1 . The SNAG stands for stereotyped nature-inspired aerial grasper and it’s a 3D-printed bird robot with claws. It can fly, stay on various surfaces catch and carry objects, just like the mighty falcon（隼）that was used as the source of inspiration in its development.

Each leg of the SNAG has two motors, one for helping it move back and forth, and the other one for grasping. Twenty printing attempts were necessary for the robot to finally reach its current structure, but it was worth it. Now, according to researchers, the flying machine has an impressively strong and high-speed clutch（离合器），being able to land and wrap its claws around a branch in about 20 milliseconds. SNAG has ankles lock, and there’s an accelerometer （加速计）on its right foot that reports that it’s landed while triggering（触发）a balancing process to stabilize it.

Scientists have already conducted several tests with the robot in rural areas and on different surfaces. In all the situations, the SNAG was able to catch objects thrown by hand, such as bean bags, a tennis ball, and more.

As for the applications of the bird-like robot, the SNAG can get attached to drones（无人机）and be used for search and rescue missions, wildfire monitoring, to offer just a few examples. Another great application is environmental research, with the SNAG also featuring a temperature and humidity（湿度）sensor. By using a robot that can act like a bird, you can unlock new ways of studying the environment, as explained by William Roderick, mechanical engineer and one of the researchers involved in the project. Now scientists are moving on to improving the robot’s situational awareness and flight control.

This isn’t the first time that nature has inspired groundbreaking technologies. We also wrote a piece recently about the F-SAM micro drone, which was inspired by the flight of samara（翼果）seeds, also known as “twisters” which have a special way of spinning down to the ground.

1. What gave the researchers inspiration for the SNAG’s development?

A．The plane.	B．The falcon.
C．The micro drone.	D．The samara seeds.

2. What’s the function of the accelerometer on the SNAG?

A．To balance the SNAG in flight.

B．To change the SNAG’s flying speed.

C．To keep the SNAG’s feet in balance.

D．To make the SNAG steady on a surface.

3. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us about the SNAG?

A．The SNAG has huge potential for practical use.

B．The SNAG has a long way to go before being used.

C．The SNAG will be helpful in putting out forest fires.

D．The SNAG is sensitive to temperature and humidity.

4. What may be one disadvantage of the SNAG right now?

A．It doesn’t know its situation well.

B．It can’t fly fast enough in the air.

C．It is easily broken by the branches.

D．It can’t catch objects with smooth surfaces.

2 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.

Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "

For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.

A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.

These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.

"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.

1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．Positive effects of doing exercises.

B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged.

C．Experimental studies on diseases.

D．Advantages of sporty woman over man

2. Why did the researchers ask the women to do bicycle exercise?

A．To predict their maximum heart rate.

B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity

C．To change their habits of working out

D．To detect their potential health problems

3. What do we know about Dr Horder's study?

A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia.

B．Data collection was a lengthy process.

C．Some participants withdrew from it.

D．The results were far from satisfactory.

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

A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia

B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise

C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia

D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness

3 . NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Last year, the National Park Service (NPS) marked its 100th anniversary with a year-long celebration.

    1    . It recognized the preservation and protection of the 417 park service units. Now that those festivities have wrapped up, it’s time to look toward what the next 100 years might look like for the nation’s parks. Here’s a look at some of the major issues facing the nation s parks now and over the next century.

    2    . For example, at Shenandoah National Park, park officials note that rising temperatures in streams have already impacted native fish. They are also concerned that climate change will lead to more droughts, floods and wildfires. At Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, park officials are predicting heat waves, coastal flooding and habitat destruction in response to climate change.

Visitors behave badly. Today, visitors still aim to make their mark on the natural and cultural resources.

    3    . But the NPS now has its own branch of law enforcement (执法) officials who are tasked with protecting those resources for and often from park visitors.

There is maintenance backlog (积压).    4    . But the donations may drop sharply and raise the possibility of handing the parks over to private corporations. With budget shortfalls and maintenance at all-time highs, it’s likely that these sorts of partnerships will only become more likely in the future.

Despite some major concerns, the future of the NPS looks promising. With a renewed level of interest, and the help of some corporate donations, the parks will be protected for the next century.    5    .

A．Climate change will affect all parks

B．Yellowstone National Park deserves a visit

C．The NPS took a look back at the last century

D．The maintenance burden will be removed soon

E．And they may look different in the next 100 years

F．Those are protected by the National Park Service as they did years ago

G．At the moment, donations from private corporations are limited to signs and certain exhibits

4 . 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。

Robert was a carpenter (木匠). He was living in a village. His mother died a long time ago. His aged father, Kuppan, lived with Robert. Kuppan was very weak. He could not even walk well. He was so weak because Robert did not give him enough food.

Robert had a son. His name was Michael. Michael was just ten years old. He was a very good boy. He loved his grandfather. He had great respect for his grandfather. We did not like his father’s attitude and character to his grandfather, because his father was treating his grandfather cruelly. One day Kuppan was eating his food in the small plate that his son had given to him. The plate fell and broke into pieces. The food also fell on the floor. Robert was working at the other end of the room. He saw the broken plate. He was very angry with his father and used very sharp words to blame his father. The old man felt bad about what happened. He was sorry for his mistake. Robert’s words wounded him very deeply.

Michael saw this. But he was afraid to speak against his father. He was sad about his grandfather. But he was not powerful to stand in support of his grandfather. Then he got an idea.

Paragraph 1

The next day, Michael took some of his father’s tools and a piece of wood.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2

The carpenter was pretty shocked to hear that.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . 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。

I think it is a big challenge for me to be     1     freshman at senior high school. I had to think very     2     (careful) which courses I wanted to take and my     3     (advise) recommended that I should sign up     4     advanced literature. However, I hope to be fluent in Chinese when I graduate,     5     it’s difficult. Besides, I had to choose extra-curricular    6    (activity), too. Whatever difficulty I met, I wanted     7    (join) the school football team and a     8     (voluntary) club. In     9     end, I know I must work hard and be     10     (responsibility) as a senior high school student.

6 . 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。

A MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE

The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the surprise they were planning for Mother’s Day. How pleased and proud Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff knew exactly what to do.

The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the   sink and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the fire so it cooked nicely.

Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge. But Jeff’s hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain. Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned black as well.

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。

As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father appeared.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother up.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7 . Heightened anxiety affects a person’s world, including his or her senses. Symptoms such as paralysis, numbness, or blindness which are not connected to a medical cause and are often traced to a psychological problem, are frequently termed conversion disorders (转换障碍).

I once met a client affected by blindness. Russ, a successful 66-year-old man, described visiting the local zoo with his wife and grandchildren when anxiety washed over him. His vision narrowed. “It felt like clouds were closing in on my eyes,” Russ said. Russ’s sight continued to narrow until he was almost completely visionless.

The experience occurred several times and eventually, Russ refused to leave his home. His medical doctor conducted numerous tests, but a medical explanation could not be identified.

As I gathered information about Russ’s life, it became clear that he was experiencing difficulty adjusting to an enormous life change — retirement. Yet, though most people look forward to retirement and regard it as a positive and well-deserved change, it was tough for him to admit he missed the important and respectable role he had performed so well. For forty years he had worked tirelessly to solidify the success of his company, so giving up “the mission” left him feeling empty and anxious.

Russ then shared his internal struggle with his wife, Mary. She supported him in developing new ways to fill himself up, such as caring for his grandchildren and contributing to several community architectural projects. He successfully re-consolidated his sense of self later.

It is normal and human to feel anxiety during the adjustment period. Bringing unconscious anxieties and conflicts into conscious awareness prevents the anxiety from taking over. And talking to a loved one or getting support from a psychotherapist is also necessary.

1. What trouble did Russ meet with while visiting the local zoo?

A．Missing the visiting time.	B．Getting separated from his wife.
C．Losing his sight for the moment.	D．Having his eyes blocked by clouds.

2. According to the author what is the root cause of Russ’s trouble?

A．Losing the essential role.

B．Having nobody to talk with.

C．Being ignored by his colleagues.

D．Looking forward to early retirement.

3. In what way did Russ overcome his problem?

A．By enriching his new life.

B．By starting a new company.

C．By seeing the doctor regularly.

D．By moving to a new community.

4. What can be drawn from this text?

A．Heightened anxiety is easy to deal with.

B．Rebuilding one’s confidence takes patience.

C．One’s attitude adjustment matters when facing significant transition.

D．Increasing conscious awareness helps one fit in with the new life.

8 . Ants have the almost unique ability among animals to switch between individual and collective(集体的) action, according to new research which uncovers the mystery behind their impressive teamwork.

The insects are able to transport objects such as food that are much larger than themselves by naturally understanding when to be part of the collective muscle and when to play an individual “scouting(侦察)” role for the group, researchers found.

Experiments using the breakfast cereal showed how groups of a dozen or more ants working together could transport much bigger items by pushing in the same direction. But more importantly, when the group moves off course or heads for trouble, the ant who first realizes the problem transforms into a highly individualistic leader.

This ant signals the need for a direction change by pulling at a different angle — and her colleagues instantly accept the decision and follow suit.

“The individual ant has the idea of how to pass a thing that blocks their way but lacks the muscle power to move the load. The group is there to promote the leader’s strength so that she can actually carry out her idea,” said Ofer Feinermann, the study’s lead author.

But the lead ant will only carry the baton for a short period, typically shouting to others for 10 to 20 seconds, by which point another ant has become best placed to make leadership decisions.

“As far as we can tell the scout is no different to the other ants, such as in creativity. No one designates(指派) her as the leader, and she designates herself because she has current knowledge about the correct direction,” he added.

Ants are among the very few creatures, besides humans, that can collectively carry loads far heavier than an individual member of their creatures.

The study by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel was published in the journal Nature Communications.

1. What does the new research mainly tell us?

A．Ants usually work together to look for food.

B．Ants usually turn to others for help when finding food.

C．Ants are good at delivering food larger than themselves.

D．Ants are able to work both individually and collectively.

2. When moving the load, _________.

A．the scout usually works individually

B．ants work together towards the same direction

C．every ant wants to play a role of the leader

D．ants elect a leader through a discussion

3. What does the underlined part “carry the baton” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A．Act as a leader.	B．Win the respect.
C．Work very hard.	D．Lose heart.

4. According to this passage, the leader of an ant group must have _________.

A．a good sense of direction	B．the strongest body
C．the great creativity	D．a good reputation

9 . We found him at our front door, frightened and shaking. My mom said we’d take care of him until we found out who'd________him.

I’d always wanted a dog, but we couldn’t have one because my sister was________. Now at twelve years old, I still________a dog. So far, my wish had been________. But the little puppy gave me the ________ to play with, feed and care for a dog. I didn’t ________ to think of him as my own, but when a whole day went by with nobody claiming (认领) him, I began to ________. I touched him all night, ________that I was his very owner. Another day went by. The puppy and I were becoming ________. However, I had to remind myself that somebody would claim him________.   

In the evening, somebody ________ to ask about the puppy. My heart________. When she hung up the phone, my mom had a ________conversation with my dad. A few minutes later, they came out and told us that the puppy, called “Fuzzer”, belonged to some other ________.They already had an older dog that didn't get along with Fuzzer. Their mom had never ________to keep Fuzzer and wanted to find him another________! My parents saw how well I’d________with and cared for Fuzzer, and they knew I had always wanted a dog.

________, my sister had not had an allergic reaction to him. Mom told us that Fuzzer was________now.

Fuzz and I grew up together and he was my true________throughout my teenage years.

1.

A．chosen

B．lost

C．hidden

D．deserted

2.

A．fearful

B．cruel

C．impatient

D．allergic

3.

A．longed for

B．came across

C．aimed at

D．believed in

4.

A．fruitless

B．secondary

C．ridiculous

D．secure

5.

A．stage

B．standard

C．chance

D．choice

6.

A．need

B．dare

C．wish

D．fail

7.

A．hope

B．worry

C．regret

D．puzzle

8.

A．doubting

B．dreaming

C．admitting

D．promising

9.

A．inseparable

B．dynamic

C．lonely

D．depressed

10.

A．now and then

B．over and over

C．sooner or later

D．back and forth

11.

A．visited

B．indicated

C．called

D．guaranteed

12.

A．stopped

B．beat

C．bled

D．sank

13.

A．comfortable

B．direct

C．endless

D．private

14.

A．wanderers

B．elders

C．kids

D．soldiers

15.

A．appealed

B．agreed

C．pretended

D．refused

16.

A．home

B．job

C．friend

D．cage

17.

A．struggled

B．compared

C．dealt

D．bonded

18.

A．Clearly

B．Casually

C．Amazingly

D．Temporarily

19.

A．theirs

B．his

C．hers

D．ours

20.

A．defender

B．companion

C．toy

D．possession