1 . If you live in a region where winter weather is a regular risk, you are likely used to pouring salt on your sidewalks. But how does it work? And how much salt do humans pour onto our planet’s surface? The second question is easier to answer: a lot.
Salt doesn’t directly melt ice, nor does it make snow simply disappear. Instead it makes water less likely to freeze in a phenomenon called freezing point depression. In the case of simple rock salt, which is a rawer, less pure version of table salt, each molecule (分子) splits into smaller elements. Normally, when water freezes into ice, its molecules line up to form a stable, orderly structure. Salt interrupts the process, however, and temperatures must drop lower to overcome that interruption and for freezing to occur.
But if salt needs to interact with liquid water, how does it do anything when temperatures are stubbornly below freezing, and water should already be in the form of ice? That’s where cars help clear their own way by creating friction and, in turn, heat. The friction allows for the ice that has already frozen to melt a little bit, making it unlikely to freeze.
Beyond rock salt’s ability to clear icy streets, it can also be destructive. Chloride ions (氯离子) can cause wear and tear on vehicles and facilities. Increasing chloride densities in North American lakes could begin to upset local ecology and degrade sources of drinking water.
Many local governments are looking for alternatives to rock salt. Other salts such as magnesium chloride and calcium chloride work in the same way as rock salt, and they’re perhaps even more efficient. Some experiments are testing other ice-preventing solutions, including those that contain sugars instead of or in addition to salts. Another approach relies more heavily on sand, which can mechanically make roads safer. All of this experimentation is aimed at ensuring people can travel in any weather condition — a Herculean task when winter brings its worst.
1. What’s the purpose of the first sentence in Paragraph 2?| A．To introduce the topic. | B．To give some evidence. |
| C．To define the phenomenon. | D．To reveal the misconception. |
| A．By lowering the temperature. | B．By melting and splitting itself. |
| C．By lining up to form a solid structure. | D．By stopping the formation of the structure. |
| A．Concentrations. | B．Weights. | C．Qualities. | D．Salts. |
| A．Other salts won’t disturb local ecology. |
| B．Efforts are being made to guarantee safe travels. |
| C．Many alternatives are available to solve the problem. |
| D．Bitter winter make it impossible to secure road safety. |
It snowed for days. Everything was frozen solid. As we hadn’t the heating in our classroom, most of us wore thick and warm clothes. Then, by chance I discovered under Lucas’ dirty woolen coat, there was just a semi-sleeved shirt.
It was so strange that I couldn’t help wondering whether Lucas was crazy to make such a choice. I told this to the boys in my class. “How stupid!” We all ran to see Lucas and jokingly pulled of his coat. Lucas stepped back, shaking with both cold and anger. I saw tears welled into his eyes.
When I went back home, I told mom “the stupid choice” Lucas made.
Mom fell silent. Then she made a phone call. The next day, she told me to bring a package to the school. “Give it to Lucas. Tell him to put on the clothes in it.”
“Why?” As a fourth-grader, I wasn’t wise enough to see something hidden behind. It was years later that I understood that Lucas’ family had the basics, but there was little money for much else beyond food and shelter.
Mom hugged me and said softly, “Guess why a hungry person doesn’t eat?”
“Because he can’t get any food to eat.” I answered loudly.
“Exactly.” Mom said, “So, why doesn’t Lucas wear thick and warm sweater?”
It all clicked into place.
It made me feel guilty. Mom said it was unkind to make fun of disadvantaged friends. And mom also told me to “see” through my heart, but not just through my eyes. I wondered “How?”
At the end of the term, the teacher told us we were going to take a class picture as, for some reason, we would break up when we stepped into the fifth grade. Twenty-two students lined up in three rows and faced the camera with happy smiles. The teacher told us anyone who paid a dollar would bring a class picture back home. I could hardly wait to get my first class picture.
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。
Then suddenly, I thought of Lucas.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Lucas was frozen in shock when the teacher handed him that class picture.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . The UK has a rich literary heritage, with cities packed with bookshops, literary landmarks and comfortable cafes. If you love books, try one of these city breaks.
York
Earning a remarkable “bookspiration” score of 9. 4/10, York has claimed the title of the best UK city for book lovers. Having the highest number of reading spots per 100, 000 people among all cities analysed, literary lovers will find themselves spoiled for choice in this city. Home to 20 libraries and 33 highly-rated bookshops, this serves as a significant literary resource for a city of its population size.
Books inspired by York include: The Secret Garden, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre
Bath
Bath comes second, receiving a final “bookspiration” score of 8. 1/10. Beyond its plentiful quiet reading spots, more than seven libraries and 16 bookshops per 100, 000 people, the city also offers sufficient green spaces, perfect for eager readers to dive into their favourite books. It’s a dream destination for those with a preference for Jane Austen’s works. It’s also host to the annual Jane Austen Festival in September, featuring many immersive(沉浸式的)Regency-themed experiences.
Books inspired by Bath include: Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Vathek
Belfast
In third place is Belfast, scoring a respectable 7. 3/10. The Northern Irish city has 18 libraries and 55 charming bookshops to choose from. Serving as the backdrop of inspiration for CS Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, Belfast also has a bookish culture as it plays host to an annual book festival drawing in the nation’s biggest bookworms.
Books inspired by Belfast include: Eureka Street, Mystery Man, The Star Factory
Bristol
Bristol with a score of 6. 8/10 secures fourth place to be a literary lover’s paradise. Thanks to its treasure of bookshops from independent to second-hand, over 17 bookshops per 100, 000 people, the lively South West city makes an incredible destination for book-shopping.
Books inspired by Bristol include: Shadow Dance, Birdcage Walk, Keep Him Close
1. Which city is the source of the inspiration for Wuthering Heights?| A．York. | B．Bath. | C．Belfast. | D．Bristol. |
| A．Rate bookstores of the city. | B．Attend theme-based activities. |
| C．Dive into CS Lewis’s books. | D．Take a South West city tour. |
| A．The best green reading spaces. | B．The highest “bookspiration” score. |
| C．The most attractive book festival. | D．The biggest second-hand bookstore. |
4 . When Roosevelt was a kid, his doctors claimed that he was too weak to live a normal life like most children of his age. They strongly recommended him to avoid participation in any physical activities, fearing that it could worsen his health condition and potentially lead to his death. Their opinions implied that he would face up to a life full of all kinds of limitations. Instead of permitting their limiting beliefs about what he could do and achieve, he chose to live a meaningful life.
Despite his doctors’ strong suggestions that he remain inactive, he didn’t want to be a carefree observer of the world as it passed him by. He was determined to force himself to be active. Roosevelt had daily adventures in the woods as a boy.
He continued to play sports when he got to college. In fact, he didn’t just play, but he excelled in both boxing and rowing, both of which require astonishing levels of strength and endurance. When Roosevelt graduated from college, his doctors were still not completely sure about his health condition. They still believed that he would be putting himself in serious danger, because his heart problems had not improved. They firmly believed that it would be best to find a desk job for him after completing a college degree. Once again, Roosevelt decided to challenge himself to his physical limits by living an extremely energetic adult life. In about every field he took part, he would aim to push his physical limits. Impressively, he was excellent as an explorer, a hunter, an author, a soldier and a politician.
Eventually, Roosevelt went beyond the mistaken limitation upon him and lived an amazing life.
1. What would happen if Roosevelt followed his doctors’ suggestions?| A．He would live a meaningful life. |
| B．His life would be full of limitations. |
| C．His parents would feel satisfied with him. |
| D．He would become an extraordinary person. |
| A．An explorer. | B．A boxing player. |
| C．An office clerk. | D．A politician. |
| A．By following time order. | B．By listing obvious reasons. |
| C．By giving some examples. | D．By making necessary comparisons. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Generous. | C．Considerate. | D．Ambitious. |
Joe and I had been looking forward to our retirement. However, when he suffered a heart attack last spring, he was forced to leave his job as a truck driver earlier than we had planned. As the medical bills increased, we realized I would have to continue working full-time while Joe stayed home and took over the housework.
This new arrangement was a disaster. One night, when I dragged myself to bed, I was horrified to discover Joe had turned our white sheets blue. He told me he had found out how to save on water, soap and electricity. He patted his blue trousers and announced proudly washing everything together was the secret.
When I awoke to the deafening rain the next morning, all I wanted was a hot home-cooked meal. However, what greeted me at the table was a microwave package. I knew my husband had his faults, but I thought he at least knew how to cook! I knew if I didn’t leave the house soon I would lose my temper with him. As the heavy rain thundered down outside, Joe offered to drive me to work. I ignored him as I struggled into my jacket and seized my bag with my teaching plans inside.
He insisted that he would take me and reached for his boots. I looked at the piles of newspapers and the dirty dishes still on the table. “Don’t you have enough to do? I can take care of myself.” I stormed out, not even kissing him goodbye. Joe shouted after me not to take the shortcut (捷径).
Ten minutes later, I ignored Joe’s warning and turned off the main route to take the shortcut. I thought it hadn’t rained enough to flood the road, but as I rounded the corner, water rushed across my path. After a few feet, the car got stuck. I opened the door and water poured in. I hurriedly closed the door. I couldn’t risk walking in this. Almost 20 minutes passed. The car began to shake. 1 got the fright of my life when I heard three long honks (喇叭声).
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。
Paragraph 1:
Looking over my shoulder, I stared into the flashing lights of a familiar truck.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
After getting to our warm home, Joe held my hand tight.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6 . Weighing yourself regularly is a wonderful way to stay aware of any significant weight changes.
As for me, weighing myself every day caused me to shift my focus from being generally healthy and physically active, to focusing only on the scale. The original training program is beneficial for me to develop muscle.
I found that weighing myself daily did not provide an accurate description of the hard work and progress I was making in the gym. It takes about three weeks to a month to notice significant changes in your weight due to changing your training program. The most immediate changes will be observed in skill level, strength and inches lost.
Rather than obsessing over the scale, turn your focus to how you look, feel, how your clothes fit and your overall energy level.
| A．That was bad to my overall fitness goals. |
| B．Muscles rely on more than just activity to grow. |
| C．I had gained weight in the form of muscle mass before. |
| D．For these reasons, I stopped weighing myself every day. |
| E．That tells me whether I need to adjust my training program. |
| F．The decision to stop weighing myself every day has done a lot of wonders. |
| G．However, when done too often, this habit can sometimes hurt more than it helps. |
7 . 
Zion National Park in Utah has plenty of trails, but Angels Landing may be the most breathtaking. Picture this. You begin the hike on the wide and well-maintained West Rim Trail. It follows the river and then crosses the bottom of the canyon, surrounded by 270-million-year-old layers of rock. Relaxing, right? Just wait for it. The trail then starts to climb via a series of switchbacks (急转弯) leading up the side of the mountain. Then more switchbacks: 21 tighter turns, called “Walter’s Wiggles,” where elevation levels rapidly increase. Your heartbeat is probably rapidly increasing at this point, too.
On top of Walter’s Wiggles, you can stop for a stunning view (perhaps with a marriage proposal) and a restroom stop while you contemplate (仔细考虑) the final stretch of the hike. If you’re afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back now. The last stretch is the real test of bravery.
The last half mile of the hike is what really ranks it as one of the nation’s most dangerous. Angels Landing itself is a fin-like formation jutting (突出) 1,500 feet out of the canyon, and this is where you make the final 500-foot climb. Guardrails and chains bolted (拴住) into the cliff help you keep from tumbling over the extremely steep ledge. You’re literally living on the edge, and you don’t want to trust the “angels” down there to catch you. Once you reach the top, however, it’ll all be worth it: 360-degree views of the canyon make a great backdrop for kicking back and having a meal before you come back down the way you came.
Angels Landing might be dangerous, but thankfully, not too many people have had fatal falls. According to the park website, seven people have died in the 100 years the park has existed. Still, this is a very vigorous hike. If you’re out of shape, bringing young children along, feel ill or prone to fainting, or are just plain afraid of heights, opt for an easier trail.
Angel’s Landing is a great hike for most of the year, besides the cold winter months when the trails could become dangerously slippery. Summer is the most popular time of year — and therefore the most crowded — but it can also get extremely hot, so opt for an early morning hike while the temperatures are still mild.
Sure, it’s dangerous, but there’s a reason this is one of Zion ‘s most popular hikes. If you’re up for the challenge, Angels Landing will definitely deliver rewards.
This article first appeared on Curiosity.com.
1. What geological feature surrounds the hiker during the initial part of the hike?| A．Plenty of trails in the park. | B．Mountain Peaks. |
| C．270-million-year-old layers of rock. | D．Grass Meadows. |
| A．The challenging hike with switchbacks. |
| B．The 360-degree views of the canyon. |
| C．The well-maintained West Rim Trail. |
| D．The river crossing and rock formations. |
| A．If a tourist is afraid of heights, it’s best to turn back onto Angels Landing. |
| B．Seven people have died so far due to slippery trails in winter. |
| C．Bringing young kids along to climb onto Angels Landing will be appreciated. |
| D．Taking a break with the views of the canyon as background is absolutely worth the trip. |
| A．Unveiling the Hidden Beauty: Exploring Zion National Park’s Trails |
| B．Zion’s Ultimate Thrill: The Adrenaline-Pumping Angels Landing Expedition |
| C．Chasing Heights: Angels Landing Adventure in Utah’s Zion National Park |
| D．Angels Landing: Conquering Utah’s Breathtaking and Daring Hike in Zion National Park |
8 . A baby born today will be thirty-something in 2050. If all goes well, that baby will still be around in 2100, and might even be an active citizen of the 22nd century. What should we teach that baby to help them survive and flourish in the world of 2050 and beyond? What kind of skills will they need in order to get a job, understand what is happening around them, and navigate their tough life?
At present, too many schools across the world focus on providing pupils with a set of predetermined skills, such as writing computer code in C++ and conversing in Chinese. Yet since we have no idea how the world and the job market will look in 2050, we don’t really know what particular skills people will need. We might invest a lot of effort in teaching kids how to write in C++ or to speak Chinese, only to discover sooner or later that AI will have been able to code software far better than humans, and that a new translation app will have enabled you to conduct a conversation in almost flawless Mandarin, Cantonese or Hakka, even though you only know how to say ni hao.
So what should we be teaching? Many experts argue that schools should downplay technical skills and emphasize general-purpose life skills: the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations. In order to keep up with the world of 2050, you will above all need to reinvent yourself again and again.
To succeed in such a demanding task, you will need to work very hard on getting to know your operating system better—to know what you are and what you want from life. This is, of course, the oldest advice in the book: know thyself. This advice was never more urgent than in the mid-21st century, because unlike in the days of Laozi or Socrates, now you have serious competition. Coca-Cola, Amazon and Facebook are all racing to hack you.
Right now, the algorithms (算法) are watching where you go, what you buy, and who you meet. Soon they will monitor all your steps, breaths and heartbeats. They are relying on big data and machine learning to get to know you better and better. And once these algorithms know you better than you know yourself, they could control and manipulate (操纵) you. In the end, authority will shift to them.
Of course, you might be perfectly happy giving up all authority to the algorithms and trusting them to make decisions for you and for the rest of the world. If, however, you want to maintain some control over your personal existence and over the future of life in general, you have to run faster than the algorithms. To run fast, don’t take much luggage with you. Leave all your illusions (幻想) behind. They are very heavy.
1. What does the underlined word “downplay” in paragraph 3 most probably mean?| A．Give too much emphasis on something. |
| B．Make people think that something is less important. |
| C．Offer your reasons why something is right or wrong. |
| D．Decide something in advance so that it does not happen. |
| A．imagination | B．adaptability | C．self-discipline | D．a good sense of balance |
| A．if we don’t, algorithms will hack all our devices. |
| B．it is an essential skill for us to succeed in the world of 2050. |
| C．we need to learn how algorithms work and make full use of them. |
| D．we need to outrun algorithms to keep some control over our personal life. |
| A．the importance of knowing yourself |
| B．the threats and dangers of technology |
| C．what kind of skills we might need in the future |
| D．some potential benefits algorithms would bring to humankind |
9 . Adele’s new album, “30”, is finally available. Last month, hundreds of millions of us streamed its first single, “Easy On Me.” This song arouses feelings not easily put into words, but we can probably agree it is a sad song.
Let’s start with a biological theory. When we experience real-life loss, or empathize (体会) with another’s pain, certain hormones are released within us.
Psychologically, a key reason we enjoy sad songs is that they profoundly move us. Feeling moved can come from us suddenly feeling closer to other people. Indeed, when we have listened to “30”, we may turn to reaction videos to see how others feel.
Ultimately, we listen to Adele’s songs when we want to recall, reflect, or belong. They let us feel her sadness, share our suffering, and connect with others. To all of us, Adele’s songs say:
| A．You are not alone in your pain. |
| B．Music speaks louder than words. |
| C．These help us to tackle loss and pain. |
| D．We can also think at the spiritual level. |
| E．Few people are aware sad music makes us feel good. |
| F．This lets us share an emotional experience with others. |
| G．This may make us better prepared for when real loss strikes. |
(1) 表示欢迎；
(2) 简单介绍天津；
(3) 推荐一处旅游景点并给出理由。
注意：
(1) 词数不少于100；
(2) 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
(3) 开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Chris,
I’m so glad to receive your email.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I hope this is helpful. Can’t wait to meet you!
Yours,
Li Jin
