2 . Los Angeles may be the most car-heavy city on the planet, with 1.8 cars for every person. People there spend lots of time in traffic jams (阻塞).

Now imagine that every Sunday, main roads in the city were closed to cars and people were invited to wander (闲逛) around the streets. It may sound impossible. But a small group of activists（积极分子） called CicLAvia （洛杉矶自行车日嘉年华）wants to make this car-free day come true.

“Air Pollution is terrible and more and more children are becoming overweight,” said Jonathan Parfrey, a member of CicLAvia. “But building new parks for people to get out of their cars and exercise can be much too expensive. So we want to create public space by using our roads.”

This idea isn’t new. It got its start in the Colombian City of Bogotá 30 years ago. Bogotá is a city with heavy traffic and air pollution. Every Sunday main streets are shut down to cars in Bogotá. CicLAvia wants to follow that success in Los Angeles.

Although it may seem like a great challenge in such a city, the members of CicLAvia feel hopeful about it. They are taking steps to make it happen. And a charity（慈善机构） group has agreed to provide $20,000 to help this event. And the event may happen this year.

1. Why are there so many traffic jams in Los Angeles?

A．Because people there often break the traffic rules.

B．Because there aren’t enough roads in the city.

C．Because the roads there are not wide enough.

D．Because there are too many cars in the city.

2. What may happen in Los Angeles according to the passage?

A．Main roads will be closed to cars on Sundays.

B．People there will spend more time in traffic jams.

C．More parks will be built to encourage people to exercise.

D．Air pollution will become more and more serious.

3. What can we learn about Bogotá from the passage?

A．It’s a small city.	B．It’s a quiet city.
C．It’s a crowded city.	D．It’s a clean city.

4. What does the underlined phrase “shut down” mean in the passage?

A．停业

B．关闭

C．倒闭

D．闭嘴

3 . “Hey, Anna, do you want to play cards with us?” It was three o'clock in the morning. We were all tired but excited about the upcoming three-week trip to Europe without our parents. I was sitting on the ground with Savannah, a girl I met during the meetings we had when preparing for our trip. We were playing cards after Anna decided to join us.

There were 49 of us in me San Jose group, and we would meet up with two other groups in Los Angeles. Totally, we had 147 students and six leaders. The trip was tiring, busy but fun. We learned about different cultures, ate different foods, and met new people. We went to a total of seven different countries in Europe like England, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. We also had host families (寄宿家庭) in Germany where we spent three days. My host family was the most welcoming, and I also related to them well.

We had a great time in Europe and did not know that it was all coming to an end. We learned a lot about its history, like Henry the Eighth and all his six wives. This life-changing trip helped me open my eyes. It was a big lift for me as my wings had been broken over the years because my family situation was not good. My mom said this People to People Student Ambassador Program really changed me as a person, a sister, and as a daughter. I greatly appreciated the trip, because it helped change and add more colors to my life.

1. What can we learn about the children from Paragraph l?

A．They were too excited to sleep.

B．They played cards after a day’s visit.

C．They were all from the same school.

D．They were tired after the overseas trip.

2. In which country did the author stay with a host family?

A．England.

B．Switzerland.

C．Germany.

D．The Netherlands.

3. We can infer from the last paragraph that .

A．the author was injured during the trip

B．the author benefited a lot from the trip

C．the author’s mom went to Europe with her

D．the author could hardly wait to return home

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．A difficult decision	B．A life-changing journey
C．A look at different cultures	D．A friendship that will never end

4 . Please Take my Children to Work Day（PTCW Day） first began as a holiday for hard-working and tired stay-at-home mothers to take a day off. Now, this day is fit for any parent. It was created in 2003 and is celebrated each year on June 25, but it isn't a public holiday. It encourages friends and family to take care of the children so that the stay-at-home parent can have some time to relax.

Kamehameha Day is held on June 11 each year. Kamehameha the Great was the monarch（君主） of Hawaii. He is famous and respected for establishing（建立） the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. Kamehameha Day is a public holiday in Hawaii, and this is a day off for people. School and most businesses are closed.

D-Day is celebrated in the U.S. to memorize the Normandy landings in France on June 6, 1944. On the day, American army and other Allied forces（盟军） fought hard and the World War Ⅱ（WWⅡ） in Europe was over soon. It is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.

Flag Day is celebrated on June 14 each year to honor the United States flag. On the same day, the United States Army celebrates its birthday. Although Flag Day is a great celebration across the country, it is not a public holiday.

1. If you are a stay﹣at﹣home parent, what can you do to relax on PTCW Day？

A．Take a day off.	B．Go to work earlier.
C．Look after children.	D．Do some housework.

2. Which is a public holiday？

A．PTCW Day.	B．Kamehameha Day.
C．D﹣Day.	D．Flag Day.

3. When is the United States Army's birthday？

A．On June 6.	B．On June 11.
C．On June 14.	D．On June 25.

4. What can we know about D﹣Day？

A．It is celebrated in France.	B．The WWⅡ ended before 1944.
C．Businesses are closed for it.	D．The Normandy landings happened in 1944.

5 . I deliver (派送) meals on wheels every Friday. A week ago, I had the pleasure of _________ one of my customers. She was in her eighties and was very _________ and I always brought her lunch on Fridays. She looked _________ when she opened the door one day. She told me her phone was_________ and that she couldn’t receive the call from her doctor. She went to her neighbors, _________ they were not at home. She had _________to ask the mailman to help her, but he didn’t come for several days. She was _________ .

Having heard _________story, I took matters into my own hands. I called the phone company_________and made sure they knew that getting this phone__________was urgent (紧急的). I took down her phone number and her __________ just to make sure I could __________ later to see if the phone had been fixed.

She was so __________ that she was in tears,__________me for my help. I called the __________twice that day. They told me they had checked the phone line and got the phone__________. After that I called her every day to make sure she was__________ and didn’t need anything.

Just being able to help her in her time of__________filled my heart with such__________and happiness. It does not take much time or __________ to help a neighbor. Sometimes, all that is needed is a smile, a hug or a helping hand.

1.

A．respecting

B．helping

C．saving

D．imaging

2.

A．weak

B．poor

C．dirty

D．wise

3.

A．shocked

B．angry

C．shy

D．worried

4.

A．changed

B．repaired

C．broken

D．lost

5.

A．for

B．or

C．so

D．but

6.

A．regretted

B．planned

C．remembered

D．agreed

7.

A．tired

B．curious

C．disappointed

D．patient

8.

A．her

B．my

C．his

D．your

9.

A．suddenly

B．finally

C．generally

D．immediately

10.

A．discovered

B．fixed

C．sent

D．protected

11.

A．money

B．request

C．suggestion

D．name

12.

A．leave

B．report

C．call

D．return

13.

A．lucky

B．grateful

C．polite

D．proud

14.

A．hugging

B．paying

C．visiting

D．inviting

15.

A．factory

B．hospital

C．phone company

D．police station

16.

A．appearing

B．shaking

C．rolling

D．running

17.

A．fine

B．safe

C．awake

D．free

18.

A．hunger

B．danger

C．need

D．service

19.

A．humor

B．love

C．truth

D．advice

20.

A．knowledge

B．trust

C．courage

D．effort

7 . Culture is more than just buildings, monuments and natural wonders. It can also be oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, religious ceremonies, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe. There are intangible (无形的) parts of culture that are important, too.

ZvonCari, Croatia:

Recognized by UNESCO in 2009，this tradition features two to thirty people who ring the bells. They wear special clothes and hats, carrying a small tree through various villages. They ring their bells to request food and rest before continuing to the next village. Each of them returns to their own villages and burns any rubbish outside their homes.

Jultagi, Korean tightrope walking:

We're all familiar with tightrope-walking, but this Korean tradition—recognized by UNESCO in 2011—involves a comedic routine, fancy completions and lively music. The Jultagi Safeguarding Association provides training for the tradition.

Mongolian knuckle bone shooting:

Not all cultural heritages are about dancing and performing. Some, like this tradition from Mongolia that was recognized by UNESCO in 2014, are games. Teams of six to eight players attempt to land 30 marbles (弹珠) made of bones into a target zone. Each player uses individualized tools to achieve this. Different teams have different practices and skill sets, and games create an opportunity to exchange ideas.

Horseback shrimp (虾) fishing, Belgium:

Twelve families of horseback shrimpers collect shrimp twice a week in Oostdunkerke, Belgium, as well as during special occasions like festivals. This method of shrimping requires trust of one's self and one's horse, to say nothing of the knowledge required to read the sand. It joins other cultural traditions recognized by UNESCO in 2013.

1. What do the people do in ZvonCari?

A．Protect the environment.	B．Offer community service.
C．Ask for food from villagers.	D．Ring bells to collect clothes.

2. In which activity can people share their opinions?

A．ZvonCari.	B．Jultagi.
C．Knuckle bone shooting.	D．Horseback shrimp fishing.

3. What should a horseback shrimper know about?

A．The sand.	B．The target zone.
C．The special clothes.	D．The comedic routine.

8 . For centuries, apple growers in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture have been creating good-looking apples by using “Mojie Ringo”. The process is fairly simple. It basically shelters the apples from sunlight for a period of time and then applies stencils(蜡纸)to ensure that part of the apple skin remains discolored. More often than not, Mojie Ringo apples are decorated with messages and symbols of good fortune, and are offered as gifts.

Large apple varieties like Mutsu or Stark Jumbo are most suitable for Mojie Ringo, as they provide more surface area for complex design. Preparation begins in January, with a pruning(剪枝)operation, to ensure that remaining flowers receive plenty of sunlight. Then, growers hand-pollinate (人工授粉)each of the apple tree flowers, and then once fruits begin to form, they are covered with several layers of plastic bags to protect them from both pests and sunlight.

Keeping the apples “in the dark” for long periods of time increases their photosensitivity(光敏性), so when the plastic bags are finally removed, they begin to produce a component that turns the skin red. During the final stage of the Mojie Ringo process, stencils are applied on the surface of the apple to ensure that only the skin around the stencil turns red.

The stencils are removed during harvesting, to expose the almost white skin underneath. The stencils need to be flexible, because the fruits continue to grow, and otherwise the designs could be compromised.

According to Culture Trip, Mojie Ringo was perfected by farmer Hamo Iwasaki from Aomori Perfecture, whose son, Chisato Iwasaki, is widely regarded as one of the most talented apple artists today.

Although Mojie Ringo seems fairly simple, it requires a lot of work and patience over long periods of time, and for many growers the effort and attention just don’t pay off enough. That’s why the old tradition is slowly fading, with only a few Aomori fruit gardens producing the eye-catching fruits.

1. Mojie Ringo is mainly used to improve the ________ of apples.

A．production

B．attraction

C．taste

D．shape

2. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．apples

B．stencils

C．plastic bags

D．apple growers

3. Why do many fruit growers reject Mojie Ringo?

A．Because they aren’t familiar with it.

B．Because it is an out-of-date tradition.

C．Because it isn’t economically worthwhile.

D．Because fruits coming from it aren’t popular.

4. What’s the text mainly intended to introduce?

A．A new apple variety.	B．A talented apple artist.
C．An apple planting center.	D．An apple fanning technique.

9 . As I entered the job site, I could hear my 16-year-old son before I could see him. The sounds of a loud radio in an empty room upstairs, combined with the heavy strike of a hammer and loud music, led me to where he was taking apart a built-in cupboard. He was sweaty, his face covered in dirt and drywall dust. And he looked exhausted.

For a brief moment, I felt guilty. On a hot summer day, my son was covered in dirt instead of relaxing by the pool with his friends. And, though we have a family vacation planned for later in the summer, he wasn’t spending his summer vacation days backpacking through South America or participating in a camp program centered on an activity he loves. Rather, he gets up before dawn to work. He carries tools and a water bottle with him and he eats a turkey sandwich on his lunch break. He’s learning how to take orders from a job foreman(工头)and how to use power tools. He’s also learning just how strong his long, skinny body is, because pulling 30-year-old carpeting out of a house is no easy task.

I have moments when I remember my own happy summer days spent in front of The Price Is Right and Days of Our Lives. I wonder if he’s missing out, but I remind myself that having a job as a teen is just as important as attending film camp or drinking with friends on a Saturday night. After his first day on the job, my son came home and announced that he spent four hours cutting heavily-glued tiles(瓷砖)out of a basement. “I wasn’t going to give up until those things came off the ground,” he told us.

The backbreaking work of physical labor is teaching him just as much as, if not more than, the mental challenge of a high school AP class. It turns out, too, that having a regular job during the summer might be just as attractive to a college admissions officer as a trip to volunteer in another country.

1. What was the author’s son doing when he reached the job site?

A．Making a new cupboard.	B．Working with great efforts.
C．Enjoying music comfortably.	D．Playing a musical instrument.

2. Why did the author feel guilty?

A．His son failed to adapt to adult life quickly.

B．His son was doing something not for his age.

C．He couldn’t provide a comfortable life for his son.

D．He couldn’t spare more time to accompany his son.

3. What can be inferred about the author’s son from paragraph 3 ?

A．He is easy to satisfy.	B．He isn’t afraid of failure.
C．He is a strong-willed person.	D．He has a similar experience to his father’s.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Benefits of working for students.	B．Work opportunities for students.
C．Ways to balance work and study.	D．Challenges of working for students.

10 . Rebecca, who I met at a business conference in Las Vegas, is one of the _________ people I have ever known. So sharp in mind was she that she made a deep impression on me. Even if you were around her for an entire day, you probably wouldn't notice her _________.

She was born with severe dyslexia—a slight disorder of the brain that causes difficulty in reading and spelling. _________ her learning disability, she had to be in _________ education classes for most of her elementary and middle school years. Despite the _________, she refused to let dyslexia _________ her life. Every day, she worked on _________ her disability with the help of her parents. Her dad would spend an hour every morning _________ her with math. In the evenings her mom would have her read books out aloud and then her mother would _________ her on the content.

__________, in her effort, Rebacca's hard work __________. By high school, she had __________ from special education classes all the way to honor classes. “When I was young, no one thought I could ever attend __________.” she said. Not only did Rebecca __________ going to college, but she graduated as the top of her class.

“I always had a vision,” says Rebecca, “of one day being a __________. But it seemed like such a crazy __________ that I never told anyone.” Today, Rebecca's vision is a __________. She graduated from law school and is __________ working her up in one of the largest law firms on the East Coast. Rebecca says: “I wouldn't change a thing. My learning disability __________ brings challenges to me now, but it also gave me the __________ to make my childhood dream come true.

1.

A．strongest

B．smartest

C．toughest

D．warmest

2.

A．difference

B．advantage

C．disability

D．shortcoming

3.

A．Due to.

B．Instead of

C．Contrary to

D．Regardless of

4.

A．senior

B．primary

C．honor

D．special

5.

A．challenge

B．discrimination

C．dilemma

D．regulation

6.

A．save

B．determine

C．alter

D．replace

7.

A．displaying

B．inspecting

C．overcoming

D．greeting

8.

A．amusing

B．delighting

C．disturbing

D．helping

9.

A．persuade

B．quiz

C．answer

D．remind

10.

A．Somehow

B．Gradually

C．Eventually

D．Anyway

11.

A．turned back

B．went through

C．faded out

D．paid off

12.

A．advanced

B．graduated

C．backed

D．dropped

13.

A．school

B．college

C．conferences

D．contests

14.

A．think of

B．prepare for

C．end up.

D．give up

15.

A．translator

B．judge

C．physician

D．lawyer

16.

A．ambition

B．behavior

C．promise

D．memory

17.

A．concern

B．desire

C．reality

D．dream

18.

A．casually

B．regularly

C．naturally

D．currently

19.

A．simply

B．still

C．ever

D．rarely

20.

A．determination

B．passion

C．admiration

D．willingness