1 . Toy industry experts say some people in the United States are turning off their electronic devices to play with classic toys like board games. This is especially true among the so-called millennial generation (千禧一代). One coffee shop in Los Angeles is making profitable use of the increase in popularity of board games.

GameHäus Café opened in November of 2013. The café is dedicated to board games. It has more than 750 games available for its customers. The business does not feature wireless Internet connection. Many customers like Roxanne Lee and her husband Agassi Lai think that is good. Ms. Lee praises the atmosphere of the café. “I think it’s very interesting for spending quality time together so that’s why I like it.”

Agassi Lai used to like playing video games. But everything changed when he discovered board games a few years ago. He likes to play a board game called “Escape the Curse of the Temple.”

You keep rolling the dice and try to move to different places and try to escape the temple.

Twenty-three year-old Weland Bourne is one of those board-game-loving millennials. “I think more with my generation, they’re wanting to take time. They’re wanting to take it slowly and I think, too, video games have kind of lost their attraction”

Adrienne Appell is with the Toy Industy Association, She says the new generation just wants to put down the telephone and Tablet and connect directly with other people.

1. What can we learn about GameHaus Cafe from the text?

A．It features board games.

B．It serves millennials only.

C．It denies access to the Internet.

D．It provides a romantic atmosphere.

2. According to the text, what advantage do board games have over video games?

A．They are financially profitable.

B．They help develop intelligence.

C．They have more varieties available.

D．They enable face-to-face interaction.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To advertise a game.

B．To introduce a business.

C．To inform a phenomenon.

D．To promote a study.

2 . Sitting in the classroom, I felt confused.

Our teacher pointed at the blackboard and gave us instructions. Looking around, I watched as my classmates _______ their heads and started writing. A wave of _______ washed over me-I couldn’t read the board, for I couldn’t see clearly. It didn’t _______ at primary school because my teachers always read aloud what they were writing. But now, I was expected to read by myself.

Mum took me to a(n) _______. I was diagnosed with a terrible sight problem. I was _______ blind.

However, despite all the difficulties, I’d amazingly _______ to reach the age of 13! As a kid living on a farm, I was always falling over objects. I could only _______ the outlines of things and contrasts between different shades. I was given reading _______ but they didn’t help much.

_______ to let my diagnosis hold me back, I continued doing everything I loved, including milking the cows. Over the years, I’ve ________ lovely family holidays, but sometimes felt like my families were being too ________ to me. So I was thrilled when I heard about a travel company that takes those who are blind or have poor ________   Aussie adventures without families’ company. ________, I booked myself onto a trip to the ________. It was amazing to appreciate places, such as the beach and seaside theme parks, with ________ who were just like me. And the incredible guides were great at ________ us through all the way while making sure we had a fun and ________ time. Since then, I’ve travelled with them a lot. While we can’t see the sights like others, our ________ take us to awesome places. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me. I’m so lucky to have a wonderful family and lots of ________.

Life is ________-you don’t need vision to “see” that.

1.

A．raised

B．lowered

C．turned

D．shook

2.

A．regret

B．passion

C．panic

D．courage

3.

A．relate

B．change

C．happen

D．matter

4.

A．doctor

B．teacher

C．engineer

D．architect

5.

A．entirely

B．frequently

C．hopefully

D．nearly

6.

A．managed

B．decided

C．expected

D．preferred

7.

A．bring out

B．turn out

C．make out

D．work out

8.

A．classes

B．glasses

C．apps

D．skills

9.

A．Anxious

B．Delighted

C．Sorry

D．Unwilling

10.

A．launched

B．enjoyed

C．organized

D．avoided

11.

A．generous

B．tolerant

C．protective

D．trustworthy

12.

A．vision

B．intelligence

C．confidence

D．pay

13.

A．Puzzled

B．Confused

C．Touched

D．Excited

14.

A．downtown

B．coast

C．village

D．countryside

15.

A．classmates

B．colleagues

C．tourists

D．families

16.

A．supporting

B．lecturing

C．pushing

D．persuading

17.

A．easy

B．short

C．simple

D．safe

18.

A．education

B．wisdom

C．imagination

D．confidence

19.

A．adventures

B．lessons

C．actions

D．experiments

20.

A．peaceful

B．precious

C．plain

D．permanent

3 . 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。

Shen Kuo (沈括) was a scientist of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was     1     all-round scholar of astronomy, physics, chemistry, geology and medical science.     2     , Shen Kuo's reputation has been mostly in the field of scientific writing: he was the first     3     (build) graphic maps.

Thanks     4     his mother, Shen Kuo received a formal education in his childhood. He was diligent and he read so much that he suffered eye pain later in life. While in his     5     (thirty), Shen Kuo frequently dreamed of a place. In the dream, he climbed a hill, the top of     6     was covered with brightly colored flowers and trees. Clear waters     7     (flow) at the base of the hill, with trees on either side. Later on, when     8     (travel) around, he was shocked to find a piece of land that was     9     (exact)the one in his dream. There he settled and wrote of the discoveries he had made in his lifetime.

This extraordinary story is the origin of Shen's the Dream Rivulet Diary (《梦溪笔谈》). The Dream Rivulet Diary was a milestone in the history of Chinese science. So far, this amazing scientific work     10     (put) into a number of different languages, including English, French, German and Japanese.

4 . Steve Greig lost his dog Wolfgang seven years ago, then his life changed forever. Since that loss, he has adopted more than a dozen dogs, all of whom have been in their last few years of life. He chose to rescue senior dogs because they otherwise wouldn't have had a home.

Greig started posting family photos of his animals on Instagram, and his following has grown quickly to more million Instagram followers. Moreover, he has a pig, two rabbits, two ducks, four chickens, two cats, and a 22-kilogram turkey.

His mission didn't begin with the intention of going viral, but rather simply to honour Wolfgang's memory. He wanted something good to come out of the tragedy, so he went to a local animal shelter and adopted the oldest dog there. After that, he started photographing his daily life with his animals.

He also didn't originally intend to inspire others, but that's exactly what happened. Shortly after he started posting, his inbox filled with messages from people who had also adopted senior dogs. His fame led to a book, which teaches kids about valuing what is old instead of looking for the next new thing. He now keeps nine elderly dogs at a time, and when they pass away, he adopts new ones in their honour and in honour of Wolfgang.

Part of Greig's popularity on social media is from his family portraits and his updates of the animals, but the other part is from the unique names he gives his pets. Besides Bikini and Tofu, which he named “because it was funny”, his other pets have “elderly” names like Loretta and Wilhelmina. He has a new dog named Edsel after the failed Ford model from 1958. He chose the name “because when it originally came out it was worthless, but now it's a collector's item”.   His attitude towards Edsel is his attitude towards all of his pets, and it demonstrates his value for life in general.

Greig's touching experience with older animals has helped him value humanity even more. Whether he's helping an overlooked and forgotten aging dog or homeless person, there's a common point: sympathy. “They deserve attention, conversation, and help. ” he says.

1. Why did Greig adopt animals?

A．He dreamed of being well-known to the media.

B．He intended to call on the public to care for animals.

C．He wanted to set up an animals shelter with friends.

D．He meant it as a memorial means for his dead pet dog.

2. Which of the following best describe Greig?

A．Tolerant.

B．Caring.

C．Hardworking.

D．Honest.

3. Which of the following does Steve Greig most probably agree with?

A．Never too old to adopt animals.	B．One good turn deserves another.
C．A good dog deserves a good bone.	D．A small kindness makes a difference.

5 . In a highly-connected world where your phone is always with you, information is being collected and shared every second.“So what?” you say. “I have nothing to hide.”     1     According to some experts, people may not understand the scope (范围) of the problem.

The problem is that while companies and data brokers are hovering up all the information they can, there are no laws governing what they can do with that information.     2     Someone knowing that you ordered three extra-large pizzas for dinner last Friday night may seem harm-less enough, but there's a deeper principle at play.     3     As cyber expert Bruce Schneier says, “Privacy is a basic human right, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect.”

    4     We click “I Agree” without reading the user agreements. We say we will do one of those privacy checkups one day. but we never quite get around to it. And that means your personal information could be used against you in the future in ways you can't imagine today.

So what can you do to protect yourself?     5     If you' re worried about your personal information getting lifted, don't hand over your name, address, or phone number easily. Besides, choose a paper receipt or no receipt rather than getting one via text or e-mail. To stop your phone acting as a tracker, also turn off Location Services for all apps except maps andothers that expressly need to know where you are. You can do this in settings, under Privacy and Location.

A．Don’t be so sure.

B．Yet we do little to block the spies.

C．Care about who owns and controls the data.

D．We don't want to prevent all Internet spying.

E．Privacy is not just about freedom from embarrassment.

F．You can minimize some unwanted spying by taking these measures.

G．That includes things you thought were private, such as your health data, beliefs and daily habits.