1 . Challenging work that requires lots of analytical thinking, planning and other managerial skills might help your brain stay sharp as you age, a study published on Wednesday in the journal Neurology suggests.
Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany gathered more than 1,000 retired workers who were over age 75 and assessed the volunteers’ memory and thinking skills through a battery of tests. Then, for eight years, the scientists asked the same group to come back to the lab every 18 months to take the same tests.
Those who had held mentally stimulating, demanding jobs before retirement tended to do the best in the tests. And they tended to lose cognitive (认知的) function at a much slower rate than those with the least mentally challenging jobs. The results held true even after the scientists accounted for the participants’ overall health status.
“This works just like physical exercise,” says Francisca, who led the study. “After a long run, you may feel like you’re in pain and tired. But it makes you fit. After a long day at work — sure, you will feel tired, but it can help your brain stay healthy.
It’s not just corporate jobs, or even paid work that can help keep your brain fit. Francisca points out. A waiter’s job, for example, that requires multitasking, teamwork and decision making could be just as stimulating as any high-level office work. “Running a family household also requires high-level planning and coordinating abilities,” she says. “You have to bring order to the activities of the children and take care of the bills and groceries.”
Of course, our brains can decline as we grow older for lots of reasons — including other environmental influences or genetic factors. Sill, continuing to challenge yourself mentally and keeping your mind busy can help.
1. Why did the scientists ask the volunteers to take the tests?| A．To assess their health status. | B．To evaluate their work habits. |
| C．To measure their mental abilities. | D．To analyze their personalities. |
| A．By using an expert’s words. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By referring to another study. | D．By introducing a concept. |
| A．Operating. | B．Budgeting. | C．Refusing | D．Organizing. |
| A．Retired Workers Can Pick Up New Skills. | B．Old People Should Take Challenging Jobs. |
| C．Your Tough Job Might Help Keep You Sharp. | D．Cognitive Function May Decline As You Age. |
2 . The first impression is very important when you attend an interview.
A friendly smile when you walk into the room is important.
Try to be as natural as possible.
Speak clearly and loudly enough. Show interest and warmth in your voice. When you speak, look at the interviewer.
Almost everyone is nervous in a job interview.
| A．But pay attention to your body language. |
| B．Interviewers often make a decision in the first three minutes of the interview. |
| C．You will never get a second chance to make the first impression. |
| D．Listen to questions carefully. |
| E．Interviewers know that they don’t expect you to be completely relaxed. |
| F．A smile shows a confident and positive attitude. |
3 . Social customs and ways of behaving change. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room.
Customs also differ from country to country. Does a man walk on the left or the right of a woman in your country? Or doesn’t it matter? What about table manners? Should you use both hands when you are eating? Should you leave one on your lap, or on the table?
The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs. For example, in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman, and so will most Americans. If a dinner invitation is for 7 o’clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay.
The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable, especially if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas (豆) with a knife. The other guests were amused or shocked, but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.
1. What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word?| A．礼貌的 | B．可接受的 | C．粗鲁的 | D．拒绝的 |
| A．He should find an excuse. | B．He should ask for excuse. |
| C．He should say “sorry”. | D．He should telephone to explain his being late. |
| A．Social Customs and Behavior | B．Social Life. |
| C．American and British Customs. | D．To be on time is Important. |
| A．tries his best to make his guests feel comfortable |
| B．makes his guests feel excited |
| C．tries to avoid being naughty to his guests |
| D．tries to avoid being foolish |
| A．The guest who ate his peas with a knife. |
| B．The other guests who were amused or shocked. |
| C．The host who picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. |
| D．None of the above. |
4 . It is one thing to visit a zoo as an ordinary member of the public but quite another to own a zoo and live in the middle of it; this at times can be a mixed thing. It certainly forces you to rush out at any time of the day or night to watch your charges (收费), but it also means that you are on duty 24 hours of the day and you can find that a fine little dinner party breaks up because some animal has broken its leg, or because the heaters in the snake house have failed. Winter, of course, is your least busy period and sometimes days pass without a single visitor.
But in the summer season the days are so full and the visitors so many that you can hardly seem to notice the passing of time and you forget how much you have in the bank.
1. From the passage we understand that the writer .| A．is always visiting zoos | B．lives in a cage in the zoo |
| C．is the owner of the zoo | D．can’t tell animals from people |
| A．you have to look after the animals every hour |
| B．you never have any free time |
| C．you only work at night |
| D．you are always having fine dinners |
| A．only one person visits zoo | B．the zoo is closed |
| C．nobody visit the zoo | D．very few people visit the zoo |
| A．The animals eat all he food. | B．It’s too hot in the snake house. |
| C．Something always goes wrong. | D．The animals break your legs. |
| A．there are too many visitors visiting the snakes |
| B．you don’t remember how much you have in the bank |
| C．time passes very slowly |
| D．you don’t know how to pass the time |
5 . An American architect (建筑师) was visiting London. He wanted to see all the famous buildings there so he stopped a taxi and asked the driver to take him to all the old and famous buildings in London.
The driver drove him to the Tower of London. “This is the Tower of London. It was a prison (监狱) in the old days,” he said.
“It is so small. In America we could build this in a day.” said the American.
The taxi driver took the American to Westminster Abbey. He said, “This is a famous church. Kings and queens get married here.”
The American looked at the old building and said, “Huh… we could build this in two days.”
The driver decided to take the American to a bigger church so he drove him to St Paul’s Cathedral. He stopped outside the church and said, “This is the most famous church in England. The great architect Christopher Wren built this church.”
The American got out of the taxi and looked at the church. “Huh. We could build this church in three days,” he said.
Next the driver took the American to the House of Parliament. “This is where British politicians (政治家) meet.”
“Huh.” The American said, “We could build this in four days.”
The driver said nothing and drove past Buckingham Palace, the home of Queen Elizabeth. As the taxi passed the palace, the American said, “Hey! What is this building? I have never seen such a beautiful one.”
The taxi driver looked at the palace and said, “I don’t know. It wasn’t there this morning.”
1. How many old and famous buildings in London are mentioned in the passage?| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
| A．In the Tower of London. | B．In St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| C．In the House of Parliament. | D．In Westminster Abbey. |
| A．one day | B．two days | C．three days | D．four days |
| A．got a great surprise |
| B．felt very disappointed |
| C．said nothing and went away |
| D．said they could build this in five days in America. |
| A．honest | B．proud | C．modest | D．hard-working |
6 . I’m writing today from my balcony(阳台)in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It’s summertime. It’s hot. Tourism is at its highest. I look out below as selfie(自拍)sticks extend, sunburns worsen, and loudness takes over.
Living in the Gothic Quarter has been one of the best, yet worst decisions I’ve made while living in Barcelona. I’m surrounded by beautiful architecture, fantastic shops are at my doorstep, and my favorite coffee shop is just around the corner. However, also at my doorstep are hundreds of tourists.
More than 30 million people visit Barcelona every year. But the city isn’t developing well. It’s dying. Financially, it’s doing well. However, the locals aren’t happy. What’s wrong? Landlords(房东)have realized there’s more profit in Airbnb, so when contracts come up for renewal, it’s common to find locals unable to pay up due to the increase in their rental prices. Locals don’t dare visit its nearest beach Barceloneta once the weather warms up. A lot of stores have turned into souvenir(纪念品)shops. Living prices have increased while salaries remain low.
People aren’t sitting back and taking it, though. There are regular anti-tourism protests. The Barcelona City Council has felt pressure from the community to resist tourism. In 2017, a law was approved to control the amount of accommodation made available for tourists. It was hoped the law would distribute tourist accommodation more evenly across the city, placing less pressure on already heavily populated neighborhoods. However, many tourists who come to Barcelona are day-trippers, only crowding the city’s streets. The council’s efforts are not controlling tourism. They’re only controlling accommodation.
If you want to visit Barcelona, consider avoiding May through August. Though I’d argue Barcelona doesn’t quite have an “off season”. Check out some of Catalonia’s other beautiful destinations: putting less pressure on Barcelona and benefiting smaller towns and cities’ economies. Learn some phrases in Catalan. It goes a long way towards showing respect. “Bon dia” instead of “buenos dias” and “adeu” rather than “adios”.
1. Why does the author like the Gothic Quarter?| A．It has good weather all year long. |
| B．It gives her many conveniences of life. |
| C．It makes a perfect location for taking selfies. |
| D．It helps her make much money as a landlord. |
| A．It increases rental prices for the locals. | B．It turns many visitors into day-trippers. |
| C．It results in regular anti-tourism protests. | D．It fails to control the number of visitors. |
| A．Ways to boost Catalonia’s economies. | B．Tips on journeying through Barcelona. |
| C．Respectful greetings used in Barcelona. | D．Catalonia’s other beautiful destinations. |
| A．Tourism is killing Barcelona: A local’s view |
| B．Barcelona’s must-go places: They are worth it |
| C．Barcelona is to vote on Airbnb ban: Whose idea? |
| D．Sustainable tourism in Barcelona: Who benefits? |
7 . Your mind is very powerful. Yet, if you’re like most people, you probably spend very little time reflecting on the way you think. After all, who thinks about thinking?
Your thoughts are a catalyst(催化剂)for self-perpetuating(自我持续的)cycles.
I see this happen all the time in my therapy office. Someone will come in saying, “I’m just not good enough to advance in my career.” That assumption leads her to feel discouraged and causes her to put in less effort.
Once you draw a conclusion about yourself, you’re likely to do two things; look for evidence that reinforces your belief and discount anything that runs contrary to your belief. Someone who develops the belief that he’s a failure, for example, will view each mistake as proof that he’s not good enough.
| A．When he does succeed, he’ll owe it to luck. |
| B．That lack of effort prevents her from getting promoted. |
| C．Creating a more positive outlook can lead to better outcomes. |
| D．With conscious effort, you can learn to think more positively. |
| E．However, the way you think about yourself turns into your reality. |
| F．Once that belief gets deeply rooted in his mind, he will suffer a lot. |
| G．What you think directly influences how you feel and how you behave. |
8 . From climbing a human ladder to swimming with the crocodiles(鳄鱼), there's nothing this Spanish botanist wouldn't do in the name of plants.
Carlos Magdalena the Spanish botanist tried to ignore the "Crocodile Danger" sign as he walked into the lagoon. Based in the hot houses and labs of London’s Kew Gardens, he thought he’d spotted a new waterlily species and it wouldn’t be the first time he’d risked his life doing his job. His mission is to save the world’s most endangered plants. As well as Harrison Ford’s film character, the great gardener is also known as the Messiah, the Code Breaker and the Plant Whisperer. He’s suffered dehydration in the planet’s largest desert, driven through rivers to reach an uncommon vegetation and experienced sickness in the Peruvian Andes, where he climbed a human ladder next to a towering drop to reach a rare flower.
“Directly or indirectly plants provide the air we breathe, medicines, clothes, shelter, food and drink,” he says in a firm voice. “Without them we wouldn't be here. It’s as simple as that.”
Carlos grew up rolling the peaks and valleys of northern Spain in search of natural wonders but quickly learned all was not well.
There are some 400,000 plant species, with many more waiting to be discovered, and it’s estimated that a quarter of them are facing dangers of dying out. “They need our help and we should use whatever means possible to ensure their survival.”
Often peering into microscope late into night, Carlos marked himself out in the botanic world. Before long he came to understand that plants have a way of talking and to understand their needs, you had to listen to them. His work was daunting(令人怯步的) but he eventually triumphed. “It was like scoring the winning goal in a World Cup final,” he says.
1. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 suggest?| A．He was good at gardening. | B．He played a role in the film. |
| C．He was famous for his plant-saving work. | D．He got along very well with the other three. |
| A．learned all the plants | B．took risks to look for plants |
| C．watched over different plants | D．displayed intense interest in plants |
| A．Creative and demanding. | B．Devoted and considerate. |
| C．Brave and determined. | D．Stubborn and caring. |
| A．His cooperation with other plants-keepers. | B．His scoring a goal in the World Cup final. |
| C．His future study on preserving endangered plants. | D．His successful examples of saving endangered plants. |
9 . On a rainy afternoon, maybe one of the following books will keep you company leisurely, allowing you to spend your time alone as well as stepping into a different world.
Don’t Shed Your Tears for Anyone Who Lives on These Streets, by Patricio Pron
In April 1945, Italy, a writer disappeared at a conference and was found dead at another place. Thirty years later, a young man interviewed survivors from the conference, trying to uncover the truth about what happened and its consequences. This novel, by a well-known Argentine writer, explores art, crime and politics.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi
At thirty-six, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient. This autobiography finds hope and beauty in the face of death as Kalanithi attempts to answer the question “What makes a life worth living?”.
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Set in a small Alabama town in the 1930s, the story focuses on honest, highly respected lawyer Atticus Finch who puts his career on the line when he agrees to represent Tom Robinson, a black man accused of committing a crime.
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A true (as told to me) story by Bess Kalb
Bess Kalb saved every voicemail from her grandmother Bobby Bell who died at ninety. In this book, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as loving as it ever was in life and brings us several generations of brave women. They include Bobby’s mother, who traveled alone from Belarus to America to survive, and Bess’s mother, who always fought against convention.
1. Which book is about the author’s own story?| A．To Kill a Mockingbird. |
| B．When Breath Becomes Air. |
| C．Don’t Shed Your Tears for Anyone Who Lives on These Streets. |
| D．Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A true (as told to me) story. |
| A．Bobby Bell. | B．Bess Kalb. | C．Bess’s mother. | D．Bobby’s mother. |
| A．Advertisement. | B．Opinion. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Science. |
10 . We often hear stories of animals rescuing people.But now someone has managed to return the favor.
The event took place one snowy January morning Thomas Smith was walking his dog，Jack，in the park."As I was walking，I just saw Jack running onto the ice towards the ducks in the middle，and then he fell into the water and couldn't climb out，"said Smith.He realized he had no choice but to try and save his dog."someone else told me the lake was only one-meter deep，but it was at least twice that.I had to break my way through the 6-cm ice.Finally，I got Jack by the neck，and pulled him out.I don't think I have ever felt so cold by the time we got back to dry land.And when we got there，everyone was asking if Jack was okay no one was particularly worried，about me!"
A neighbor，Julie Brown，saw it all happen."The dog went onto an icy lake.All of a sudden，it started to go under.There were crowds of people around，and they were all shouting and screaming.Before I knew it，the owner Smith was in the water forcing his way through the ice.I can't begin to imagine how cold it was.Everyone was very nervous，but he was as cool as a cucumber he just crawled back out，put the dog on its lead，and went home."
Many regard him as a hero，but Mr.Smith is quite laid﹣back about it."Most dog owners are the same as me.They would do what I did without a second thought.But in the future，I'm going to make sure he's on lead near any ice ponds，Pets are members of our family.Would you do the same for them？
1. What happened on a cold January morning?| A．Mr.Smith met Jack in the park. |
| B．Mr.Smith ran after Jack on the ice. |
| C．Jack fell from the ice into the water. |
| D．Jack played with the ducks in the water. |
| A．He asked a neighbor for help. |
| B．He broke the ice and shouted to Jack. |
| C．He got Jack by the leg and pulled him out. |
| D．He pulled Jack out of the icy water by the neck. |
| A．relaxed | B．proud | C．shy | D．brave |
| A．suggest keeping pets for fun. |
| B．remind people to put their dogs on the leads. |
| C．encourage people to take good care of their pets. |
| D．advise people not to leave their dog near icy pounds. |
| A．A Man's Pet Dog | B．A Dog's Best Friend |
| C．The Danger on the Icy Lake | D．Suggestions for Pets' Owners. |
