1 . Every year—for more than 15 years running—Amazon editors come together to decide on the Best Books of the Year. Below are the top 4 picks, along with quotes from the editors.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

“Though divided by centuries, three women, who share a unique connection to the natural world and to one, another, tell their amazing stories of coldness, danger, and survival in a beautifully written novel that is an impressive read.” —Seira Wilson

Happy Place by Emily Henry

“Emily Henry’s latest has all the feels!More than your standard second-chance romance, Happy Place is about the beauty, pain, and joy that come with biological families, chosen families, growing up and apart, and how—as adults—we deal with this thing called life.”—Kami Tei

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann

“Please get ready. This true story of violence and murder, adventure, and ambition on the high seas is a page-turner. You can almost feel the salt stuck on your skin as the ship and its noisy shipmen fight against the bad weather and each other for becoming rich and famous. David Grann,once again, has made history come alive.” —Al Woodworth

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

“I will not soon forget Lady Tan. A historical story grounded in women, medicine, and tradition, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is heart-touching, and I found myself underlining throughout this inviting read.” —Kami Tei

1. What is Happy Place mainly about?

A．Adventures of adults.	B．Connection to nature:
C．Mixed feelings of life.	D．Challenges of growing up.

2. Who wrote a novel based on a true story?

A．Ann Napolitano.	B．Emily Henry
C．David Grann.	D．Lisa See

3. What do Hello Beautiful and Lady Tan’s Circle of Women have in common?

A．They are set in history.	B．They are about women.
C．They cover several centuries.	D．They focus on dangers of life.

2 . 语法填空

Sarek’s mountains used to     1     (cover) by vast sheets of ice. Around 9,000 years ago, this ice melted,     2     (leave) behind about 100 glaciers. In 1909, Sarek was made a national park to keep the land in its    3     (nature) state.

3 . 假定你是李华，最近收到来自澳大利亚朋友 Eric 的一条信息，内容如下，

My parents won’t listen when I tell them things. It makes me really upset. I guess it’s because they’re adults and can’t understand me. Do you have any suggestions?

请你写一封回信，内容包括：
1. 表示安慰；
2. 提出建议。
注意：
1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Eric,

Glad to hear from you

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely

Li Hua

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。

    1     (save) Xizang antelopes from extinction, the Chinese government placed them under national protection.With the     2     (effect) measures, Xizang antelopes were removed from the endangered species list in 2015. People should also realize our planet needs variety to survive.     3     is important that all species—the good, the bad, and the ugly—should be treated equally.

5 . 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。

It is known to the world that one of the most deadly     1     (earthquake) of the 20th century happened in Tangshan, China in 1976. After the earthquake, the city was completely destroyed and then completely rebuilt. Today,     2     new Tangshan has been built upon the earthquake ruins,     3     has become a symbol of the Chinese spirit of never giving up.

6 . Everywhere and in every given time, children spend their days in simple but interesting games. One such game which has passed the test of time, becoming one of the oldest forms of child’s play ever known, is hoop rolling.

Hoop rolling is both a child’s game and a sport. A large hoop is rolled along the ground, generally by means of an object held by the player to keep it rolling. The aim of the game is to keep the hoop upright for as long periods of time as possible. First, the left hand supports the hoop; the right hand holds the long handle of the hook (钩). And then keep the balance of the hoop with the hook. Push the hoop to the ground, keep it rolling steadily and keep the hoop from falling. In the team competition, it is mainly about who is faster, and how far to roll.

Hoop rolling has a very long history and it has been recorded since ancient times in Africa, Asia and Europe. In Asia, the earliest records date from ancient China, and in Europe from ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks welcomed hoop rolling as a beneficial exercise for those not very strong. Besides, the game was also a common pastime of African village children.

Hoop rolling serves as evidence (证据) of everyday life about the long-gone civilization. Every year at Wellesley College, hoop rolling competition started as a memory of the May Day celebration of spring. Now it gradually becomes part of the graduation ceremony. Students celebrate by dressing up in children’s clothing and playing games. The child’s play popular in ancient times helps them escape from real-world worries.

The long history of the game shows that there indeed are inventions that are timeless. The human ability to make himself and others happy has been present since the beginning of civilization, and will be present forever.

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about hoop rolling?

A．Its rules.	B．Its types.
C．Its history.	D．Its material

2. Why did ancient Greeks like hoop rolling?

A．It offered a way to kill time.

B．It was fit for village children.

C．It could be played anywhere.

D．It helped the weak to exercise.

3. Why is Wellesley College mentioned?

A．To remember the May Day celebration.

B．To promote a method of reducing stress.

C．To encourage other colleges to follow suit.

D．To give an example of preserving the tradition.

4. What does the long history of hoop rolling suggest?

A．People’s hobbies have changed a lot.

B．All inventions will survive in history.

C．Good things can stand the test of time.

D．New games will always be on the way.

7 . “Is everybody ready?”, the teacher asked. I ________ wasn’t. It was the early 1980s and I was in my high school typing class. I had taken it as an elective ________ because the other option-French language seemed too ________. I was never good at a foreign language. Now I wished I hadn’t picked it. My hands were ________ and my heart was beating fast. I had thought we would just be learning to touch-type, not be ________ on speed and accuracy. I felt too nervous to type at a high speed.

“Hands on home keys. Eyes on book, Ready? ________!” said the teacher. Suddenly the room was alive with electric typewriters’ keys being hit. I tried my best to ________, but I failed. It was clear that being a ________ wasn’t in my future. I didn’t make that many errors, ________ my typing speed was horribly slow and I knew I wasn’t going to get a good grade. I really ________ taking this class after struggling for so long and ________ I could be learning phrases in French instead.

Now 43 years later, I take it as my ________ that I took that class and learned how to touch-type. It has helped me write countless stories on my ________, write letters full of love to share with my friends and family, and do what I was meant to do in this life. I feel so ________. This life is a long and winding road, where we meet different people, learn ________ and share love. May we hug them all with a grateful soul and a happy heart.

1.

A．temporarily

B．certainly

C．nearly

D．merely

2.

A．chance

B．hobby

C．course

D．technique

3.

A．strange

B．easy

C．ordinary

D．tough

4.

A．dancing

B．moving

C．shaking

D．waving

5.

A．decided

B．tested

C．helped

D．selected

6.

A．Go

B．Stop

C．Look

D．Read

7.

A．run away

B．get round

C．show off

D．keep up

8.

A．manager

B．director

C．secretary

D．teacher

9.

A．so

B．and

C．for

D．but

10.

A．regretted

B．appreciated

C．disliked

D．admitted

11.

A．guessed

B．predicted

C．wished

D．believed

12.

A．feel

B．luck

C．recall

D．joke

13.

A．notebook

B．desk

C．study

D．keyboard

14.

A．fresh

B．thankful

C．secure

D．certain

15.

A．languages

B．theories

C．skills

D．letters

8 . Many often find themselves considering jobs below their skill level in worsening employment markets. But it turns out that working in a job below your skill level harms your later chances of getting hired for a better-paying job more appropriate to your qualifications.

Sociologist David Pedulla at the University of Texas conducted a study to examine how jobs below a person’s skill level affect future employability. He tailored 2,420 applications and submitted them to 1,210 job listings posted in five major cities across the U.S. He varied the applications by gender, and also by employment status for the previous year. Then he used computer models to analyze and compare the results. The results show that applicants who were positioned as working below their skill level, regardless of gender had the lowest chances of getting called for a job interview.

These results should serve as a warning to anyone considering taking a job below their skill level. While it might pay the bills in the short term, it can significantly hammer one’s ability to return to the relevant skill level and pay grade at a later date.

Why might this be the case? Pedulla conducted a follow-up study with 903 employers. He asked them about their ideas of applicants with each kind of employment history, and how likely they would be to recommend each kind of candidate to an interview. The results show that employers believe that men who are employed in positions below their skill level are less committed and less competent than men in other employment situations. Those surveyed also believed that women working below their skill level were less competent than others, but did not believe them to be less committed.

The results of studies suggest that work below skill level signals to employers men’s incompetence and a lack of commitment. This is a disturbing reminder that the sword of gender bias (偏见) does in fact cut both ways.

1. Why do many people choose jobs below their skill level?

A．They fear bearing duties.	B．They lack-self-confidence.
C．They face a tough economy.	D．They pursue better-paying jobs.

2. How do the researchers carry out the first study?

A．By conducting interviews.	B．By researching examples.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By doing surveys.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “hammer” in Paragraph 3?

A．Ensure.

B．Weaken.

C．Test.

D．Exercise.

4. What is the employers’ idea according to the follow-up study?

A．Men are more likely to get promoted.

B．Women are more devoted and capable.

C．Women behave better in jobs below skill level.

D．Men show talents in work of the relevant level.

9 . In a Zulu village, Daphne gave birth to a baby, named Xolani Nkosi. The baby was tiny, no more than two kilos. As the months passed, Daphne realized the boy was ill. The doctor who examined the boy had said his illness might be a result of HIV infection.

Meanwhile, another South African woman, Gail Johnson, was living a different life. She and her husband were not wealthy, but were comfortably middle class. A visit to a friend’s brother, who was in the terminal (晚期的) stage of AIDS, made her determined to do something. By October, she had raised enough money to set up the Guest House, and took in a dozen dying of AIDS. Daphne sent her boy to the Guest House, where he became a star.

But in 1992 the Guest House had to be closed for lack of money. Gail offered to adopt Nkosi. By his 4th birthday, Nkosi was eating better, gaining some weight. In 1997, Gail sent Nkosi to school. In 3 years at school Nkosi had only one accident. He fell in the playground and cut his mouth. The bleeding was handled with care. His school performance was satisfactory.

Nkosi’s progress was tracked in the media. Gail took advantage of the coverage to raise money and found a house in Johannesburg for some women and their kids. She called it Nkosi’s Haven. Nkosi and Gail became icons (偶像人物) in the international AIDS community. They were invited to the United States and spent a week there making appearances. Then in July 2000, the 13th International Conference on AIDS was scheduled to be held in Durban. Nkosi was introduced to a huge audience. He said, “Care for us and accept us. We are all human beings. We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. Don’t be afraid of us. We are all the same.” His tiny body was ravaged, but his big heart inspired a nation.

1. What drove Gail Johnson to found the Guest House?

A．Her middle class status.	B．Her visit to an AIDS sufferer.
C．Her ability to raise money.	D．Her determination to be wealthy.

2. What can we learn about Nkosi from the last paragraph?

A．He won the battle against AIDS in the end.

B．He made much progress in AIDS research.

C．He became a leader in the AIDS community.

D．He urged people to treat AIDS patients fairly.

3. What does the underlined word “ravaged” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Ruined.

B．Injured.

C．Controlled.

D．Protected.

4. Which of the following can best describe Gail?

A．Clever and humorous.	B．Curious and inspiring.
C．Strong-willed and demanding.	D．Warm-hearted and considerate.

10 . What are the best foreign films coming out in May? Here are four of the best new films to watch.

Hypnotic

Nothing is what it seems in Hypnotic, a mind-bending plot thriller from Robert Rodriguez. Ben Affleck stars as a police detective who is disturbed by the disappearance of his daughter. He is investigating a series of bank robberies (抢劫) when a mystery woman tells him about “hypnotics”: people who have the power to make others believe and do anything they want by saying a single sentence.

Released on 11 May in Australia, 12 May in the US &26 May in the UK

The Little Mermaid

Another month, another live-action-and-CGI remake of a classic Disney cartoon. But this one is more distinctive than most, because a black actress, Halle Bailey, is playing the title character, who was white in the 1989 cartoon. Besides, the film’s director argues that his version of The Little Mermaid is progressive in other ways, too. “She and Prince Eric, played by Jonah Hauer-King, really teach the world about prejudice and about breaking down barriers and walls between these two worlds.” Also, there’s a singing crab (螃蟹).

On general release from 24 May

The Eight Mountains

All of the mountains in The Eight Mountains are unspoilt and breathtakingly beautiful. Some of them are in the Himalayas, but most are in the Italian alps, where Pietro, a city boy from Turin, befriends Bruno, the only child left in a remote rural village.

Released on 5 May in Japan, 12 May in the UK and Ireland, and 19 May in Spain and Finland

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

It’s been six years since Marvel’s second Guardians of the Galaxy film came out. Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Drax and their partners are finally back for more adventures and this time they’re up against the High Evolutionary.

On general release from 15 May

1. What do we know about the police detective in Hypnotic?

A．His daughter is missing.	B．His magic is unbelievable.
C．He is involved in a bank robbery.	D．He is cheated by a mystery woman.

2. What is special about The Little Mermaid?

A．It is a live-action film.	B．It stars a black actress.
C．It has a dancing crab in it.	D．It results in racial inequality.

3. Which film is available for British audiences on 12 May?

A．Hypnotic.	B．The Little Mermaid.
C．The Eight Mountains.	D．Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.