1 . In a county of Britain, a pair of pig farmers has managed to feed one million bees by turning over half of their land to wildflowers. Four years ago, brothers Mark and Paul Hayward decided to fill 81 acres of their farm land with wildflowers. This week, a study found they were feeding one million bees at any time.

“This was our target when we started, to, grow enough flowers to feed a million bees on a single day.” Mark said. “We are acutely aware that bees are under threat from modern farming methods and that East England is one of the worst places where bees are seriously suffering from lack of wildflower diversity,” he continued.

“Every third bite of food you eat can come from bees and we wanted to create an operation on our farm that did not push nature out but rather hugged it-as a central part of our ecology system and our food cycle,” he said.

The farm uses all kinds of seeds which can produce many different wild plants and of course, the bees can get food from different wildflowers.

“We are taking a very small role in helping society restore a balance and this starts with plant diversity to encourage insects, bees, small mammals(哺乳动物), and birds,” said Paul. “At the end of the day, we see ourselves as caretakers of this land. Between us we have six children and we owe it to them to farm sustainability(持续性)and set an example for the generations to come,” added Paul.

According to the Bee Conservation Trust, many types of bees have seen their populations decline by 70%, and two species have become extinct in the last century.

Gill Perkins, CEO of the Bee Conservation Trust said, “Thanks to Mark and Paul, at least here, a million bees can keep living, which is of great significance for ourselves now and future.”

1. What can we know about the brothers from the first two paragraphs?

A．They have about 160 acres of land.

B．They grow wild flowers for pigs.

C．They are not good at growing wild flowers.

D．They have to support 1, 000, 000 bees in their land.

2. Why are bees under threat in East England?

A．There is a shortage of water for bees.

B．Bees are not used to the modern society.

C．There are too many animals eating bees.

D．Bees can not find different wild flowers.

3. What is Gill Perkins’ attitude to the action?

A．Opposed.	B．Doubtful.
C．Supportive.	D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Bees are in Danger Now

B．Two Brothers Feed a Million Bees

C．Only one Million Bees are Surviving in East England

D．Two Brothers Love Wild Flowers in East England

2 . The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.

Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It’s a little damp (潮湿的) outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn’t exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.

Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What’s more, the British love to watch comedies (喜剧) about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.

Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn’t talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.

1. Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?

A．The British often enlarge the fact.

B．The British try to understate something.

C．British jokes are connected with many different cultures.

D．British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries.

2. The author explains understatement by _______.

A．describing a process	B．using examples
C．following time order	D．making comparisons

3. Mr. Bean makes laugh by ______.

A．telling funny stories

B．copying how others behave

C．making jokes about others’ accent

D．using his body movement and facial expressions

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．British Humor in Comedy	B．Humor in Different Cultures
C．Developing Your Sense of Humor	D．Understanding British Humor

3 . 语法填空

At last year’s Singles’ Day shopping spree (狂欢), domestic brands    1     (fill) up the shopping cart of Wang Xinyi,     2     university student from Southwest China’s Chongqing.

“Most of us choose domestic products owing to the fact     3     they are cost-effective and high in quality” said Wang,     4     bought daily necessities, clothes and digital products made by local brands during last week’s shopping festival.

Wang said many young Chinese     5     (increase) chose domestic brands,     6     (add) that this trend could not only satisfy consumers’ needs but incorporate (融入) traditional Chinese culture into the products.

Nearly 70% of post-90s and around 80% of post-00s generations prefer to buy domestic brands. Young consumers have     7     (strong) confidence and a higher sense of national identity than those of other groups. Overall, Chinese people’s interest in domestic products increased by 528 percent     8     (compare) with 10 years ago.

The     9     (improve) in quality and branding have helped promote domestic products. Besides, domestic brands have become popular among young consumers due to their     10     (innovate) use of traditional Chinese elements and culture.

4 . Making the Most of Life Experiences

If you ask anyone what the purpose of life is, you’ll likely receive wildly different responses. The answer is deeply personal because different things are important to us throughout the course of our lives.     1    Finding ways to make the most of our experiences is a challenge we face every day. Here are some ways to make your experiences meaningful.

Follow your dreams.

The number one way to live a life free of regret is to follow your dreams. Enthusiasm will die without actions supporting them.    2    Every day take an action, no matter how small, to achieve your goals. Each day is a step forward and none of it is wasted.

Make lots of mistakes.

    3    Many of my strongest memories come from the times I’ve failed, and those lessons have stayed with me. Failure is beneficial to us. And time allows me to see the value of even the most painful situation.

    4    

Difficult and painful experiences shape our character but can also let us feel down. These stop us from moving forward. So much of our progress in life relies on willpower and a healthy state of mind. If you’re under stress, your body and mind both require time to recover.     5    

For me, life is about experiences. We all have to dream, work hard, and fail before we can achieve success. Maybe we’ll discover along the way that the journey is more important than the destination.

A．Take care of yourself.

B．Improve your personality.

C．Making mistakes is the surest path to grow as a person.

D．It’s best to rest, recover, and slowly build back up your strength.

E．Yet one thing stays with us no matter where we go: our experiences.

F．Though we try our best to make fewer mistakes, it is impossible to avoid them.

G．Though we can’t choose the result of our actions, we can choose to keep pursuing.

6 . One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.

We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide range of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,   “May I get you something?”“A coffee would be nice.”

Then I bought him a cup of coffee, we talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,

“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”

“Who?”

“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”

I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!

My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and to meet another human being with kindness and sincerity.

1. What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?

A．Unfriendly.

B．Untidy.

C．Gentle.

D．Kind.

2. How did the writer probably feel after he talked with his friend?

A．Proud.

B．Pitiful.

C．Astonished.

D．Regretful

3. What is the message mainly expressed in the story?

A．We should learn to be generous.

B．It is honorable to help those in need.

C．People in high positions are not like what we expect.

D．We should avoid judging people by their appearances.

4. The writer bought coffee for the old man because ________.

A．he wanted to start a chat with the old man.

B．he intended to show his politeness.

C．he would like to get known about the old man.

D．he just thought he was helping a poor man.

7 . Rescue workers found a family in their RV on Tuesday after 17 days in the mountains near the Oregon Coast.

Peter Stivers, Marlo Hill-Stivers, their two children Sabastyan, 9 and Gabrayell 8 and Hill-Stivers’s mother and stepfather, Elbert and Becky, were in the vehicle. On their way home from a trip to the coast, the family got lost in the mountains at an elevation of about 3,800 feet. What’s worse, they were trapped in four feet of snow. “We had fuel and food, but we were running short,” said Elbert. “We were rationing.”

When the family was reported missing, rescue teams from Oregon and California searched likely routes to the coast. But with no leads and no idea where the family was heading, those conducting the unsuccessful search eventually called it off.

In the evenings, Sabastyan and Gabrayell entertained the adults by reading jokes from Reader’s Digest aloud. The family members survived mostly on dehydrated food.

On Monday, Hill-Stivers and her husband decided to go for help. They packed a tent, wool blankets, fish, honey, and hand-warmers to take into the wilderness with them. The children stayed safe in the RV with their grandparents.

The couple were found the following day by a US Bureau of Land Management worker. A rescue team in a helicopter located the rest of the family. The family was driven out of the snowbound area on snow machines. Parents and children were happily reunited.

“They enjoyed it,” Peter Stivers said of his children’s experience. “They didn’t know we were in trouble.” For the adults, it was quite a tough time. They had to worry about survival and rescue, and about keeping everyone calm. “I’m so proud of my family,” said Elbert. “They stuck together; they didn’t lose it.”

1. According to the passage, the number of the troubled family members is__________.

A．5

B．6

C．7

D．8

2. What is the main cause of the family’s bad situation?

A．They ran short of fuel.	B．It snowed heavily.
C．They couldn’t find their way.	D．Their RV couldn’t move in the snow.

3. If there is a good lesson from the story, it can be that _________.

A．people should know how to save themselves when facing trouble

B．travel in the mountains should be avoided

C．when traveling, people should keep in touch with rescue teams

D．children can cause much trouble in travel

4. This passage is probably chosen from a newspaper’s column of _________.

A．Education

B．News

C．Health

D．Economy

8 . At eleven, I decided to learn to swim. There was a pool at the Y.M.C.A. offering exactly the opportunity. Mother continually warned against it, and kept fresh in my mind the details of each drowning in the river. But the Y.M.C.A. pool was safe.

I had a childhood fear of water. This started when I was three years old and father took me to the beach. The huge waves knocked me down and swept over me.

The pool was quiet. I was afraid of going in all alone, so I sat on the side of the pool to wait for others. Then came a big boy. He yelled, “Hi, Skinny! How’d you like to be ducked?” With that he picked me up and threw me into the deep end. I landed in a sitting position, and swallowed water. But I was not frightened out of my wits —   when my feet hit the bottom, I would make a big jump, come out of the surface. It seemed a long way down. I gathered all my strength when I landed and made what I thought was a great spring upwards. Then I opened my eyes and saw nothing but water. I tried to yell but no sound came out. I went down, down, endlessly.

When I came to consciousness, I found myself lying on the bed in the hospital. I never went back to the pool. I avoided water whenever I could. This misadventure stayed with me as the years rolled by. It deprived me of the joy of boating and swimming. Finally, I decided to get an instructor. Piece by piece, he built a swimmer. Several months later, the instructor was finished, but I was not. Sometimes terror would return.

This went on until July. I swam across the Lake Wentworth. Only once did the terror return. When I was in the middle of the lake, I put my face under and saw nothing but bottomless water. I laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Terror, what do you think you can do to me?” I had conquered my fear of water.

1. The author’s original fear of water was caused by ___________.

A．his poor skill in swimming	B．his mother's warning of drowning
C．an outing to the beach with his father	D．an unpleasant memory of the pool

2. Who thought I had to and could swim bravely?

A．My father.

B．My mother.

C．The big boy.

D．The instructor.

3. By the underlined part “but I was not” in paragraph 5, the author probably means “________”.

A．he was still a poor swimmer	B．he had not overcome the fear yet
C．he was not afraid of drowning any more	D．he was not satisfied with the swimming training

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Goodbye, Mr. Terror	B．Hello, Childhood Fear
C．A Swimming Adventure	D．My Passion for Swimming

10 . In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers, which are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.

The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2030 all cars will be computerized, which will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21^st century will drive itself, and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.

According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.

Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically (自动的) speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.

By 2020. Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2030, cars will travel in convoy, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected to the car in front, just like a train. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount of fuel.” says Davis. ‘‘But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”

1. We know from the passage that governments and car manufacturers_______.

A．are devoted to the technological revolution in car industry

B．consider the predictions seriously

C．do not believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2030

D．have put the super-intelligent car into mass production

2. Which of the following will be the characteristic of the cars of 2030?

A．The car will speed up out of control.

B．We will own as many cars as we want.

C．Cars will produce more pollution than present ones.

D．All cars will be driven by computers.

3. The expression closest in meaning to the phrase “in convoy” in the last paragraph is________.

A．sidelong	B．in line
C．side by side	D．shoulder to shoulder

4. What will happen if cars are joined to each other electronically in 2020?

A．There will be less pollution caused by car.

B．Motorists will get a clear view of the road.

C．The weather condition will not have effect on motorists.

D．All trains will burn less fuel than present.