1 . Dear Fresher, joining a university can be a pleasant but challenging experience: horrific and yet beautiful, scary but exciting.
Do not panic if, like me, you do not make friends on the first day or week. Before I met Sanaa, I had tried to force myself to make friends with classmates in my other majors. Then I was starting to get convinced that there was something wrong with me.
So, dear Fresher, as I say welcome to university life, I am also saying, give yourself time-to understand your school, your course, and your new rhythm of life. Do not fall into the trap of people-pleasing to fit in.
Finally, it might not look like it, but the four, five, or six years you will be in university will pass by really quickly.
So, dear Fresher, go forward, and leave your mark! You will be surprised at how much experience that will contribute to your CV.
| A．It is a big turn on the pages of your life. |
| B．Extracurricular activities build confidence. |
| C．I no longer struggle too hard to fit square pegs into round holes. |
| D．It is a good idea for you to make friends with like-minded people. |
| E．That was why I got uninspired by every friendship I tried to make. |
| F．While the new phase of life is challenging, remember who you truly are. |
| G．Seek out opportunities to do stuff you are passionate about during your free time. |
2 . To build a prosperous (繁荣的) society, a fundamental understanding of the modern economy as a driving force in today’s world is essential.
What kind of prosperity have we achieved so far? The widespread definition of prosperity focuses on economic power and growth as measures of success. Let’s take a look at history. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled mass production and created a sufficient supply of goods. This has greatly increased the importance of money in its role as “a store of value, ” and “a medium of exchange. ”As a result, we have pursued economic power as the only indicator of prosperity, such as GDP. Waves of globalization and technological evolution have promoted overall economic growth, but have allowed the few who are strong to achieve greater power while exploiting the many who are weak. Consequently, inequality has worsened, and disunity has intensified.
The path to a truly prosperous world requires a shift in focus towards the most suitable happiness for all, in addition to economic power. Defining happiness, however, is a complex task. What makes people happy? The degree to which the same thing creates happiness differs from person to person. Happiness is subjective and complicated. This is a world of “multiple values” where each of us determines worth as opposed to “one fixed price” based merely on an economic perspective. Individuals shouldn’t be defined by a single identity or role but by multidimensional nature as well as multiple roles making independent choices and taking actions for their happiness in different aspects.
Businesses must be pioneers in pursuing not only economic growth but also the happiness of all citizens of society. Companies can contribute through the pursuit of social value as well as economic profit. At the heart of this lies “purpose”. A company’s purpose defines the value it brings to society. The true worth of a company should be determined not just by the return s it creates for shareholders but by the value it creates for society as a whole.
1. What is the author’s attitude to the widely accepted standard of prosperity?| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Uncertain. | D．Approving. |
| A．The slower economic growth speed. |
| B．The sharp reduction of job opportunities. |
| C．The enlarged gap between the rich and the poor. |
| D．The increasing conflict between different nations. |
| A．Happiness is changeable and beyond control. |
| B．Happiness largely depends on economic power. |
| C．The pursuit of profit determines a company’s true worth. |
| D．A prosperous world should be measured by multiple values. |
| A．Social psychologists. | B．Enterprise administrators. |
| C．School educators. | D．Technological researchers. |
3 . Until recently, gravitational waves could have been the stuff of Einstein’s imagination. Before they were detected, these waves in space time existed only in the physicist’s general theory of relativity, as far as scientists knew. Now, researchers are on the hunt for more ways to detect the waves. “The study of gravitational waves is booming,” says astrophysicist Karan Jani of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. “This is just remarkable. No field I can think of in fundamental physics has seen progress this fast.”
Just as light comes in a variety of wavelengths, so do gravitational waves. Different wave lengths point to different types of origins of the universe and require different kinds of detectors. Gravitational waves with wavelengths of a few thousand kilometers—like those detected by the United States, Italy and Japan—come mostly from pairs of black holes 10 or so times the mass of the sun, or from collisions of dense cosmic blocks called neutron stars (中子星). These detectors could also spot waves from certain types of exploding stars and rapidly moving neutron stars.
In contrast, huge waves that span light-years are thought to be created by orbiting pairs of bigger black holes with masses billions of times that of the sun. In June, scientists reported the first strong evidence of these types of waves by turning the entire galaxy (星系) into a detector, watching how the waves make slight changes to the timing of regular blinks from neutron stars throughout the Milky Way.
Physicists now hope to dive into a vast, cosmic ocean of gravitational waves of all sorts of sizes. These waves could reveal new details about the secret lives of exotic objects such as black holes and unknown parts of the universe.
Physicist Jason Hogan of Stanford University thinks there are still a lot of gaps in the coverage of wavelengths. “But it makes sense to cover all the bases. Who knows what else we may find?” he says. The search for capturing the full complement of the universe’s gravitational waves exactly could take observatories out into the moon, to the atomic area and elsewhere.
1. What does Karan Jani think of the current study on gravitational waves?| A．It is rapid and pioneering. |
| B．It is slow but steadily increasing. |
| C．It is interrupted due to limited detectors. |
| D．It is progressing as fast as any other field. |
| A．The creation of different kinds of detectors. |
| B．Collisions of planets outside the solar system. |
| C．The presence of light in different wavelengths. |
| D．Activities involving black holes and neutron stars. |
| A．By analyzing sunlight. |
| B．By locating the new galaxy. |
| C．By using the whole galaxy as a tool. |
| D．By observing the sun’s regular movement. |
| A．It’ll exclude the atomic field. |
| B．It’ll focus exactly on the mapping of the galaxy. |
| C．It’ll require prioritizing certain wavelengths on the moon. |
| D．It’ll explore potential places to detect gravitational waves. |
4 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.
I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.
Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.
I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.
The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.
Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.
1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Enjoy. | B．Fear. | C．Expect. | D．Avoid. |
| A．They get angry too easily. | B．They blame her for their debts. |
| C．They do not see her as a real person. | D．They accuse her of taking their money. |
| A．She can offer callers best advice. | B．She is always respected by callers. |
| C．She can put herself in others’ shoes. | D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity. |
| A．To call for understanding of her job. | B．To explain why she is good at her job. |
| C．To introduce what she is responsible for. | D．To complain about her being treated badly. |
5 . I recently found myself agonizing over a financial decision. So when I saw a financially savvy acquaintance at a party, I decided to ask for her advice. As the conversation deepened, however, I felt my stomach tighten in frustration. While I’m sure my friend wanted to help, her advice was immediately off the mark. She didn’t ask me questions or consider how my goals might differ from hers. She simply told me what she would do, and I quickly found myself tuning off her speech. The exchange left me feeling discouraged.
To help head off bad advice, get clear on your needs. Are you asking someone to help think through options you might take to resolve a problem? Are you asking someone to provide advice as your friend or as an objective observer? Communicating both your problem and your expectations will help your advice-giver approach your questions thoughtfully and with a goal of their own in mind.
David Eddie was an advice columnist for nearly two decades. At that time, he learned that good advice-givers ask questions that help them better understand where you’re coming from and what your goals are. They don’t assume they know the answer—or that you have the time, resources or ability to approach the challenge in the same way they would. “You want someone who’s going to drill down into the problem with you and take the time to understand the shape of it,” he says.
Personally motivated advice is usually pretty easy to spot. A friend may advise their secret crush to leave their current partner. That’s why Eddie often gathers a range of perspectives. He calls his group of advice-givers The Panel, and it’s made up of his wife, mom and some friends and colleagues. Their advice helps him see different sides of sticky issues—pushing him to consider different angles and outcomes. But in the end, he’s the one who makes the decision. He says, “I believe in the saying, ‘Seek the advice of many, but follow your own counsel.’” After all, everyone is an expert on their own life.
1. What should one do to avoid terrible advice?| A．Ask the advice-giver to help think through options. |
| B．Be specific about your needs. |
| C．Make sure the advice-giver is an objective observer. |
| D．Choose one of your friend as the advice-giver. |
| A．Good advice-givers have great experience. |
| B．Good advice-givers solve the problem personally for clients. |
| C．Good advice-givers tend to listen to clients. |
| D．Good advice-givers offer advice in clients’ shoes. |
| A．Trying suggestions from a range of perspectives. |
| B．Choosing a personally motivated suggestion. |
| C．Making your own decision after hearing extensive suggestions. |
| D．Trying to be an expert on your own life. |
| A．Learning to Give Advice | B．Asking Advice From Your Panel |
| C．Being a Friendly Advice-giver | D．Avoiding Bad Advice |
6 . Plants are vital to human survival, even when there’s no sunlight. But keeping your houseplants alive in window-less rooms or in shadowy corners can be a challenge. Luckily, there are ways to help your plants stay energetic, even when their sunny source of energy is limited.
Grow lights provide an easy and accessible energy increase in dim or black spaces. These specialized beams (光线) have different features, colors, and prices. LEDs, for instance, are the cheapest and most energy-efficient option.
While most devices stick to a warm white light, plants respond differently to various illuminating colors. Scientist Levine has made two creative experiments. Under gravity, red light worked well for the slim flowering plants Arabidopsis (拟南芥). But in the weightless environment, they stretched into funny shapes until he started adding blue lights. He eventually found a middle ground and put the plants in green light.
If electricity is a limiting factor, you can try to reflect light with mirrors. Even brightening up your space with white decorations, like a light-colored tablecloth, will cast a little glow over your plants. While it’s not comparable to using a grow light or the sun, it could offer plants extra power.
Some plants, including tomatoes, need more light than those like Arabidopsis; new seedling s need less light than fully-grow n plants. As you choose your seeds and seedlings, research their native ranges to learn how much sunshine they’d naturally get.
Plants are finally adaptable. They can stretch their stems toward available light sources or produce extra chlorophyll (叶绿素), which absorbs available cold light. Even though they may not be getting all the light that they would like for optimum (最适宜的) growth, they’ll still grow. With only a little extra help, you and your plants can overcome the darkness.
1. What is the purpose of using grow lights?| A．To change the color of the plants. | B．To provide an energy boost in dim spaces. |
| C．To create a decorative effect in the room. | D．To help plants grow in weightless environments. |
| A．Plants grew best under red lights without gravity. |
| B．Blue lights caused plants to grow funny shapes. |
| C．Green lights were the best choice for plants without gravity. |
| D．Plants preferred warm white lights in all situations. |
| A．By putting the metal in the soil. | B．By adding more fertilizer to their soil. |
| C．By decorating some reflective objects. | D．By pouring some chemical liquid. |
| A．Plant scientists and researchers. |
| B．Indoor decorators and designers. |
| C．Farmers planning to grow crops in low-light conditions. |
| D．Individuals looking to improve their indoor gardening skills. |
7 . Treatment of Motion Sickness
Whether you travel by plane, car, train or boat, if you’ve experienced motion sickness, you know how easily it can make your trip unpleasant. Motion sickness can cause dizziness, uneasiness or throwing up.
Eat small meals
Be aware of situations that cause symptoms (症状)
Do you get sick when you’re riding in the second or third row of an SUV? Are you OK on a train, but tend to feel sick on a bus?
Look at the horizon (地平线)
For travel by boat, car, train or bus, looking toward the horizon may help prevent motion sickness. People who have motion sickness tend to have more body sway (晃动) while standing.
It may be appealing to catch up on work or sink into a good book, but reading or using a device like a computer should be avoided, The balance center in your inner ear senses movement, but the words on the screen or page are still. These mixed messages can result in sickness.
| A．Try to move your body lightly |
| B．Do deep breathing exercises as often as possible |
| C．Avoid reading or computer work during the journey |
| D．Knowing what causes your sickness can help you avoid it |
| E．In a study, looking at the horizon while at sea reduced body sway |
| F．Here are simple strategies that may help to prevent or reduce these symptoms |
| G．It can be appealing to fill up before you travel to avoid eating packaged food on board |
8 . How to Apply China Visa (签证)
How to apply China visa is the most concerned question for international tourists who plan to travel to China. Here you will find the useful information about China visa requirements and instructions.
China Visa Requirements
▶The valid (有效的) passport
Original passport valid for at least 6 months with blank visa pages, and a photocopy of data page (with your photo on it)
▶China visa application form and photo
The applicants must fill in a complete visa application form and attach it with a recent-taken colour passport photo.
So what is the requirement of the photo? The photo you submit must be passport-type (bare-head, full face) and standard with the correct dimension and background colour.
▶Effective proof of legal stay or resident status (it applies to those who do not apply for China visa in their countries of citizenship).
Supporting Application Documents
For C-Visa, a letter of guarantee issued by a foreign transport company or an invitation letter issued by a relevant authority from China side shall be provided.
For D-Visa, the original and a photocopy of foreign permanent residence identification form issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security shall be provided.
For F-Visa, an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from China side shall be provided.
For G-Visa, an onward air (train, bus, ship) ticket with confirmed date and seat to the third country or region shall be provided.
For L-Visa, the tour itinerary (行程) and documents with round trip flight tickets and accommodation reservations, or an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from Chinese side shall be provided.
For M-Visa, documents of business activity, trade fair invitation letter or other invitation letter issued by trade partners in China shall be provided.
Further reading: click the link China visa knowledge and types.
1. In what situation do people have to prove the legal stay for the application?| A．Not being in his country of nationality. |
| B．Without documents of business activity. |
| C．Without photos that match the requirements. |
| D．Not being invited by trade partners in China. |
| A．C-Visa and M-Visa. | B．L-Visa and D-Visa. |
| C．G-Visa and L-Visa. | D．F-Visa and M-Visa. |
| A．A science magazine. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A hotel poster. | D．A web page. |
9 . A 12-year-old girl from Virginia, US, never thought that a simple message she put online could bring her big problems. She posted the words, “Killing. Meet me in the library Tuesday”, with three emojis (表情符号) of a gun, a knife and a bomb (炸弹) on Instagram, a social media (社交媒体). She was told that she broke the law because of threatening (威胁) her school.
This problem is not far away from us. Not long ago, Ni Hanxiang, a Chinese student at a university in the US, was sent back to China after expressing on social media that he would kill his teachers if he failed to pass his exams.
In China, posting threatening words online is also against the law. In 2013, Wu Hongfei, a singer, got into trouble for saying on Weibo that she wanted to blow up a building.
“Threatening happens not only face to face but also through the Internet, social media and the telephone,” said Mr. Cao, a lawyer from Chongqing. “Although the law of China protects people’s right of free speech, it doesn’t include words that threaten others’ lives and national safety.”
“Some people may not mean to threaten. They may just be trying to say ‘I’m strong’,” said Fred Pratt, a lawyer from the US.
The girl’s mother said her daughter was a good kid who had never been in trouble before. Ni Hanxiang also said he didn’t realize that what he put online was so serious.
“But not knowing the law doesn’t mean the law will treat you any differently if you break it,” says David Allen Green, a lawyer from the UK. So, do you think we’d better spend a minute or two thinking about the words or emojis we use on social media before we press “send”?
1. The 12-year-old girl from Virginia put the words “Killing. Meet me in the library Tuesday”, with three emojis ______.| A．in her own diary | B．in a letter to her friend |
| C．on a social media | D．on the wall of the library |
| A．because he broke the US law | B．because he wasn’t honest |
| C．after he killed his teachers | D．after he blew up a building |
| A．Fred Pratt thinks some people may not mean to threaten |
| B．the girl’s mother didn’t think her daughter was a bad child |
| C．cheating in an examination at school may get you into trouble |
| D．Putting threatening words on QQ may bring you problems |
| A．we shouldn’t break the US law if we study at a university in the US |
| B．students and singers shouldn’t post words or emojis on social media |
| C．students should study hard at school and not use the Internet too much |
| D．we should be careful when we send words or emojis on social media |
10 . Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Exhibition of Shakespeare’s World
Welcome to the world-famous house where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and where he grew up. The property (房产) remained in the ownership of Shakespeare’s family until 1806. The House has welcomed visitors traveling from all over the word , for over 250 years.
| OPENING TIMES: 20 Mar to 19 Oct Mon to Sat: 9:00am to 5:00pm Sun:9:30am to 5:00pm 20 Oct to 19Mar Mon to Sat:9:30am to 4:00pm Sun:10:00am to 4:00pm | ADMISSION: Adult £4.90 Child £2.20 Family £ 12.00(2 adults +up to 3 children) |
◆Enter though the Visitors’ Centre and see the highly-praised exhibition Shakespeare’s World, a lively and full introduction to the life and work of Shakespeare.
◆Stand in the rooms-where Shakespeare grew up.
◆Discover examples of furniture and needlework from Shakespeare’s period.
◆Enjoy the traditional (传统的) English garden, planted with trees and flowers mentioned in the poet’s works.
◎The Birthplace is within easy walking distance of all the car parks shown on the map; nearest is Windsor Street(3 minutes’ walk).
The House may present difficulties but the Visitors’ Centre, its exhibition hall, and the garden are accessible (可进入的) to wheelchair user.
◎The Shakespeare Coffee House (opposite the Birthplace).
1. How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and two children?| A．$9.80 | B．$14.20 | C．$12.0 | D．$16.40 |
| A．Behind the exhibition hall. | B．At Windsor street. |
| C．Opposite the Visitors’ Centre. | D．Near the Coffee House. |
| A．textbook | B．A news report | C．Fashion Magazine | D．A travel brochure |
