1 . About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way. Women are luckier; only about one in two hundred is affected in this matter. Perhaps, after all, it is safer to be driven by a woman!

There are different forms of color blindness. In some cases a man may not be able to see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shadows of green. Sometimes a person cannot tell the difference between blue and green. In rare cases an unlucky man may see everything in shades of green -- a strange world indeed.

Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions of very small things called "cones". These help us to see in a bright light and to tell the difference between colors. There are also millions of "rods", but these are used for seeing when it is near dark. They show us shape but no color.

Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes (蚊子) prefer blue to yellow. A red light will not attract insects, but a blue lamp will. In a similar way human beings also have favorite colors. Yet we are lucky. With the aid of the cones in our eyes we can see many beautiful colors by day, and with the aid of the rods we can see shapes at night. One day we may even learn more about the invisible (看不见的) colors around us.

1. The passage is mainly about______ .

A．color and its surprising effects.

B．women being luckier than men.

C．danger caused by color blindness.

D．color blindness.

2. According to the passage, with the help of the "cones", we can ________.

A．tell different shapes.

B．see in a weak light.

C．kill mosquitoes.

D．tell orange from yellow.

3. Why do some people say it is safer to be driven by women?

A．Women are more careful.

B．There are fewer color-blind women.

C．Women are fonder of driving than men.

D．Women are weaker but quicker in thinking.

4. We can attract and kill mosquitoes by using a________ .

A．red light.

B．yellow light .

C．blue light.

D．green light.

2 . Spreading Smiles at Birchwood

When Ava McCarver was in kindergarten, her class visited a nursing home. Ava learned that many of the residents(住户) there received few visitors.     1     “I asked my mom if I could visit them,” she said. Soon, Ava and her mom become volunteers at Birchwood Health Care Center.

That was six years ago.     2     She enjoyed hanging out with Mary, Shirley and other residents during her twice-monthly visits. “ I paint their nails, and I talk to a lot of them,” she said. Sometimes she helped lead craft (手工艺) projects. Other times they played card games. “ It’s good for the residents to see little kids,” Ava said. “ That makes them really happy.”

    3     She raised money for the nursing home by making refrigerator decorations and selling them at a craft fair. She also collected used puzzles from garage sales and donated them to Birchwood.

Ava wrote a book called The Squirrel Family. In the book, two squirrels raise a family and eventually move into a place called Birchwood where they live happily.     4    Ten stores in her city agreed to display the books , along with a can to collect money. Ava’s project raised about 750 dollars. Birchwood used that money to buy furniture for the residents.

Ava said she enjoyed the look of “pure joy” on a resident’s face after a hug from her. That’s why she started visiting Birchwood to bring happiness to others.    5     “ It’s really fun,” she said.   “ They have good stories, and I enjoy my time there.”

A．She decided to take action.

B．But she gained happiness for herself , too.

C．Since then , Ava has made many friends at Birchwood .

D．Ava used her book to raise money for the nursing home.

E．Birchwood needs more money to support their residents.

F．Ava found some creative ways to help her friends at Birchwood.

G．Ava’s book achieved a great success and earned a large amount of money for her.

3 . Getting stitched(缝合) up by Dr. Robot may one day be reality. Scientists have created a robotic system which did just that in living animals without a real doctor pulling the strings. Much like engineers are designing self-driving cars, the medical research is part of a move toward autonomous surgical robots, removing the surgeon’s hands from certain tasks that a machine might perform all by itself.

Doctors wouldn’t leave the bedside they’re supposed to watch. Plus they’d handle the rest of the surgery. In small tests using pigs, the robotic arm performed at least as well, and in some cases a bit better, as some competing surgeons in stitching together intestinal(肠的) tissue. “The purpose wasn’t to replace surgeons, ”said Dr. Kim who led the project. “If you have all intelligent tool that works with a surgeon, can it improve the outcome? That’s what we have done.”

If you’ve heard about machines like the popular Da Vinci system, you might think robots already are operating. Not really. Today many hospitals offer robot-assisted surgery where surgeons use the machinery as tools that they control by hand to operate through tiny openings in the body. But robot-assisted surgery has been controversial, as some studies have shown it can bring higher costs without better outcomes.

Kim’s team at Children’s Sheikh Zayed Institute invented the new STAR system—it stands for Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot—works sort of like a programmable sewing machine. They added sensors to help guide each stitch and tell how tightly to pull. But the approach wasn’t perfect. In the living animals, the robot took much longer and made a few stitching mistakes while the surgeon sewing by hand made none. Kim said the robot can be sped up. He hopes to begin human studies in two or three years.

1. What’s the best title for the text?

A．A new robotic system

B．A new-style way of stitching

C．The newly-designed driverless vehicles

D．Robot surgeons one step closer to reality

2. What will surgeons do when Dr. Robot is used in surgery?

A．They can help pull the strings.	B．They rest at the bedside.
C．They join in when necessary.	D．They perform another surgery.

3. Some people are against using robots in surgery probably because_________.

A．they can be out of control	B．they will take shorter time
C．they may be expensive to use	D．they are likely to cause great pain

4. What can we infer from the text?

A．Dr. Robot can take the place of surgeons.

B．Dr. Robot will be improved.

C．Dr. Robot has been tested with human trials.

D．Dr. Robot can free doctors’ hands in the operation.

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式．

For Nigel Portman， a love of travelling began with what's called a "gap year"． In common with many other British teenagers， he chose    1    （take） a year out before settling down to study for his degree． After doing various    2     （job） to raise some money，   he left home to gain some experience of life in different cultures， visiting America and Asia． The more adventurous a young person， the    3    （great） challenge they are likely to set    4    （them） for the gap year， and for some， like Nigel， it can result in a thirst for adventure．

Now that his university course    5    （come） to an end， Nigel is just about to leave on a three﹣year trip that will take him right around the world． What's more， he plans to make the whole journey    6    （use） only means of transport which are powered by natural energy． In other words， he'll be relying    7    （main） on bicycles and his own legs； and when there's an ocean to cross， he won't be taking a shortcut（捷径）    8    flying aboard﹣he'll be joining the crew of a sailing ship， instead．

As well as doing some mountain climbing along    9    way， Nigel hopes to pass on to the people he meets the environmental message    10    lies behind the whole idea．

5 . Look at the map of Spain and point at the center. You've located the country's capital and one of Europe's most beautiful cities: Madrid. This popular destination is considered a city of contrasts with its abundant historic sites, resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers.

History

This city of over 3 million people is proud of Western Europe's largest royal palace, and some consider it to be Madrid's most beautiful building.

Inside the Royal Palace 2,800 rooms are decorated in glory with museum-quality furniture and artworks. Tourists can tour 50 of these large and splendid rooms.

Art

The Internationally respected Prado Museum is the largest and most impressive art gallery in Spain. Opened in 1819, it is filled with works of art that feature the world's most comprehensive collection of Spanish paintings.

Shopping

Madrid has some of Europe's best shopping, and potential buyers love to look through the stores looking for bargains. But for 500 years, shoppers have gathered to an extremely large outdoor flea market known as the Rastro where they find everything from antiques to CDs.

Entertainment

No trip to Madrid is complete without seeing a performance of Spain's famous art form, flamenco. Every day, flamenco performers sing, dance or play the guitar in small cafes and grand theaters alike.

Food

Madrid has a wide variety of restaurants, but because the Spanish typically eat late at about 9 or 10 p.m., it's difficult to find good dinner food earlier. If you get hungry before then, the best solution is to try a tapas bar where light snacks are served. Be sure to try the jamon, a kind of dry-cured ham: Spain is famous for it.

1. What do we know about the Royal Palace in Madrid?

A．It has 50 rooms for visit.

B．It can hold 2, 800 people.

C．It's been visited by 3 million people.

D．It is thought to be the largest in Europe.

2. What kind of market is “the Rastro”？

A．For discount.

B．For artworks.

C．To sell various goods.

D．To sell antiques and CDs.

3. What is a must when travelling in Madrid?

A．Having dinner earlier.

B．Enjoying flamenco.

C．Visiting Prado Museum.

D．Drinking in a tapas bar.

6 . Experts say boredom is good for kids. It forces them to be creative, _______ their imaginations, and helps them discover new things. A(n) _______ in point is 13-year-old Luke Thrill from Dubuque, Iowa.

Luke was _______of playing video games and riding his bike, so he decided to build a tiny house in his backyard instead. He made money from cutting lawns(草坪) and _______ exchanged some services, such as gaining the help of an electrical engineer _______ sweeping his garage. Luke also _______ spare materials from his grandmother’s house and other _______ materials from his neighbors for some of the windows and the door.

The 89-square-foot home cost $1, 500 to build and _______ 18 months. Inside there’s a kitchenette, a back sitting room, a table and a mounted(镶嵌的) TV, and an upstairs bedroom can be easily _______ by stairway.

Although Luke did the ________ and learned how to do all the work, he had his father’s ________ throughout the project. Greg Thrill was very happy that his son learned to stay on ________ and deal with grown-ups. ________, he had some simple rules when Luke ________ the house: “You ________ the money. You build it. And you own it.”

Luke is now in love with __________. He has a YouTube channel and hopes to ________ other kids to start building. ________, he wants to build a bigger tiny house to live in, but for now, he ________ in his new home a few nights a week, does homework there, and uses it to take a ________ from his twin brother.

1.

A．changes

B．ignores

C．improves

D．weakens

2.

A．method

B．explanation

C．procedure

D．case

3.

A．tired

B．fond

C．confident

D．guilty

4.

A．thus

B．even

C．still

D．anyhow

5.

A．in exchange for

B．in praise for

C．in support of

D．in place of

6.

A．updated

B．ordered

C．removed

D．used

7.

A．recycled

B．cheap

C．new

D．raw

8.

A．spent

B．took

C．saved

D．wasted

9.

A．supported

B．accessed

C．held

D．landed

10.

A．research

B．housework

C．experiment

D．discovery

11.

A．permission

B．help

C．control

D．order

12.

A．credit

B．business

C．budget

D．duty

13.

A．Therefore

B．Besides

C．Rather

D．However

14.

A．finished

B．decorated

C．started

D．painted

15.

A．borrow

B．donate

C．raise

D．distribute

16.

A．books

B．videos

C．riding

D．building

17.

A．inspire

B．press

C．command

D．warn

18.

A．Luckily

B．Eventually

C．Frequently

D．Strangely

19.

A．brings out

B．leaves out

C．hangs out

D．puts out

20.

A．ride

B．risk

C．chance

D．break

7 . Watching what you eat can be easier said than done, but a recent study shows it might not just be about what's on your plate — it could be about how quickly it disappears.

Japanese researchers followed 1,083 adults for five years, splitting them into three categories based on how quickly they ate: slow, normal, and fast. They also answered a questionnaire at the beginning of the study, sharing their diet, physical activity, and medical history. In the beginning, none of the volunteers had metabolic syndrome (新陈代谢综合征) - meaning at least three risk factors — which can lead to health problems like heart conditions and diabetes.

When the participants reported back five years later, 84 had been diagnosed (诊断) with metabolic syndrome — and their eating speed was a major predictor, according to the results in the journal Circulation. The fast eaters were 89 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome than slow and normal eaters. Just 2.3 percent of slow eaters received the diagnosis, compared to 11.6 percent of fast eaters. But that's not all. Fast eaters also saw more weight gain, larger waistlines, and higher blood sugar levels than slow eaters.

The researchers say gobbling makes it easier not to take notice of fullness before your body has a chance to signal you to stop. “So when people eat fast they are more likely to overeat,” said Takayuki Yamaji, MD, study author and cardiologist at Hiroshima University in Japan in a statement.

Previous research backs up the weight benefits of slow eating, too. One study of New Zealand women found fast eaters have higher body-mass indexes (指数), and a Chinese study found that both healthy and fat men ate less when told to chew 40 times instead of 15 times before swallowing. Initial research even suggests chewing your food longer could bum more calories - up to about 1,000 extra every month.

1. What are the participants divided by?

A．Medical history.	B．Health condition.
C．Physical activity.	D．Eating speed.

2. Which may be the result of the study?

A．Fast eaters are 4 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome.

B．Normal and slow eaters don’t have metabolic illness.

C．89% of fast eaters have higher blood pressure.

D．Slow caters are healthier than fast eaters.

3. What does the underlined word “gobbling” in Paragraph 4 best mean?

A．Tasting slowly.	B．Digesting quickly.
C．Eating greedily.	D．Cooking carefully.

4. What does the last paragraph tell us?

A．The importance of eating speed.	B．The advantage of eating slowly.
C．The result of a Chinese study.	D．Fast eating and overeating.

8 . Gregory Talley used to sleep in a park or under a bridge. The 50-year-old has been homeless for more than 10 years.

“It is hard. It’s hard to live homeless. You filled every day trying to find cut where you are going to get something to eat. If I hadn’t found wonderful Fairfax County Kennedy Shelter, I wouldn’t know where I would be by now. I might be dead,” Talley said.

The Kennedy Shelter is one of the facilities New Hope Housing provides for homeless people.

Pam Micheli has devoted her life to making the lives of this vulnerable（易受伤的）population better as executive director of the non-profit organization.

“I went to Africa in 1985. And I saw a huge amount of poverty, but I saw so much hope. And I decided that I should try to do something that would bring hope to people,” Michell said.

When Michell began working with New Hope Housing 25 years ago, its three shelters had about 80 beds. Now, it has 350 beds and serves about 1,500 homeless people every year. She has expanded the program beyond just providing beds for the night.

“We do outreach（拓展）, we do prevention, we do permanent housing. We do transitional housing. We have an education program with all sorts of different things to move people to end their homelessness,” she said, “Our Out of Poverty program is not just about money. It’s about you could be spiritually poor, you could be relationship poor ... you could be educationally poor. So it is focusing on how you get out of this poverty that has brought you to being homeless. The program tries to teach the shelter residents self-reliance（自立）and work values, and includes courses on planning and personal responsibility.

“I learned I still have opportunities to change it and I can change it,” said shelter resident Lewis Webster. “It is just about going forth in doing necessary work to do it. I mean if you really want better, you would do better and that’s the frame of mind of me now.”

1. Gregory Talley’s story is told at the beginning of the text to         .

A．tell readers the situation for the poor in the US is getting worse

B．introduce a non-profit organization that is trying to help the poor in the US

C．disclose the truth that more and more homeless people are dying from hunger

D．remind readers that the homeless people in the US have no trouble getting food

2. According to Paragraph 6, Pam Michell started to bring hope to the homeless by         .

A．providing dothes for them

B．offering food for them

C．building new houses for them

D．offering them shelters for the night

3. What is the final purpose of the education program?

A．To tell the homeless people the ways to make money.

B．To help the homeless people find the causes of their poverty.

C．To encourage the homeless to work and rely on themselves.

D．To teach the poor how to live a better life in the shelters.

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

A．Comfort in the Kennedy Shelter

B．Ways to Achieve Success

C．An Opportunity to Fight Homelessness

D．An Organization to End Homelessness

9 . My First Marathon（马拉松）

A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.

I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.

The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!

The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.

Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!

At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂

By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.

By mile 21, I was starving!

As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.

I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.

Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.

1. A month before the marathon, the author ____________.

A．was well trained	B．felt scared
C．made up his mind to run	D．lost hope

2. Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?

A．To acknowledge the support of his teacher.

B．To amuse the readers with a funny story.

C．To show he was not talented in sports.

D．To share a precious memory.

3. How was the author’s first marathon?

A．He made it.	B．He quit halfway.
C．He got the first prize.	D．He walked to the end.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．A man owes his success to his family support.

B．A winner is one with a great effort of will.

C．Failure is the mother of success.

D．One is never too old to learn.

10 . If you are already making the time to exercise, it is good indeed! With such busy lives, it can be hard to try and find the time to work out.     1     Working out in the morning provides additional benefits beyond being physically fit.

Your productivity is improved. Exercising makes you more awake and ready to handle whatever is ahead of you for the day.     2    

Your metabolism(新陈代谢) gets a head start.     3     If you work out in the mornings, then you will be getting the calorie(卡路里) burning benefits for the whole day, not in your sleep.

    4     Studies found that people who woke up early for exercise slept better than those who exercised in the evening. Exercise energizes you, so it is more difficult to relax and have a peaceful sleep when you are very excited.

    5     If you work out bright and early in the morning, you will be more likely to stick to healthy food choices throughout the day. Who would want to ruin their good workout by eating junk food? You will want to continue to focus on positive choices.

There are a lot of benefits to working out, especially in the mornings. Set your alarm clock an hour early and push yourself to work out! You will feel energized all day long.

A．You will stick to your diet.

B．Your quality of sleep improves.

C．You prefer healthy food to fast food.

D．There is no reason you should exercise in the morning.

E．You can keep your head clear for 4-10 hours after exercise.

F．After you exercise, you continue to burn calories throughout the day.

G．If you are planning to do exercise regularly, or you’re doing it now, then listen up!