1 . Certain brands and products can be easily recognized at a glance by people worldwide.
Most business owners who are just starting to understand how vital advertising is to their growth. Putting in the time and money to market your company can help it grow over time.
| A．Is advertising necessary? |
| B．After all, shouldn’t their global success speak for itself? |
| C．This same principle holds true for older successful brands. |
| D．Therefore, television advertising gives companies access to more people. |
| E．Another major question companies must find the answer to is how to advertise. |
| F．The money invested in these advertisements could be used for more worthwhile businesses. |
| G．Almost everyone is familiar with the red labeling of Coca-Cola or the symbolic flower logo of Huawei. |
2 . Before age thirty-four, I was a stay-at-home mom. Then, things changed and I had to find a job. I stumbled along with low-paying jobs, stress and self-doubt.
Three years later, while working at a community college, I became friends with the president’s secretary. She encouraged me to take classes and get a teaching degree. I wrestled with the idea for several months and finally enrolled in one class that fall. To my amazement, I loved school. I loved learning. So, in the spring, I enrolled in two classes while working full-time. I doubled up on classes, even going in the summer months. I won’t say it was easy. I still had all the responsibility for two teenage daughters, making my house a home, preparing meals, planning social events, making sure their homework was done, and finding time to do my own homework.
In one of my low moments, as I questioned whether to continue with my education, my fifteen-year-old daughter strolled into the room. “Whatcha doin’?” she asked casually. “Trying to decide if I want to pursue my education and get a degree or not,” I replied despondently (苦恼地). “Why are you wondering?” she asked. “Well, I’ll be forty by the time I finally get my degree.” “You’ll be forty anyway,” she said matter-of-factly. “Do you wanna be forty with a degree or forty without a degree?” And then she walked out of the room. I stared after her incredulously (表示怀疑地). Out of the mouth of babes! In that moment, my life changed. I wanted to be forty with a college degree!
I don’t know what got me to the finish line, but four months after my fortieth birthday, I walked proudly across the stage to receive my Bachelor’s in Education. Three years later, I received my Master’s in English. At the age of sixty-five, I retired from teaching high-school English. That one decision I made so many years ago opened doors to new worlds that I had never dreamed of before. It changed my life in the most beautiful way, filling it with joy, happiness, laughter and fun. And that made all the difference.
1. What inspired the author to pursue her education and get a teaching degree?| A．Advice from a friend at work. | B．A desire to change her career path. |
| C．A conversation with the college’s president. | D．Encouragement from her teenage daughters. |
| A．Lack of her daughters’ support. | B．Overwhelming household chores. |
| C．Financial crisis caused by low-paying jobs. | D．Strict requirements from teachers. |
| A．Promotion at work. | B．A new realization about her age. |
| C．A new-found love for learning. | D．A conversation with her friend. |
| A．Ambitious and curious. | B．Honest and adventurous. |
| C．Diligent and determined. | D．Courageous and considerate. |
3 . The production of the cement (水泥) used in concrete is a major contributor to worldwide CO2 emissions. Since we use it a lot in building things, this is a serious problem. But there’s good news: Scientists have made a new kind of concrete that can trap CO2 instead of letting it out. It is a greener way to build things.
The concrete is made by D Company, cooperating with other companies, and is named G-concrete. Here’s how it’s made: A special cement mixture is placed in a curing chamber (养护室) and CO2 is then pumped into the chamber to be absorbed. The absorbed CO2 is then stuck inside the concrete, and will not be released. Crucially, it’s also just as strong as regular concrete.
“Generally, concrete hardens through a chemical reaction between cement and water,” the company explains. “But in G-concrete, over half the cement is replaced with a material we call γ-C2S. Instead of reacting with water, γ-C2S reacts with the CO2 in the air to harden. After mixing the materials needed to create G-concrete, the concrete can be placed in a location with high CO2 levels so it can absorb the CO2 and harden, trapping the gas inside. For example, a thermal power plant (发电厂) or other facilities that produce carbon-heavy waste gases can redirect the gases into a special chamber, where concrete products made with G-concrete can be placed to absorb the CO2 in the gases.”
Obviously, greener concrete is a good thing in itself. And under the right conditions, this could be used to create net-zero buildings, but if it’s not affordable and practical to produce, it’s not going to be widely adopted.
On that note, signs are actually quite hopeful. A representative of the company told us that the cost of producing G-concrete is about three times higher than standard concrete currently used. Work is being undertaken on further reducing this cost and the company believes it will become a lot more affordable in the near future.
1. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Cement production. | B．Building construction. | C．CO2 emission. | D．Concrete use. |
| A．It is environmentally friendly. | B．It is produced in thermal power plant. |
| C．It is harder than regular concrete. | D．It is replaced by a cement mixture. |
| A．Practical function. | B．Production cost. | C．Marketing strategy. | D．Gas emission. |
| A．The Chemical Reaction Behind Concrete Hardening |
| B．G-concrete: A New CO2-absorbing Building Material |
| C．The Environmental Impact Of Traditional Cement Production |
| D．The Economic Possibility Of The Building Material—G-concrete |
4 . A winter storm dropped huge amounts of snow overnight on January 16 in western Pennsylvania. Coach Brian Delallo, who worked on a local high school football team, decided to
The players received the message and went out to work on the more than six inches of snow. They said that they removed
Many of the people whom the team members
“It’s about
| A．try out | B．pick up | C．go over | D．call off |
| A．injury | B．weather | C．disease | D．pressure |
| A．Find | B．Permit | C．Track | D．Request |
| A．money | B．apology | C．challenge | D．request |
| A．dirt | B．water | C．snow | D．waste |
| A．demanding | B．rewarding | C．promising | D．amusing |
| A．hopeful | B．great | C．surprised | D．tired |
| A．approached | B．surrounded | C．rescued | D．entertained |
| A．sought | B．got | C．appreciated | D．refused |
| A．Actually | B．Moreover | C．Fortunately | D．Instantly |
| A．goals | B．secrets | C．traditions | D．jobs |
| A．community | B．success | C．harvest | D．intervention |
| A．matters | B．cares | C．works | D．stays |
| A．off | B．up | C．in | D．back |
| A．way | B．win | C．must | D．lesson |
5 . Nick was troubled and aimless. Then one night, everything changed.
At first, it was just faint light as Nick drove past a two-story house. Then he realized the house was on fire. He immediately pulled up to investigate.
He ran to the back door, sure it would be
“Anybody else in there?” Nick asked. When told a 6-year-old was still in, he ran back. By now, thewhole house was in flames. The smell was
Nick’s burns have mostly healed, but other changes have been far greater. As news about his
| A．Air | B．Water | C．Mist | D．Smoke |
| A．vehicle | B．house | C．bay | D．fire |
| A．signal | B．put | C．break | D．take |
| A．frozen | B．locked | C．wrapped | D．melted |
| A．delay | B．interruption | C．motion | D．sympathy |
| A．looked up | B．got up | C．looked down | D．got down |
| A．dizzy | B．pleasant | C．intense | D．bitter |
| A．desperately | B．patiently | C．tightly | D．precisely |
| A．hesitating | B．spraining | C．collapsing | D．choking |
| A．ankles | B．throats | C．ears | D．fists |
| A．inching | B．skipping | C．sinking | D．fading |
| A．forward | B．downward | C．upward | D．backward |
| A．due to | B．instead of | C．as for | D．apart from |
| A．realism | B．heroism | C．criticism | D．pessimism |
| A．recovery | B．reputation | C．rebirth | D．reform |
6 . In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack, and where millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cyber-security may well be mapping your brain.
Researchers at Binghamton University are working on a biometric (生物特征的) system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your e-mail or your social media accounts.
They started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects. The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food — on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded.
The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched to their first-time reaction. If the “brainprint” is cracked — like what happened to the fingerprint records — then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves.“Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo.
Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 per cent accurate. So one of the most difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They’re also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down.
1. What does the underlined word “brainchild” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The brain function. | B．The biometric system. |
| C．The fingerprint record. | D．The online password. |
| A．To match brainprints with pictures. | B．To check the brain’s reaction. |
| C．To create their brainprints. | D．To connect brain waves to electrodes. |
| A．A new one will be set again. | B．A spare one will be ready beforehand. |
| C．The users’ security will be threatened. | D．The fingerprint record will replace it. |
| A．Improving its accuracy. | B．Making it user-friendly. |
| C．Recording more brainprints. | D．Increasing the number of electrodes. |
①讲座的时间、地点；
②讲座的主要内容；
③其他注意事项。
注意：①词数80左右；
②可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Beyond the Horizon
Oshima was sitting at the sea side but the beautiful site did not make her feel good. Her face was dull and gloomy. She was staring at the setting sun without an expression on her face.
But she was not an unhappy child like this always. Six months before, Oshima was a happy child who loved playing at the beach with her brother and sister. Her brother Mittsu used to make sandcastle and Oshima and her sister Osheen collected the sea shells. Her father always shouted, “Come home, it's late”, but they would not listen. The seaside was like their second home. At house also, they were a happy family who always laughed and played and had no problems to bother for.
One day all of a sudden something terrible happened. A violent tsunami came and took the entire country in its grip. It was a huge natural disaster. Most of the houses were washed away. The cities and towns were flooded with water. Oshima’s town was near the sea and so the tsunami flooded her town as well. Her house was washed and they lost all their belongings.
Her grandmother Midori cried and cried and was totally shocked. She has not seen such destruction in her whole life. They were homeless. Oshima wept and wept and complained that why a violent tsunami hit her city. She was very angry.
The government shifted them to a refugee (难民) camp where many families shared the living space. Helicopters dropped food packets and they had to stand in long queues even for drinking water. Their life had turned upside down. Oshima could see the sadness visible in her parents' eyes. Now she did not like the sea at all and always felt that the sea had broken her trust and was very disappointed with the waves. For her the sea was very cruel who had taken her beautiful house away.
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。
One day Oshima saw two little children playing in the camp without any trace of sadness on their face.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________A new ray of hope filled her spirits, making her cheer up.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________9 . How to overcome travel anxiety
If you want to travel, there shouldn’t be anything getting in your way.
To cope with travel anxiety, you need to figure out specifically what is making you feel anxious about your trip. Is it that you’ll be on the road for hours, that there would be things out of your control, or that you would have to be surrounded by a lot of people at an airport? Once you understand what causes your anxiety, you can ensure to plan ahead for the best ways to handle it.
Plan out your trip in as much de tail as possible.
One reason for anxiety when travelling is that you’re out of your comfort zone and won’t have full control over everything. To help ease that anxious feeling, try to make detailed travel arrangements. That will give you a sense of control. But it’s equally as important to think of alternative plans.
Have with you things that bring you joy.
Things that generally bring you joy can be extremely useful in distracting you from your negative feelings.
Don’t forget your physical health.
| A．Predict what challenges you might face. |
| B．Understand where your anxiety originates. |
| C．Sometimes, however, there can be problems. |
| D．Thus for anything that could not go as planned, you’re prepared. |
| E．Being physically active is a great way to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. |
| F．The more you know about your upcoming trip, the more you’ll know what to expect. |
| G．These can include physical items like a book to read, or a game to occupy your attention. |
10 . More than one-third of the world‘s food is wasted or thrown away, most of which ends up in landfills, producing very large amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Now, many studies show that it is becoming harder to grow enough food to feed an increasing population due to climate change and soil degradation.
But one of the most promising and simplest solutions lies in the problem itself: this wasted food — if composted (制堆肥) —— could slow climate change and improve soil quality. Higher-quality soil also continues to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, helping to improve plants and contributing further to fighting climate change. Returning one ton of organic matter to each hectare of soil would increase the production of cereal crops each year in Africa, Asia and South America by millions of tons.
While it is true that people can compost in their yards, community gardens, or even on their kitchen counters, larger-scale efforts, including infrastructure (基础设施) and incentives (激励) for consumers, would take it to the next level. Imagine if consumers could just leave unwanted food in a roadside bin for pickup, or drop it off at a local store, earning a few cents a bucket, just like what has been offered for recycling bottles or newspapers.
Moreover, in the case of composting, the payment incentive system would be great because the end-product of compost can be sold to farmers, making it an economically workable model, something that is often lacking in recycling, especially for certain materials, like many types of plastics.
Eventually, more widespread composting of food would pave the way for solutions to additional waste challenges, such as the disposal of packaging and clothing. This will have other positive effects as well; if more consumers compost, companies will be more inspired to make and use compostable packaging, clothing, and other products. While more compostable items are starting to emerge today, additional composting will further drive demand and innovation, and offer a game-changing solution for the planet.
1. What can be concluded from paragraph 1?| A．The great impact of climate change on food. |
| B．The burden of population growth on the planet. |
| C．The uneven distribution of food around the world. |
| D．The urgency of properly dealing with wasted food. |
| A．It is only workable on a small scale. |
| B．It would take a long term to have an effect. |
| C．It may raise people’s awareness of reducing food waste. |
| D．It requires comprehensive efforts to achieve a better effect. |
| A．It is highly profitable. | B．It is easy to carry out. |
| C．It is a sustainable economic cycle pattern. | D．It is more effective than other recycling systems. |
| A．How Wasted Food Could Be Reduced | B．How Wasted Food Could Impact Humans |
| C．How Wasted Food Could Save the Planet | D．How Wasted Food Could Become a Business |
