1 . Every bookstore in Beijing used to have a massive fiction room piled to the ceiling with great books. These days, you’re as likely as not to find that those rooms have been shrunk down to the size of a solitary (单独的) table thickly covered with the latest releases and best-selling novels. This, however, begs the question: Is fiction dying out, or is print media finally succumbing to (屈服于) its electronic and audio copy rivals (对手)?

Now that Kindle is leaving China, some say that maybe people will get back to traditional reading. I doubt it, however. This downward reading trend has been evident for a long time now. When Jeff Bezos first launched Kindle, Steve Jobs from Apple said it would fail because “people don’t read anymore. It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is.”

But I don’t think reading itself is dying. It is merely becoming more functional — in other words, something you have to do in order to get some tangible (实际的) benefit. Gone are the days when people just read for fun. Why lumber (迫使担负) through a musty old book when you can watch an action movie or play a video game? Of course, people know that these are poor substitutes (替代品) for a good book.

In fact, there is nothing better than getting lost in a great book. I remember reading Shackleton, the British polar explorer, when I was a boy. After turning over the last leaf of this extraordinary adventure, I felt as if I, too, had just been to the South Pole and back. This imaginary achievement translated into a sense of confidence which must have been infectious, as soon afterwards all of my friends were themselves picking up books to read for fun. Psychologists say that you are the average of the five friends you surround yourself with. We can learn from them and they can also come to have a profound effect on our own habits and mindset. In this way, a book, too, can be a mentor (导师). The ideas, advice, mindset, and experiences of other people living in other times can get transmitted to us down through the pages of a good book.

In the age of fragmented (碎片化的) information, the winners will be those who can stay focused. However, in a world that easily gets distracted, deep reading seems to be getting further away from us. Our biggest problem is not Kindle’s departure from China, but our own departure from reality. Great books transmit universal truths; get them read. How exactly you do so is up to you.

1. The author mentioned Kindle in the text to _______.

A．praise its convenience and popularity in reading

B．explore the reason for the decline of print media

C．highlight the decreasing trend of traditional reading

D．show our regret for its departure from China’s market

2. Which of the following statements is true about Shackleton according to the passage?

A．He is famous for imaginary writing.	B．He finds nothing better than an old book.
C．He visited the South Pole many times himself.	D．His adventure story influenced the author a lot.

3. We can benefit a lot from reading according to the author except that _______.

A．we can be influenced by positive ideas	B．we’d surround ourselves with good friends
C．we can learn from other people’s experiences	D．we can develop good habits and ways of thinking

4. The author probably agrees that _______.

A．great books are more popular than action movies

B．we should avoid being distracted by modern technology

C．reading great books can help us stay focused

D．traditional reading will eventually disappear

5. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．It’s necessary to find a better substitutes for books like Kindle.

B．We should read more in order to escape from reality.

C．We need to face the reality that reading is becoming less popular.

D．We have to accept the fact that Kindle is leaving China.

6. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To discuss the future trend of reading.	B．To advocate the benefits of reading.
C．To analyze the reasons for the decline of reading.	D．To compare different forms of reading.

2 . 阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

I am sitting in an empty football field after my last high school football game has finished a few hours ago. I’m the quarterback (前卫) on my team. But in fact that’s not true now. I was the quarterback, and that’s a good way to end a high school football career at a high point.

I’ve been sitting here by myself shivering in the cold and thinking back over the game and other games I’ve played in my life. I’m looking at the goal and thinking how it always seemed to reach out and pull me with a secret, magical force.

I was 8 when I first started playing football. My dad loved football and would practice with me at home- passing, catching, running. He tried to teach me everything he knew about the game. “Just remember: don’t ever give up.” “Stay in the game. Don’t lose your concentration.” “Go out there-and give 110 percent every time.” Well, that was a long time ago but I still hear his words ringing in my ears. I had a lot on my mind before the game today. I don’t like things to be an end, I guess, and this was the last game, and it was the league championship. I was talking to myself and reminding myself about what to do and not to do. I didn’t sleep at all last night. But when the game started my mind became empty. Everything dropped away from me. I just lived in this game, this moment. I didn’t hear the crowd; I didn’t feel the cold or the pain; I never felt tired. I just kept my eyes on the ball, and inside a soft white light showing me the way to the goal, which was a beautiful feeling.

It’s all over now and it’s really getting cold here. It’s starting to snow. The sun’s almost gone and I can hardly see the goal. Now it’s dark and I’m sitting here all alone. Well, I guess it’s time to say goodbye and move on.

1. Why does the writer say that he was the quarterback in paragraph 1? (no more than 15 words)
_____________________________________________________________________
2. For what reason did the writer have a lot on his mind before the game? (no more than 20 words)
______________________________________________________________________
3. What made him feel beautiful in his last game?   (no more than 15 words)
__________________________________________________________________
4. How can you understand the underlined sentence? (no more than 10 words)
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What is the goal of your life? And how will you make it realized? (no more than 20 words)
________________________________________________________________

3 . 阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

“I never lied to my father. When I was young, my father told me that if I tried to lie to him, he would always know. My body would tell him the truth because the body’s movement never lies.”, said Martha Graham, an influential American dancer and teacher, fascinated with the ideal that “movement never lies”. Martha realized that the body is its own storyteller. She just wanted to find ways to tell those stories through dance.

She began by studying ballet, but soon realized that it wasn’t right to her. From the very beginning of her dancing career, Martha saw dance differently. She was tiny, not tall like ballerinas (芭蕾舞女演员) at that time. But she had a strong, powerful body and dark, soulful (热情的) eyes. So she developed a style of movement different from traditional romantic ballet and called it modern dance. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.

Unlike ballet, which took place in a fairylike world, Martha’s modern dance expressed real emotions. Martha believed that it was important that the audience see themselves within her dances. She created and arranged many dances that showed emotions such as anger, jealousy, love or hate of common people.

Martha loved to wear long, dark, flowing robes when she performed. In the dances she used her robes in many different ways. Martha’s most important prop (支撑物) was the floor. She always danced in her bare feet, and her feet worked hard to tell their stories. The technique catching on, she founded the Dance Repertory Theater, and later, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

Martha Graham died in 1991, just short of 100 years old. During her life she never stopped dancing. A part of Martha Graham lives on in modern dancers everywhere who continue to study the “Graham technique”. They strive for her honesty, always remembering that movement never lies.

1. Why did Martha Graham never lied to her father when she was young?(no more than 12words)
__________________________________________________________________
2. What does the underlined word“ideal”mean in paragraph 1?(no more than 2 words)
__________________________________________________________________
3. For what reason did Martha Graham develop modern dance?(no more than 15 words)
__________________________________________________________________
4. What is unique of her modern dance?(no more than 20 words)
__________________________________________________________________
5. What impresses you most of Graham’s story? And why?(no more than 20 words)
__________________________________________________________________

4 . I was living in Cali, Colombia. One day my younger sister decided to visit me for a holiday and I was supposed to go to meet her at the airport. I somehow lost ________ of the time and realized that I was ________my home much later than I had wanted to. And to make matters _________, when I went outside, the rain was pouring from the sky and I couldn’t get a taxi to save my life. I ________ jumping on board a public bus to Palmira, where the airport was .

The driver said that I would be dropped ________ at a crossroads which was located six kilometers away from the airport. I had no ________ but to travel with the bus. The journey took ages, however. When the bus did eventually ________ the previously mentioned crossroads, the driver pointed in a given ________ and told me that the airport was down that way. By this time, I had descended into tears. My sister would be arriving in twelve minutes, and there was no way I was going to be able to make it ________. Beside myself (失去控制) with worry, I ________ the driver to drive the six kilometers down to the airport to drop me off. He stood up and took a vote from the other passengers. Fortunately, they all ________. Thanks to them, I arrived on time. This was my first encounter with Murphy’s Law (墨菲定律): Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. And the only way to beat this devil is to take ________for the outcome of all your actions. I should have made a Plan B by ________ the possibility that there would be no taxis available. Of course, some major victories were achieved by the very fact that they did not have a Plan B to ________.

However, most of the situations we encounter in our lives are much less dramatic and can often be ________ in more ways than one. It is ________to have a Plan B because you cannot always guarantee that your original plan is going to work out, and in some cases, your contingency (不测之事) plan might just be even ________ than your original one .

Now more than ever, in this rapidly changing world, ________ is often the key to success. If you are prepared to bounce back when everyone else ________, you will be the winner. Think of your contingency plan as a form of ________, one that, if nothing else, can give you the peace of mind you need.

1.

A．heart

B．sight

C．track

D．touch

2.

A．heading

B．leaving

C．driving

D．going

3.

A．better

B．easier

C．funnier

D．worse

4.

A．picked up

B．checked up

C．ended up

D．came up

5.

A．down

B．off

C．by

D．out

6.

A．choice

B．evidence

C．hope

D．reason

7.

A．arrive

B．pass

C．reach

D．return

8.

A．station

B．direction

C．location

D．position

9.

A．in time

B．on time

C．behind time

D．ahead of time

10.

A．allowed

B．reminded

C．forced

D．begged

11.

A．agreed

B．appeared

C．succeeded

D．signed

12.

A．advice

B．control

C．responsibility

D．risk

13.

A．coming into effect

B．getting into trouble

C．putting into practice

D．taking into account

14.

A．approves of

B．looks up

C．goes after

D．turn to

15.

A．accessed

B．altered

C．approached

D．avoided

16.

A．dangerous

B．essential

C．pointless

D．priceless

17.

A．extremer

B．faster

C．better

D．stranger

18.

A．capability

B．flexibility

C．reliability

D．stability

19.

A．breaks down

B．settles down

C．gets over

D．carries away

20.

A．assistance

B．endurance

C．guidance

D．insurance

5 . 假设你是晨光中学的高三学生李津。为了弘扬中国传统文化，你校英语俱乐部在学校网站论坛上举办《论语大家谈》专题讨论，你欲发帖。请你从以下三章论语中选择一章翻译成英语，进行分析，并举例说明。
(1)子曰：“知之者不如好之者，好之者不如乐之者。”
(2)子曰：“三人行，必有我师焉。则其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。”
(3)子曰：“温故而知新，可以为师矣。”
注意：
(1)词数不少于100；
(2)可以适当增加细节。以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：《论语》the Analects of Confucius
Topic: Discussion on the chapters of Analects of Confucius
Posted by Li Jin
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . Michelangelo, as well as some other artists, ________ as “artists” rather than “technicians”, which means art and technology have always been seen as two separate things.

A．has been labelling	B．have been labelling,
C．has been labelled	D．have been labelled

7 . When plates are set on the table, phones, rather than forks, are at the ready. At this point in our social media entanglement (纠缠)，the fact that the camera eats first is pretty much a given. Sure, some chefs, including Michelin rated star chefs, express their displeasure at this, but efforts to make the table a screen-free domain have mostly fallen flat.

New research from Aston University has found that people are indeed influenced by the food photos that their friends post on social media. For example, for every serving of fruits and vegetables that a person thinks their friends are eating, they’ll eat one-fifth of a serving more. This number makes more sense within the context of the recommended “five a day”, meaning someone who’s being influenced would make a point of eating six portions of fruits or vegetables. Similarly, for every three portions of junk food that a person sees friends consuming on social media, they’ll eat an extra one.

The researchers have suggested that social media can be very beneficial when it comes to people’s choices of food and their diets. Study supervisors Dr. Jason Thomas said, “The implication is that we can use social media as a tool to encourage each other’s eating choice within friendship groups, and use this knowledge as a tool for public health interventions.”

Actually, the daily food situation is somewhat different from everything else posted on social media. People also desire to copy what they see but they need good social media literacy skills in order to grasp what’s realistic and what’s absurd. It is necessary to avoid the fake perfection of social media.

It gets boring trying to figure out what to eat three times a day, week after week, so no wonder people want to take the path of least resistance and eat what their friends are eating. Unfortunately, most of what gets posted is the more time-consuming recipes or the attractively styled restaurant meals. By all means, keep your antennae (触角) out for new ideas, but gather them from food magazines, cookbooks, store flyers, reliable cooking websites, and recommended recipes from friends and family.

1. What phenomenon is talked about in Par.1?

A．The influence of social media on people’s diet.

B．People’s taking photos of food before eating.

C．Chefs’ efforts to make the table screen-free.

D．The pursuit of dining in fancy restaurant.

2. What’s the consequence of people’s seeing their friends’ online post?

A．They’ll copy what their friends do.

B．They’ll take junk food more seriously.

C．They’ll consume more than their friends.

D．They’ll care more about their friends’ eating habits.

3. What’s Dr. Jason Thomas’s attitude towards social media?

A．Positive.	B．Doubtful.
C．Concerned.	D．Unclear.

4. What might people referring to others’ diets be advised to do?

A．Form their own diet styles.

B．Find the similarities among others’ diets.

C．Avoid aiming for perfection in daily meals.

D．Enhance their critical thinking and skepticism.

5. What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph?

A．Point out the unreality of social media.

B．Call on people to enrich their knowledge in cooking.

C．Introduce the general classification of food posted online.

D．Encourage people to broaden their sources of food inspiration.

8 . When I began to study flower arranging, I was slowly developing a deeper understanding of the_________ between all life.

In our first class, my teacher said that flowers can_________ talk and that they each have their own_________ of being beautiful. They have “prana” life force, so you have to pay full attention to them, rather than_________ your own ideas of beauty on them. So I began to ask the flowers how they wanted to be_________ and what positioning would make them _________ most beautiful. I waited and listened.

Even after the flowers had been_________ in the vase, I would discover sometimes that in the morning they had rearranged themselves during the night. Even if they were secured in the_________，they always seemed to be silently straining(尽力)to find their_________ place. At the same time, they were not__________ independent; they needed loving care. They were dependent on me, or whomever their__________ wasfor the day, to water them. Watching other people spraying water on the arrangements sometimes, I would feel so__________ by the scene. Small drops of water on the flowers touched the source of life and nourished the heart of beauty.

This experience made me feel how__________ it could be, if our minds are set in the right way to water not only plants, but__________,to treat all living creatures in a way that__________ them their right to be beautiful, in their own__________ and time.

What we came to notice was that flowers could also__________. Our teacher urged us to always__________ the flowers when we passed how beautiful they were and to thank them for sharing that__________ with us.

When we made our arrangements with this kind of__________,we found that the flowers remained beautiful and fresh for many more days than expected.

1.

A．difference

B．conflict

C．barrier

D．connection

2.

A．actually

B．hardly

C．briefly

D．mildly

3.

A．ways

B．goals

C．levels

D．measures

4.

A．pouring

B．focusing

C．relying

D．forcing

5.

A．covered

B．arranged

C．delivered

D．wrapped

6.

A．prove

B．grow

C．feel

D．smell

7.

A．put

B．cut

C．brought

D．handed

8.

A．garden

B．vase

C．cave

D．wall

9.

A．first

B．right

C．former

D．equal

10.

A．fully

B．apparently

C．mentally

D．firmly

11.

A．performer

B．babysitter

C．neighbor

D．caretaker

12.

A．amazed

B．moved

C．anxious

D．curious

13.

A．simple

B．funny

C．complex

D．foolish

14.

A．flowers

B．animals

C．grasses

D．humans

15.

A．allows

B．conveys

C．promtises

D．passes

16.

A．direction

B．space

C．energy

D．shape

17.

A．shake

B．listen

C．breathe

D．inform

18.

A．prove

B．select

C．imagine

D．rémind

19.

A．beauty

B．secret

C．message

D．treasure

20.

A．talent

B．policy

C．devotion

D．technique

9 . A new project aims to create a computer replica (复制品) of an entire city. It will allow experts to perform real-time resilience (适应力) testing to see how is infrastructure (基础设施) will perform in the face of challenges such as climate change and population growth.

Known as the “digital twin”, the technology has already been adopted by Formula One teams and engine makers like Rolls Royce, but its use to this degree didn’t exist.

A partnership between Newcastle University and Northumbrian Water will recreate Newcastle based on data from across the city and test its resilience in possible emergencies. Professor Chris Kilsby said, “You can try lots of things with the twin in the case of a city. I think of it as a replica that you can play with and do unimaginable things to see what would happen. The changes can be seen immediately — from observing what would happen if the river Tyne rises by a few meters to what the city would look like if the population has aged over a certain period of time. It could also be used to model human behavior, for example, determining the most likely roads people would use in the event of a food.”

Newcastle University is working on a data platform with lots of dynamic parts like traffic, water, population, etc. Much of the data is coming from the university’s Urban Observatory project, which has monitors all over the city checking pollution, water quality and biodiversity.

In 2012 an event known locally as the “Toon monsoon” took place, with a month’s worth of rain falling in two hours during the evening rush hour, causing £ 8 m worth of damage. The Toon monsoon caused a breakdown to the city because we just didn’t design anything for that sort of event. There was no one to blame. The city just couldn’t resist the heavy rain.

The digital twin will allow the city not only to react in real time to such strange weather events, but also to test its resilience in endless potential future emergencies.

Chris Jones, research and development manager at Northumbrian Water, imagined the project’s “amazing possibilities”, saying that in time it could be applied to any city with accessible data.

1. What do we know about the “digital twin” from the first two paragraphs?

A．It is not new to us.	B．It is a computer system.
C．It predicts extreme weather.	D．It has met with many challenges.

2. What are Professor Chris Kilsby’s words mainly about?

A．The development of the digital twin.	B．People’s test of possible emergencies.
C．The many functions of the digital twin.	D．The numerous changes in the environment.

3. What will Newcastle University do in the project according to the passage?

A．Offering big data about the city.	B．Advocating the new technology.
C．Making up the loss caused by flood.	D．Working out plans for future emergencies.

4. Why is the “Toon monsoon” mentioned here?

A．To draw people’s attention to the terrible loss of the city.

B．To warn people of the potential harm of heavy rain.

C．To indicate the new project’s significance.

D．To show the digital twin’s weakness.

5. What is Chris Jones’ attitude towards the “digital twin”?

A．Cautious.

B．Opposed.

C．Neutral.

D．Supportive.

10 . Some people say that the planet is getting smaller, that there are few places left to explore, and that the age of exploration will be over soon.

I would argue instead that there has never been a greater need to explore. That’s because the stage for all exploration is the natural world, and nature is experiencing a rapid decline. It is by exploring that we understand and when we understand we develop an appreciation for what is found. Ultimately, only the things we appreciate are worth protecting.

As the golden age of exploration weakens, so does the richness of life on Earth. It isn’t just that there are fewer blank areas on the map; it is that wild places and spaces have been progressively carved up (瓜分). Visiting the Okavango Delta or Kalahari Desert, for example, no longer implies a self-supported expedition ( 考 察 ). Field stations pop up in important national parks and remote sensing by satellite becomes commonplace.

In the next century, I believe we will need larger and wilder areas. We will need the wilderness, not just for the protection of it, but because it is an important part of the ecosystems from which we gain our necessities like clean water, food and materials. If we succeed, then expeditions — brief travels into the wild that seek to answer questions, monitor populations, and inspire action — will have a renewed sense of purpose. More importantly, they greatly help the public experience, understand and appreciate nature.

Based on my own research expedition which aims to understand “edge effects”— how the changes in temperature at forest edges impact animals, I find it important that today’s scientists continue to spend time in the field. It is here that they begin to understand how seemingly unrelated environmental interactions influence their study system. Sometimes, it’s difficult to know which is important to measure until you stand out there on the forest edge.

It is the young generation that is the main force to lead the next wave of expeditions. The measure of their success will be whether there are still well-preserved wild places for expeditions in the future. Their leadership is needed now, more than ever.

1. What’s the purpose of this text?

A．To suggest understanding nature by keeping exploring.

B．To advise people not to travel to unknown places.

C．To inform us about the reduced biodiversity.

D．To call on the public to support the study.

2. What can we know about the expedition in wild spaces from Paragraph 3?

A．It is difficult for explorers to make progress.

B．It is more accessible with the help of technology.

C．It promotes the development of satellite technology.

D．It requires explorers to take sufficient heavy equipment.

3. What does the underlined part “pop up” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Appear unexpectedly.

B．Close temporarily.

C．Develop quickly.

D．Differ greatly.

4. What does the author realize after his research expedition?

A．The significance of scientists’ field trip.

B．The difficulty of carrying out fieldwork.

C．The need to expand the edges of forests.

D．The influence of his study on the environment.

5. The success of future expeditions will be determined by________.

A．our knowledge of nature

B．the time spent in the field

C．the preservation of wild places

D．the study system of young generations