly breathing, with thick masks covering our nosesand mouths, we measured, drew, and photographed with flashlights for several hours. When at last we came out to take a breath of fresh air, we foundhundreds of bedbugs in our bag. We ourselves had been badly bitten. Yet the importance and unexpectedness of our find made those the happiest hours of myyears hunting for ancient architecture.” Liand wrote of the experience in anaccount included in “Liang and Lin; Partners in Exploring China’s ArchitectualPast.”

1. On their way to the ancient buildings in 1930s,Liang and Lin faced following risks EXCEPT ________.

A．accommodations	B．personal security
C．road conditions	D．vehicles

2. Liang and Lin raised public awareness of ________.

A．documenting smashed historical buildings

B．rebuilding historically valuablebuildings

C．saving the oldest temples in China

D．Protecting historical buildings.

3. While exploring the Temple of Buddha’s Light,________

A．Liang and Lin caught insects with awful smell.

B．Liang and Lin were forbidden to breathe inside

C．Liang and Lin were pleased at something unhoped for

D．Liang and Lin determined its age by studyingbedbug’s hideaway

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

A．Creativeness results in discovery	B．Difficulty produces achievement
C．Efforts contribute to happiness	D．Responsibilities make development

7 . Endangered languages can be found throughout the world. Many languages now have fewer than 100 or even fewer than 10 speakers. The crisis is not limited to remote regions of the world. When Europeans first arrived in North America, 312 different languages were _______, of which 123 are now known to be extinct. Of the _______ languages, most speakers are grandparents and great -grandparents.

Different researchers offer different definitions of “endangered”. The system of _______used by the Catalogue of Endangered Languages evaluates languages in four areas: the _______ of all the speakers, how often the language is conveyed to the next _______, the rate at which it is losing speakers and the _______ in which it is used. Based on this data, languages are ranked on a six - pointscale from “safe” to “severely endangered.” The midpoint, “endangered” refersto language with between 100 and 1,000 speakers who represent about half of the language’s community or ethnic group. The language is spoken only by some parents, of whom very few teach it to their children. It is _______ used at home and is not taught in schools or used for government business.

Languages become endangered due to a number of _______ factors including globalization,economics, technology, education policy, and changes in _______ attitudes. Asthe forces of globalization make the world more interconnected, previously______________ language communities come under pressure to participate in a larger economy, which means learning the area’s majority language. ______________, local schools often begin to teach the majority language instead of the local tongue.Local languages also ______________ as communities adopt mobile phones and computers most of which run on software that has been translated into only a handful oflanguages. This trend ______________ as these devices connect users to the Internet. At this point, many communities undergo a cultural ______________ in which parents no longer value the language enough to teach it to their children.

Initiatives to ______________ endangered languages have become more numerous inrecent years. These efforts tend to focus on two main areas: the documentation of endangered languages, and efforts to increase the use of endangered languages among younger speakers and in the community at large.

1.

A．at hand

B．at risk

C．in use

D．in view

2.

A．ancient

B．evolving

C．local

D．surviving

3.

A．assessment

B．classification

C．description

D．research

4.

A．age

B．background

C．number

D．religion

5.

A．committee

B．century

C．generation

D．government

6.

A．content

B．occupations

C．situations

D．themes

7.

A．advisedly

B．efficiently

C．primarily

D．rarely

8.

A．balancing

B．complicating

C．historical

D．interrelated

9.

A．cultural

B．mental

C．moral

D．religious

10.

A．foreign

B．informal

C．isolated

D．national

11.

A．For example

B．In contrast

C．In response

D．Vice versa

12.

A．boom

B．develop

C．disappear

D．suffer

13.

A．ceases

B．changes

C．increases

D．starts

14.

A．difference

B．influence

C．shift

D．variety

15.

A．enrich

B．purify

C．refresh

D．standardize

8 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

The Dangerous Downsides of Perfectionism

In one of my earliest memories, I’m drawing. I don’t remember what the picture is supposed to be, but I remember the mistake. My marker slips, an unintentional line appears and my lip trembles. The picture has long since disappeared. But that feeling of deep frustration, even shame, stays with me.

That’s the thing about perfectionism, a crucially self-defeating way to move through the world. It makes you better at your career and relationships and life in general. Culturally, we often see perfectionism as a positive.

But the disadvantage of perfectionism isn’t just that it holds you back from being your most successful, productive-self. Perfectionistic tendencies have been linked to a long list of clinical issues: depression, social anxiety disorder, eating disorders, and most damaging of all, suicide (自杀).

“Based upon the 60-odd studies that we’ve done, the higher the perfectionism is, the more psychological disorders you’re going to suffer,” says York St John University’s Hill. “Factors often labeled ‘healthy’ perfectionism, like striving for excellence, aren’t actually perfectionism at all. They’re just conscientiousness (尽职尽责)—which explains why people with those tendencies often have different results in studies. Perfectionism isn’t interpreted by working hard or setting high goals. It’s that critical inner voice.”

Take the student who works hard and gets a poor mark. If she tells herself, “I’m disappointed, but it’s okay; I’m still a good person overall,” that’s healthy. If the message is, “I’m a failure. I’m not good enough,” that’s perfectionism.

Perfectionists can make smooth sailing into a storm, a brief ill wind into a category-five hurricane. Eventually, the behaviours perfectionists adapt, actually, do make them more likely to fail.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

For Self-driving Cars, Car Washes are a Nightmare

Car washes have been automated for decades, but companies developing fully self-driving vehicles must rely on a human touch to keep their cars and trucks in working condition.

    1     For example, soap remainder or water spots could effectively “blind” a self-driving car. A traditional car wash’s heavy brushes could jar the vehicle’s sensors, disturbing their standardization and accuracy. Even worse, sensors, which can cost over $100,000, could be broken.     2     Dirt, dead bugs, bird droppings or water spots can impact the vehicle’s ability to drive safely.

Avis, which has years of experience managing rental cars, has been tasked with cleaning and refueling the self-driving vans of Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google’s parent company. Avis chief innovation officer Arthur Orduña told CNN, “There are special processes that definitely require a lot more care and focus, and you have to clean the vans quite often.”

    3     But other self-driving car companies such as Toyota, Aptiv, Drive, AI and Uber described to CNN that they use microfiber (微纤维) cloths along with rubbing alcohol, water or glass cleaner for manual cleanings.

    4     This should ease some need for manual cleaning. But because self-driving vehicles can have dozens of sensors, Seeva CEO Diane Lansinger doesn’t imagine products like this will be able to clean every camera, radar or LIDAR, a laser sensor that most experts see as essential for self-driving vehicles.

A．The sensors on a fully self-driving car require special care.

B．Orduña wouldn’t reveal exactly how they’re washing the vehicles.

C．The most advanced cars on the planet require an old-fashioned handwashing.

D．Meanwhile, some companies, such as Cruise, are building sensor cleaning equipment into their vehicles.

E．There are a range of problems with putting a self-driving vehicle through a traditional car wash, experts say.

F．A self-driving vehicle’s external needs to be cleaned even more frequently than a typical car because the sensors must remain free of obstacles.

10 .
Subject Art & Design, Craft & Creative, Beauty
Delivery method Online
Study level Professional development, Short, Accredited
Ref FACE-GUARD
Price £30, was £299, use code: GUARD90
Face Painting Academy Diploma

Start a career in Face Painting or simply learn for fun.

Do you have a love for entertaining people?

Are you artistic and want to impress people with a new skill?

Have you ever thought about doing a course in face painting so you can earn fantastic money?

If so then with this course you could become a qualified face painter just like hundreds of other people who have taken our courses. For a one-off fee(一次性付款) you can study online and complete the diploma in about 28 hours.

The comprehensive syllabus (教学大纲) is supported by 16 instructional videos so you can learn all the designs with ease, and you will learn a wide range of designs including dog, rabbit and spider man. With 14 modules to cover, you can become an accomplished face painter.

Your qualification will be recognized and can be checked for validity by all of your future clients too! Take a step in the right direction and get your Face Painting Academy Diploma today.

£30, was £299, use code: GUARD90
Module 1 Your Introduction to Becoming a Face Painter
Module 2 The Equipment and Materials You Will Need for Face Painting
Module 3 Health & Safety and Risk Assessments
Module 4 Starting / Running Your Own Business
Module 5 Pricing and Costs
Module 6 Marketing Your Business & Social Media
Module 7 The Do’s and Don’ts and What to Do If Your Business Doesn’t Go Well
Module 8 How to do a Dog / Cat Face Paint Design
Module 9 How to do a Butterfly / Dolphin Face Paint Design
Module 10 How to do a Monkey / Frog Face Paint Design
Module 11 How to do a Rabbit / Swan Face Paint Design
Module 12 How to do a Tiger / Dinosaur Face Paint Design
Module 13 How to do a Spiderman / Batman Face Paint Design
Module 14 How to do a Minnie Mouse / Princess Face Paint Design
1. The course is intended mainly for those _____.

A．keen on showing off new skills	B．eager to get an academy diploma
C．interested in learning face painting	D．equipped with a unique taste for art

2. You can save $_____ if signing up for the course now.

A．30

B．269

C．299

D．329

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the course?

A．It is presented both online and offline.

B．It provides not only lessons on business.

C．The diploma can be obtained in one day.

D．Some clients will be invited to examine your qualification.

4. In which module are you likely to learn how to advertise your business?

A．Module 4.

B．Module 6.

C．Module 7.

D．Module 10.