1 . Nostalgia (怀旧) has become increasingly common in our current climate of unexpected, fast-paced change. More and more people are turning back with longing for what feels like simpler, sweeter times. They collect cassette tapes, manual typewriters even decades-old video games.
Is it a mistake to get too obsessed with the past? Some psychologists warn that too much devotion to the so-called good old days is an escape from reality; it can indicate loneliness or that a person is having a difficult time coping in the present. Psychologist Stephanie Coontz argues that nostalgia distracts us from addressing the problems of modern life and contributes to anxiety, depression, insomnia etc.
But new studies suggest that a modest dose of nostalgia is not only harmless, but actually beneficial. They suggest it helps strengthen our sense of identity and makes us feel more optimistic and inspired. It is also a tool for self-discovery and memories are a psychological immune response that is triggered when you want to take a break from negativity. Interestingly, those happy memories can be particularly beneficial both to kids in their teens and to society’s elders. Recalling our childhood reminds us of “the times when we were accented and loved unconditionally,” says Krystine Batcho, a psychologist. “That is such a powerfully comforting phenomenon, knowing that there was a time in life when we didn’t have to earn our love.” Nostalgia can transform even the most ordinary past into legends which warms the heart and the body. Let’s not forget that nostalgia has been a source of inspiration to innumerable American writers. Mark Twain recalled his boyhood, writing, “after all these years, I can picture that old time to myself now, just as it was then: The white town drowsing in the sunshine of a summer’s morning.”
So go ahead, daydream a little about your best childhood friend, your first car, a long-gone family pet. As Dr. Sedikidessays, “Nostalgia is absolutely central to human experience.” But at the same time, keep these words of wisdom from the great inventor Charles Kettering in mind as well: “You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”
1. What did some psychologists in paragraph 2 probably agree?| A．Nostalgia can cause some mental problems. |
| B．Nostalgia makes us devoted to the present life. |
| C．Nostalgia shows you are trying to get rid of loneliness. |
| D．Nostalgia helps us cope with the difficult time we are going through. |
| A．It can enable us to know ourselves better |
| B．It can bring us some comfort when we recall |
| C．We are likely to gain attention if we recall the happy childhood |
| D．We can sometimes break away from negativity with happy memories |
| A．The reasons why we should avoid nostalgia. |
| B．The great changes nostalgia will bring to you. |
| C．The bad memories that always stick around you. |
| D．The bad influence of too much devotion to nostalgia. |
| A．People tend to be lost in nostalgia. |
| B．People actually benefit from nostalgia. |
| C．Childhood memories influence present life. |
| D．There are some periods when people look back. |
2 . For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a socially-distanced barbecue (an outdoor meal). But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary (革命性的) origins.
By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had made working life miserable for people around the world. In many places, workers toiled for at least 12 hours a day six days a week in mines, factories, railroads, and mills. This holiday actually originated in the US on May 1, 1866, in what came to be known as the Haymarket Riot, workers flooded Chicago streets to demand an eight-hour workday.
It would take another conflict in the American Midwest to make Labor Day a national holiday. On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer near Chicago, went on strike to protest their low wages and 16-hour workdays. In August 1893, James Kyle introduced federal legislation (立法) to make Labor Day a public holiday, but for ten months the legislation was put on hold. To quiet the strikers and their supporters, the Senate quickly passed the bill on June 22. The bill passed the House four days later and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law on June 28, 1894.
The holiday is more information May Day labor celebrations. Many observers relax at home or head to outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, barbecues, and camping. It may also be marked with fireworks shows and other events. Labor Day has also become associated with retail sales, as many shop owners try to take advantage of the customers’ day off. It is one of the largest sales events of the year. meaning retail employees actually have to work more on this day. Parades are the most common model of celebration, which often feature processions of labor groups.
1. What do we know about the workers in the late 19th century?| A．They were paid well. | B．They had long workdays. |
| C．They often had a barbecue. | D．Their contributions were recognized. |
| A．Put off. | B．Introduced. | C．Got through. | D．Protected. |
| A．On May 1, 1886. | B．On August 22, 1893. | C．On May 11, 1894. | D．On June 28, 1894. |
| A．The origins of Labor Day. | B．The labor groups achievements. |
| C．The ways to celebrate Labor Day. | D．The official activities on Labor Day. |
3 . You have probably heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade (柠檬水).” Since lemons are considered bitter and lemonade is considered sweet, the saying tells you to make the best out of a bad situation.
Unluckily, when something bad happens, it’s not uncommon for most people to talk about it to anyone who’ll listen, and complain about life. “Why me?” That’s like getting a bag of lemons and thinking, “Lemons taste bad! I’d rather have chocolate!” If you don’t make anything with the lemons, they will go bad. But what if you did something with them? What if you made lemonade? Isn’t it possible to do something similar with a bad situation?
Here’s an example. You’re about to go to the cinema when you discover you have a flat tire (瘪胎). You consider this a terrible thing for you are really looking forward to enjoying the movie. Now you’re very upset, hating the tire, the car, and your life. But what if you called AAA (美国汽车协会) and got your tire fixed? What if you did some reading, or had coffee with a friend instead? A bad experience can be turned into something positive. Almost anything can work itself out into something better. You can’t change what has happened, so make the best of it. I’m not saying it will be easy. The easy thing to do is complain about your bad situation and not consider what it could be turned into.
Next time when something unfortunate happens, stop and think, “How can I turn this around? How can I make it a positive experience?”
1. What do we know about the saying in the first paragraph?| A．It is encouraging. | B．It is funny. |
| C．It is boring. | D．It is unreasonable. |
| A．Accept it. | B．Complain about it. |
| C．Find out the reasons. | D．Ask others for help. |
| A．there is a flat tire happening sometimes | B．it doesn’t matter to make mistakes |
| C．how to turn something bad into good | D．turning to others for help is necessary |
| A．Trying hard to solve it. | B．Laughing your way through it. |
| C．Thinking more about its goods. | D．Turning it into a positive experience. |
4 . It might seem like something from a science fiction movie, but scientists today are working on ways to combine certain kinds of bacteria with tiny robots. Scientists want to use these creations to improve the way we give medical treatment. They claim that drug therapy (疗法), disease diagnosis, and even surgery could be greatly aided by the use of nanobiotechnology. Nano-means “tiny”, and bio-means “life”. This tiny technology will use living organisms in combination with electronics.
Electronics makers already use tiny robots to build complex but very tiny circuits. Medical scientists want to use these robots to repair patients’ damaged organs or to direct medicines to affect specific cells. For example, tiny robots could be engineered to deliver chemotherapy (化疗) directly to cancer instead of to the entire body.
Existing electronics are the right size, but they lack practical use. Robots that can be built small enough to enter a person’s cells would be too tiny to move on their own. Therefore, scientists want to use tiny organisms such as bacteria to act as vehicles for the robots. The bacteria will be “driven” through the bloodstream by magnetic pulses (磁脉冲). Once the bacteria are in the correct locations, the robots will be able to do their jobs. In theory, these robots will cause less damage to the body than traditional methods of delivering medicines or performing surgeries.
Nanobiotechnology has yet to be put into practice, but many people already have concerns about its use. Some people worry about the ethic (道德标准) involved with controlling live organisms—and the possible side effects for their human hosts.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?| A．The application of tiny robots. | B．The influence of tiny robots. |
| C．The operation of tiny robots. | D．The origin of tiny robots. |
| A．Cheaper medicine. | B．Less harm to the body. |
| C．Longer life expectancy. | D．Faster performance of surgeries. |
| A．can locate he bacteria. | B．are driven by medicine. |
| C．can act as vehicles. | D．are carried by bacteria. |
| A．A computer textbok | B．A life magazine |
| C．A science magazine | D．A biology textbook |
5 . About 20 years ago Nissan introduced the world's first "talking car". Actually, it was just a recorded voice that would tell you that your door was open, and would continue talking to you until you closed it. Of course, it never caught on.
Times have changed and the talking car of the near future is a car that you talk to, rather than a car that talks to you. You'll be able to control your radio by giving voice orders, get traffic reports and directions, and send and receive e﹣mails. To do this, you needn't push a button at all.
This is good news for those who spend more and more of their lives in their cars. In fact, the new type of cars will be more like offices on wheels, with computers, wireless Internet access, and satellite radio inside. Companies are hoping that time wasted in traffic could be put to better use. If workers are able to check their e﹣mails, faxes, and meeting time on the way to work, they can spend more time at the office doing more important tasks.
Microsoft, of course, is hoping that every one of those mobile offices will use Windows. "It's a great goal. " says Dick Brass, VP of Microsoft's automotive division, "But we'd like to have one of our operating systems in every car on earth. " There are already 650 million cars in the world, and every year about 50 million new cars roll off the production lines. If Brass' wish came true, cars could become a bigger business for Microsoft than computers.
1. Which is TRUE about the world's first "talking car"?| A．Nissan invented it. |
| B．It was introduced in the late 20th century. |
| C．It could record voices. |
| D．It could not only record but also talk itself. |
| A．traffic reports | B．voice orders |
| C．light signals | D．electricity energy |
| A．much time will be wasted in traffic |
| B．their workers will get to the office earlier |
| C．their workers will have more time to do more important work |
| D．their workers will check e﹣mails, faxes, and meeting time at home |
| A．turned on | B．took off |
| C．become popular | D．was colourful |
| A．all of the mobile offices will use Windows |
| B．about 50 million new cars are produced every year |
| C．the new type of talking car has a recorded voice inside |
| D．the talking car of the near future is a car that talks to you |
6 . Help Foreign Guests at Formal Dinner
The Spring Festival is coming. The traditional family banquet (宴会) is also coming. You probably have tried many different Chinese dishes. But do you really know how to behave properly at such an important meal?
In the West, everyone has their own plate of food or elder people at the table taste every dish first.
Don’t put your chopsticks upright in the rice bowl.
Make sure the spout (壶嘴) of the teapot is not facing anyone as this is impolite. The spout should always be directed to where nobody is sitting, usually just outward from the table.
Although, teenagers are not supposed to drink any wine, you can still say “Ganbei” and drink to the health of your grandparents and parents.
| A．It is sure to please them. |
| B．Instead, lay them on your dish. |
| C．Don’t tap on your bowl with your chopsticks. |
| D．Helping foreign guests at formal dinner is of great importance. |
| E．Could you explain Chinese polite table behaviors to a foreign visitor? |
| F．Therefore, Chinese people use chopsticks rather than knives and forks. |
| G．However, in China, the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares. |
7 . Among the world’s waste-recycling pioneers, Germany is the leader. The country has quite a detailed way of sorting their waste-down to the color of glass waste, the type of paper, the separate bin for metals, etc.
Here below are what you should know about Germany’s waste sorting system：
◇You are expected to gather your waste in your apartment/housing area’s local public garbage bins.
◇There are commonly several types of public garbage bins available in the German’s apartment/housing areas：
Blue bin — for paper and cardboard
Green and white bin — for glass, different bins for differently colored glass, not available for holiday decorations and lights
Yellow/orange bin — for plastic and metals
Brown bin — for goods that can be changed naturally by bacteria into substances that don’t harm the environment, like leftovers, fruit and vegetables
Gray/black bin — for everything else that can’t be recycled such as used cat litter and animal waste
◇Some items don’t belong in these public garbage bins. Items like used batteries, electronics, unused paints, and lights must be returned to the special agent/locations so they can be properly recycled. Other items such as clothes, shoes, and oversized rubbish and furniture are advised to be donated or sold.
◇There’s this thing called Pfand in Germany, a certain part of the price for a bottled drink that you get back if you send back the bottle to certified (有资历的) shops. German law requires shops over a certain size selling bottled drinks have a Pfandruckgabestelle, or place for bottles with deposits (押金). These bottles usually made of glass or plastic will be refilled. Of course, there’re strict health regulations.
1. Which bin should the fallen leaves be classified into？| A．The blue bin. | B．The brown bin. |
| C．The grey/black bin. | D．The green and white bin. |
| A．By returning it to special agents. | B．By placing it in a specific location. |
| C．By giving it away to those in need. | D．By donating it to a Pfandruckgabestelle. |
| A．To collect money for some shops. | B．To help shops reuse plastic or glass. |
| C．To reduce the broken bottles. | D．To encourage bottles to be returned. |
8 . Let’s Celebrate!
No matter what kind of culture you come across, there’s always a reason to celebrate! Check out four amazing festivals around the world.
 | Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival Every June people get together in Wisconsin,USA, to honor cheese (奶酪).The celebration lasts three days and it's full of different events for the whole family. There are concerts, free cheese tasting, the Big Cheese Parade and Big Cheese Breakfast, etc. |
 | La Tomatina Every August, Buiol, Spain, hosts a festival where the world’s biggest hour-long food fight takes place. Around 20,000 people take part in the event, throwing over a hundred tons of tomatoes at each other in all. What a juiced-up celebration! |
 | Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival Are there any festivals to celebrate in winter？Sure! Come to Harbin, China. It is home to Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. The festival starts on January s every year. During the month-long festival, people can enjoy the largest and most beautiful ice and snow sculptures (雕塑) in the world. |
 | Monkey Buffet Festival The Monkey Buffet Festival is on the last Sunday of November. It is a great day for monkeys in Thailand. People there think monkeys can bring good luck to them. So, to thank monkeys, they have this special festival to feed them. |
| A．Throw fruits. | B．Play with animals. | C．Enjoy music. | D．Go snowboarding. |
| A．Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival. | B．La Tomatina. |
| C．Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. | D．Monkey Buffet Festival. |
| A．In a science report. | B．On a sports website. | C．In a grammar textbook. | D．In a culture magazine. |
9 . In a story from Aesop’s Fables (伊索寓言), a thirsty crow (乌鸦) drops stones into a narrow bottle to raise the low level of water inside so he can take a drink.
Now scientists have experiments to back up that story. The experiments show that crows actually do understand how to make water displacement (排水量) work to their advantage. The results suggest that the birds are, at least in some cases, as smart as first-graders.
Researchers, led by Sarah Jelbert at the University of Cambridge, presented six crows with bottles, containing water. Inside the bottles, a piece of meat on a piece of wood was floating (漂浮), just out of reach of the crows. In front of the bottles, the researchers arranged several rubber erasers that would sink, and some plastic objects that would float. The crows found out that they could drop the erasers into the bottles in order to raise the water level and get their meat.
However, the birds were awkward in experiments in which they could choose to drop objects in either a wide bottle or a narrow one to get the meat, the researchers said. Dropping objects into a narrow bottle would lift the water level by a greater amount and put the treat within reach after just two drops; while it took around seven drops to raise the meat to the same level in the wide bottle. The crows obviously didn’t realize this, and most of them went for the wide bottle first.
Previous studies showed that chimps (大猩猩) and human children can solve similar tasks. In a 2011 study, chimps and kids found out that they could put water into a bottle to reach a peanut that was floating in a small amount of water at the bottom.
1. What does the text focus on?| A．The truth of Aesop’s fables. | B．Crows’ intelligence. |
| C．The development of crows. | D．Human-animal communication. |
| A．By breaking the bottle. | B．By dropping erasers. |
| C．By standing on the wood. | D．By removing the wood. |
| A．The bottle. | B．The objects. | C．The meat. | D．The water. |
| A．Crows are unable to tell different shapes. |
| B．Crows prefer narrow bottles. |
| C．Crows are good at counting numbers. |
| D．Crows are not clever all the time. |
| A．crows are as smart as them. |
| B．crows are smarter than them. |
| C．crows are less smart than them. |
| D．crows can not be compared with them. |
10 . On the night of 14th June 1904, New York’s Chinatown was in a deep gloom (低迷). For the past 20 years, the restaurants were filled with those crazy about a taste of real Chinese cooking “chop suey”. But suddenly, all that seemed at risk. A few days earlier, a chef named Lem Sen had arrived, saying he had invented it a decade before while working at a restaurant in San Francisco. His recipe had been stolen by an American diner to make money. Through his lawyer, he demanded restaurants pay him for using his recipe.
Chop suey was first mentioned by Chinese-American journalist Wang Chin Foo in a list of common dishes he thought most attractive to Western tastes. As he explained, “each Chinese cook has his own recipe. The main parts are pork, bacon, chicken, mushroom, bamboo shoots, onion, and pepper, while accidental ones are duck, beef, salted black beans etc. Yet it is often considered by Westerners that this is a ‘national dish of China’ more than any other dish they’ve known.”
Although a hyperbolic way to introduce this dish, it clearly showed that chop suey was indeed of Chinese origin. Where exactly its roots lay has been debated; but it was probably first cooked in Taishan, Guangdong, where most early immigrants to America had grown up. In 1866, the journalist Allan Forman noticed it as a delicious dish despite its “mysterious nature”, and nine years later, the first recipe appeared in magazines, with some un-Chinese ingredients thrown in.
It was not long before a myth making began. In 1896, Li Hongzhang visited New York, and newspapers mistakenly reported that while refusing Western dishes at a banquet (宴会), he had enthusiastically accepted a plate of chop suey. This caused a great hit, and many who never heard of it before simply assumed that it was introduced to the US by Li Hongzhang, which accidentally promoted the dish’s popularity.
1. What is the purpose of a chef’s story in paragraph 1?| A．To describe food history. | B．To bring out chop suey. |
| C．To show risky business world. | D．To introduce a law case. |
| A．Fixed ingredients. | B．Its popularity overseas. |
| C．Un-Chinese nature. | D．Mixed national identities. |
| A．remarked beyond reality | B．explained in greater details |
| C．praised in something common | D．commented based on the origin |
| A．Li Hongzhang promoted this dish. | B．Its popularity was based on facts. |
| C．Mass media belonged to the root cause. | D．Public opinions voiced acceptance. |
