1 . There are times when murder is not committed because of cruelty. People may kill for other reasons such as anger, misunderstanding, and fear. Everyone has made mistakes because of such feeling. For society, it is a serious mistake to take the life of someone who has killed because it teaches everyone that forgiveness is unnecessary.

The government has the difficult job of deciding who is innocent and who is guilty, and this job can never be done perfectly. If capital punishment(死刑)is allowed, there always exists the possibility that an innocent person will be executed by mistake. When that happens, an even worse crime has been committed—the killing of an innocent person by the government. Then there is the fact that the poor and minorities get the death penalty more often than whites do. Furthermore, the idea that capital punishment stops criminals from committing murder is doubtful; studies have been unable to show that the fear of capital punishment stops someone from committing murder more than other punishments. And let us not forget that murdering the murderer is a violent act in itself; it is revenge(复仇).

The U.S. government once followed the example of Germany, Britain, France, and other nations that no longer execute their citizens-however, since 1977, our society has been allowing capital punishment again, at a high cost. We cannot imagine the pain of family members who have been waiting for years for the government’s decision to execute or not execute their loved ones. It also costs the taxpayer millions of dollars more to execute a criminal than to imprison that criminal for life. Prison is a better form of punishment because it protects society and punishes criminals by taking away their freedom.

People can change, even people who have made terrible mistakes. Life in prison gives people the chance to change. Caryl Chessman is an example of someone who became a better person in prison. He taught other prisoners how to read, and he wrote several books. Before his execution, he wrote that he had finally learned not to hate.

Chessman learned this important lesson in prison. But a dead man learns nothing, and an executed person will never change. When a government kills, it is murdering hope.

1. According to the passage, all the followings are the results of the capital punishment EXCEPT that________.

A．capital punishment doesn’t necessarily put an end to crimes

B．execution may cause an innocent person to die

C．the blacks get executed more often than the whites do

D．capital punishment may arouse a desire for revenge

2. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．Execution will cause the pain of the criminal’s family members.

B．Life imprisonment is more expensive than execution.

C．Some murders are mistakes, caused by anger or fear.

D．America used to be among the nations which abandoned execution.

3. The writer uses the example of Caryl Chessman to prove that________.

A．everyone can become a better person in prison

B．everyone can make terrible mistakes

C．execution robs people of the chance to change

D．It is always a good thing to learn not to hate

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Not all people who kill are cruel.	B．Capital punishment is revenge.
C．Prison can sometimes improve a person.	D．Execution is not a better form of punishment.

2 . Beware of Phone/Online Scams(诈骗)

Have you been the victim of a phone/online seam? If you ever think that there’s really no reason to worry, just remember the following statistics.

—315,000 cases broken in 2015-2017 in China.

—More than billions of money involved.

—Victims of 19 years old top the list in terms of age.

—Victims of 18-25 years old account for 52.4% of the whole.

—……

And here in below we are sharing 4 typical types of Phone/Online scams and how to deal with them.

	Hello, this is XX police station, you're involved in a case of money laundering(洗钱)(or some other financial crime). We need your cooperation with the investigation……Please transfer your money into the national security account. Tip 1: If you are really involved in financial crime, police will visit your home at the first opportunity and take you for investigation. Police are not so dumb as to inform you via telephone. And there is no such thing as national security account.	Hey: Wang(he may know your name). Drop by my office tomorrow morning. BTW, I will be treating some VIP clients soon. I need you to transfer some money into this account. It will refund your money tomorrow. Tip 2: Think about it. How could any boss in the world ask you for money? Meeting VIP clients without a cent in his pocket? And why doesn't he ask you to give the money to him in person? He is nobody but a scam!
	You've got a package which contains illegal drugs or goods. You are now requested to call this number to contact the Public Security Bureau. (Then it all follows scenario预设). Tip 3: Public Security Bureau WILL NOT deal with cases via phone calls. NEITHER WILL they send out notification via message.	(In some cases the number is disguised as authentic bank number through software). We are sorry to inform you that you have a bank overdraft. Please contact this customer service representative. His number is XXXXXXXXXX. Tip 4: DO NOT panic. REMEMBER to dial the official contact number of the back to double check.

When receiving phone calls/emails from unidentified resources, please pay special attention if the conversation involves any of the following:

●bank cards

●lucky draw

●Transferred to government authorities, including but not limited to police, court/judge, etc.

●secured account

●refund related to online shopping

None of the above business will be carried out on phones or via emails/unofficial website links. So you may just treat them as spams.

Moreover, how to safeguard yourself?

●Never transfer money without face-to-face confirmation.

●Only do business online with those you know and trust or on the official website of the online retailer.

●Protect your personal information, including photo-ID numbers and copies, bank account and passwords.

●Don't trust website links in emails or text messages without verified sources.

●Never believe in Pie in the sky. If something is too good, it won't be true.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the survey of Phone/Online seams?

A．Statistics imply it's unnecessary to worry about the situation.

B．The number of those who are cheated is on the rise.

C．Nearly one third of a million cases remain to be solved.

D．Comparatively speaking, young adults are harder-hit age groups.

2. You should be alert (警惕的) to the following cases EXCEPT________.

A．The police call to request your cooperation for a financial crime.

B．The boss asks you to transfer money to a VIP client via phone.

C．An unverified message informs you to collect a ¥500,000 prize.

D．The official website of an online retailer advertises for a business partner.

3. Where does this article most probably come from?

A．An email for college students.

B．A document for government authorities.

C．A law journal for E-business practitioners.

D．A security brochure for the public.

3 . 选用适当的单词或短语补全短文。

A. declined            B. eventually             C. flooded            D. handmade          E. producer          F. profit G. remained            H. ruler                    I. share                    L. stressful            K. typically

In the early 19th century, Egypt connected two vast regions: the Ottoman Empire (奥斯曼帝国) and the African continent. For centuries, the Ottoman Empire had been at the center of Eurasian trade. It had also been a major center of manufacturing which produced     1     goods for Europe and Africa.

However, the industrialization of Europe meant that cheaper goods made by machines soon     2     into the Ottoman Empire. The result of this competition was that Africa was increasingly seen as a place that provided new materials for European factories, rather than one that had factories of its own.

Egypt was an African country that was technically part of the Ottoman Empire. It was first invaded by the French army. With British help, the Ottoman forces drove the French out of Egypt. Following this, Muhammad Ali successfully brought about Egyptian independence from the Ottoman Empire. By 1831, he was effectively an independent     3     of a more modern Egypt.

Egypt was already a small-scale     4     of cotton, which was sold to Britain. Ali encouraged even more cotton production nationwide. With the money from this cotton production, Ali’s government began to aid factories so that the country could     5     from its own industrialization. By the late 1840s, it looked like Egypt would     6     become an industrial power.

However, Egypt’s economy slowly     7     . The factories stopped production, and by the 1880s, it had to borrow money from Britain. Though Egypt     8     formally independent, it seemed to be more like a British colony(殖民地).

Europeans kept interfering in Egypt partly because of the Suez Canal(苏伊士运河). Egypt’s new leaders were already     9     because of the industrial collapse that left their country unable to repay the money borrowed from Britain. Finally, in 1875, the king sold his     10     in the Suez Canal Company to the British, giving them control of this important national resource. The powerful British took advantage of this instability and seized the country.

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

A. applies       B. casually       C. considered       D. customary       E. empty       F. fellow G. individual       H. literally       I. longevity       J. regards       K. related

Whether you’re ringing in Chinese New Year with a bottle of champagne, making a toast at a wedding, or     1     drinking baijiu, a popular type of Chinese alcohol with your friends, knowing a few Chinese toasts to say will always liven the mood. Here is a beginner’s guide to short Chinese toasts and other Chinese drinking culture tips. Ganbei,     2     translating into “dry your cup”, essentially means “cheers”. This phrase can either be a very casual toast or sometimes this toast is an indication for each person to     3     the glass in one gulp. If it is the latter case, this only     4     to men during the first round of drinks at the beginning of the night, and women are only expected to take a sip. Suiyi is the same as “at random” or “arbitrarily”. But with     5     to giving a toast, it also means “cheers”. This toast indicates you want each person to drink as he or she wishes. Wan shou wu jiang is a toast used to wish for     6     and health.

Now that you know what to say, how do you actually give a toast? When giving a toast in Chinese, raise your glass as you give the toast. Depending on where you are, your     7     drinkers will either raise their glasses and then drink, clink glasses and then drink, or tap the bottom of the glasses against the table and then drink. If you are giving a toast with a table full of people, it is not expected that anyone clink glasses. But there will be times when you find yourself clinking glasses with a(n)     8    . If that person is your superior, it is     9     that you touch the rim (边缘) of your glass below the rim of their glass. To exaggerate that you acknowledge this person’s higher status, touch the rim of your glass to the bottom of their glass. This custom is especially important when it comes to business meetings.

The host of the party or meeting will be the first to make the toast. It is     10     rude if anyone besides the host makes the first toast. The host will also give the last toast to indicate that the event is coming to an end. Now that you know how to give a Chinese toast, drink up and enjoy socializing!

5 . After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages 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.

I’ve always enjoyed walking but never in a million years     1     I imagine I would end up walking over 200 kilometers in 10 days, become a fan of walking holidays, and end up developing self-guided hiking routes in Portugal with a local tour operator as part of my business. The shift from being someone who was content with an easy three-hour walk to an     2     (experience) multi-day hiker began with a brief taste of the Portuguese Camino de Shantiago, and ancient pilgrim trail (朝圣者道路) through Portugal to Snatiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain.

Back in 2013 I did a guided one-day hike along one of the most beautiful and     3     (challenge) stretches of the Camino, north of Ponte de Lima, so it was hard work, but the views from the top of Labruja Mountain made the climb worthwhile. My guides were so enthusiastic about the thrill of arriving at Sangtiago de Compostela Cathedral after the challenges of day after day on the Camino     4     I began to think I might want to give it a go,     5     not being religious.

Fast forward a few years and I set off from Barcelos with a friend of mine     6     (follow) the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. Apart from suffering from back pain, I thought I was quite fit but nothing had prepared me for     7     exhausted I would feel at the end of each walking day.

This was truly a slow travel experience, as we were averaging about 20 kilometers per day. I     8     (expect) plenty of sightseeing but that ended up being minimal. Quickly, I realized the moral of this unique travel experience: The Camino was all about making the most of the journey rather than the destination.

I will never forget the sense of achievement and progress tit the end of each walking day, and the relief and pride I felt when we finally made     9     to Santiago de Compostela.

We met people     10    , from all walks of life, managed to walk the Camino several times and I can totally understand how it can become addictive.

6 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize in no more than 60 words the main idea of the passage and how it is illustrated. Use your own words as far as possible.

Long Journey

The majority of the world’s clothes, bags and shoes are manufactured in Asia. But the region’s brands have made little headway in the West. Of the ten most valuable global apparel (服装) labels ranked by Millward Brown, a market-research firm, only Uniqlo is Asian. Li-Ning, one of China’s best-selling sportswear brands, tried to enter America in 2010. It opened a flagship store in Portland, Oregon and later launched an English-language online store. Both failed.

What makes the journey so hard? Adjusting to Western tastes takes time. Although Uniqlo became the largest Japanese apparel brand by selling US-style clothing, it still encountered cultural barriers in America itself. For example, vests (背心) are one of Uniqlo’s most popular products at home, but relatively few Americans and Europeans wear an additional layer beneath their shirts, says Dairo Murata, an analyst at JPMorgan Chase, a bank. It was only two years ago the firm also realized that XL was not big enough in America; it now duly provides XXXL.

Another problem, at least outside the big cities, is price. Uniqlo takes pride in the use of high-tech, comfortable fabrics (布料)，an attempt to differentiate itself from other basic clothing brands like Gap and Old Navy. But at Danbury Fair, a Connecticut shopping mall that is a barometer for retail trends in the suburbs, people prefer Primark, a super-cheap Irish retailer (零售商) which recently opened, to Uniqlo, which shut up shop in June. Mall visitors are conservative about fashion and about spending, explains F.K. Grunert, its manager.

What still seems to work better is concentrating on urban centres, even though that means a smaller potential market. This month Uniqlo opened a stand-alone store in Manhattan’s Soho; such shops tend to do well. In 2002 it had 21 stores in Britain, dotted around the north-west, Midlands and south-east; now eight of the ten it still has are in London.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Gyms that profit most from the January rush

Every year, like clockwork, many people go through the same routine. On December 26^th and January 1^st, as the fog of cheese, chocolate oranges and champagne lifts, regret creeps（悄悄出现）in. Online searches for “get fit” and “lose weight” increase.    1    “Intent typically takes seven to 14 days to turn into reality,” notes Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Pure Gym, Britain’s largest gym chain. So this week will be one of the busiest for the gym industry globally.

Many gym recruits（新成员）will have their new sportswear on for high-intensity interval training. In the basement of Another Space, a club near London’s Leicester Square, music pumps and light flash as a trainer shouts instructions to a group of mostly young women. They are pushed through bursts of burpees, handclap push-ups and various kick and punches at boxing bags. The training is murderous.    2    Such high-end gym can charge up to eight times as much as low-cost ones, based on two visits a week over a year.

They are at one end of a fitness market.    3    America’s market leader, Planet Fitness, promises “the best value on the planet”, and has over 10 million members; its shares rose in 2017. One in seven people in Britain is a gym member, and 35% of private memberships are low-cost, up from 14% in 2013, according to Leisure DB, a data firm. Mid-range clubs, meanwhile, have fared less well. Virgin Active recently sold its less luxurious facilities in Britain to avoid being squished（压扁）in the middle.

Pure Gym expects soon to reach 1 million members. Part of its appeal is that, unlike traditional gyms, members are not bound by a long contract. “We have taken a £500 decision and turned it into a £20 decision,” says Mr Cobbold.    4    Most new joiners do not plan to spend much money. But gyms proper on non-attendance. According to IHRSA, an industry body based in Boston, fewer than half of gym members in America hit the treadmill（跑步机）at least twice a week—until the exercise cycle begins anew the following January.

A．There will be other ripple effects（连锁反应）, too.

B．That will be good news for some gym goers because many will soon suffer a second round of regret.

C．However, the club’s luxurious changing rooms and bars relieve some of the pain.

D．Health clubs of all shapes and sizes stand ready to respond.

E．Spending on fashion items also increases around the time of joining a gym.

F．At the other are budget gyms, which have accounted for the big part of gym growth in recent years.

8 . On the pristine coast of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a small fishing village called Mahabalipuram is home to Mumu Surf School, one of the most popular surfing schools in India. It is run by Mukesh Panjanathan, also known as Mumu, who lives two minutes from the school on the beach.

Every morning, he watches the sunlight sparkle on the seawater, and palm leaves sway with the breeze. Along the shore are kattumarams, which he used to sneak into the sea as a child to ride the waves. But as beautiful as it looks, the beach town has a dark side.

Mumu was only 12–the youngest of six siblings–when his father, who suffered from alcoholism-related health problems, died by suicide.

“Alcohol addiction is an immense challenge for fishing communities.” Vincent Jain, the deputy chief of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies, told VICE. “Most of them start drinking when they reach their teens and start earning some money.”

It is common for fishermen to drink up to three times a day, and paying for their addiction uses up much of the money they make. As things stand, their income has been decreasing because of large-scale commercial fishing activities and the climate crisis.

Mumu, now 36, said fishermen use alcohol as a “painkiller” because of the exhausting nature of their jobs. They paddle（用桨划）their boats into the sea as early as three in the morning, sometimes in very harsh conditions, and return with a batch of fish at sunrise. That is, if they’re in luck, the rest of the day leaves them with nothing to do.

“Drinking makes them feel better. Slowly, it becomes a habit,” he said. “But things are changing.”

Over the last 15 years, the rise of surf culture in Mahabalipuram has not only transformed it into one of India’s top water sports destinations, but also opened doors for the young to pursue alternative careers. “The coming generations have much more freedom to choose what they want to do, instead of sitting around and getting drunk.” said Mumu, who is among the first surfers to emerge from the local fishing community.

1. According to paragraph 2, the underline word “kattumaarams” probably refers to           .

A．the alternative for the word “wave” in Mahabalipuram

B．a kind of boat used in Mahabalipuram

C．the animals living along the shore

D．the friends of Mumu with whom he went to the sea

2. Why does the author think Mahabalipuram has a dark side?

A．The drinking culture here causes a lot of trouble.

B．Many people died young in this place.

C．The people here are too addicted to surfing.

D．The night here is longer than other places.

3. Which of the following is not the reason why some fishermen in Mahabalipuram are addicted to drinking?

A．They have nothing to do after finishing their job.

B．Drinking reduces their physical pain caused by their job.

C．They are so used to drinking that they can’t quit it.

D．Drinking relieves them of the tiredness caused by their job.

4. In the following paragraphs, the author is probably going to write about         .

A．how Mumu became a surfer in the village and started Mumu Surf School

B．the new alternative careers the young can choose in the village

C．how surfing culture helps fishermen in the village get rid of drinking

D．other water sports destinations in India

9 . His Refresh

For me, change is in the air. The snow is thawing in the town where Susan and I are living. We both got vaccinated (I’ve never been so happy to have type I diabetes, which qualified me for early shots). And by the time you read this, our daughter will have been married, surrounded by family, on a Mexican beach. Hooyah! This is the spirit of change. In this issue, you’ll find new sections meant to delight you as much as tossing rice at your grinning daughter.

A knowledge quiz. Sharpen your pencils. Brain Games now features “Fact or Fiction” (page 117) to test your recall and worldliness in equal measure. I scored six and got the bonus question only by cheating and consulting 13 Things on page 40.

A new health section. You already our sister site, thehealthy.com. Now we’re curating its content into The Healthy (page 53), full of advice, first person narratives, and medical news.

Where, OH Where? There’s nothing like seeing a gorgeous photograph shot somewhere in the country and wanting —no, needing to know where the heck it was taken. We turn that irresistible sensation into a visual quiz (page 38).

Smile-inducing news. RD editors here and around the world are always finding never-before-seen examples of charity and ingenuity. We’re rolling them into A World of Good (page 18).

Animal stories! Because who can resist? To continue the celebration of our animals’ ability to bond, Best Pet Pals (page 44) will spotlight one priceless submission to your heart’s content.

________ Finally, on page 1,we’re creating a brand-new section, hoping to offer you a friend who brings fun ideas to your kitchen table, who helps everyone laugh and cry together about what makes us all human.

Write to let me know if you have got a flashing idea for the name of this section. And thanks for reading.

1. What may this article be from?

A．Novel.

B．Newspaper.

C．Magazine.

D．Instruction book.

2. If you are confident of your knowledge of pet, and want to check your scope, which section will you mostly read?

A．A knowledge quiz.

B．A new health section.

C．Where, OH Where?

D．Animal stories!

3. If you are writing to give a name for the new section mentioned in the last paragraph, which of the following you may submit?

A．Fun Guy in Kitchen of Fantastic Food	B．A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
C．Hooyah to Humor and Human	D．Ideas to Laugh and Cry

10 . Aesthetic thought (美学思想, 审美理念) of a distinctively modern art emerged during the 18^th century. The western philosophers and critics of this time devoted much attention to such matters as natural beauty, the purity, and representation—a trend ______ the central position they had given to the philosophy of nature.______ that time, however, the philosophy of art has become ever more famous and has begun to ______ the philosophy of nature. Various issues ______ to the philosophy of art have had a ______ impact on the or 20th-century aesthetics. Among these are problems relating to the theory of form of art and to the distinction between representation and expression. Still another far-reaching question has to do with the value of art. Two ______ theoretical positions have taken on this issue: one holds that art and its appreciation are a ______ to some recognized moral good,______ the other maintains that art is in itself valuable and an end. Underlying this whole issue is the concept of taste, one of the basic concerns of aesthetics. In recent years there has also been an increasing preoccupation with art as the prime object of critical judgement. Corresponding to the trend in contemporary aesthetic thought,______ have followed either of two approaches. In one criticism is ______ to the analysis and interpretation of the work of art.______, it is devoted to the response to the aesthetic object and to justifying a particular way of perceiving it.

Over the years, aesthetics has developed into a ______ field of knowledge and inquiry. The ______ of contemporary aesthetic include such problems as the nature of style and its aesthetic significance; the relation of aesthetic judgement to culture; the relevance of psychology ______ the criticism of art; and the place of aesthetic judgement in ______ reasoning in the conduct of everyday affairs.

1.

A．leading

B．conducting

C．taking

D．reflecting

2.

A．Since

B．For

C．At

D．Before

3.

A．transplant

B．transmit

C．displace

D．replace

4.

A．chief

B．central

C．main

D．prior

5.

A．remarked

B．marked

C．regraded

D．considered

6.

A．opposing

B．similar

C．same

D．confusing

7.

A．method

B．means

C．mind

D．moral

8.

A．and

B．or

C．though

D．while

9.

A．artists

B．authorities

C．critics

D．psychologists

10.

A．owing

B．used

C．opposed

D．restricted

11.

A．In the other

B．In another

C．On the other

D．For another

12.

A．narrow

B．broad

C．visual

D．moral

13.

A．consequences

B．morals

C．concerns

D．believes

14.

A．to

B．on

C．for

D．by

15.

A．theoretical

B．ideal

C．technical

D．practical