1 . In the corner of my desk is a note, slowly yellowing from time. It is a _________ from my mother, containing only four sentences, but with enough impact to _________ my life forever.

In it, she praises my abilities as a writer. Each sentence is full of_________ . The word “but” never appears on the card; _________ , the word “and” is there many times.

Every time I read it, I am _________ to ask myself how many times I’ve “but-ted” my own daughters.

Although our eldest daughter _________ got all As on her report card, teachers would always suggest that she _________ too much in class. I always forgot to ask them if she was making improvements. _________, I would greet her with, “Congratulations! Your Dad and I are very _________ , but could you try to talk less in class?”

The same was __________ of our younger daughter. Like her sister, she is a lovely and bright child. She also treats the floor of her room as a closet ( 壁 橱 ), which has often caused me to say, “Yes, that project is great, but __________ your room!”

I’ve noticed that other __________ do the same thing. “The hockey ( 曲 棍 球 ) team won, but Mike should have made that last goal. ” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, but now she wants $200 to buy a new dress and shoes. ” But, but, but.

What I __________ from my mother is to start thinking “and, and, and” instead. __________: “The hockey team won, and Mike did his best the whole game. ” “Amy’s the homecoming queen, and she’s going to look perfect!”

The __________ is that “but” feels bad, “and” feels good. When our children feel __________ about what they are doing, they do more of it.

This is not to say that children don’t need or won’t respond to their parents’ __________ . They do and they will.

When those expectations are __________, amazing things happen.

It’s not __________just to say we love our children. We’re also going to have to start guiding and taking part in what is right with our children.

“No more buts!” is a call for __________. It’s an opportunity every day to put our attention on what is promising about our children.

And if I ever forget, I have my mother’s note to remind me.

1.

A．book

B．card

C．diary

D．suggestion

2.

A．enrich

B．prepare

C．change

D．ruin

3.

A．love

B．doubt

C．interest

D．humor

4.

A．besides

B．finally

C．anyway

D．however

5.

A．reminded

B．forced

C．attracted

D．requested

6.

A．seldom

B．never

C．usually

D．possibly

7.

A．forgot

B．talked

C．remembered

D．understood

8.

A．Also

B．Therefore

C．Sometimes

D．Instead

9.

A．proud

B．upset

C．hopeful

D．surprised

10.

A．tired

B．certain

C．true

D．short

11.

A．look into

B．clean up

C．put up with

D．make use of

12.

A．students

B．children

C．teachers

D．parents

13.

A．heard

B．expected

C．learned

D．differed

14.

A．After all

B．For example

C．In short

D．In turn

15.

A．fact

B．purpose

C．chance

D．challenge

16.

A．bad

B．good

C．hard

D．curious

17.

A．decisions

B．questions

C．instructions

D．expectations

18.

A．interesting

B．low

C．positive

D．high

19.

A．enough

B．necessary

C．normal

D．difficult

20.

A．help

B．joy

C．attention

D．respect

2 . Siri is a virtual assistant, applied to electronic devices with the ability to recognize humans' speech, answer questions, make recommendations and so on. Ask Siri if she's a woman. Go ahead; ask about her gender. She'll tell you that she' s "genderless". So are many other virtual assistants. But, man, do they ever sound a lot like women? Yes. Culturally, we think of them as ladies, too.

If we advocate gender diversity in other areas of daily life, why does our tech sound so female? It would be easy to blame male designers. Perhaps it's influenced by science fiction. But the biggest reason rests in social science. “Research indicates there's likely to be greater acceptance of female speech,” says Karl MacDorman, an associate professor at Indiana University who specializes in human-computer communication. MacDorman and his team played male and female voices to people of both genders, and then asked them to identify which they preferred. They reported that both women and men said male voices sounded seemingly indifferent, in comparison.

Why do we have such prejudice? Stanford University communication professor Clifford Nass says that people tend to consider female voices to be helpful for them to solve their problems by themselves, while they view male voices as those from authority figures who tell them the answers to their problems.

This finding suggests that companies will make a better impression on a broader group of customers with a woman's voice — but not just any voice. It has to be based on a brand's personality. Greg Pal, vice president of business development at Nuance Communications, Inc. insists that some brands choose male speakers. He turned on his iPhone and pulled up the Domino's Pizza app, which has an assistant, Dom. He sounded like his high school English teacher — educated. That's right for a brand attempting to appeal to guys ordering pies before the big game.

As voice technology improves, though, designers say diversity will too. Many devices already let you customize a voice interface (界面). Siri can become a sir as you want it — if you take the time to reprogram it.

1. Why does Siri sound female?

A．Because it is designed by a female.

B．Because it is related to social science.

C．Because it is affected by gender prejudice.

D．Because it is influenced by science fiction.

2. The strength of a virtual assistant with a female voice is that ________.

A．it can convey authorities	B．it can give direct answers
C．it can show warmer feelings	D．it can give clearer answers

3. The example of Dom in Domino's Pizza app is used to show that ________.

A．the female voice better attracts customers

B．the voice needs to match the product’s personality

C．the male voice begins to be accepted by customers

D．the male voice can be designed to sound like a teacher

4. What is the suitable title of this passage?

A．Siri can become a sir.

B．Why does Siri sound like a women?

C．Siri --- a good virtual assistant.

D．Is Siri genderless ?

3 . Some high school students think it useless to receive higher education. Therefore, they choose not to go to college. If you're one of them, think again. Here are some reasons why you should go to college and receive a good education there.

Schools and universities are the first places to get knowledge. We take that knowledge later on to build our careers after graduation. More knowledge will be gained after you start working, but without education, that job will not be within easy reach. Knowledge leads to knowledge.

While limited within the walls of the educational places, we openly explore other cultures of the world! We come to know that ours is not the only culture. Other cultures have valuable things to share, enriching our own. Education also makes us want to travel and exchange with various cultures, getting more experience.

When there's a recession in the economy（经济）, those who attended college will be more likely to find a new job than those who only finished high school and have a limited skills set. The more education you have, the more chances you will get to improve the quality of your life as you have a better job and earn a higher salary.

When you're skillful and knowledgeable, you gain access to people of similar backgrounds and tastes. It means a good education leads to excellent networking. Good networking can benefit you a lot in your later life.

A good education makes you a more interesting person. You can talk about ideas and events instead of just other people and what's on sale in stores. An educated person doesn't gossip（说闲话）, having a preference to discuss ideas and listen to what other people have to say.

1. What can we learn about college education from Paragraph 2?

A．It offers you a chance to study abroad.	B．It can allow you to gain more knowledge.
C．It can improve the quality of your daily life.	D．It encourages you to travel around the world.

2. What does the underlined word "recession" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．change.

B．drop.

C．growth.

D．support.

3. How can one benefit from a good education ?

A．You can gossip about others’ affairs.	B．You are likely to study well at school.
C．You can work well with your coworkers.	D．You get to know excellent people with similar interests.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The benefits of attending college.	B．The exchange with other cultures.
C．The access to good networking.	D．The ways of college education.

4 . Many animal and plant species have become extinct and many more are in critical danger. Finding ways to protect the earth's wildlife and conserve the natural world they inhabit (居住) is now more important than ever.

Dodo

The Dodo is a classic example of how human caused damage to the earth's biology. The flightless Dodo was native to the Island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It lived off fruit fallen from the island's trees and lived unthreatened until humans arrived in 1505. The easily controlled bird became a source of food for sailors and was attacked by animals introduced to the island by humans such as pigs, monkeys and rats. The population of Dodos rapidly decreased and the last one was killed in 1681.

Rhinos

The Rhino (犀牛) horn is a highly prized item for Asian medicine. This has led to the animal being hunted in its natural habitat. Once widespread in Africa and Eurasia, most Rhinos now live in protected natural parks and reserves (保护区). Their numbers have rapidly decreased in the last 50 years, and the animals remain under constant threat from poachers(偷猎者).

The Giant Panda

The future of the World Wildlife Fund's symbol is far from certain. As few as 1,000 remain in the wild. The Chinese government has set up 33 panda reserves   to   protect   these   beautiful animals   and   made poaching   them punishable with 20 years in prison. However, the panda's distinct black and white patched coat fetches a high price on the black market and determined poachers still pose (造成) one of the most serious threats to the animals continued existence.

Whales

The International Whaling Commission is fighting to ensure the survival of the whale species. Despite the fact that one-third the world's oceans   have   been   declared   whale sanctuaries (保护区),7 out of 13 whale species remain endangered. Hunted for their rich supply of oil, their numbers have decreased to just 300. Collisions with ships, poisonous pollution and being caught in fishing nets are other major causes of whale deaths.

Tigers

The last 100 years has seen a 95% reduction in the numbers of remaining tigers to between 5,000 and 7,000 and the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers are already extinct. The South China tiger is precariously close to disappearing, with only 20 to 30 still alive. Like the Rhino horn, tigers' bones and organs are sought after for traditional Chinese medicines. These items are traded illegally along with tiger skins.

1. Which group of the following animals has already died out according to the text?

A．The Dodo and the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers.

B．The Rhino, Whale and the South China tiger.

C．The Rhino, Panda, Whale and Tiger.

D．The Dodo, Rhino and Giant Panda.

2. ________can serve as a cure for certain diseases.

A．The Dodo's delicious meat

B．The panda's black and white patched coat

C．The whale's rich oil

D．The Rhino horn and tigers' bones and organs

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The number of South China tigers has reached crisis point.

B．The whale is the representing mark for the World Wildlife Fund.

C．People hunt for the endangered animals for high profit.

D．Many animals are threatened with extinction as a result of human activity.

4. Which of the following is mentioned in all the descriptions of those wild animals?

A．The way of their life.

B．Why they are hunted.

C．The reason for their extinction or being in danger.

D．Punishment for hunting wild animals.

5 . The Greatest show on Earth

The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sports in the world. Every four years, many countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honour in sport. As many as 6，000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honour, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is in the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

The Olympic Games always start in a bright colour and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first, for it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.

The runner with the Olympic torch (火炬) then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath (宣誓) on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.

The competitions begin the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field，but there are a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in different sports，like riding，shooting，swimming，and cross－country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.

More and more women are taking part in the Games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf. Women's swimming events were introduced in 1912.But it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as men.

1. Why is there honour for the losers as well as for the winners?

A．Because losers and winners should be equally treated.

B．Because failure is the mother of success.

C．Because losers need encouragement.

D．Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games.

2. Which of the following is a long－established practice in the opening ceremony?

A．Runners enter the stadium with torches.

B．Each team puts on a wonderful display.

C．The Greek team marches in first.

D．Sportsmen and sportswomen wear magnificent clothes.

3. Who takes the Olympic oath?

A．A judge from a foreign country.	B．A sportsman from the host country.
C．An officer from the host country.	D．A Greek sportsman.

4. When did women start taking part in the Olympic Games?

A．In 1912.	B．In 1900.
C．In 1928.	D．In 1924.

6 . The man goes quietly into the room. He stands over the bed where his three-day-old son is lying and begins to speak to him.

“My son, I have dreamt of you for many, many years. I had your name picked out even before you were born because I knew that I wanted you. Every time I thought of you I would have a smile on my face. Gabriel. You always gave me joy.

“I really hope we have a great relationship, where you can talk to me about anything and not be embarrassed. Most of the time it will seem like I am too old to understand, but I’m sure you will see that, as I did with my father, my advice is some of the best you will get.

“I am sorry for the misunderstandings (误会) we will have, but you will understand I spent my whole life waiting for you. You are my son, so I am not going to sit back and watch you hurt yourself. You are very important to me. ”

The man stops and looks at his son. Then he begins to sob (呜咽).

“Sorry, my dear, I’m crying because something bad happened. I am seriously ill. I will leave you soon.” The man gives a weak laugh. “This is the first time in many years I have been brought to tears.” The man kisses the baby who is sleeping so soundly and whispers, “I will love you forever.”

1. Why does the man say so many words to his son?

A．He wants his son to fall asleep.

B．He loves his baby very much.

C．There are misunderstandings between them.

D．He dreamed of his son the night before.

2. Why does the man cry when he is talking to the child?

A．He will be too old to understand his son one day.

B．He will die and leave his son soon.

C．His son doesn’t listen to him and falls asleep.

D．His son will hurt himself some day.

3. Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A．He picked out the child’s name before he was born.

B．The man is not pleased with his present life.

C．The man has had a great relationship with his child.

D．The man’s family will be much happier than before.

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据上下文填入适当的词语，或使用括号中的词语的适当形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡上标号的相应位置。

Flying cars may soon become a     1     (real). The ride-share service Uber has asked an   expert from NASA, the American space agency,    2    (help)

the company develop cars that can fly.

Uber plans to use flying vehicles in the future to avoid traffic in and around cities. The company wants to use small,    3     (total) electric aircraft which could take    4     and land like a helicopter on top of parking garages. Uber said its flying vehicles would be much     5    (quiet), cost less to operate and produce less pollution than helicopters.

One person in San Francisco wrote on Twitter, “I used to think that flying cars was a ridiculous idea.    6     I changed my mind this morning when I sat in a heavy traffic.”     7     person added from Mumbai, India: “I’m reading about Uber     8     (hire) a NASA engineer to build flying cars, while I’m     9     (trap) in traffic. There is hope.”

The expert predicts there will be several early models of cars     10     can’t fly themselves but with human pilots within one to three years.