Abby Jaramillo never lost her enthusiasm. She believed that with age came courage, vision (远见卓识) and a true appreciation of life — all life. That’s why, at the age of eighty-six, Abby became the only caretaker of a flock of chickens abandoned alongside one of Southern California’s busiest freeways. The chickens were never rescued. Instead, they simply lived in the roadside bushes, becoming known to locals as the Hollywood Freeway Chickens.
Like many seniors, Abby lived alone and survived on a small amount of money. But to her, life was precious and not to be cruelly given up or ignored-not even the lives of abandoned chickens. Abby simply saw creatures in need and without hesitation, stepped into action. For nine years, while others sped past unaware and unconcerned, Abby made two visits a day to provide food and water for the abandoned chickens, using what little money she had available. As the years passed, she worried about the day when she would no longer be able to care for her adopted chickens and her cat Tiffy. Who would look after these poor helpless creatures if she could no longer make her journey?
At ninety-five, just when the cruelties of time began to damage Abby’s body, a heroine (女英雄) appeared. Alice Kahn, a young actress and a founding member of the organization Actors and Others for Animals, was Abby’s neighbor. Alice had observed Abby and noticed that the older woman also fed many of the homeless cats in the neighborhood. Alice approached Abby to see if her neighbor could identify the owner of a stray (走失的) dog that Alice had recently rescued. A quick and lasting friendship resulted.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Learning of Abby’s concern for the fate of her flock, Alice volunteered to help
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abby is gone now, but her concern for her fellow creatures lives on.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2 . Over 7,000 species around the world are considered endangered. That number doesn’t even include the plants, animals, and other lifeforms that are listed by some scientists as vulnerable, critically endangered, or extinct in the wild.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the most-comprehensive list of endangered species around the world. The Red List of Threatened Species, as it’s called, judges each species on five different standards for an in-depth scientific approach. According to the IUCN, an endangered species is one that meets any one of the following criteria (标准): a 50%-70% population decrease over 10 years, a total geographic area less than 5,000 square kilometers, a population size less than 2,500 adults, a restricted population of 250 adults, or a statistical prediction that it will go extinct within the next 20 years.
Though the IUCN’s Red List covers a wide range of what qualifies as an endangered species, it doesn’t quite say how a species reaches those low points. Prepare to feel guilty: the most common factor when it comes to species decline is human intervention. Loss of habitat, the introduction of a foreign species into the environment, hunting, pollution, disease, and loss of genetic variation (基因变异) are all causes of species decline and most often are a result of human activities. Take the bald eagle for example: the rise in human population and urban development of North America limited the animal’s habitat; an increase in hunting the eagles for sport lowered their population size; and the use of the pesticide DDT on farms harmed the animal’s reproductive capabilities.
But even though humans are the number one cause of species decline, classifying species as endangered encourages action to reverse the effects of human intervention. Conservation efforts by the US Fish and Wildlife Service criminalized (使非法) the hunting of bald eagles and the use of the pesticide DDT in the mid- to late 20th century. The effect was positive, as bald eagles have been on the rise and were taken off the endangered species list in 1995.
1. Which of the following species can be considered endangered?| A．One that will go extinct within the next 50 years. |
| B．One whose population size is less than 5,000 adults. |
| C．One whose habitat is less than 2,500 square kilometers. |
| D．One whose population decreases 20% over twenty years. |
| A．The causes of species decline. |
| B．The disadvantages of the pesticide. |
| C．A list of worldwide endangered species. |
| D．Common features of endangered species. |
| A．To show its rareness. |
| B．To blame humans for its decline. |
| C．To stress its importance in nature. |
| D．To show the meaning of ranking it endangered. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Science. | D．Education. |
1.汉语里的幽默对外国人来说的难点在什么地方?
2.怎么克服这些难点从而能够听懂相声里的幽默?
注意：
1.写作词数应为 50 个左右；
2.请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 . The Fields Medal is awarded to recognize outstanding mathematical achievements for existing work and for the promise of future achievements. Out of a total of about 60 people, only one woman ever managed to receive these highest honors for impressive new mathematical discoveries.
Now a second woman has received this highest mathematical award: the 37-year-old Ukrainian Maryna Viazovska, holder of the Chair for Number Theory at the Swiss EPFL.
She was rewarded for solving a problem that can be explained quite clearly at first sight: It is the so-called sphere-packing(球堆积) problem that had appealed to mathematicians for more than four centuries: how to pack spheres like oranges as tightly as possible (using the smallest volume)?
Viazovska was born on Dec. 2, 1984, in Kyiv, Ukraine. “I’ve liked mathematics since my schooldays,” she says. “It always seemed like the most uncomplicated subject. And since I liked it, I spent more time on it, and eventually became better at math than other subjects. So then I liked it even more, and so on.”
After earning her Bachelor’s degree at the National Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, Viazovska went to Germany to earn a Master’s degree at the Technical University of Kaiserslautem (2007) before moving to the University of Bonn, where she completed her doctor degree on modular forms(模式研究) in 2013.
During her postdoctoral research at the Berlin Mathematical School and the Humboldt University of Berlin, Viazovska solved the sphere packing problem in 8 and 24 dimensions. Then, in December 2016, she accepted an offer from EPFL to become a lifelong assistant professor. Just one year later, at the age of 33, she was promoted to full professor.
What drives Viazovska is solving problems, which she describes as “doing a jigsaw puzzle” , and understanding abstract(抽象的) concepts “so I can link them to other problems and find practical applications.”
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Viazovska has received the Fields Medal twice for her great mathematical achievements. |
| B．The same number of outstanding male and female mathematicians won the Fields Medal. |
| C．The sphere-packing problem has attracted mathematicians’ attention at the present time. |
| D．Viazovska’s mathematical achievements are largely out of her enthusiasm and devotion. |
| A．Experience is knowledge. | B．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| C．All roads lead to Rome. | D．Interest is the seed. |
a. She received this highest mathematical award.
b. She became a lifelong assistant professor.
c. She moved to the University of Bonn and completed her doctorate on modular forms.
d. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the National Taras Shevchenko University.
e. She solved the sphere packing problem in specific dimensions.
| A．dbcea | B．cdeba | C．dceba | D．cbdea |
| A．By comparison. | B．By listing. |
| C．By example. | D．By questioning. |
5 . The Oxford dictionary defines the word “success” as “an accomplishment of an aim” and “attaining fame, social status (地位) or wealth”. Is this how we measure success in life? If you are rich, you’ll have people say “you have everything” or “you’re already successful in life” or a similar statement that means you have money and are well settled. There are many people who feel this way, while there are many who feel that success is not just having a lot of money.
The thing is, your concept of success is connected to your beliefs and values, and if your values tell you that success in life means money, then there is nothing that will change your mind. On the other hand, if your value system says that having money, stability, peace, happiness and contentment in your life are equally important, then you have an entirely different idea of success in life. There are a lot of people in this world that are wealthy. However, they are unhappy. There are a lot of people who do not make a lot of money, but are happy with what they have.
There are different kinds of people in the world, and each one has a different view on what being successful really is about. Here are a few common opinions about success.
●Success in life means having money.
●Success in life means winning games or competitions.
●Success in life means achieving your goal.
●Success in life means getting the job you wanted.
●Success in life means owning a nice house, a good car and having all the costly comforts life has to offer.
●Success in life means being famous.
●Success in life means having influence, power and control.
●Success in life means being free from insecurities, fears and wants.
The one thing that is common to the statements above is that they include accomplishment, attainment and fulfillment (履行). Another thing is that it’s something you yearn for or that gives you an unspoken advantage over others.
1. Why is the definition of success in the Oxford dictionary mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To make practical suggestions. |
| B．To lead in the topic for discussion. |
| C．To clarify the exact meaning of success. |
| D．To compare different ideas about success. |
| A．One’s value system matters a lot. |
| B．One should be grateful for what he has. |
| C．Success determines one’s beliefs and values. |
| D．Happy people are more likely to obtain success. |
| A．Choose. | B．Lack. | C．Desire. | D．Achieve. |
| A．What is the concept of success? |
| B．How can success be achieved in life? |
| C．Can success really bring money in life? |
| D．Does success in life mean having money? |
1. When was the first reconstruction(重建)of Tokyo completed?
| A．In 1923. | B．In 1930. | C．In 1945. |
| A．The war. | B．An earthquake. | C．A fire disaster. |
| A．Air pollution. | B．Waste treatment. | C．Housing shortages. |
7 . When I was forced to put up with my son’s sense of humor, which included turning every word he read onto his family members, the search was on. Could I, as a supportive and patient parent I attempt to be, find a right book for my son? A book that encourages my son to tell a joke that won’t have his mouth washed out with soap? I had to admit I wasn’t confident.
Now, I have a book Jake the Fake Keeps It Real at hand. In fact, Jake is not a perfect kid. The first book in the series, Jake the Fake Keeps It Real, opens with Jake’s explaining how he cheated on the admission of an arts and music academy for gifted kids.
So when Jake realizes that to fit in at art school, he has to come up with some strange ideas, I almost died laughing. Not only did I think that was funny, so did my son. As a matter of fact, Jake the Fake Keeps It Real turned out to be a great distraction (使人分心的事物) from my son’s being disrespectfully funny. And I would rather my son imitate Jake by chewing (咀嚼) the same piece of gum for six hours and then writing a play about it.
I succeeded in one thing: Finding a fittingly funny role model for my son.
The end of the book, chapter 13, where Jake, no-talented, has to perform in the school talent show (obviously if you blow it, you have to quit school and work on a fishing boat). Jake sits down at the piano and knows he can’t do it, so he stands up from the piano.
Here’s where the book really wins my son’s heart for life, because maybe one day, my son might say, as Jake says after his mother praises his talent show appearance and hugs him tightly, “She’s pretty cool sometimes, my mom.”
1. How did the author find her son’s humour?| A．Suitable. | B．Impolite. | C．Interesting. | D．Boring. |
| A．A gifted kid. | B．An honest boy. |
| C．The author’s son. | D．A character in a novel. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Defeat. | C．Copy. | D．Entertain. |
| A．He would be a good fisherman. | B．He would devote himself to music. |
| C．He might ask his teacher to forgive him. | D．He might be punished for his mistake. |
At the cafeteria table, I overheard my new colleague say, “I hate going home tonight, because we have to get rid of our dog.” I said, “Oh, no! Is your dog ill?” She replied, “No, she’s fine, just not a fit for our family. No one wants her, so it’s best we give it away.”
Coming from a family whose home could be a petting zoo, I was shocked to think that people could be so heartless. Worried by this dog’s fate, I asked my new co-worker a few questions. She shared that the dog’s name was Lady. She was a German Shepherd and had been trained for a year and a half as a guide dog for the blind. Unfortunately, Lady failed her final test because she demanded too many hugs after completing her tasks. I begged the woman to give me a little time to reach out to my mom as we would consider taking her. With my talent for dramatic storytelling and my mom’s compassionate heart, I knew Lady would have a home with us.
After work, I drove to pick up Lady. An old woman greeted me at the door, leading me to the kitchen. There sat the beautiful but very thin dog, sitting in the corner licking and scratching her right paw. “She did that to herself,” the woman said as she pointed to the injured paw. She continued, “That dog is hopeless!” The woman then took a broom and pushed the dog to stand. Lady had tears in her eyes when I led her outside.
There were no goodbyes from this family, just a sense of relief that Lady was no longer their problem. I sat on the sidewalk with her and introduced myself. For me, it was love at first sight. She had perfect markings, a delicate, beautiful face, but the saddest eyes. “Lady,” I said, “I’m taking you to your new home with my family who will always love you. Please give us a chance.”
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 I pulled into our driveway, my mom was waiting with open arms and delicious dog treats.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One day, to win Lady’s trust, my mom led Lady to her bedroom.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
—No, thank you. I’ll wash them myself.
| A．to be washed | B．to wash | C．washing | D．being washed |
Jacob sat on the grass outside Grandma’s house. He held a piece of paper. He folded the paper this way and made a point. Then he folded it that way and this way and made wings. Jacob threw his paper airplane high into the air. It twisted (盘旋), turned and fell to the ground.
Grandma looked up from her gardening as Jacob folded another piece of paper. He threw the new plane into the air. It went up, came down and bounced off the ground.
“You know,” said Grandma, “there’s a secret airport just through those trees. Want to see?”
“An airport!” Jacob jumped up. “Near your house?” Jacob took Grandma’s hand, and they followed a path through the trees. They stopped when they reached a wide river.
Tik-tik-tik, tik-tik-tik, noises filled the air.
“The airport sounds busy today,” said Grandma. She pointed through the trees. “Watch carefully.”
Jacob looked across the river. He only saw trees, no airplanes. He looked into the sky. He only saw clouds and sunshine.
Raaaawnk!
A large gray-blue bird with wide wings and long legs swooped (猛冲) down. It landed in a tree, on some sticks and branches. A nest!
Jacob looked at the other trees. There were nests all around! Another large bird swooped out from the trees, just as a new arrival flew in and landed.
“It is an airport,” said Jacob. “A bird airport!” “Those are great blue herons (鹭),” said Grandma. “See the baby chicks?” Jacob saw three little chicks stick their heads out of a nest. They stretched out their necks to receive food from their parent.
“They might be having fish for lunch,” said Grandma. After the meal, the heron spread its wings and flew into the air. It flew slightly downward at first, and then flew away with large and slow beats of its wings.
“Those are huge wings,” said Jacob.
“They help the heron travel a long way to find food,” said Grandma.
Jacob watched a heron fly in, with long legs stretched toward a nest and wings open wide, acting as brakes (刹车) for a gentle touchdown.
“They’re good for landing, too,” said Jacob thoughtfully.
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。
Back at home, Jacob asked Grandma for help to find paper plane designs on the computer.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Ready?” Jacob held up his plane.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
