1 . For generations, people have enjoyed the simple joy of flying a kite. However, kites were not always the toys we think of today.

Kites actually started as instruments of war. The first known kites were flown in China around 3,000 years ago and were used by the Chinese military to send signals, spy on (侦察) enemies, and deliver urgent messages. Kites were also used to measure long distances. One general flew a kite above a town to measure how far his army would have to tunnel underground to go secretly under the city walls. With this information, his army were able to surprise their enemy.

The first kites were practical, not necessarily pretty. But during the Tang Dynasty, people started using lighter materials to make kites. A new focus was put on kites' appearance. By the 1300s, making kites had appeared as an art form, and kites were decorated with colorful pictures. They were flown for enjoyment and celebration of the Chinese New Year. As the years went on, kites became more complicated. Some artists added whistles so the kites could make sounds as they danced among the clouds.

Over time, the tradition of kite flying spread worldwide. It grew in popularity across Southeast Asia North Africa first. When explore Marco Polo returned to Italy, he brought back many stories about kites. These stories and the growing influence of Asian culture helped popularize kites across Europe. From there, knowledge of kites crossed the Atlantic with travelers heading to America.

Since then, kites have become more than just pieces of flying art. They have played a meaningful role in discoveries. Perhaps the best-known use of a kite was in an experiment described by Benjamin Franklin in 1752, which eventually led Franklin to invent the lightning rod (避雷针). Another important use of kites was by the Wright brothers in the early 1900s, which helped them create the world's first successful airplane.

For hundreds of years, kites have played a significant role in human exploration and artistic expression. Even now, kites are still an important part of cultural celebrations. Despite their changing appearance and uses through the ages, kites hold a valued place in human history.

1. Why was the general mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To explain how kites were used in war.

B．To illustrate the types of kites in war.

C．To prove the wisdom of ancient Chinese people.

D．To show how ancient Chinese people dealt with the enemy.

2. What can we say about kites during the Tang Dynasty?

A．They were more practical.	B．They became lightweight.
C．They became popular around Europe.	D．They were used to predict the weather.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Entertaining with kites.	B．Experimenting with kites.
C．Kite-flying adventure.	D．Best-known kites in history.

4. How is the text mainly developed?

A．By giving examples.	B．By describing a process.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By following time order.

2 . American folklore (民间传说) is filled with tales of imaginary heroes like Pecos Bill and the Lone Ranger. Yet, besides those characters, there are real historical figures whose lives and fascinating deeds were mythologized (当做神话) over the years. Among them there is an apple grower, known by the popular nickname Johnny Appleseed. This man is said to have traveled on foot across the United States, planting apple trees.

Appleseed's real name was John Chapman. Chapman was widely known by the pioneers settling in the western lands in the 1800s. And the native Indians respected him as a "white medicine man". However, not much is known about Chapman's early life, except that he was born in a north-eastern state in 1774 and that his mother died soon after that, It's also said that he grew up on his father's farm, where apple trees grew.

Appleseed's legend began when he planted his first apple trees in Pennsylvania in 1798. Then, he began traveling west. Walking for miles every day and sleeping outdoors, he planted apple trees near settlements, where he sold them to the pioneers. His apples, which were not suitable for eating due to their bitter taste, were used to make cider (苹果酒). This became a common drink for the pioneers, especially in places where clean drinking water wasn't available.

By 1806, Chapman had been given his new name, and stories about him had spread among the pioneers. Most of these focused on his survival in the wilderness Chapman was also known for his eccentric clothing: instead of a shirt, he wore a cloth bag with holes for his head and arms, and he wore no shoes. He is also said to have carried a bag of apple seeds and have had a meal pot on his head as a hat.

When Appleseed died in 1845, he had walked across three western states. And he was the owner of five square kilometers of land. Appleseed's story was first published in an article in 1871. Yet, not all the details in this article and the ones published later were based on facts. Appleseed's legend has grown over the years through songs, stories and plays and modern-day Disney productions.

1. What made Chapman a legendary figure?

A．Planting apple trees.	B．His travel adventure.
C．His childhood experience.	D．Inventing a drink made from apples.

2. What can we learn about Chapman's apples?

A．They were from Chapman's farm.

B．They were popular among the pioneers.

C．They were not grown in America until 1806.

D．They were not accepted by the native Indians.

3. What does the underlined word “eccentric” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Traditional.

B．Strange.

C．Casual.

D．Colorful.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．The mysterious apples

B．How were apples spread in America?

C．The legend of Johnny Appleseed

D．Who was real Johnny Appleseed?

3 .

Last Thursday, the world’s first self-driving, electric container (集装箱) ship made its first trip to Oslo, Norway. The ship’s owners aim to cut pollution by moving large amounts of products by water on the southern coast of Norway instead of by truck.

The ship, called Yara Birkeland, is owned by Yara, a company that makes fertilizer (化肥). The company wanted to develop a zero-pollution ship that was completely autonomous (self-driving). Yara worked with a ship-building company called Vard and the technology company Kongsberg to develop the ship. The company says that in the future everything will be done completely by machine.

The Yara Birkeland is a container ship, able to carry 120 large containers like those pulled by trucks. But the ship is fully electric and is powered by clean batteries (电池). The company says the ship has roughly as many batteries as 100 electric cars. The electricity that will be used to recharge the batteries is produced by water power, so there’s no pollution at all.

On November 18, the boat traveled from Horten to Oslo, making its first trip ever. But the Yara Birkeland won’t usually be going to Oslo, and it won’t be traveling far, either. It will travel a regular route from Yara’s factory in Porsgrunn up to the port in Brevik, covering a distance of about 8.7 miles. Yara normally uses trucks to move fertilizer between these locations.

Now, with the Yara Birkeland moving huge amounts of fertilizer by water, the company expects to cut out 40,000 yearly trips by oil-powered trucks. That will prevent about 2,204,620 pounds of carbon from being let out every year.

In the future, as an autonomous ship, the Yara Birkeland is expected to operate without any human control. Yara plans to spend the next two years training and testing the ship. But, as with many autonomous cars, the ship will continue to have humans watching out even once the ship is driving by itself.

1. What do the first two paragraphs tell us about Yara?

A．It aims for green transportation.

B．It makes money by building ships.

C．It uses machines to do everything.

D．It’s an information technology company.

2. What does the author mainly want to tell us in paragraph 3?

A．Why ships are better than trucks.

B．How large and powerful the ship is.

C．What makes the ship pollution-free.

D．What special batteries the ship uses.

3. What will be a regular Practice of Yara in the future?

A．Moving goods from Horten to Oslo by road.

B．Moving goods from Horten to Oslo by water.

C．Moving goods from Porsgrunn to Brevik by road.

D．Moving goods from Porsgrunn to Brevik by water.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Humans Are Not Needed in Future Shipping

B．Self-driving Is Not Limited to Cars Any More

C．Electric, Self- driving Container Ship Sets off

D．Shipping Goods with Less Pollution Is Possible

4 . As a nature photographer, I have to brave the elements (自然力). But _________ the wind and the rain, I still enjoy_________ outside in the wild. One of the best things about this job is that you can _________ animals in their natural environment.

Last spring in Yellowstone, I followed a(n) _________ that took me through a dark forest. When I finally stepped out of the trees, the _________ was breathtaking. An eagle (鹰) flew over the snow-capped mountains , which were reflected (倒影) in the still lake below. While I was _________ photographing this amazing scene, I suddenly had a (n)   _________ that I was being watched. Slowly, and with the camera still held to my _________ I turned…and froze. Only metres away from me was a bear looking at me. Time stood still as the bear and I both _________ to see who would move first. My legs started shaking. Somehow. I __________ my finger to press the button. A second later, the bear __________ and ran back into the forest. When I recovered from the __________ , I looked at my camera. My most frightening but __________ experience was now recorded forever in a single image.

From time to time I look at the photo as a (n)   __________ to show respect to all animals. It is after all we who ' are the __________ to their world.

1.

A．because of

B．despite

C．in case of

D．through

2.

A．walking

B．hiking

C．working

D．camping

3.

A．keep

B．protect

C．feed

D．observe

4.

A．path

B．animal

C．road

D．guide

5.

A．forest

B．eagle

C．view

D．picture

6.

A．regretting

B．focusing on

C．proposing

D．going on

7.

A．idea

B．opinion

C．conclusion

D．feeling

8.

A．eye

B．ear

C．head

D．shoulder

9.

A．failed

B．waited

C．stopped

D．preferred

10.

A．raised

B．stuck

C．forced

D．held

11.

A．moved forward

B．attacked

C．lay down

D．turned

12.

A．shock

B．tiredness

C．excitement

D．failure

13.

A．pleasant

B．magical

C．worrying

D．imaginable

14.

A．honour

B．present

C．reminder

D．symbol

15.

A．hosts

B．seniors

C．enemies

D．visitors

5 . My brother Joe liked driving cars. He was especially _________speed. It was enough to make mother _________.

As a little boy, Joe would often say to me. “Sister, when I am old enough to drive my own car, I will fly so fast that angels will run scared.” With a big grin (咧嘴笑), he would _________ the scene. I could have told him it would _________ happen. But I didn’t tell him that.

Joe was born blind. But he could _________ like anyone. I didn’t want to be the one to _________ Joe’s dreams._________ would do that for him, soon enough. Up to then, didn’t he _________ his happiness？

Growing up is a _________ between disappointment and surprise, between dreams and reality. When Joe was 12, I think he knew he would never get a license (驾照). As with the other hard facts of life, he seemed to accept it without question or sadness, as if it were __________ more than a card drawn at random (随机地).

One hot summer day when he was 16, Joe, with the help of stick, found his way to my stepfather’s car.

He felt the heat of the __________, opened the door and climbed in. Under the seat, he discovered 6 cans of beer. And he drank all. He found the keys, shouted, “Hooweeee!” and __________ it up.

I have heard various versions (版本) of this story. They all __________ this: the car’s engine __________. My mother fainted. My stepfather rushed outside.

__________, for everyone, the Ford didn’t move an inch. But to this day, Joe still swears (发誓) that when he found those keys and fired that old engine up, he heard the angels.

1.

A．lacking in

B．doubtful about

C．fond of

D．afraid of

2.

A．cheerful

B．disappointed

C．interested

D．worried

3.

A．locate

B．imagine

C．experience

D．seek

4.

A．really

B．definitely

C．fortunately

D．never

5.

A．act

B．dream

C．drive

D．see

6.

A．achieve

B．light

C．refuse

D．darken

7.

A．Story

B．Life

C．Dream

D．Car

8.

A．deserve

B．realize

C．satisfy

D．change

9.

A．difference

B．balance

C．war

D．mix

10.

A．nothing

B．anything

C．something

D．all

11.

A．metal

B．keys

C．seals

D．stick

12.

A．opened

B．began

C．fired

D．turned

13.

A．come up with

B．come down to

C．get reduced to

D．catch up with

14.

A．broke

B．exploded

C．roared

D．burst

15.

A．Definitely

B．Hopefully

C．Amazingly

D．Fortunately

6 . Paying with your palm

Your palm（手掌）could soon be your ticket to a concert, thanks to Amazon One. On Sept 14, Amazon, a tech giant from the United States, announced that it is bringing Amazon One, a palm recognition technology, to music places as a replacement for physical tickets and apps. People just need to wave their hands over a piece of equipment outside the place to connect their palm to a ticketing account. Then they can use their palm to get into other shows and events at the place.

Catching CO₂ from air

Carbon dioxide（CO₂）is the main kind of greenhouse gas. It is usually the result of human activities, like driving cars and flying airplanes. Now, Swiss company Climeworks has created a machine called Orca to help catch CO₂. From its base in Iceland, Orca catches CO₂ from the air and keeps it 1, 000 meters underground. Orca can catch 4, 000 tons of CO₂ each year-around the same amount of CO₂ emissions that 870 cars give off per year.

Creating starch in a lab

Starch（淀粉）is the most important part of human food. Scientists at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have created starch using CO₂, hydrogen（氢）and electricity, according to a study published in the journal Science on Sept 24. Lab tests show that synthetic（合成的）starch is about 8.5 times more efficient than starch produced by traditional agriculture. “There are many industries that can benefit from this technology.” Ma Yanhe, the author of the study, told China Daily.

1. What do you know about Amazon One？

A．It can be a replacement for music places.

B．It can help people attend a concert without payment.

C．It can connect the palm with the recognition system.

D．It is a piece of palm-sized equipment.

2. What benefit can the technology of synthetic starch bring us？

A．Better quality.

B．Higher efficiency.

C．Lower cost.

D．Higher safety

3. In what part of a newspaper will this passage appear？

A．Science and Technology.	B．Nature and Health.
C．Society and Environment.	D．Life and Business.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成篇完整的短文。

December 5, 2012, was a very special day for Josephine and Scott Lansing, as it marked the fourth adoption for the Lansings.

When they began the journey to adopt their first daughter, Cloe, years ago, Josephine and Scott Lansing never imagined they would eventually have a house full of girls. The couple later adopted Josie in 2011 and Annabelle in 2012. For the Lansing family, adoption is about giving every child the opportunity to grow healthily in a loving home. Scott and Josephine are great advocates for each of their daughters, and they make sure each child knows how special and loved they are.

In February of 2009, Bethany entered into the care of Child Protective Services due to her mother's inability to care for her and her brothers and sisters. Her experiences made it very difficult for her to trust adults, since she learned from an early age that she could only count on herself. She lived in a shelter for several months before moving into a foster home (寄养家庭). Still, Bethany struggled to understand why she had been taken away from the only family she had known. In May of 2010, Bethany was placed at Helping Hand Home for Children's Residential Treatment Center, where her journey to returning to normal finally began. With the patience, support, and guidance of the Helping Hand Home staff, Bethany developed healthy, appropriate ways to express her emotions. She was taught to respect herself, and she learned that it was okay to trust others.

When Bethany was introduced to the Lansing family in June of 2012, the meeting did not go as smoothly as everyone hoped. Bethany's insecurities resurfaced due to the suffering she experienced at such a young age, and she refused to talk or even look at the Lansings at their first meeting.

注意:1.续写词数应为150左右:
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But the Lansing family had no intention to give up.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Later, Bethany experienced a lot of exciting things.
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8 . 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。

“Here you go. Up, up and away,” Chrissy yelled, as she pushed her little brother, Russell, on the swing(秋千). Russell smiled and kicked his feet. “Higher! Higher!” he shouted. “Okay, hang on. Here you go!” Chrissy stood forward and gave the swing an extra hard push. “Help!” Suddenly, Russell screamed.

The swing flew so high that it seemed that it might go flying off into the sky. Russell started to cry just as their mom came running over. “I’m sorry, Russell,” Chrissy said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess I pushed a little too hard.” Their mom was angry with Chrissy and shouted, “Was it a little too hard? That was way too hard, Chrissy! How could you be so irresponsible?” Hearing the word “irresponsible”, Chrissy cried with tears filling her brown eyes.

A week before, her teacher had told her that she was irresponsible for being late for class. And a few days before her dad had used the word “irresponsible” when he blamed her for not hanging up her clothes. “I’m sorry, Mom,” Chrissy said sadly. She turned away and started to walk slowly down the path that wound through the park. That unpleasant word “irresponsible” kept going through Chrissy’s head.

Suddenly, Chrissy saw a little girl walking across the grass, heading up a small hill. Chrissy looked around for the parent, but there was no one else in sight. Chrissy knew there was a running stream on the other side of that hill. “It’s dangerous,” Chrissy thought. She ran as fast as she could towards the little girl. When she reached the girl, she stepped in front her, stopping her from running towards the water.

Chrissy picked up the little girl and carried her towards the playground, looking anxiously for her mother. “Where’s your mommy?” she asked the little girl, although she thought the girl was probably too young to talk. She was surprised when the little girl pointed to a distant house on the other side of the fence.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Walking close, Chrissy noticed a small hole in the fence where the little girl might have climbed out.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“You have a very responsible daughter there,” the policeman said to Chrissy’s mom.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Does the amount of education you’ve completed impact the money you earn during your working years? The short answer is yes. Study after study shows that the more education, the higher your salary. But there’s more to the story. Let’s take a deeper look into how education affects income, job security, benefits, and retirement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics recently published data about education levels and income. Unsurprisingly, individuals without a high school diploma earn the lowest annual salary (about $31,000), and have the greatest risk of being unemployed. But if they went on to obtain their high school diploma, they’d have the potential to earn close to $8,000 more per year.

What comes as a surprise is that having completed some college course work is better than having no college credits at all. With some college but no degree, one can increase his annual earnings by $5,000 over having a high school diploma alone, and see his job security increase a bit. But the biggest jump in annual salary potential, as expected, comes when someone goes from having a high school diploma to earning a bachelor’s degree, which is about a $26,000 increase annually.

There are several other benefits to obtaining a college degree. The Lumina Foundation reports that employees with bachelor’s degrees are 47% more likely to get health insurance coverage. Also, CBS News finds that those with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to work past the typical retirement age and retire later.

Those who work past age 65 have more opportunity to save for retirement, and increase their eventual Social Security benefits. In addition, working past the typical retirement age keeps them intellectually challenged, engaged with the world and connected to friends and coworkers.

The bottom line is that education does have an impact on your potential earnings. But that’s just one part of the story. More education may also lead to increased job security, better access to health care, increased security in retirement, and even a more fulfilling life.

1. What is the average yearly income of people with bachelor’s degrees?

A．About $70,000.	B．About $65,000.
C．About $44,000.	D．About $39,000.

2. Which level of education is an unexpected salary booster?

A．No high school diploma.	B．A high school diploma.
C．Some college but no degree.	D．A bachelor’s degree.

3. In what way can late retirement benefit us?

A．We’ll live a more fulfilling life.	B．We’ll reduce our living expenses.
C．We’ll enjoy increased job security.	D．We’ll invest our savings more wisely.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To stress the benefits of secure jobs.

B．To promote awareness of income gaps.

C．To illustrate the importance of education.

D．To introduce the impacts of school systems.

10 . 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。

Homelessness is a tragic reality of the world we live in. While many believe that the people who live on the streets are there because they fail to put in enough effort, the truth is much more complex(复杂的). And it is important to realize that.

When Dominique Harrison-Bentzen, at age 22, found herself stranded(滞留) in the streets, she was saved by a homeless man. In an unbelievable act of kindness, the homeless man offered her his last remaining ￡3 so she could pay for a taxi to get home safely. “We met when I was trying to get home but I realized I had no money. I had lost my bank card after a night out. I suddenly realized that I had no money and I cried sadly. Then a dirty homeless man walked to me, which made me more scared. I didn’t know who he was and what he was going to do,” Dominique recalled. When she was about to run away, he stopped her and asked her if she needed help. “His smile was so kind that I believed him. After learning the truth, he comforted me and helped me with his only change of ￡3. He told me to take it to pay for a taxi to make sure I got home safely,” Dominique added.

“He doesn’t look like a bad guy. Why is he homeless?” Dominique thought. After a short conversation, Dominique found out that the kind man named Robbie had become homeless and jobless just 7 months before she met him. He got laid off from his job because of his illness. Since then, he had been doing part-time jobs. He worked hard. However, things were not getting better. The conditions of homelessness made it even more difficult to find stable(稳定的) jobs and get out of the streets. Despite it all, Robbie never lost his kindness. Many said that he came to their help in Preston city centre, returning lost wallets to walkers and offering his own scarf to keep others warm. Dominique was moved. Dominique didn’t take his money but his kindness left a lasting mark on her.

Paragraph 1：

Days later, Dominique vowed(发誓) she would help him back and she wanted to find him first.

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Paragraph 2：

Dominique wanted to change his life completely by raising money for him.

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