1 . Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning experiences increase the length of time we will remember it.

In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.

The multiplication tables(乘法口诀表) are an exception to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.

The law of overlearning explains why cramming(突击学习) for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one’s future development.

1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．Stories for children are easy to remember.

B．Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words.

D．People remember well what they learned in childhood.

2. The author explains the law of overlearning by _______.

A．presenting research findings	B．setting down general rules
C．using examples	D．making a comparison

3. According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is _______.

A．a result of overlearning	B．a special case of cramming
C．a skill to deal with math problems	D．a basic step towards advanced studies

4. What is the author’s opinion on cramming?

A．It leads to failure in college exams.	B．It’s helpful only in a limited way.
C．It’s possible to result in poor memory.	D．It increases students’ learning interest.

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

Ancient Myth---A Hit With Modern Audiences

This summer’s surprise hit at movie theaters across China was the re-telling of the ancient myth of Nezha. The animated film     1    (take) in over four billion yuan at the box office and become one of the country’s most successful films ever. It proved that China could produce animated films comparable to     2    produced in Hollywood and Japan.

The film, directed by Yang Yu, was a massive undertaking(任务) from start to finish. He spent two years writing the script(剧本) and three more years making a film which required the efforts of 1,600 animators. But for Yang, it was a way to prove to himself that he     3    change his fate and inspire others to change their fate as well.

“I used to suffer from a lot of prejudice after changing my career,” said Yang, “Since then I have thought about making an animated film to encourage young people to persist in their dreams.”

    4    (convey) the message that “your fate is in your own hands,” Yang made some changes to the original myth. Nezha was born a devil(恶魔),    5    (fate) to cause mischief(恶作剧), but he decides to overcome his fate and to save the people of his hometown from being destroyed by Ao Bing, the third son of the Dragon King.

    6    the ancient myth being very clear about the differences between the good and the bad guys, in Yang’s film, all of the characters are treated with empathy, and even the “bad” people are also victims of their fate,    7    , actually, have the potential to change and become good.

Over the years, I have come across a few students labeled as “devils.” Although some misbehaved simply     8     they were not mature enough, others were trouble-making and uncooperative when they were in a bad mood. Those students need to know they were not doomed to be bad. As they grew up, they would have the power to change their circumstances.

If you have seen Nezha, you know     9    a terrific, entertaining film it is. But an important lesson is also conveyed in the film    10    we should not judge ourselves or others too harshly, so as not to allow those negative judgments to control our fate.

3 . Over the past few decades, more and more countries have opened up the markets, increasingly transforming the world economy into one free-flowing global market. The question is: Is economic globalization _______ for all?
According to the World Bank, one of its chief supporters, economic globalization has helped reduce ___________ in a large number of developing countries. It quotes one study that shows increased wealth _________ to improved education and longer life in twenty-four developing countries as a result of integration (融合) of local economies into the world economy. Home to some three billion people, these twenty-four countries have seen incomes _______ at an average rate of five percent—compared to two percent in developed countries.
Those who _______ globalization claim that economies in developing countries will benefit from new opportunities for small and home-based businesses. _______, small farmers in Brazil who produce nuts that would originally have sold only in _______ open-air markets can now promote their goods worldwide by the Internet.
Critics take a different view, believing that economic globalization is actually _______ the gap between the rich and poor. A study carried out by the U.N.-sponsored World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization shows that only a few developing countries have actually _______ from integration into the world economy and that the poor, the uneducated, unskilled workers, and native peoples have been left behind. ____________, they maintain that globalization may eventually threaten emerging businesses. For example, Indian craftsmen who currently seem to benefit from globalization because they are able to ____________ their products may soon face fierce competition that could put them out of ____________. When large-scale manufacturers start to produce the same goods, or when superstores like Wal-Mart move in, these small businesses will not be able to ____________ and will be crowded out.
One thing is certain about globalization—there is no ____________. Advances in technology combined with more open policies have already created an interconnected world. The ____________ now is finding a way to create a kind of globalization that works for the benefit of all.1.

A．possible

B．smooth

C．good

D．easy

2.

A．crime

B．poverty

C．conflict

D．population

3.

A．contributing

B．responding

C．turning

D．owing

4.

A．remain

B．drop

C．shift

D．increase

5.

A．doubt

B．define

C．advocate

D．ignore

6.

A．In addition

B．For instance

C．In other words

D．All in all

7.

A．mature

B．new

C．local

D．foreign

8.

A．finding

B．exploring

C．bridging

D．widening

9.

A．suffered

B．profited

C．learned

D．withdrawn

10.

A．Furthermore

B．Therefore

C．However

D．Otherwise

11.

A．consume

B．deliver

C．export

D．advertise

12.

A．trouble

B．business

C．power

D．mind

13.

A．keep up

B．come in

C．go around

D．help out

14.

A．taking off

B．getting along

C．holding out

D．turning back

15.

A．agreement

B．prediction

C．outcome

D．challenge

4 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Time: is there ever enough of it? In today's modern world, most of us are     1    with so-called time-saving devices and technological advancements and work less both at the office and at home. But why do we still feel busier?

A study by Derek Thompson on the “myth" of being busy suggests that while     2    brought us convenience, it also brought us new headaches. Consider the idea of FOMO (fear of missing out). Knowing exactly what we're missing out makes us feel guilty or anxious about the     3     of our time and our ability to use it effectively.

While being informed is important, it can lead to anxiety about keeping up with the times. If you find yourself unable to stop scrolling through Twitter, turn off the phone and take a mental break. Practice JOMO (joy of missing out), a(n)     4    on life that's a direct contradiction to FOMO. Get rid of feelings of guilt and “shoulds" and replace them with mindfulness and living in the moment.

Another thing technology has     5     us is the blurring (难以区分)between work and downtime. While constant connection has made the workday much more flexible, it's also harder to turn off at the end of the day. Always being "on" is a(n)     6    state of mind. Consider putting a hard stop on media and electronic devices an hour or two before bed.

Of course, if you want to move up the corporate ladder and get a bigger paycheck, working long hours has long been a     7     strategy. But if you don't have passion for your job or care about what you do, you might just be working yourself into more     8    .

People working the same hours feel completely different levels of time pressure depending on their passion. If most of the hours are spent doing something you don't feel     9    about, it's no wonder you start to feel out of control and anxious about your time. Taking back control of your time can ease this mental stress. Therefore, your time management goal shouldn't be to figure out how to do more, but     10    to figure out how to want less.

5 . The largest genetic study of mosquitoes has found their ability to resist insecticides(杀虫剂) is evolving rapidly and spreading across Africa, putting millions of people at higher risk of contracting malaria（疟疾）.

British scientists who led the work said mosquitoes’ growing resistance to control tools such as insecticide-treated bed nets and insecticide spraying, which have helped cut malaria cases since 2000, now threatens “to disturb malaria control” in Africa.

“Our study highlights the severe challenges facing public efforts to control mosquitoes and tomanage and limit insecticide resistance,” said Martin Donnelly of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who worked on the study with a team from Britain’s Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.

Latest World Health Organization (WHO) data show that 216 million people were infected last year with the malaria parasite（寄生虫）, which is transmitted by blood-sucking Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease killed 445,000 people in 2016, and the majority of them were children in sub-Saharan Africa.

To understand how mosquitoes are evolving, the researchers sequenced the DNA of 765 wild Anopheles mosquitoes taken from 15 locations across eight African countries. Their work, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, created the largest data resource on natural genetic variation for any species of insect.

Analyzing the data, the scientists found that the Anopheles gamblae mosquitoes（冈比亚疟蚊）were extremely genetically diverse compared with most other animal species. This high genetic diversity enables rapid evolution, they said, and helps to explain how mosquitoes develop insecticide resistance so quickly.

The data also showed the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance appeared to be due to many previously unknown genetic variants（变体）within certain genes. The scientists said these genetic variants for insecticide resistance were not only emerging independently in different parts of Africa, but were also being spread across the continent by mosquito migration.

Michael Chew, an expert at Britain’s Wellcome Trust global health charity which helped fund the research, said the finds underlined the importance of pushing scientific research ahead to control malaria.

Global efforts to control malaria through effective vaccine, insecticides and the best drug combinations require urgent, united action by scientists, drug companies, governments and the WHO.

1. Which of the following is scientists’ headache?

A．The number of mosquitoes in Africa is growing rapidly.

B．Some genetic variants of mosquitoes are still unknown.

C．The existing insecticides aren’t as effective as they used to be.

D．Millions of African people have resistance to medicines for malaria.

2. Malaria cases can be cut by ______.

A．threatening drug companies	B．spraying insecticides
C．limiting blood donation	D．transmitting data

3. What CANNOT be concluded from the passage?

A．Children are more likely to be bit by mosquitoes.

B．Many previously unknown variants are found in the study.

C．The mosquito migration contributes to the spread of variants.

D．Anopheles mosquitoes have great genetic diversity.

4. Which is FALSE about the genetic study of mosquitoes?

A．It created the largest data on natural genetic variation for any insect species.

B．It found the possible causes for the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance.

C．It discovered where the genetic variants emerged and how they were spread.

D．It highlighted the public efforts and appealed to limit the use of insecticides.

6 . You've been painting for a few years, and maybe you have even sold a painting or two. Are you ready to ______ the title of an amateur artist?

Distinguishing green hand from professional artists is ______ task. It is not just a matter of your ability to create nice paintings. It's not only about painting techniques. And for most cases, it doesn't happen ______. Very few artists become overnight success without years of struggle and suffering.

To turn professional, people find it critical to develop a personal style. What makes your paintings _______ among other paintings out there? Are your paintings standing out unmistakably directed to you as the creator? A personal style comes along with technique, painting medium, and subject and it tends to develop gradually over time. You _______ it through unconscious and constant exploring and self-shaping. Style does not mean that you are painting the same subject or using the same painting medium. Salvador Dali used to use many artistic media, but they all have a _______ Dali style. Style refers to the emotions and thoughts delivered by your paintings, which people can identify with. (认同/产生共鸣) Their _______ of the painter is then a sure thing.

Artists talk about their _______ all of the time. What gets you out of bed every morning to paint? How do you find the energy to have all your time devoted to painting?   ______, we all love to do what we do and we get a satisfaction out of creating. For the professional artist, it goes beyond that. Some artists wish to convey a deep message concerning life, society or even politics. Others simply seek   _______ returns to cover kids' tuition fees or pay family bills. Yet, all professional artists know that they have to keep working to achieve the goals.

Many amateur artists passively wait for   _______ to come. If they are not in the mood, they do not bother wasting the time. They sometimes allow themselves to be occupied by events like parties. Professionals are never easily _______ or torn away from their art work in progress. Focused on their work so much, some even regard spending time outside their _______ as crime. _______ is their secret to high productivity.

Besides, professional artists are constantly prepared to grab new ideas for the next painting, which they believe is sure to be better than the previous one. The belief that there is always room for _______ keeps driving them forward in the art world where many masters have come along.

1.

A．step beyond

B．turn off

C．see through

D．make up

2.

A．rewarding

B．tricky

C．formal

D．temporary

3.

A．individually

B．thoroughly

C．instantly

D．sincerely

4.

A．different

B．superior

C．practical

D．reliable

5.

A．get

B．transfer

C．imitate

D．analyze

6.

A．recent

B．clear

C．modest

D．logical

7.

A．preservation

B．employment

C．adaption

D．recognition

8.

A．background

B．significance

C．motivation

D．routine

9.

A．To sum up

B．In contrast

C．In addition

D．In general

10.

A．academic

B．global

C．financial

D．original

11.

A．inspiration

B．fame

C．guidance

D．solution

12.

A．offended

B．dominated

C．distracted

D．rewarded

13.

A．studio

B．bedroom

C．garage

D．garden

14.

A．Reflection

B．Devotion

C．Creativity

D．Illustration

15.

A．negotiation

B．profit

C．criticism

D．improvement

7 . Born in the 1950s, shopping malls were once the symbol of the U.S. consumer culture, but many are now dying out.

Dying shopping malls can be found across the United States, often in middle-class suburbs. Economic decline in certain areas together with an upward trend towards online shopping and new forms of urban shopping centers have pushed the once seemingly unbeatable shopping malls into decline. It is estimated that 15 to 50 percent of shopping malls may close in the coming decades.

American shopping culture follows its housing culture. Numerous shopping malls were therefore born after the Second World War, as Americans with cars and fat wallets moved to the suburbs. U.S. shopping malls were built at a rapid pace as shoppers fled cities, peaking in the mid-1990s when they were being built at a rate of 140 a year. Thus, too many shopping malls are left though construction has gradually decreased since then.

Currently, there are around 1,500 shopping malls across the U.S. Most share a handful of similar feature. They usually contain two or three stories of stores separated by walkways. Food courts serve pizza and other fast food. Parking lots are big enough to easily misplace a car.

Shopping malls in Europe might contain grocery stores or childcare centers, while those in Japan are often built around mass transit (交通枢纽). But the suburban American shopping malls are hard to get to and mainly sell clothes and gifts.

As many shopping malls became redundant (过剩的), leaders in many U.S. towns who once fought for malls now struggle with how to transform them to new uses. Highland Mall in Texas is being transformed into a community college campus, and Lakeland Mall in Florida now houses a megachurch (大型教会). Others have been redeveloped to include housing, offices and even green space. However, it is hard to imagine every shopping mall meeting the demands for such transformations.

1. What is this passage mainly about?

A．The introduction to American consumer culture.

B．The changes in Americans' shopping habits.

C．The growth of American shopping centers.

D．The decline of American shopping malls.

2. When did the construction speed of IS shopping malls reach the highest point?

A．After the Second World War	B．In the mid-1990s.
C．After mass transit appeared.	D．In the 2000s.

3. What do many U.S. towns do to solve the redundant shopping malls?

A．They make them look different from each other.

B．They make them more accessible to the public.

C．They change them to serve other purposes.

D．They move them to the urban areas.

8 . Grammar

One day Gene and Hannah Bortnick heard piano music     1    (come) from their living room. They thought their 3-year-old son Ethan     2    (listen) to a CD. Then they walked into the room. To their amazement, they found him playing music on his toy piano!

Having discovered his remarkable talent, Ethan’s parents changed their minds and agreed to his previous begging for piano lessons. They turned to a family member who taught piano, and she began working with Ethan. It wasn’t long, however,     3     the teacher knew that he was no ordinary student. Ethan was a piano prodigy(神童) and needed someone who understood his special talents and abilities. The family found Dr. Irena Kofman,     4     immediately recognized his talent and intelligence.

With Dr. Kofman’s help, Ethan learned about piano technique and different types of music. Before long, he was being asked to perform for many events. Later he was receiving invitations from the likes of Jay Leno and Oprah. Ethan was 6 and in kindergarten     5     he first appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. At that time, he already had over 200 songs     6    (memorize) and was developing a CD.

Today, at the age of 13, it seems there is     7     Ethan cannot do. He plays piano, sings, composes songs and acts. He has entertained audiences around the world with music ranging from Beethoven to Bieber.

In 2010, Ethan became     8    (young) musician to create and host his own TV concert special.

Then in 2013, the performer starred in and wrote music for the movie Anything is Possible.

9 . The American Craftsman style is a type of design. It was popular from 1900 to the 1930s. It changed the style of building in the United States.

The craftsman style originally began in Europe. The British Arts and Crafts style arose in the 1860s. The unique designs of this movement tried to offer dignity to the common person. Handmade items were preferred because they were thought better than items that were mass-produced. But this British style was still Victorian. It still only served the wealthiest clients.

In 1897 a group of Boston architects brought these handcrafted styles to American. They planned a show of craft objects, which turned out to be a huge success. Here they realized the potential and established the Society of Arts and Crafts on June 28, 1897. Its slogan was “to develop and encourage higher standards in the handicrafts.”

The American style began as the Victorian Era was ending. It emphasized handmade work. Originality and simplicity were highly valued. Local materials and the quality of the handicraft were very important. these traits were meant to dignify the modest homes of the middle class.

These simple designs used glass and wood that were produced locally. They were also very elegant. The metalwork was a reaction to Victorian Opulence. The increase of mass-produced housing items was rejected. The American Craftsman used clean lines. It also relied on sturdy structure. Natural materials were always used in these houses if possible.

This style introduced many changes to the average American home. New designs were made for families without servants. This was a trait of the new middle class. The kitchen went form being a hidden room to a prominent one. Another development was the breakfast nook. This new area provided the family with a place to gather at any time of day.

Also, inspirational to the Craftsman style were the Shaker and Mission designs. The American Craftsman style led to the Art Deco Movement of the 1930s.

1. According to the passage, the American Craftsman style is a type of ________.

A．Shaker and Mission design

B．house made for families with servants

C．design which was popular from 1900 to the 1930s

D．breakfast nook

2. According to Para. 6, all the following are true about the American Craftsman style EXCEPT________.

A．The breakfast nook provided the family with a place to gather.

B．The kitchen became a more prominent room.

C．This style did not make any changes to the middle-class American home.

D．Houses were designed for a new middle class with no servants.

3. The word opulence in the passage is closest in meaning to ________.

A．richness	B．greed
C．ugliness	D．distaste

10 . For the first time in its history, the International Olympic Committee has allowed a team of refugees to compete at the Games. All of the team’s members were forced to leave their home countries. Now they’ve come together to compete under the Olympic flag instead.

Making it to the Olympics is something eighteen-year-old swimmer Yusra has always dreamed of. But just last year, she was swimming for her life. She and her sister were forced to leave their home in Syria because of the war there. They were trying to get to Greece in a rubber dinghy (橡皮艇) with eighteen other refugees, when their boat broke down and began filling with water. Most of the people on board couldn’t swim, so she and her sister jumped in to help push it to shore.

Three hours later, they made it to safety, and eventually to Germany as refugees. Refugees are people who have left their home country because their lives are threatened by war, bad treatment or violence---often because of their race, gender or beliefs. Around the world, more than 60 million people are in this situation. And some of them, like Yusra, are elite athletes who have trained all their lives to compete at the highest level, only to have that chance taken away.

Now, a team of ten, including swimmers, runners, and judokas from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo have been given the chance to compete at the Games under the Olympic flag. They’ve also been given their own coaches, officials, uniforms and a chef, all paid for by the IOC. And in the past few months they’ve been training hard. The IOC says it wants the team to inspire and give hope to other refugees, and draw attention to the issues millions of other around the world are facing. And these guys say they are up to the task whether they win gold or not.

“These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit,” the statement continues.

1. What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．She trained all her life.

B．She swam for the glory of life.

C．She swam to escape being drowned.

D．She swam to escape from other refugees.

2. Where do Yusra and her sister live as refugees now?

A．Syria

B．Germany

C．Congo

D．Ethiopia

3. Which of the following is NOT a reason why the refugees are threatened to their country?

A．Race

B．Violence

C．Religion

D．Nationality

4. The IOC allowed a team of refugees to complete in the Olympic Games in order to ________.

A．help the refugees to fulfill their dreams of winning the Olympic gold medal.

B．offer the refugees a chance to earn bread by themselves.

C．light a candle of hope for all the refugees in the world.

D．curse the darkness of the society by forcing them to pay attention to the life of refugees.