1 . Blind people have long desired for brightness, but scientists don’t have the technology. To bring that one step closer to reality, Zhiyong Fan, a materials scientist of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, developed a new artificial eye recently. The device, which is about as sensitive to light and has sharper vision and a faster reaction time than a real eyeball, may outperform human eyes.
The human eye owes its wide field of view and clear eyesight to the retina (视网膜) — an area at the back of the eyeball covered in light-detecting cells. The design for a new artificial eye is based on the structure of the human eye and uses a friendly light-sensitive material. At the back of the eyeball, an artificial retina is lined with Nan scale light sensors (纳米级光感器). Those sensors measure light that passes through the lens (晶状体) at the front of the eye. Wires attached to the back of the retina send signals from those sensors to the processor, similar to the way nerve networks connect the eyeball to the brain.
“In the future, we can use this to replace damaged human eyes,” says the lead designer. In theory, this artificial eye could see more clearly than the human eye, because the artificial retina contains about 460 million light sensors per square centimeter while a real retina has about 10 million light-detecting cells per square centimeter. Besides, the artificial eyeball records changes in lighting faster than human eyes can — within about 30 to 40 milliseconds, rather than 40 to 150 milliseconds. Although its 100-degree field of view isn’t as broad as the150 degrees a human eye can take in, the device can see as well as the human eye in poor light.
Hongrui Jiang, an electrical engineer at the University of Wisconsin, though, thinks engineers need a much more practical and efficient way to produce vast series of tiny wires on the back of the artificial eyeball to give it superhuman sight, which is super hard to achieve.
1. Why does Zhiyong Fan develop the artificial eye?| A．To replace people’s real eyeballs. | B．To gain a sharper vision. |
| C．To help the blind regain their eyesight. | D．To help normal eyes perform better. |
| A．The design of the artificial eye. | B．The structure of the human eye. |
| C．The advantages of the artificial eye. | D．The material used for the artificial eye. |
| A．They have the same structure. |
| B．The artificial eye may see more clearly. |
| C．The human eye sees better in weak light. |
| D．The artificial eye takes in a broader view. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Favorable. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Satisfied. |
2 . People generally like to pick out the best-looking fruits and vegetables when shopping for produce (农产品), but Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws is attracting customers with badly-shaped and faulty produce at the price of 30% lower than normal-looking one.
A trial run of the ugly food line, named “Naturally Imperfect”, began with only apples and potatoes to choose from. Consumer demand has been so huge that Loblaws is going to introduce more ugly vegetables and fruits like onions and mushrooms.
All the produce that will be sold through Naturally Imperfect would otherwise have been used in juices, sauces, or soups, or have not been harvested at all. The director Dan Branson explained that this program benefited both food producers who would otherwise have to let abnormal produce go to waste, and consumers who could buy fresh produce at low prices. And he was right, given how popular the line has become.
“It really went well beyond our expectation,” Branson said. “I think it really spoke to the fact that Canadians are out there really looking for some options.”
Of course, Canadians know that beauty is more than skin deep, and they also recognize that they can get the same flavor and nutritional benefits in spite of appearances. The positive response to the initial offering of apples and potatoes showed the opportunity to expand the line and offer more options at a greater price to Canadian families.
“If you grow produce in your backyard, there will be a lot of produce that won’t look as pretty as what you will see in a grocery store”, said Branson. “And nature doesn’t grow everything perfectly. I’d like to think if somebody were to take a No Name Naturally Imperfect apple, put it right beside a No.1 apple, close his eyes and eat them, there would be no difference.”
1. Loblaws is different from other supermarkets in that ______.| A．more fruits are offered at lower prices | B．normal-looking produce is forbidden there |
| C．only apples and potatoes are sold every day | D．imperfect produce is sold at lower prices there |
| A．prevents people from wasting their food | B．happens to be a win-win mode |
| C．teaches food producers how to grow | D．enables consumers to eat more fresh produce |
| A．Canadians are used to eating perfect produce. |
| B．Smart consumers know the importance of ugly produce. |
| C．Loblaws intends to improve customers’ quality of life. |
| D．Customers’ support promotes the development of the ugly food line. |
| A．Imperfect fruits are as tasty and nutritious as perfect ones. |
| B．The world is usually full of imperfect things. |
| C．We should eat imperfect apples with our eyes closed. |
| D．The fruits grown by ourselves are more nutritious than those in the store. |
3 . What a day! I started my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!
The day started very early at 7:00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, mom said to have a good talk with them. I couldn’t stop laughing.
My mom dropped me off at the school gate about five minutes before the bell rang. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.
I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way, too.
1. How did the author feel the night before her new school?| A．Tired. | B．Excited. | C．Happy. | D．Worried. |
| A．Clear. | B．Funny. | C．Reasonable. | D．Excellent. |
| A．She met many nice people. | B．She had a hurried breakfast. |
| C．She learned some new skills. | D．She arrived at school very early. |
| A．She disliked Stacey. | B．She was shy and quiet. |
| C．She got on well with the author. | D．She was an old friend of the author. |
4 . After entering high school, you may find there are many clubs at your school. You may think you’re too busy to join one. But as a former high school student, I can tell you joining a school club can greatly profit you.
Your old friends may have left you after entering high school. And it means you need to meet new people. Joining a club allows you to talk with others and find those who have similar interests as you. Based on my experience, I have met some of my best friends from club activities, which opened up many new doors for me.
Another really nice thing about joining a club is that it looks really good on college applications. Trying new things is something that looks really good on any application. Outgoing is considered a very good quality which shows that you are determined and ready to put yourself out there and best of all try new things. Furthermore, it can help you develop skills that can serve you during future college interviews.
Besides, joining a club can make students use their free time wisely. Most teens go to schools, then go back home and spend the rest of the day in front of a screen. Teens are also very likely to fall into the wrong crowd, which could lead to some bad results. Clubs are good places to spend time with good people to fall back on.
The most important reason why you should join a club is the long-term benefits ( 益 处 ) it brings.The classroom isn’t the only learning environment in a school. The skills you learn in clubs are necessary ones that can be used in everyday life, which I think is the final goal of joining a club. Things such as meeting and speaking to new people, making the most of time, and being organized are those you will meet every single day of your life, but you can learn all of them in clubs.
So if you haven’t joined a school club yet, you know what you should do now.
1. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “profit”in paragraph 1?| A．Cheer up. | B．Go against. | C．Make use of. | D．Be good for. |
| A．The number of clubs you have joined. | B．The strong relationships you have built. |
| C．The bright personality you have developed. | D．The similar interests you share with other students. |
| A．Why Should You Join a Club? | B．What Club Should You Join? |
| C．How Can You Join a Club You Like? | D．Should You Join a Second Club? |
| A．Health. | B．School life. | C．Culture. | D．Social work. |
5 .
Hope Book Club A book club is a small group of persons that are reading the same book in order to share different feelings and opinions about the book. The book club meets once a month for an hour of lively discussion. All students(3+), teachers and parents are welcome! Here you can discover a new world, learn new ideas and make new friends! |
What you should do: ★You will read the book on your own and then discuss your reading in the book club. ★You must keep up with your reading so that you can join as a part of your group. The book club will decide what pages or chapters(章节) you will read. ★You should take down notes and thoughts as you read. ★Everyone in the book club is expected to join in the discussion. More tips: ★Keep our place clean. ★No pets and no smoking. ★Take good care of books and return them on time. ★You must ask for leave if you cannot join in the discussion. Fees: Kids from 3—7: Free; Kids from 8—18:10 dollars a month; Adults: 15 dollars a month. If you are interested, call 487-256-656 or 487-266-545, send an email to hopebook@yahoo.com or visit our website at www. hopebookclub.com. |
| A．40 dollars. | B．60 dollars. | C．80 dollars. | D．90 dollars |
| A．Keeping the environment tidy. | B．Taking care of your pets. |
| C．Keeping silent when discussing . | D．Deciding whatever pages or chapters. |
| A．You can keep the books as long as you like. |
| B．Books aren’t allowed to be taken out of the club. |
| C．The members in the club have to put down their ideas. |
| D．You can choose your favourite books to read in the club. |
6 . After entering high school, you must wonder how to study well. Here are some good skills for you.
Go to class.
If you want to do well at school, going to class is the first step in studying well. If you miss classes, you will miss what the teacher thinks is important; as a result, you’ll miss what is the most likely to end up on the test.
Take good notes.
Try not to write down everything.
If you are struggling in class, talk to your teacher. He or she may be able to give you more help before or after class. Most teachers have little sympathy(同情) for students who just become worried about failing during the last few weeks of the grading period.
Take part in class discussions.
In order to learn more in class, it is helpful to take part in class discussions. Asking questions and having eye contact with your teachers and classmates can increase your focus during the class discussion.
Form study groups.
Get students together who want to do well in class. Make sure that everyone is familiar with the material because you do not want to spend time re-teaching material to people who do not understand it.
| A．But be careful! | B．Don’t be late for your class． | C．Talk to your teacher if you need help． | D．You should write down all the new terms． | E．So if you want to study well, go to every class． | F．All you need is to put down the main points in your own words． | G．In order to learn more in classit is helpful to take part in class discussions |
7 . Want to help fight global warming? Take off your tie, says the Italian health ministry. It has urged employers to let their staff dress casually at work in the summer so that the air conditioning can be turned down.
“Taking your tie off immediately lowers the body temperature by 2 or 3 degrees centigrade,” the ministry said in a statement. “Allowing a more sensible use of air conditioning brings about electricity savings and protects the environment.”
It called on all public and private offices to let employees wear no tie during heatwaves like the one that has brought Africa-like temperatures to many parts of Italy this week.
The move reacts to a similar action from Italy’s biggest oil group, ENI, which told its staff earlier this month they need not wear a tie at work. The tie makers, however, were left hot under the collar.
“Italy confirms (证实) that it is a strange country,” Flavio Cima said angrily in a letter to financial daily IL Sole~24ORE under the headline: “I, tie maker, am responsible for global warming.”
“We can now happily continue with our lifestyle, using cars, consuming fuel, heating and cooling our homes at leisure. On one condition: we should not wear a tie while we do so,” he wrote.
“I should have listened to my friends and become an oil producer instead.”
Italy is one of the European Union’s worst performers on the pollution front and is among the EU countries expected to exceed (超出) their greenhouse gas emission (排放) targets.
1. What’s the purpose of the move of taking off ties?| A．To dress casually. | B．To fight global warming. |
| C．To keep the body temperature. | D．To improve working conditions. |
| A．ENI. | B．Flavio Cima. |
| C．A financial daily. | D．The Italian health ministry. |
| A．Angry. | B．Speechless. |
| C．Delighted. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．He stands by the oil group. | B．He agrees with the ministry. |
| C．He admits his responsibility. | D．He argues against taking off ties. |
8 . A teenager needs to have a sense of independence in their life to feel secure (安全的). To some teenagers independence means a lot to them, and I think that some parents don’t allow their teenagers enough independence.
Independence has something to do with freedom. Some kids are not allowed to go anywhere alone, and the only thing their schedule includes is going to school, coming home, going to sleep, and repeating the process the next day. Parents tend to be afraid that their kids can get hurt if they go outside into the world. But if parents control their kids too much, they may never learn to live on their own. The best way for a teenager to learn lesson is through experience. I think it is beneficial for teenagers to have freedom.
Teenagers’ lack of freedom can also stop them from having good friendship at school. Some might say this is a good thing, because it helps them focus more on their school work. I argue that this can only discourage them not to do their school work. Some parents do not allow their children to be around their friends outside the school, thinking that this will get them into trouble. But I don’t think so. Instead, isn’t this a good reason for parents to get their children a cellphone? Cellphones allow teenagers to stay in touch with their parents, and communicate with friends.
Privacy is another issue between parents and their teenagers. Teenagers tend to enjoy relaxation by themselves in their own room. This also gives them a sense of independence. It often annoys teenagers when their parents enter their room when they are not home. I know that my mom always goes in my room when I’m not home, and this has brought me to the point where I have asked many times to get a lock on my door.
1. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?| A．It benefits teenagers to have freedom. | B．Some parents allow their kids no freedom. |
| C．Kids know how to live independently. | D．Kids have a dull routine every day |
| A．it is unnecessary for a kid to have a cellphone |
| B．kids should focus on the school work |
| C．parents should make it easy for kids to communicate with their friends |
| D．good friendships between kids harm their school work |
| A．Angry | B．Lucky | C．Disappointed | D．Calm |
| A．keep her father from reading her dairy | B．stop thieves from going in |
| C．protect herself from any harm | D．prevent her mother entering her room |
9 . Two weeks ago, a 5-year-old girl named Sunshine Oelfke emptied out her piggy bank (存钱罐) onto the living room floor and immediately started counting. Her grandmother, Jackie Oelfke, thought she was playing as she carefully lined up the coins, but then she saw the girl put the coins into a plastic bag and place it in her backpack.
“What are you doing with that money?” Jackie asked her granddaughter.
“I’m taking it to school,” Sunshine replied. “I’m going to take it for milk money. My friend Layla doesn’t get milk— her mom doesn’t have milk money and I do.”
Jackie’s heart melted at Sunshine’s words. Choked with strong feelings, Jackie held her sweet granddaughter tightly in her arms.
Last week, Jackie and Sunshine met with her teacher, Rita Hausher, and handed her the $30 the kindergartner had saved. There are 20 kids in Sunshine’s class and about half don’t get milk. It costs $ 0.45 a carton (纸盒). The total adds up to about $180 a month for every child in the class to have milk every day.
After dropping Sunshine off at school, Jackie posted a tearful video on Facebook to explain her granddaughter’s plan. To her surprise, many people offered to donate toward the cause. Within a week, Jackie raised more than $1,000. Now every student in Sunshine’s class can get free milk for the rest of the year.
Jackie said Sunshine doesn’t see her kind act as a big deal. She was just trying to look out for her friends. “She doesn’t understand the effect she’s brought about,” Jackie said. “But now she knows she can do whatever she puts her mind to.”
1. Why did Sunshine empty her piggy bank?| A．She hoped to show off her savings in class. | B．She needed to train her counting skills. |
| C．She wanted to play with the coins. | D．She intended to pay for her friend’s milk. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Touched. | C．Curious. | D．Proud. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. | B．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．There’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
| A．Small Coins, Big Changes. | B．Jackie’s Piggy Bank. |
| C．Piggy Bank and Carton Milk. | D．A Moved Grandmother. |
10 . Are you too old for fairy tales? If you think so, Copenhagen is sure to change your mind.
See the city first from the water. In the harbor sits Denmark’s best-known landmark: the Little Mermaid. Remember her? In one of Andersen’s fairy tales, she left the world of the Sea People in search of a human soul. From the harbor you can get a feel for “the city of green spires”. In cloudy weather, the copper-covered spires of old castles and churches give the city a dream-like atmosphere; you’ll think you’ve stepped into a watercolor painting.
Copenhagen is a city on a human scale (人性化的). You don’t have to hurry to walk in the city’s centre in less than an hour. Exploring it will take much longer. Copenhagen was the first city to declare a street for pedestrians (行人) only. The city has less traffic noise and pollution than any other European capital.
Churches and castles are almost all that remain of the original city. Copenhagen became the capital city in 1445. During the late 16th century , trade grew, and so did the city. But fires in 1728and 1795 destroyed the old wooden structures. Much of what we see today dates from the 19th century.
1. The passage is mainly about ________ of Copenhagen.| A．the size | B．a brief introduction |
| C．castles and churches | D．history |
| A．Little Mermaid | B．The copper-covered spires of castles and churches |
| C．water color painting | D．Less traffic noise and pollution |
| A．In the late 16th century | B．Between 1728and 1795 |
| C．In 1445 | D．From 19th century |
