1 . Many orb weaver spiders have yellowish stripes or spots on their undersides for a good reason. That color yellow attracts bees and flies into a spider’s web, a new study suggests.

Orb weaver spiders get their name because they spin and sit on circular webs. But these spiders and their bright colors seem contradictory. Why would a spider look so noticeable? In the new study, researchers examined if yellow coloration on a species of golden orb weaver spiders (Nephila pilipes) attracts their flying insect prey. Found across Asia, this spider sits on its web day and night with its underside facing open space. The team found more than 250 female N. pilipes in the wild. They removed each female and either left its web empty or replaced it with a cardboard spider. These cardboard models had paper stripes of yellow, blue or black color stuck to them.

After almost 1,800 hours of video recording the webs, the team found that during the daytime, the yellow-striped model that looked like a real N. pilipes attracted more than twice as many insects, including bees and flies as any other fake spider or empty web. What's more, the yellow color worked just as well at night attracting moths, the scientists reported.

The team then searched online zoological databases for associations between yellow markings and prey attraction in orb weaver spiders. Surveying dozens of distantly related species showed that yellow stripes or spots were more likely to have evolved in orb weaver spiders that sit on their webs in open, bright spaces, where visual baits may be more effective.

Scientists don’t yet know why insects are attracted to yellow stripes on orb weaver spiders. Perhaps the prey mistake a spider for a yellow-flecked flower, a hypothesis (假说) supported by the fact that most prey attracted were pollinators (传粉者).

1. What made the scientists confused about orb weaver spiders?

A．Their name.

B．Their prey.

C．Their coloration.

D．Their webs.

2. How did the scientists do the study?

A．By finding wild male and female N. pilipes.

B．By filling each web with a cardboard spider.

C．By studying the stripes on female N. pilipes.

D．By using fake spiders or leaving the web empty.

3. What did the scientists most probably conclude after watching the videos?

A．Insects knew how to avoid an empty web.

B．The spiders’ stripes could attract insects.

C．Insects could be attracted to dark colors.

D．Yellow markings didn't function at night.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Yellow Stripes Work for the Spiders Hunting for Food

B．Yellow Stripes on Orb Weaver Spiders Have Evolved

C．Stripes and Spots can Easily Draw Much more Insects

D．Preys are Drawn to Spiders on Circular Webs Quickly

2 . Practicing gratitude can increase feelings of happiness and life satisfaction while decreasing depressive symptoms.     1     To start improving your gratitude skill, try the following gratitude challenges.

Reflect on the gifts of hardship. There is no question that life can be challenging, as things don’t always turn out the way we’d hoped.    2     It may seem difficult to reflect on challenging times and find a reason to be grateful, but in making our pain purposeful, we can find meaning in the experience.

Express gratitude to others in writing.    3     Send each of them a quick but considerate correspondence in the form of a handwritten note, email or even a thoughtfully composed text. Remind them of why they are special to you and how worthwhile they are in the world. As a result of your effort, those on the receiving end will experience the mood-boosting benefits of being appreciated. They won’t be the only beneficiaries. Writing letters of gratitude has a positive effect on the author, increasing feelings of happiness while decreasing depression, studies have shown.

    4     An important aspect of practicing gratitude regularly is becoming aware of opportunities throughout your day to express gratitude. Acknowledge at least two times a day that someone spreads a small act of kindness toward you. These acts could be a delivery person bringing a package to your door, a coworker offering assistance at work or your significant other getting you a coffee.    5    

When you finish the challenges, hopefully you’ll be inspired by the mood-boosting benefits and continue actively practicing gratitude on a daily basis.

A．Catch the chances of acting kindness.

B．Notice and appreciate the small stuff.

C．Think of three people in your life that you truly appreciate.

D．All of us experience dilemma at different points in our lives.

E．The benefits of thankfulness extend to both the giver and receiver.

F．Gratitude takes practice to realize its full potential, just like any other skill.

G．Once recognizing their efforts, you can consistently show your appreciation better.

3 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What do the speakers have in common?

A．They are both Chinese.

B．They always think differently.

C．They took a trip abroad together.

2. What happened to the man’s American friend?

A．He got sick.

B．He missed a trip.

C．He made mistakes in speaking Chinese.

3. How did the man’s American friend feel about his suggestion?

A．Excited.

B．Unhappy.

C．Grateful.

4. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A．Social skills.

B．Emergency reactions.

C．Cultural differences.

4 . As a middle schooler, one of my life goals was the Presidential Fitness Award-an honor given to those who passed a series of gin-class tests that included doing a number of pull ups, running a mile, and, among other things, the sit and reach(another version of toe touching). That's where things went wrong for me. I could never reach quite far enough.

Toe touching is an easy way to begin or end any sort of workout, For most people, it is among the easiest stretching exercises to do. But for me(and any of my classmate)it's complete suffering. Why? “The two biggest factors are the flexibility of your hamstrings(腿筋) and the range of motion of your hip(髋) joints,” says Jeffrey Jenkins, a physiologist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. “But another big factor is the relative length of your arms and your torso(躯干) to your legs, which unfortunately can't be changed.”

Ienkins says that although there are sore unjust aspects, overall the toe touch is not the worst measure of flexibility. But if you are flexibility clumsy like me, there are some things you can do to improve the flexibility of the body you have. Whenever you stretch then, your muscles contract, tighten, and resist the force to be stretched, resulting in that annoyingly painful feeling that most of us get when we first reach down to touch our toes or attempt to stretch other muscles. However, Jenkins says, if you are patient, this too shall pass.

If you hold the stretch for a minimum of six seconds, you can actually overcome the re flex (反射). In fact, Jenkins says, there's some evidence that holding still stretches for 30 seconds results in greater improvement in flexibility than holding it for 15 seconds, and just as much improvement as 60 seconds. But for some people, the pain that accompanies those sixty seconds is just too severe. If you can get past that pain, then you can probably improve your flexibility However, Jenkins cautions against tolerating too much pain; you could be tearing a muscle.

1. What can be inferred about the author from the text?

A．He is a P. E. Teacher in a junior school.

B．He improved a version of toe touching.

C．He can't pass the tests of the Presidential Fitness Award.

D．He was envied by his classmate for his academical achievements,

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．How we can practice touching toes,

B．Why some people can't touch their toes.

C．What is the most important to an athlete.

D．Why people begin and end exercises by touching toes.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Muscle pain.	B．Clumsy moves.
C．Body flexibility.	D．Attempt to stretch.

4. When we practice toe touching, Jeukins warn us ________.

A．to seek professional help

B．not to stand the severe pain beyond limit

C．to hold the still stretch for at least 15 seconds

D．not to quit at focus on the pain from the muscles

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。

The history of Chinese garden architecture dates     1     the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During that period, Chinese kings and the nobility began developing forests and woods for hunting, which could    2    (see) as early gardens. The Han Dynasty advanced the concept of these "natural gardens" by adding living quarters and animals.

Traditional Chinese garden architecture was well developed in the Tang Dynasty. During this era, the    3    (construct) of beautiful gardens developed into what would include man-made hills, pools, and fountains.    4    time went on, this man-made beauty was able to successfully mix well with the beauty of the natural environment.

The Ming Dynasty    5     (follow) by the Qing Dynasty saw the heyday (最兴盛的时期) of Chinese garden architecture. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, emperors gathered skillful craftsmen (工匠) from all over the country    6     (create) even more complicated gardens. Gardens in this period were no longer    7     (mere) places for fun, but also served as areas     8    more formal ceremonies could take place.

Also, gardens in different regions of China have different styles. In northern China, they're large and often designed in scenic mountain areas. The Summer Palace is a typical example. The gardens in the south are    9    (small) than those in the north but no less delicate. Famous gardens    10     (belong) to this type are popular in Jiangsu Province, such as Li Garden and the Lion Forest Garden.

6 . A tornado is a rotating _________of air from a thunderstorm to the ground.The most _________has winds of more than 400 kilometres per hour.

Tornadoes can _________ cars，trains and even houses and put them down in the next street or _________ in the next town.They can take the fur_________the back of a cat.They destroy houses，but _________the furniture inside exactly where it was.

_________，there are 800 tornadoes in the US each year，_________ about 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries.The worst tornado of all time occurred in 1925，_________ three US states.By the time it ended，more than 700 people had been killed and 2,700 had been __________.

__________ are strong tropical storms.They cause huge waves，heavy rain and__________ and usually hit the east coast of the US from Texas to Maine.The__________ hurricane of all time occurred in 1,900.The disaster killed 6,000 people in a __________of 37,000 and destroyed 3,600 buildings.

Charles Coghlan，an Irish actor，__________to New York and became famous there.Then he moved to Galveston，__________ he died in 1899，a year before the hurricane__________.The cemetery where he was __________was destroyed by the hurricane and his coffin__________ in the sea.Eight years later，the coffin was found by fishermen in the east of Canada.The Gulf Stream had __________it 3,000 kilometers up the eastern US coast to Canada.Coghlan traveled to Canada after he had been buried in Texas!

1.

A．mixture

B．form

C．movement

D．column

2.

A．important

B．fascinating

C．violent

D．marvelous

3.

A．pick up

B．take up

C．put up

D．cut up

4.

A．yet

B．still

C．even

D．already

5.

A．away

B．on

C．off

D．out

6.

A．leave

B．keep

C．put

D．make

7.

A．In common

B．On average

C．In fact

D．At least

8.

A．caused

B．causing

C．leading

D．brought

9.

A．affecting

B．influencing

C．attracting

D．destroying

10.

A．wounded

B．injured

C．claimed

D．recovered

11.

A．Hurricanes

B．Tornadoes

C．Earthquakes

D．Storms

12.

A．drought

B．floods

C．rainstorms

D．currents

13.

A．worse

B．most

C．worst

D．least

14.

A．area

B．population

C．region

D．district

15.

A．travelled

B．moved

C．visited

D．returned

16.

A．where

B．there

C．which

D．on which

17.

A．disappeared

B．appeared

C．struck

D．caught

18.

A．lying

B．laid

C．buried

D．died

19.

A．taken up

B．ended up

C．came up

D．went up

20.

A．carried

B．brought

C．taken

D．sent

7 . World Awareness Children’s Museum

Plan Your Trip

We’re so glad you’re coming to visit, wherever you are from! On-street parking is available for FREE on both sides of Warren St.

The World Awareness Children’s Museum is aimed to provide a safe and secure environment. For the protection of our visitors and their families, all children must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years of age or older, and all adults should be accompanied by a child under the age of 18 years. Unaccompanied adults will be asked to present their ID during their visit. Thank you for your understanding.

Museum Closures

The Museum will be closed on the following dates to observe holidays or other events: Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve & New Year’s Day.

Come on! You can take a trip around the world without leaving the Museum! Experience music, fashion, toys, art, games and more from countries like China, Nigeria, Brazil & Japan!

School Year Hours

Saturdays: 9:30 a.m.---5 p.m.

Sundays: Noon---5 p.m.

Monday to Friday: 10 a.m.---3 p.m.

Daily Admission Rates

$5.00---Adults and children 3 and older

Children under 3 are free

Military Discount available 10%

Free Admission for Museum Members

Note:

Open to group tours or educational programs all year round (reservations required).

Already Reserved? Log In Here and Learn More!

For more information, click the Flash Presentation about our Museum(8.23MB).

1. What if an adult desires to visit the museum alone?

A．He will be protected.	B．Extra money should be paid.
C．His ID has to be checked.	D．He won’t be permitted to enter.

2. When can you visit the museum during the School Year?

A．9 a.m. on Saturday.	B．2 p.m. on Sunday.
C．9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.	D．8:30 a.m. on Monday.

3. Where can the text be most probably found?

A．In a travel brochure.	B．On a TV program.
C．In an art magazine.	D．On a web page.

8 . Jack was wandering on a deserted beach in a lovely morning. The sun was _________and the sea looked amazing. As he _________along the beach, he could see a man going _________ between the surf’s edge and the beach. As he approached the man, he noticed that he was _________ starfishes to the sea.

The man noticed hundreds of starfish _________ on the sand brought by the tides. There were hundreds of starfish on the _________ and many of them were sure to die as the sun _________ stronger by the day. But the man kept picking up the starfish _________ and throwing them into the sea one by one.

Jack wondered _________ the man was doing that. Observing the __________ task, Jack told the man there was no __________ to throw all of the starfish back to the surf. He was __________ that the man would make no difference since __________ starfish were on the beach. The man __________, picked up one more starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then the man turned back to Jack and replied, “It surely made a __________ to that one!”

Often we are __________ by the challenges of the world as it seems to be unconquerable. We may feel like our actions are __________. But this should not stop us from our __________ to make positive changes. We often ignore the __________ of our actions on the world. Sometimes even our __________ act of kindness may be affecting someone in a great way.

1.

A．hiding

B．breaking

C．rising

D．setting

2.

A．sat

B．run

C．drove

D．paced

3.

A．back and forth

B．in and out

C．here and there

D．day and night

4.

A．throwing

B．giving

C．sinking

D．applying

5.

A．expanded

B．grounded

C．buried

D．arrested

6.

A．sea

B．surf

C．beach

D．road

7.

A．grew

B．felt

C．came

D．remained

8.

A．occasionally

B．continually

C．unwillingly

D．hopelessly

9.

A．whether

B．when

C．how

D．why

10.

A．tough

B．awful

C．selfish

D．brief

11.

A．use

B．wonder

C．doubt

D．way

12.

A．supposed

B．determined

C．convinced

D．committed

13.

A．widespread

B．countless

C．dead

D．vast

14.

A．looked on

B．bent down

C．gave away

D．took off

15.

A．effect

B．adjustment

C．consequence

D．difference

16.

A．defeated

B．rejected

C．withdrawn

D．seized

17.

A．abnormal

B．unconscious

C．insignificant

D．discouraging

18.

A．value

B．excuse

C．ability

D．attempt

19.

A．instruction

B．inspiration

C．influence

D．insurance

20.

A．worst

B．tiniest

C．mildest

D．weakest

9 . On the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), red tourism has gained popularity among tourists who flood in to visit historic sites with a modern revolutionary heritage.

Jinggangshan

This is one of the most crucial and splendid chapters of history of establishing Red China as well as a unique and wonderful ecosystem, which is covered with rich forest, rugged peaks and several memorials to the Red Army. The best time to visit is between April and October, with the most temperature timing April and May when the large azaleas (杜鹃花) bloom.

Open: 8:00-17:00 (Feb. 16-Nov. 15). 8:00-16:30 (Nov. 16-Feb. 15)

Xibaipo

It is an old revolutionary base where the leadership of the Communist Party of China was stationed, drawing up the blueprint for a new country. A memorial hall was built to honor the memory of this site. The lake and the hill here add brilliance and beauty to each other and form pleasant scenery.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 9:30-17:00 (Xibaipo Memorial Hall)

The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall

A new exhibition is held with updated display approaches, including phantom imaging (全息影像) and oil painting, which are used to improve visitors' experiences. The exhibition shows four stages of the CPC from its establishment to its achievements.

Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 8:30-18:00 (closed on Mondays)

Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth

New Youth started the New Culture Movement and spread the influence of the May Fourth Movement. The site was briefly based in Beijing but moved back to Shanghai in 1920 and also served as the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee in the 1920s.

Open: Thursdays to Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30 (closed on Wednesdays)

1. Where would visitors learn more about the history of the Red Army?

A．Jinggangshan.

B．Xibaipo.

C．The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

D．Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth.

2. What do we know about the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall?

A．It focuses on Chinese achievements in art.

B．It mainly advertises the coming anniversary.

C．It applies modernized methods to the exhibition.

D．It briefly introduces the rise and fall of Nanhu.

3. When can tourists visit Former Site of the Editorial Department of New Youth?

A．At 1:00 p.m. on Mondays.	B．At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
C．At 2:00 p.m. on Fridays.	D．At 5:00 p.m on Sundays.

10 . My husband sat down on the bed. “Your ________ are complete ridiculous, Denise. These gifts don’t have to be perfect. The kids don’t care.”

I ________ him and kept wrapping the gifts. Each boy needed to have his own paper, and each gift ________ to be wrapped perfectly. Actually, I always ________to do everything perfectly. I suspected my entire family lived in ________ of my standards. I told myself I was just taking care of my family, but in reality I knew my ________ perfectionism wasn't doing us any good. I knew I needed to ________.

Two days later, my husband and I took our two older boys on a ________ to Matamoros, Mexico. We were going to participate in a(n) ________ known as the" Big Feed", where we'd be working in a field with strangers.

Upon arriving, we sat down and listened to the director, Ben, give his ________ about the event. “We won't stay inside although it's raining. And I have something that'll ________ that all of you stay flexible.” He ________ a small piece of cookie to each of us. “This is the Flexi-cookie. You eat it and you ________ will be flexible. Now let’s eat this cookie together.”

It tasted so ordinary, but it ________ magical ways. I worked alongside my family for two long days in a ________ field. We handed out supplies and ________ for several thousand people. My sons played games with the other children all day in the rain, and I never once ________ them up. I learned to be flexible.

Later, I muttered(嘀咕)"Fexi, Flexi" throughout the day, ________ myself that I needed to be less ________. I cannot say I've totally overcome my perfectionism, but I've made enough ________.

1.

A．attitudes

B．beliefs

C．principles

D．standards

2.

A．blamed

B．abandoned

C．ignored

D．teased

3.

A．had

B．requested

C．happened

D．asked

4.

A．agreed

B．attempted

C．failed

D．refused

5.

A．order

B．fear

C．place

D．support

6.

A．stubborn

B．curious

C．generous

D．normal

7.

A．flee

B．withdraw

C．change

D．recover

8.

A．routine

B．diet

C．dilemma

D．journey

9.

A．event

B．adventure

C．lecture

D．ceremony

10.

A．speech

B．review

C．writing

D．guess

11.

A．explain

B．guarantee

C．witness

D．assume

12.

A．showed off

B．took in

C．mixed up

D．passed out

13.

A．improperly

B．certainly

C．rarely

D．unwillingly

14.

A．occurred

B．counted

C．worked

D．mattered

15.

A．muddy

B．broad

C．comfortable

D．smooth

16.

A．prepared

B．stood

C．waited

D．cooked

17.

A．fixed

B．picked

C．brought

D．cleaned

18.

A．convincing

B．reminding

C．warning

D．promising

19.

A．patient

B．conservative

C．rigid

D．careful

20.

A．marks

B．equipment

C．progress

D．differences