1 . Some researchers from the London School of Economics, Oxford University and University College London carried out a research on the Exploring What Matters course. The course is taught throughout the country and is run by volunteers, who have no formal training but bring people together to explore “the things that really matter in life”.

The study found that satisfaction levels of those taking part increased by one point, increasing from 6.4 out of 10 to 7.4 after the course. Researchers said that this increase was greater than the boost people would get from being partnered rather than single (+0.59), and being employed rather than unemployed (+0.7).

So far, more than 6,000 people in the UK have taken part in the eight-week course. People involved in the course learn how to cultivate (培养) happiness by taking positive action in their daily lives. They also learn how to have better relationships and create stronger communities.

“I was quite sceptical,” said Jo Newstead, are tired health worker in London. “But I really enjoy it. There are nice people from all different backgrounds and we usually have a full discussion. It has made me focus on what I can do to help improve things for myself and for others.“

Mark Williamson, director of Action for Happiness, was not surprised by the study’s results. “This new research backs up what hundreds of people have already told us: taking part in these groups is life-changing,” he said. “But the thing we’re most excited about is that people coming out of this experience not only feel better about themselves, but also feel more connected to others and want to do more for others,” he added.

1. What do we know about the course?

A．It is run by universities.	B．It is managed by volunteers.
C．It is taught all the year round.	D．It explores difficult things in life.

2. How is the second paragraph developed?

A．By making comparisons.	B．By describing processes.
C．By analysing causes.	D．By giving examples.

3. What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?

A．How to learn the course well.

B．Benefits of taking the course.

C．What people learn from the course.

D．Problems to be solved during the course.

4. What can we learn about the course according to Mark Williamson?

A．It makes people politer and kinder.

B．It makes people happier and more helpful.

C．It makes people smarter and more caring.

D．It makes people more confident and humorous.

2 . My father was the kind of guy who could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with new best friends for life! He was a hard worker and was known as “Mr Fix-It” to everyone. He was also one of the most cheerful, affable (和葛可亲的) and gentle people you would ever meet, which made us, his beloved daughters feel proud.

But when Dad was in his fifties, my family began to notice him struggling. His work and skills began to become worse and worse, and he became depressed and withdrawn. This was not the man I knew. At the age of fifty-eight, Dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As for our family, it was the worst.

Our first step was to attend a meeting hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association to learn more about the disease and programs that might help us. That meeting inspired me to start a Walk to End Alzheimer’s^® team. But I still wanted to do more. In 2017, I became a board member of the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter.

The loss from this disease is gradual. My father’s decline continued for several years. Losing my father more and more each day was leaving a big hole in my heart and my life. I decided to fill that hole with action to honor my father.

That’s why I recently decided to leave a gift to the Alzheimer’s Association by naming it as a beneficiary of my retirement plan. My future gift will provide money to support research because I don’t want another person in my family or someone in other families to have to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

I am so proud to be able to honor my father and other family members who lost their fights to Alzheimer’s in this way. My dad was an inspiration to me, and I hope, through my gift, I can inspire others to join in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.

1. What can we infer about the author’s father before having Alzheimer’s?

A．He was an outgoing man.	B．He hiked with strangers.
C．He made a living by sales.	D．He was a popular repairer of cars.

2. What did the author initially do for her father’s disease?

A．She consulted many experts.	B．She established a research team.
C．She gained more relevant information.	D．She funded the Alzheimer’s Association.

3. What gift does the author leave to the Alzheimer’s Association?

A．Research funds for the disease.	B．A record of her father’s mental state.
C．Her research papers on families like hers.	D．Experts’ suggestions on her father’s disease.

4. What does the author focus on in the last paragraph?

A．Her precious gift.	B．Her father’s firm confidence.
C．Her future expectation.	D．Her father’s original motivation.

3 . As an intense heat wave sweeps through China, residents are seeking relief in air raid shelters and swimming pools to stay cool, and dozens of cities, including Shanghai, Chongqing and Hangzhou, have issued their highest-level red alert warnings. Shanghai has issued three red alerts this year, with the temperature hitting 40.9 Celsius on July 13, matching the record set in 2017 since 1873. The fact that Shanghai has experienced only 16 days of 40°C-plus temperatures since the city began keeping records in 1873 should give us an idea about the seriousness of the situation.

Medical experts say extreme heat could cause nausea (恶心), fatigue, sunstroke and even death, with senior citizens and people with long-term illnesses particularly vulnerable to heat waves.

Extreme heat events, which began a month ago, have affected the lives of more than 900 million people in China. Between June 1 and July 12, the average number of days with temperatures above 35°Cwas 5.3, up 2.4 days over normal years, breaking the national record set in 1961, according to the National Climate Center.

Parts of Europe are also in the grip of heat waves and experiencing extreme weather events after the western part of North America faced extreme heat waves last year. In response to the exceptionally high temperatures, the United Kingdom has declared a national emergency and issued the highest-level red alert warning for Monday and Tuesday for the first time. More alarmingly, the average global temperature in June this year was 0.4°C higher than normal years and the highest since 1979, with temperatures in countries such as Spain, France and Italy exceeding 40°C.

Unfortunately, extreme heat, which is directly related to climate change, will become more frequent and intense in the next 30 years, setting new records for high temperatures. As global warming intensifies, losses and devastation will increase, forcing natural and human systems to raise their adaptation limits.

1. What can we know about the heat waves this year?

A．It may cause more harm to the old and people with long-term illnesses.

B．The number of days above 35°Cin June breaks the national record.

C．Shanghai has experienced a higher temperature than that in 2017.

D．The whole Europe as well as America are suffering from the heat waves.

2. How does the author develop the text?

A．By analyzing and concluding.	B．By explaining and contrasting.
C．By giving examples and quoting.	D．By giving figures and comparing.

3. According to the writer, what is the trend of extreme heat?

A．Becoming more serious.	B．Remaining stable.
C．Staying unpredictable.	D．Getting controllable.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The solutions to the climate change.	B．The economic losses from heat waves.
C．The increase of severe heat waves.	D．The destructive effect of global warming.

4 . Aasritha Duriseti recently noticed her grandmother’s difficulty opening a bottle cap. Fortunately, she found a solution in her eighth-grade engineering class at Carson Middle School in Herndon, Virginia, whose assignment was to adapt existing products to make daily life easier for people with challenges.

Aasritha’s creativity kicked in as she researched existing bottle-opening devices. She used a piece of wood shaped like a cellphone and put three holes on it, each in different sizes and lined with a layer of dried, sticky hot glue, which provided firm grips (防滑力) for common bottle caps. With a simple twisting (拧) motion, her grandmother could open bottles without assistance.

“Students in the class used more than their math, physics and tool skills. They also learned to look at problems from another’s point of view,” said Teacher Mark Bolt, “Engineers need to put themselves in their product users’ shoes to build effective solutions.”

Other students in the class also showed sensitivity as they watched friends and family struggle with daily tasks.

Michael Kuwashima noticed how dyslexia—a reading disorder that the brain tends to confuse the order of numbers, letters and other images-made it difficult for a friend to follow along on pages full of text. Therefore, Michael created a small adjustable window-blind-style device. “My friend could isolate (分离) small sections of text while reading,” he said.

Arjan Garg focused on a different problem. Sometimes putting on clothes can be hard for people with a limited range of motion. Arjan created a “dressing stick” using four wood sticks of different sizes to fit different clothing.

The students tried different versions of their products along the way to make the best one to show the class.

Rather than requiring step-by-step directions for creating their projects, Bolt preferred to leave students’ creative paths open. “If we want to do better, we have to have a chance to fail,” he said.

1. Why did Aasritha create a new bottle-opening device?

A．She hoped to get a higher score.

B．She was interested in engineering.

C．She had difficulty opening bottle caps.

D．She wanted to help her grandmother.

2. What did students learn from the class?

A．Working with others.

B．Conducting field experiments.

C．Understanding others’ feelings.

D．Communicating with product users.

3. How did students finish their assignment?

A．With the aid of a guidebook.

B．Through trial and error.

C．With the help of classmates.

D．Under the detailed instruction.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An inspiring class.

B．An excellent teacher.

C．Some scientific methods.

D．Some talented students.

5 . 阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式

Born in 1930,in Ningbo, Tu Youyou has become the first female Chinese scientist     1    (receive) a Nobel Prize for her discovery of artemisinin (青蒿素). But the process was long     2    hard. In 1969,Tu     3    (lead) a team to find a cure for malaria (疟疾). After many experiments and     4    (failure), she succeeded in making a artemisia annua extract (青蒿提取物)     5    could treat malaria in mice in October,1971. However, Tu and her team still met with many problems. But instead of     6    (give) up, they managed to find solution to the problems. Finally     7    (they)efforts paid off. In November 1972, they     8    (successful) isolated (分离) artemisinin,     9     key part of many malaria medicines. Thanks     10    the discovery, malaria patients now have had greatly increased chance of survival.

6 . A flower festival is an event during which many types of flowers are shown to the public. In some cases, a flower festival may be a small event attended by local people who grow plants as a hobby.

    1     They may attract large numbers of flower growers flower sellers and tourists.

Usually, a flower festival takes place at a time of year when many types of flowers are fully open.     2     In this case, the organizers must make sure that the event is scheduled during the right time of year for that type.

Some festivals are arranged to encourage flower growers to grow certain types of plants. People are invited to show their flowers at the festival.     3     Prizes are given to those who grow the largest, most colorful or hardiest (最耐寒的) plants.

Besides competing for prizes, many flower growers show their plants in flower shows for business purposes. Some people use these events to win contracts with companies that buy large numbers of flowers. Some take the chance to market flowers to customers,     4     They put their newly created plants on show at these festivals.

    5     Local restaurants provide meals and drinks for attendees. Musicians and other entertainers (演艺人员) are sometimes hired to provide attendees with pleasure. Nearby hotels and shops are full of people. They all can make a lot of money from the event.

A．There will be competitions.

B．These flowers can be very expensive.

C．Other festivals are big international events.

D．Some festivals focus on a certain type of plant.

E．Some growers have created new types of flowers.

F．Usually, some flower festivals are held in the big parks.

G．Flower festivals can also encourage local economic (经济的) development.

7 . Recently, researchers revealed details on several tiniest robots they have created. Small enough to sit on the side of a penny, the robots can be controlled by a laser(激光). The tiniest is shaped like a crab(螃蟹)and is just half a millimeter wide. The robots don’t have any power of their own. Instead, they can be controlled from a distance by using lasers. The researchers say the robot is designed a bit like a 3D pop-up book. The basic shape for the crab is flat. The flat shape is then attached to a rubbery material that’s stretched out. When the rubbery material is allowed to relax, the robot pops up into a standing crab.

This mixture of layers is the secret to the crab’s movement. The different layers give the material two positions that it can be in. When the hard glass layer is softened, the rubbery layer bends the material. But when the hard layer hardens again, it turns back to its old position. The scientists call this “shape-memory” . The trick to getting the hard glass layer to soften is to warm it up with a laser. Because the robots are so tiny, their parts heat up and cool down very quickly. By warming up different parts of the robots, scientists can make them move in different ways. The researchers say their robots can climb, walk, turn, and even jump.

The robots aren’t super speedy. But given their tiny size, they’re also not too slow. It takes the crabs about 20 seconds to cover 1 centimeter.

Right now the robots aren’t all that useful. All they can do is move, and they need to be in a place where lasers can shine on them to do that. But scientists say that one day tiny robots like these might be able to work in very small spaces. It’s possible that they could build very tiny machines, or perhaps even travel inside the human body to help deal with medical problems.

1. What do we know about the tiniest robots?

A．They are produced by 3D printing.

B．They have the size of a penny.

C．They can be remotely controlled.

D．They need no energy to move.

2. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?

A．Provide information about rubbery materials.

B．Analyze the working process of laser.

C．Introduce the concept of shape-memory.

D．Explain the way to make the robot move.

3. What should be improved about the tiniest robots?

A．Their use.

B．Their apps.

C．Their power storage.

D．Their moving directions.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Robots without energy consumption

B．World’s tiniest remote-control robots

C．Flexible tiniest robots in our body

D．Crab-like robots for the future

8 . It was a gloriously sunny day in Switzerland and we were driving over the Alps. Our daughter was singing in the back; she was happy to have just passed her latest exams. We’d just survived a trip, going down a mountain.

In the Alps, whichever way you go, you’re traveling on tiny mountain roads with lots of switchbacks . And as soon as we reached the first hairpin, we realized there was something seriously wrong with our brakes. They didn’t work.

Coming into the bend, the only way my husband could slow us down was by using the handbrake. The problem with mountain roads is that there are very few places to turn around or pull to the side of the road safely. And we’d just left a car park, which meant there wouldn’t be another parking area for a while.

All we could do was continue down the mountain, in our heavy motorhome which was gaining speed, trying hard to slow without working brakes. There were 180-degree bends every 200 meters or so — and each one was completely terrifying.

We didn’t know if or when the handbrake would give out, and then we would be in big trouble — there aren’t any barriers to stop you going over the edge on these roads.

I’m grateful my husband was driving and that he was able to deal with it. Yes, our handbrake was ruined. No, we didn’t care. At the bottom of the mountain, we were lucky to find a small town with a garage. There, we quickly discovered the cause — our brake liquid had totally disappeared!

When we bought the motorhome three months earlier, we’d been assured it had just received a full service and a vehicle test. We did our own checks, too, but we never thought to check the brake liquid.

It turned out that it hadn’t been changed for years and was mostly water — which meant it had changed into gas over the past 48 hours as the brakes got hot going up and down the mountain until it was gone. Thankfully, the garage was able to replace it and they also changed the handbrake for us.

1. Why did the author’s daughter sing?

A．She was happy at the Alps scenery.	B．She would go on a trip in Alps.
C．She had just passed her exams.	D．She survived a disaster with her parents.

2. What did the author’s husband try to do?

A．Make the motorhome gain speed.	B．Look for a car park quickly.
C．Pull the motorhome to the side of road.	D．Slow down the motorhome by using handbrake.

3. What didn’t the author care at all?

A．The destroyed handbrake.	B．The edge of the roads.
C．The barriers to stop cars.	D．The motorhome they bought.

4. What hadn’t been changed for years about the motorhome?

A．Its tires.

B．Its brake liquid.

C．Its handbrake.

D．Its wheels.

9 . Who Was Jane Austen?

Although Jane Austen’s works were first published anonymously(匿名地)and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows, literary anthologies, and many other adaptations all around the world. Her writings---principally her five novels---mainly deal with the topic of love and marriage. Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Northhanger Abbey remain her most famous works.

Who Was Chuck Jones?

Charles Martin Chuck Jones was an American animator(动画片绘制者), cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of many classic animated cartoon shorts. They starred Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig and a lot of other Warner Brothers characters. When he moved on to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, his work includes a series of Tom and Jerry shorts.

Who Was Lewis!

Lewis Carroll is the pen name of Charles L Dodgson, a mathematician, who taught at Oxford University. He was inspired to write his best known works, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, by one of the Dean’s daughters, Alice Liddell. The books were hugely successful and brought Carre

Who Was Princess Diana?

A shy twenty-year-old girl stepped out of a horse-drawn coach and into the world spotlight(聚光灯), catching the imagination of millions as a real-life fairy-tale princess. Although the storybook marriage didn’t have a happy ending, Diana learned to use her fame as a way to support charitable causes near to her heart. She became the People’s Princess by showing care and concern for all people, including the homeless, the sick, and others in need.

1. Whose works will attract young people who like reading love stories?

A．Chuck Jones’s.

B．Jane Austen’s.

C．Lewis Carroll’s.

D．Princess Diana’s.

2. What was Chuck Jones good at?

A．Making films.

B．Telling stories.

C．Writing novels.

D．Painting pictures.

3. What words best describe Princess Diana?

A．Smart and creative.	B．Cheerful and outgoing.
C．Caring and kind.	D．Serious and hard-working.

10 . When you are in Mérida of Mexico, you can take any of the transportation ways.

On foot

Once you are in the city center, getting around Mérida on foot is very convenient. Most of the main attractions are centrally located, and you’ll have a hard time getting lost thanks to the city’s thoughtful construction.

By bike

If you’d rather explore the city on two wheels, do so at your own risk. Bikers will be especially pleased on Sundays, when some of Mérida’s most beautiful and popular motorways shut down to car traffic for bikes. For the event, you’ll find many bike rental shops open for business.

By car

If you plan to explore the areas surrounding Mérida during your trip, renting a car is a good choice. For travelers who do not plan to leave the city of Mérida, a rental car can still be useful. If you do choose to rent a car, booking it ahead of your trip will likely save you money. Be prepared to show a credit card and a valid driver’s license from your home country.

By bus

There are a number of local bus ways that visitors can take advantage of during their stay. Bus stops are everywhere throughout the city, and most run from around 6 am to 11 pm. However, people who are not locals may find it difficult to determine which way to take and where to find the bus stops. See the Mérida transportation website for information on specific way.

By taxi

Taxis in Mérida are considered safe and are fairly easy to catch - just note that you’ll need to know some basics in Spanish to communicate with most drivers. Typically, drivers have a set fare to get to various attractions within the city.

1. Which is the convenient way to travel in the city center of Mérida?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．By bike.

D．On foot.

2. Which of the following is difficult for travelers in Mérida?

A．Deciding which bus way to take.	B．Renting a bike on Sundays.
C．Booking a car ahead of a trip.	D．Getting to various attractions.

3. What should you do if you take a taxi in Mérida?

A．Show your credit card.	B．Prepare a driver’s license.
C．Pay Mexican car insurance.	D．Learn some basic Spanish.