1 . Zheng He was one of China's most famous explorers. Towards the end of the fourteenth century, his fleet (舰队) sailed to countries far away.

Zheng He had over 300 ships, some of which were over 150 meters long, and could carry up to 1 ,000 people. Besides, the ships carried gold, silver, silk, china and other treasures to give as gifts to the rulers of other countries. Some ships even had earth on board so that the sailors could grow their crops for food.

On Zheng He's first voyage(航海), he set sail across the Indian Ocean. His fleet travelled many days far away from land. One day, they were hit by a storm. All the sailors thought the fleet was going to sink. Then a strange light appeared and after that,the storm passed. The strange light was probably electricity from the thunderstorm (雷雨),but the sailors in Zheng He's fleet believed it was a sign of protection from the gods. With the belief, they were happy to follow Zheng He wherever he led them.

Zheng He completed seven famous voyages between 1405 and 1433. He visited many countries in Asia and Africa. He brought back many gifts from the countries he visited, such as medicines, pearls (珍珠) and strange animals. The most famous of them were a giraffe and a zebra.

In 28 years of travelling, Zheng He had managed to share the glory of China with many different countries. When he died in 1435,the stories of his travels made him one of China's most famous sailors.

1. On Zheng He's first voyage, he set sail across ________ Ocean.

A．the Atlantic	B．the Indian
C．the Pacific	D．the Arctic

2. Some ships carried earth on board so that the sailors could________.

A．use it as a gift

B．use it for exchange

C．plant trees for shade

D．grow their own crops for food

3. The sailors were happy to follow Zheng He because of________.

A．his leadership	B．his fame
C．the belief in gods' protecting them	D．a heavy storm

4. The most famous gifts Zheng He brought back were________.

A．a monkey and a tiger

B．a giraffe and a zebra

C．gold and silver

D．medicines and pearls

5. The best title of the passage can be________.

A．The Glory of China

B．Zheng He's Life

C．Zheng He and His Voyages

D．China's Most Famous Explorers

2 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week, little by little, her list grew: I was very thin; I wasn't a good student; I talked too much; I was too proud; I didn't like to help others; I didn't finish my homework; I didn't care for anyone and so on. I tried to hear all these as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. And I was too upset and didn't know what to do next. I felt I was the worst girl in the world. Life was hard for me at that time. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes for help.

He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Janet, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion. That is a good thing. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said. That is OK.”

Then I did as my father told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half of the things she said to me were true. Some of them I couldn't change (like being very thin), but a good number of the things I could—and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I go to fairly clear picture of myself. I never feel upset now.

I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to look at it. I felt very surprised.

Paragraph 1：

“That's just for you，” he said.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2：

Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 . Good health and fitness are important to us.     1     However, just a few minutes of exercise a day can actually improve one's health. Whether it's a simple five-minute walk or a long hike in the woods, exercise can be good for you in many ways. Here are some tips to help you get fit and healthy.

    2     Short-term goals are easy to achieve. Long-term goals will take you out of your comfort zone. For a short-term goal, you should drink one green drink every day. A long-term goal would be to train for a 5K run or an even more difficult task.

Get support from other people. Reaching out to others who share similar goals will help you reach your goals faster. Join a Weight Watchers group or a local walk or running club in your area.     3     Find an online weight loss forum(论坛) for support.

Work out while you're doing something else. Any activity that requires you to move your body is considered a workout.     4     Walk around in the room while you're watching TV. You can also run on the treadmill(跑步机) while reading some news.

    5     Eight glasses of water a day will keep you healthy and help you take off weight. Always carry a water-filled bottle on hand if you run outdoors. Choose a balanced meal when ordering takeout or dining out. You can choose what kinds of food you eat. When you dine out or get takeout, choose healthy food. If you're out having beef, choose vegetables or a salad on your side instead of fries or mashed potatoes.

A．Drink and eat healthily.

B．Join a gym or take a yoga class.

C．Set short-term and long-term goals.

D．Try your best to achieve your goals.

E．Turn to other people for help when necessary.

F．But many people feel there's just not enough time.

G．Do the activities that you can do at the same time.

4 . It was a stormy evening, and all that Neil could hope was to find a shelter that could keep him protected from the chilly wind and cold rain. After work he had to get home on time, as his busy schedule was preventing him from spending quality time with his family. The bus stop on the way provided temporary shelter, where Neil was becoming increasingly agitated(焦虑不安的) with every passing minute. All his evening plans were washed out.

“Sir, why don’t you buy a pack of groundnuts(花生) from me?” Neil looked around to see a man in rag standing by his side. “Oh, no, I’m not interested right now.” “Fried groundnuts will do you a world of good now. Moreover, you can also take some for your family.” The very mention of family brought a concern to Neil. His wife had specifically told him to come home early, if not for her sake, at least for the sake of their seven-year-old son.

When he was lost in thought, the groundnut seller had filled a bag with the remaining nuts and offered him an unexpectedly low price. But, Neil refused to buy them: “I do not want to buy anything at this point!” Suddenly, he heard a voice of a kid. “Dad, I want some money to buy books for the school.” He saw a ten-year-old boy, totally drenched from top to bottom, as though he had just run a race. He was talking to the groundnut seller. “Yes, yes, I’m ready to leave now. Come! How many books do you want? Why did you get wet in the rain? Your mother must be getting worried.”

Neil turned to the seller. There was an instant when they both made the perfect eye contact. Neil had the look of what it is to be a father. The groundnut seller did not say anything and gave the packet of groundnuts without saying a word. Neil pulled a note from his wallet, placed it in the man’s hand, and walked away without waiting for the change.

1. Why did Neil become more anxious at the bus stop?

A．The rain stopped him from getting home on time.

B．The chilly wind made him feel colder and colder.

C．He thought of his boring and heavy work.

D．He couldn’t find a good place to keep off the rain.

2. Why didn’t Neil buy the man’s groundnuts at first?

A．He didn’t have enough money on him.	B．His family doesn’t like groundnuts.
C．He was in a bad mood at that time.	D．His family was a little poor.

3. What does the underlined word “drenched” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Wet through.

B．Very excited.

C．Well dressed.

D．Sweat heavily.

4. What made Neil buy all the seller’s groundnuts?

A．The seller’s generous action.	B．His having a pity for the seller.
C．The seller’s greatness as a father.	D．His being moved by the seller’s son.

5 . We live in a town with three beaches. There are two parts less than 10 minutes’ walk from home where neighborhood children gather to play. However, what my children want to do after school is pick up a screen — any screen — and stare at it for hours. They are not alone. Today’s children spend an average of four and a half hours a day looking at screens, split between watching television and using the Internet.

In the past few years, an increasing number of people and organisations have begun coming up with plans to counter this trend. A couple of years ago film-maker David Bond realised that his children, then aged five and three, were attached to screens to the point where he was able to say “chocolate” into his three-year-old son’s ear without getting a response. He realised that something needed to change, and, being a London media type, appointed himself “marketing director from Nature”. He documented his journey as he set about treating nature as a brand to be marketed to young people. The result was Project Wild Thing, a film which charts the birth of the World Network, a group of organisations with the common goal of getting children out into nature.

“Just five more minutes outdoors can make a difference,” David Bond says. “There is a lot of really interesting evidence which seems to be suggesting that if children are inspired up to the age of seven, then being outdoors will be on habit for life.” His own children have got into the habit of playing outside now: “We just send them out into the garden and tell them not to come back in for a while.”

Summer is upon us. There is an amazing world out there, and it needs our children as much as they need it. Let us get them out and let them play.

1. What is the problem with the author’s children?

A．They often annoy their neighbours.	B．They are tired of doing their homework.
C．They have no friends to play with	D．They stay in front of screens for too long.

2. How did David Bond advocate his idea?

A．By making a documentary film.	B．By organizing outdoor activities.
C．By advertising in London media.	D．By creating a network of friends.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “charts” in paragraph 2?

A．records

B．predicts

C．delays

D．confirms

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Let Children Have Fun	B．Young Children Need More Free Time
C．Market Nature to Children	D．David Bond: A Role Model for Children

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.

7 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.

Yellow Hostel

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.

Hostel Alessandro Palace

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

Youth Station Hostel

If you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

1. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?

A．Comfort.	B．Security.
C．Price.	D．Location.

2. Which hotel best suits people who enjoy an active social life?

A．Yellow Hostel.	B．Hostel Alessandro Palace.
C．Youth Station Hostel.	D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes.

3. What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?

A．It gets noisy at night.	B．Its staff is too talkative.
C．It charges for Wi-Fi.	D．It’s inconveniently located.

8 . Spicy tomatoes could soon be on the menu thanks to the rise of gene-editing (基因编辑) technology, researchers say.

It is not the first time that experts have claimed the techniques could help develop fruit with unusual features: scientists have already been looking at changing the color of kiwi fruit and bettering the taste of strawberries.

But researchers in Brazil and Ireland say such methods could also offer practical advantages, with hot tomatoes offering a new way of harvesting the pungent (辣味的) chemicals found in peppers known as capsaicinoids (辣椒素)，which make food taste “hot”.

“Capsaicinoids are very valuable compounds (化合物): they are used in the weapons industry, they are also used for painkillers. and there are some researches showing that they promote weight loss,” said Agustin Zsögön from the Federal University of Viços a in Brazil, a co-author of a new article arguing for the benefits of engineering hot tomatoes.

Writing in the journal Trends in Plant Science, the researchers say peppers are difficult crops to grow and low productive. Worse still, it is tricky to keep the pungency of the fruits stable. By contrast, tomato production is high and the plant is well-studied. “You could produce the capsaicinoids in a more cost-effective manner,” said Zsögön.

Tomatoes and peppers developed from a common ancestor, but separated about 19 million years ago. “All these genes to produce capsaicinoids exist in the tomato, they are just not active,” said Zsögön. “Using gene-editing technology, it is bound to switch these genes back on in tomatoes, adding a kick to the fruit,” he said.

1. Why are the tomatoes made hot by the researchers?

A．To test the gene-editing technology.

B．To enrich the variety of the tomatoes.

C．To make the tomatoes more delicious.

D．To explore ways to harvest capsaicinoids.

2. In which of the following situations can capsaicinoids be used according to the text?

A．Feeling weightless.	B．Lacking sleep.
C．Having a headache.	D．Losing appetite.

3. What is Zsögön ’s attitude to the gene-editing technology?

A．Unacceptable.

B．Uncertain.

C．Tolerant.

D．Confident.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．An introduction to gene-editing plants.

B．Creating hot tomatoes by gene-editing.

C．Problems with capsaicinoid production.

D．The procedure of producing capsaicinoids.