1 . The secret to stress relief: Why rest isn’t a waste of time

Stress is a modern epidemic, but among all the stress management strategies we are forgetting one essential remedy (疗法) — taking time for rest. For a long time, psychologists focused almost exclusively on what went on between our ears.     1     That was the field of medical doctors, physiotherapists and gym instructors. Recently, however, there has been a growing realization that the body and mind are deeply connected with each other.

The most recent insights have revealed that our mental health is determined to a large extent by our physical condition. Studies have shown that our brain processes “psychological” pain — such as the kind that arises out of social exclusion — the same way it does physical pain.     2    

It’s apparent that there is no clear division between body and mind in the case of stress. You suffer more from stress when you are suffering from a flu. If you have a bad night’s sleep, everything is more stressful the next day. But good news is that you can combat it by looking after your body.     3     A healthy sleeping pattern also offers protection agains all kinds of psychological disorders, and a healthy diet is known to reduce stress.

When you decide to do something about your stress levels, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to turn your whole life upside down — quit your job, move to another country and so forth.     4     Moments of rest and relaxation ought to occupy a more significant place in our lives. These important moments should not be regarded as a kind of “breather” in between jobs but as a natural and fundamental part of our way of life.

    5     We need to see it as crucial time that we use to build up our reserves. It is only when we fully embrace rest that we will be able to take a stand against stress and burnout.

A．The body was not their responsibility.

B．The first step is to take better care of your body, instead.

C．In fact, you can even take an aspirin for that kind of pain.

D．For example, physical exercise helps to relieve depression.

E．You should ask if the health problems are caused by stress.

F．They all concentrate only on anxiety, depression and as such.

G．Getting enough rest is not just something we should do when we are exhausted.

2 . Vitamin C for a cold? A good dose of Vitamin D on a sunny day? We all know that vitamins are critical for our health, but how did they get their names and when were they discovered in the first place?

American nutrition scientist Elmer McCullum conducted a variety of feed experiments with different animal populations and discovered that an “accessory” substance contained in some fats was essential to growth. That fat-soluble (脂溶的) substance became known as Vitamin “A” for “accessory.”

McCollum and others also conducted further experiments with rice-bran-derived nutrient, naming it Vitamin “B” after beriberi, which can cause heart failure and a loss of sensation in the legs and feet. Eventually, it turned out that the substance known as Vitamin B was a complex of eight water-soluble vitamins, which were each given individual names and numbered in order of discovery.

The custom of naming vitamins alphabetically in order of discovery continued. Today, four fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and nine water-soluble vitamins (Vitamin C and the eight B vitamins) are considered essential to human growth and health. Only one vitamin bucked the oh-so-logical naming system: Vitamin K, discovered by Danish researcher Carl Peter Henrik Dam in 1929. The substance should have been in line to be called Vitamin F given its discovery date. But Dam’s research revealed that the vitamin is essential for blood coagulation (凝固) — known as Koagulation in the German journal that published his research — and his abbreviation for the vitamin somehow stuck.

It’s been decades since the last essential vitamin — Vitamin B12 — was discovered in 1948. It now appears unlikely that scientists will ever discover a new essential vitamin. But even if there’s no Vitamin F or G in our future, that doesn’t mean nutritional discovery has stopped completely. If the golden age of vitamin discovery was an appetizer (开胃菜) of sorts, scientists are devoted to the main course — a rapidly evolving understanding of the ways food shapes our lives, one microscopic substance at a time.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2 and paragraph 3?

A．Vitamin A is a water-soluble substance.

B．Vitamin B was named after a kind of disease.

C．The eight B vitamins got names from their functions.

D．The subjects of McCullum’s experiments are home.

2. What does the underlined word “bucked” mean in paragraph 4?

A．Created.

B．Destroyed.

C．Broke.

D．Followed.

3. What is the author’s attitude toward nutrition research?

A．Indifferent.

B．Unclear.

C．Doubtful.

D．Confident.

4. Which of the following is the best title of the text?

A．How Do Vitamins Influence Our Health?

B．Who Discovered Various Vitamins for Us?

C．Why Is There a Vitamin K but No Vitamin F?

D．How Many Vitamins Are Still Left to Be Discovered?

3 . One night two millennia ago, a Han Dynasty general sent a square-shaped collection of bamboo and cloth into the air above enemy territory in central China. He was trying to measure how much earth his men would need to tunnel through to tear their enemies’ defense line.

It is one of the most famous early stories of kite-flying. Similar devices were later used by other Chinese armies; they launched them after dark in whipping winds in hopes that the noise would scare off enemies, and used them to deliver threats via missives (信函) tied to the kites’ tails.

Today, of course, these delicate aircraft — built from light wood or plastic frames shaped to create lift, covered in a thin material such as paper or silk, and piloted via long strings — are considered as toys. In the 1990s and early 2000s, kite-flying experienced a boom in the American West and parts of Europe, due in part to the popularization of kites surfing. Groups of kiters began to take interest in its lore (知识).

Thus a wave of younger artists have been inspired to pioneer new forms. In Austria, Anna Rubin, often employs ancient methods for her art, including hand-splitting the bamboo for the frames and using hand-pressed natural fibres to cover them. She wants to carry on traditions she fears may be lost by a culture fixated on the future, but she’s equally inspired by the joy of work. “Everyone should, once in their life, make a kite and fly it,” she says.

And in New York, visual artists Jacob Hashimoto, assembles massive installations from dozens of palm-size kites to hang from the ceiling of his studio or gallery. He inherited (继承) his interest in kite-making from his father. “The kite-making is a pan-cultural practice that makes it a beautiful, democratic thing,” he says. “In many ways, it’s a global property — we all own the relationship between us and the sky.”

Their work is a reminder that kites offer us a means to defy gravity. In the hands a willing flier, they give us a way up and out.

1. What was the kite used for in ancient China?

A．A tool of warfare.	B．A kind of recreation.
C．A sign of good luck.	D．A way of communication.

2. What are today’s kites like?

A．They are lightly structured.	B．They are widely used in Europe.
C．They are less popular in China.	D．They are considered as a science.

3. What made Anna keep the tradition of kite-making?

A．The popularity of kites in Austria.

B．Her enthusiasm in Chinese culture.

C．Her father’s encouragement and support.

D．Its pleasure and her sense of responsibility.

4. Why does the author mention Anna and Jacob?

A．To remind us that kites will lose their cultural value in the future.

B．To tell us some young artists are taking kite-making to new heights.

C．To list some examples of the difficulties promoting kites in the world.

D．To show that only a few people consider kites worthy of preservation.

4 . Cycling has become more than a habit for “Granny Mave,” as Mavis Paterson is known. It has become essential for her very being, her very reason for living after all three of her adult children passed away within four years of each other — Sandy in 2012, Katie in 2013 and Bob in 2016.

It was in memory of her children that the 85-year-old grandmother set out on her latest endurance challenge in May, cycling 1,000 miles around Scotland, beginning from the Mull of Galloway, before heading north, tracing the outline of the country until she reached the Mull of Galloway again.

“If I didn’t have my bicycle, and this is terrible to say, I don’t think I would want to live,” she told CNN Sport.

Paterson cycled every day for a month around Scotland, navigating its undulating (起伏的) landscape, exposed roads and unpredictable weather. Every day, she woke up early and set out riding — covering up to 50 miles a day — and raising money for British-based charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

Cycling has provided some comfort, some way for her to cope with unimaginable loss. All along the route, Paterson recalled other cyclists coming out to keep her company, offering “terrific support,” some of them riding with her for several days at a time. Such support was a constant throughout Paterson’s odyssey (跋涉) across Scotland, ending in a crowd at the finish line who had gathered to cheer her on.

“I know people have got on their bikes and thought, ‘If that old lady can do it, I can do it.’ And also people who have been a bit depressed and thought, ‘Oh gosh, I shouldn’t be like this. Look at poor Mave, she’s lost all her children.’ So a lot of people have taken up cycling because of my cycle rides and just inspired people apparently,” she said.

1. Why did Paterson start her cycling around Scotland?

A．To keep exercise and improve her health.

B．To take up the hobby of her three children.

C．To recover from the death of her children.

D．To be the oldest lady to ride around Scotland.

2. What can we say about the cycling around Scotland?

A．It is highly profitable and well-received.

B．It requires great effort and determination.

C．It needs professional training and equipment.

D．It aims to raise money for the disabled people.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．The support Paterson asked others for.

B．Some achievements Paterson achieved.

C．The challenges Paterson set for herself.

D．The friendship Paterson got along the way.

4. Which of the following can best describe Paterson?

A．A cyclist.

B．A sponsor.

C．A hopeless mother.

D．An inspiration.

5 . Over the past decade, more and more travelers have been embracing the idea of slow travel. One of the most popular methods of slow travel, if you have the time, is by rail. Here are our picks for some of the best train rides in the world.

The Glacier Express

The Glacier Express takes more than eight hours to cross the 180-mile journey between Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland at an average of 18 mph. The classic red train journey brings you to Europe’s mountains at their very best — with views of snow-covered forests and peaks included!

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Running through Tamil Nadu State, the train is the slowest in India due to an extremely steep gradient on the route. It takes nearly five hours to cover a distance of 46 km. Clearly nobody uses the NMR to get from A to B, but for the sheer joy of riding in a train that passes through 16 tunnels, 250 bridges and 208 steep curves on the richly biodiverse Western Ghats mountain range.

No. 6063/6064

With a length of 257 kilometers, the highly popular “small-and-slow train” route winds through the Qinling Mountains, linking 13 stations at the highest cost of 39.5 yuan. Villagers take the train to sell their vegetables in nearby counties to add to their families’ income. Helping poverty alleviation and carrying students to schools, the rail line, running for over 60 years, is a guarantee of and witness to the wish for a better life of the people along its route.

Royal Scotsman

With the full length of 1930 kilometers, the Royal Scotsman marries Edwardian elegance with the comforts of a five-star country house. The train includes elegant lounges, comfortable suites, and an open observation deck. The 9-coach train carries a just 36 passengers maximum with a passenger to staff ratio of 1:3. One of the coaches is the amazing Bamford Spa offering something of a palace on wheels.

1. Why do people choose the Nilgiri Mountain Railway?

A．To view the snow-covered forests.

B．To travel from one place to another.

C．To experience the amusement of riding.

D．To study the geography of the Western Ghats.

2. Which train can we take to experience villagers’ slow life?

A．The Glacier Express.	B．No. 6063/6064.
C．The Nilgiri Mountain Railway.	D．Royal Scotsman.

3. What is Royal Scotsman special about?

A．Its luxury.

B．Its route.

C．Its history.

D．Its convenience.

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。

African students who participated in a Chinese agricultural development program have returned to their home countries, aiming to use     1     they’ve learned to help local farmers increase grain yields.

In the Science and Technology Backyard program, which     2     (launch) in 2009 at China Agricultural University in Beijing, students conducted research in experimental fields in rural areas while using their     3     (acquire) knowledge to help Chinese farmers. Phiri, one student from Malawi in Africa, expected hopefully, “We are well on our way to establishing successful STBs,     4     purpose is to empower the farmers of Malawi with the knowledge and tools they need     5     (shape) their agricultural futures.” Due to poor soil quality and a lack of modern agricultural technologies, the yield for Malawi’s main crop, maize, is     6     (relative) low. Many farmers are not growing enough food to sustain     7     (they).

Phiri and other African students, together with their teachers often engaged in conversations with farmers in the fields. Jiao Xiaoqiang,     8     associate professor in charge of the program, said such     9     (engage) is very necessary. “The core of the project lies     10     bringing technicians and farmers together. Only by truly participating in this process and understanding how to spread technology to farmers can they make a real impact when they return to Africa.”

10 . 假定你是李华，你英国高三的笔友Tom来信告诉你上周他妈妈发现他偷玩手机游戏两小时后没收了他的手机，他很生气，拒绝和妈妈沟通。你认为他这样有问题。请你给他回信，内容包括：1.说明问题；2.提出建议。 (注意 1.信的格式已给出，答题卡上不要写。写作词数应为 80 个左右)
Dear Tom,
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Yours,

Li Hua