1 . In comparison to many closely-related species, the human child takes a long time to grow up and requires a high degree of parental investment(亲情投资). Human children need more time to reach maturity(成熟)than other closely-related species.

A new study finds that one reason is the large amount of energy that the brain requires as it grows.

Christopher Kuzawa, first author of the study, explained: “Our findings suggest that our bodies can’t afford to grow faster during the toddler(幼童)and childhood years because a huge quantity of resources is required to fuel developing the human brain. As humans we have so much to learn, and that learning requires a complex and energy-hungry brain.”

Data from the study shows that at the moment when children’s bodies are growing the least-on average, at four years old-their brains are using the highest percentage of glucose(葡萄糖). That means that 40% of the child’s total energy expenditure is being used by its brain.

The findings support the theory that children take so long to mature because of the energy-intensive task of growing a massively over-sized brain in comparison to the brain-to-body weight ratio of other species.

Kuzawa continued: “After a certain age it becomes difficult to guess a toddler or young child’s age by their size. Instead you have to listen to their speech and watch their behavior. Our study suggests that this is no accident.”

Body growth nearly stops at the ages when brain development is happening at a lightning pace, because the brain is using up the available resources.”

“The mid-childhood peak in brain costs has to do with the fact that there are a huge number of synapses(神经元突触), connections in the brain, at this age, when we learn so many of the things we need to know to be successful humans.”

1. Why does it take people so long to grow up?

A．They need to store energy to grow later.

B．They need time to adapt to their environment.

C．Most of the energy is used for brain development.

D．They need a high degree of parental investment.

2. When do the children grow slowest, according to the passage?

A．At about four years old.	B．At about two years old.
C．At about one year old.	D．At about five years old.

3. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Why toddlers and children need plenty of resources.

B．The reason why it takes human infants a long time to grow up.

C．The reason why human infants are similar to other animals.

D．Why the brains of people need a large amount of energy.

4. The underlined word “this” refers to________.

A．age	B．their size
C．listen to their speech	D．guess their age by listening and watching

2 . Dog walkers should show consideration, not just for the dog in their home or car, but also for their environment. Doing so will help keep the local area clean and pleasant, especially for people out walking their dog or taking children to the park.

A considerate dog walker will take steps to prevent their pets from producing waste wherever they want to. Dog waste is particularly unpleasant and should be avoided at all costs. Not only is it nasty to walk in a dirty area, but it is also a serious health risk. Dog fouling ( 污垢) is a criminal offence in the UK and carries a maximum fined ￡1,000 if the case goes to court (法庭). Dog walkers should always be prepared to pick up after their dog by carrying dog waste bags or even plastic carrier bags that can be used. Do not run the risk of allowing your dog to make a public area dirty by always having a steady supply of bags with you during dog walks. Carrying a single bag during a walk is not always enough, as some dogs will need to go twice or perhaps even three times during walks.

Some dog owners are not willing to admit that their pets is a challenge or troublesome. Rather than dislike the suggestions that dogs should be kept under control, you should see it as your duty to protect other dogs, children and anyone else from harm. Do know troublesome behaviors such as aggression (攻击) towards other dogs or children and make every effort to keep your dog under control. Avoid areas where you know other dogs or children will be. They can do this by showing respect for other people’s property, picking up after their dog and by keeping challenging dogs under control.

1. The writer advises dog walkers to show consideration mainly for having_____.

A．a clean car	B．a comfortable home
C．a good environment	D．a very pleasant park

2. What does the underlined word “nasty” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Highly unpleasant or annoying.	B．Very boring and tiring.
C．Specially disappointing	D．Surprising or astonishing.

3. If dog waste is found in public in England the dog’s owner will be______.

A．fined more than ￡1,000	B．ordered to pick it up at once
C．ordered to give one one waste bag	D．considered to break the law.

4. What does the writer mainly want to tell the owners in the last paragraph?

A．To keep their dogs under control.	B．To try to make their dogs keep clean.
C．To stop their dogs from being harmed.	D．To respect other people’s property.

3 . Very far away from the city lived a poor farmer and his wife. In front of their house was a small dirt road. Very few cars drove on this road because it was so far from the city. On the dirt road, there was a big hole filled with water. The hole was very deep, but drivers on the road didn’t know just how deep. Drivers always drove into the hole, but they never drove out.

One day, a man in a new car was driving down the road. He saw the hole with the water, but he didn’t think it was very deep. He drove into the hole, but he couldn’t drive out. The man saw the farmer on his tractor working in the field, and he signaled to the farmer. The farmer drove over to the man in the new car.

“Is there a problem?” asked the farmer.

“Yes,” said the man. “My car is stuck in this hole. Can you help me?”

“Maybe,” said the farmer. “But I’m very busy.”

“If you help me, I’ll pay you,” said the man.

“OK,” said the farmer. The farmer pulled the car out of the hole with his tractor, and the man paid him a lot of money. The man looked at the farmer and said, “You must make a lot of money pulling cars out of this hole day and night.”

“Actually, no,” said the farmer.

“Why not?” asked the man.

“The hole is very deep, and a lot of people get stuck and ask for help. But I don’t make money day and night because I don’t pull cars out at night.”

“At night I’m busy filling the hole with water,” answered the farmer.

1. Why did very few cars drive on the small dirt road?

A．Because the road was dirty.	B．Because it was so far from the city.
C．Because very few people knew the way.	D．Because the drivers knew there was a hole.

2. According to paragraph 2, we can know about the man in a new car __________ .

A．he just learnt to drive a car	B．it was the first time that he passed there
C．he knew how deep the hole was	D．he knew the farmer in the field

3. Which of the following is true according to this passage?

A．Drivers didn’t see there was a hole on the road.

B．The man drove into the hole and never drove out.

C．The farmer was busy filling the hole with water at night.

D．The driver made a lot of money pulling cars out of the hole day and night.

4. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A．The road

B．The city

C．The car

D．The man

4 . What are pillows really stuffed with? Not physically, but symbolically? The question occurred to me with the photos in the news and social media from the 50 cities around the world that staged public celebrations for International Pillow Fight Day. Armed with nothing more than bring-our-own sacrificial cushions, strangers struck heavily each other in playful feather from Amsterdam to Atlanta, Warsaw to Washington DC. But why? Is there anything more to this delightful celebration?

As a cultural sign, the pillow is deceptively soft. Since at least the 16th Century, the humble pillow has been given unexpected meanings. The Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu tells a famous story about a wise man who meets a depressed young scholar at an inn and offers him a magic pillow filled with the most vivid dreams of a seemingly more fulfilling life. When the young man awakens to discover that his happy 50-year dream has in fact come and gone in the short space of an afternoon’s nap, our impression of the pillow’s power shifts from wonder to terror.

Subsequent writers have likewise seized upon the pillow. When the 19th-Century English novelist Charlotte Bronte poetically observed “a ruffled (不平的) mind makes a restless pillow”, she didn’t just change the expected order of the adjectives and nouns, but instead she made unclear the boundaries between mind and matter — the thing resting and the thing rested upon.

It’s a trick perhaps Bronte learned from the Renaissance philosopher Montaigne, who once insisted that “ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head”. On Montaigne’s thinking, intelligence and happiness confront each other forever in a pillow fight that only one can win.

With the words of Tang. Bronte, and Montaigne, we can perhaps more easily measure the attraction of the global pillow fight. Like a ritual of release, the annual international pillow fight amounts to a kind of cleansing, a brushing off of daily worries: an emptying of the world’s collective mind. Rather than a launch-pad for weightless rest, the pillow is a symbol of heavy thought: an anchor that drags the world’s soul down — one that must be lightened.

1. The example of Tang Xianzu is used to illustrate that ________.

A．pillows give people satisfactory dreams

B．dreams are always wonderful while the real world is cruel

C．people’s impression of pillows changes from wonder to terror

D．pillows symbolically convey the meaning in contrast to their soft appearance

2. From the passage, we can learn that Charlotte Bronte ________.

A．wrote poems about pillows

B．regarded pillows as reflections of our minds

C．shared the same viewpoint as Tang Xianzu on pillows

D．was likely to have been influenced by the thoughts of the Renaissance

3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 “ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head” most probably means ________.

A．pillows give us comfort

B．pillows make people more intelligent

C．people with too many thoughts have less inner peace

D．people can easily fall asleep when they know nothing

4. According to the author, why is Pillow Fight Day so popular around the world?

A．Because it is a ritual release.

B．Because it makes life delightful.

C．Because it comforts restless minds.

D．Because it contains a profound meaning of life.

5 . How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story

If you’ve ever been assigned a book report, you may have been asked to address the theme of the book.     1     A book’s theme is the main idea that flows through the narrative and connects the components of the story together. A work of fiction may have one theme or many, and they aren’t always easy to pinpoint right away. In many stories, the theme develops over time, and it isn’t until you’re well into reading the novel or short story that you fully understand the underlying theme or themes.

Themes can be broad or they can focus on a specific notion. For example, a romance novel may have the obvious, but very general, theme of love, but the storyline may also address issues of society or family.     2    

A book’s theme is not the same as its plot or its moral lesson, but these elements are related and necessary in building the larger story.     3     The moral is the lesson that the reader is supposed to learn from the plot’s conclusion. Both reflect the larger theme and work to present what that theme is to the reader.

    4     Often it is suggested by a thinly veiled lesson or details contained within the plot. In the nursery tale “The Three Little Pigs,” the narrative revolves around three pigs and a wolf’s pursuit of them. The wolf destroys their first two homes, shoddily built of straw and twigs. But the third home, painstakingly built of brick, protects the pigs and the wolf is defeated. The pigs (and the reader) learn that only hard work and preparation will lead to success. Thus, you can say that the theme of “The Three Little Pigs” is about making smart choices.

If you find yourself struggling to identify the theme of a book you’re reading, there’s a simple trick you can use.     5     For example, you could say preparation best symbolizes “The Three Little Pigs.” Next, use that word as the foundation for a complete thought such as, “Making smart choices requires planning and preparation, which could be interpreted as the moral of the story.”

A．A story’s theme isn’t typically stated outright.

B．In order to do that, you really have to understand what a theme is.

C．The theme of a novel or short story may not necessarily be clear.

D．When you finish reading, ask yourself to sum up the book in a single word.

E．The plot of a novel is the action that takes place within the course of the narrative.

F．Many stories have a major theme and several minor themes that help develop the major theme.

G．There are several themes that are reoccurring in literature, many of which we can identify quickly.

6 . Mathilde Loisel, a beautiful woman, is miserable with her life. Although from a family of clerks, she always felt she had “fallen from a higher station” and longs to be part of the upper class. With no prospect of meeting these dreams she marries a middle-class Parisian clerk. This leaves her unhappy, suffering from what she thinks as a life of poverty. Although her husband’s income is sufficient for their needs, Mathilde still dreams of being wealthy. Mathilde focuses on her lack of possessions such as gowns and jewelry instead of enjoying the life she has. She even becomes jealous of her school friend, Madame Forestier, who has married a wealthy man.

One evening, the triumphant Monsieur Loisel comes home and hands her an invitation to a ball at the Ministry of Public Instruction where he works. Mathilde surprises him by refusing to go and throws the invitation onto the floor. She gets upset and tells her husband that without a new gown and jewelry she cannot possibly attend the ball. Monsieur Loisel reluctantly agrees to pay for a gown costing four hundred francs, knowing he will not be able to afford the hunting gun he had been saving up to buy. Mathilde buys the dress but complains that she still has no jewelry. For once though, Mathilde is pleased when her husband comes up with the solution to ask her friend to lend some jewelry.

Madame Forestier offers Mathilde to choose what she wants and Mathilde selects a beautiful diamond necklace from a black satin box. When Madame Forestier sees how happy the necklace makes her friend feel she agrees to lend it to her for the ball.

At the ball, Mathilde is the most elegant and graceful woman there, smiling and happy. All the men ask her name and want to be introduced to her. She dances with all of the attaches from the cabinet and is even noticed by the minister. Dancing with happiness and passion, intoxicated with pleasure, Mathilde exists for a time in the world she longs to be part of.

At 4 am, she is ready to leave. As Monsieur Loisel places the wrap over his wife’s shoulders, the contrast of the poverty of her wrap with the elegant ball gown is too much to bear and to save any embarrassment she hurries to leave before anyone notices her. When they reach the street, they cannot find a cab and start to walk home. They walked towards the Seine in despair, shivering with cold. At last on the quay side they find “one of those ancient night cabs which, as though they were ashamed to show their shabbiness during the day, are never seen round Paris until after dark”.

The Loisels arrive home at the Rue des Martyrs, and Mathilde’s happiness turns to horror as she sees that the necklace is missing when she looks in the mirror to admire herself one more time. She and Monsieur Loisel search frantically, but they cannot find the necklace. Monsieur Loisel even retraces their steps back along the whole route and then spends the next day enquiring and trying to find the necklace. Finally, in defeat, he suggests Mathilde writes a letter to Madame Forestier, explaining she will return the necklace after repair, lying that the clasp had broken. This story allows them time to continue the search.

When the Loisels are unable to find the necklace, they use its jewelry box to search for the jeweler where it was purchased. The jeweler offers the couple a similar necklace for thirty-six-thousand francs with the understanding that he will buy it back if they find the necklace before the end of February. However, they do not find the necklace, and they take on huge debt that forever changes their lives. Monsieur Loisel, frightened by the trouble yet to come, by the “black misery” that is about to fall upon him, by the prospect of all the physical sacrifices and the “moral tortures” he is about to suffer, goes to pay the jeweler thirty-six-thousand francs and collects the diamond necklace.

When Mathilde takes the newly purchased necklace to Madame Forestier, she fears her friend will discover that the necklace is a replacement and consider her a thief. Although Madame Forestier criticizes Mathilde for bringing the necklace back late, she never opens the case to look at it.

The next years are horrible for Mathilde, who works like a servant, her own servant having been dismissed. The Loisels move to cheaper housing. Mathilde dresses in work clothing and becomes responsible for doing all the family’s “odious” housework duties. She takes on this role with “sudden heroism”. Monsieur Loisel works a second job at night. They work for ten years to repay their debts. The strain of deprivation takes its toll, and Mathilde ages rapidly. Occasionally, she thinks back and remembers the wonders of the ball, but finally, their debt is paid in full.

One day on the street, Mathilde meets Madame Forestier, still looking lovely. At first not recognizing Mathilde, Madam Forestier is shocked by her friend’s haggard appearance. Mathilde explains that her life has been hard because of Madame Forestier. Mathilde shares the truth regarding her loss and replacement of the necklace that she had borrowed. She explains that it was purchased with ten years of hard labour. She proudly describes how she met her obligation both to Madame Forestier and to society.

Madame Forestier, deeply moved, takes Mathilde’s hands in her own and tells her the truth. The necklace that she had loaned Mathilde was mere costume jewelry worth only five hundred francs.

1. Mathilde Loisel refused to go to the ball because she ________.

A．was angry with her husband

B．thought she was not invited

C．was upset for having lost her jewelry

D．feared that she would be looked down upon

2. Put the following events into the correct order.
① Mathilde realized that the necklace was missing.
② The Loisels worked hard to pay their debt.
③ Monsieur Loisel brought home an invitation to a ball
④ Monsieur Loiser bought a diamond necklace from a jeweler.
⑤ Mathilde borrowed a necklace from her friend Madame Forestier.
⑥ Mathilde talked to her friend Madame Forestier about her “sudden heroism”

A．③⑤①④②⑥	B．③①⑤②④⑥
C．⑤③①②④⑥	D．⑤③④②①⑥

3. Madame Forestier never opens the case because she ________.

A．trusts her friend very much

B．forgets about the necklace

C．is sure that the necklace is in the case

D．doesn’t care much about the necklace

4. What can best describe Mathilde Loisel?

A．unfortunate but honest.	B．lucky but selfish.
C．smart but lazy.	D．beautiful but evil.

7 . When the author opens his memoir with a scene of his mother pushing him from a moving vehicle, you know you’re in for a fascinating read. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, who is now a daily show host, is an autobiography about Trevor’s life in Africa.

Trevor, the son of a Xhosa (科萨人) mother and a Swiss-German father, was born a crime as it was illegal for different races to marry and have children in Africa. Growing up biracial in the post-apartheid era (后种族隔离时代), his mother is an influential partner at every step along his journey. She worked diligently to stay out of poverty and keep Noah in good schools. Trevor’s mom stressed independence and free thought as well as all the values of Judaism (犹太教). Even before they knew apartheid would end, she wanted him to live freely. She took him to places that black South Africans considered “white things,” like ice rinks and the suburbs, because even if he never left the ghetto (贫民区), he would know that the ghetto was not the world. It was her mother’s aim to keep him from internalizing his oppression, and to convince him that he was greater than social labels. His mom would take him to the library and museums, and local college campuses. For his mother, being a black woman didn’t mean he couldn’t achieve greatness. She gave him permission to dream beyond his circumstances.

In Trevor’s whole early life, being mixed-race, he often wasn’t allowed to go outside during apartheid because the police could have taken him away; he couldn’t be seen with his parents and his mother had to pretend to be his maid when they were in public. So, Trevor had to have his mother’s friends pose as his mother. Trevor struggled to fit in at school as he didn’t know which group to play with. Later in high school, Trevor had to start a lunch delivery business to move up and be accepted by his fellow classmates. After high school, he started getting into comedy in 2002 and has been on TV ever since. Trevor had a rough, but loving relationship with his mother as he was always getting in trouble. Trevor didn’t see his dad much and could only meet in secret. In the end, Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother. Noah writes: “I understood even from an early age that we weren’t just mother and son. We were a team.”

Born a Crime tells a really personal and yet universal story in many respects. It is undoubtedly a life-changing story which is powerful, honest, funny and dark at the same time, still it never turns to despair, self-pity or hopelessness. It’s a story of survival against the odds and the human ability to transcend the limits of their origin. At the end of the book, he explains this miracle that happened to his mother, where she survives a bullet to the head. These stories uncover new feelings towards loved-ones, and may influence you to sincerely reconsider connections to your family and their priorities.

1. It can be learnt that Born a Crime is ________.

A．a book on slavery

B．a story about criminals

C．an autobiography of a show host

D．a report about how to reduce crime

2. What problem did Trevor have in his early life?

A．He didn’t get along with his mother.

B．He felt hard to fit in at school.

C．He was wanted by the police.

D．He got too much attention.

3. According to the passage, Trevor’s mother ________.

A．pushed him to reach academic excellence

B．encouraged him go beyond the present limits

C．inspired him to speak for the minority as a TV host

D．helped him determine which race he should side with

4. What might be the theme of Born A Crime?

A．Law and justice.	B．Hope and grit.
C．Getting to the top.	D．Secrets of success.

8 . Dear colleague,

Greetings from the Office of Admission at Harley University! We hope that you and your students are doing well in these challenging times. In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Harley has suspended all campus visitations. However, we write to you today to affirm our commitment to working with you and your students as they navigate the college search and application process.

To that end, we are pleased to announce that beginning on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, our office will be offering online information sessions for prospective students. Much like our on-campus information sessions, these will consist of a one-hour discussion hosted by a Harley admission dean and a current student. They will provide an inside look at the Harley community both academically and socially, as well as an overview of the admission and financial aid processes. Attendees will be able to see the presenters and submit questions throughout the sessions. While designed for prospective students, counselors are welcome to join.

Our online information sessions will be offered on the days/times below.

Tuesdays at 3:00 pm EDT

Thursdays at 9:00 am EDT and 6:00 pm EDT

Students/Counselors can register here.

We are hopeful the times we offered will allow anyone, regardless of time zone, to be able to join us for a session. While we are disappointed that campus visits are not currently possible, we are confident that these online sessions will provide the same accessibility, information, and enthusiasm as we introduce your students to the Harley community.

In the same spirit, we remain committed to answering any questions you, your students, or their families may have about these sessions, or any other changes to our programming. You can contact us at admission@harley.edu.

We wish you all a safe and healthy spring.

Sincerely,

Jason Harley

Director of Undergraduate Admission

1. What is the purpose of this letter?

A．To answer questions from teachers and students.

B．To arrange for school visits and online interviews.

C．To say hello to colleagues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

D．To inform alternative methods of getting application information.

2. The online information sessions are most probably for ________.

A．students in Grade 11-12

B．parents of senior high school students

C．current students in Harley University

D．teaching staff in Harley University

3. What can be learnt from the letter?

A．Harley University does not enroll new students this year.

B．Prospective students should attend the sessions with counselors.

C．The online sessions will function almost the same with on-campus visits.

D．Students can contact admission@harley.edc to arrange on-campus visits.

9 . Britney, 21, will never forget the day her grandmother told her she could never be President. Britney was young. She saw the White House on TV. I'm going to be President,” she said.

"You can't do that," her grandmother said. She added that if Britney wanted to work at the White House, she could only do the cleaning.

Britney saw things differently. She didn't give up her dream. Instead, she wrote a poem（诗）.The poem showed that she could realize her dream.

Britney isn't the first person to deal with unfairness or disappointment by writing. Many writers have done the same thing. Reading poems gives Britney ideas for her writing. One of her favorite poets is Langston Hughes. Hughes was one of the first African-Americans to make a living by writing. Hughes published （出版）his first poem in 1921 when he was 19 years old. He wrote many of his works during the 1920s and 1930s. Back then, African-Americans were kept out of many schools, jobs and neighborhoods. Hughes wrote poems about the difficulties African-Americans faced at that time. He also wrote about his hope for a better fairer future.

Many people, not just black people, read Hughes's works. More Americans learned how hard life was for black people. Slowly, things began to change. Today young poets like Britney are sharing their own messages. Britney herself is moving forward. She's now a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She plans to work in the government and still hopes to become President. "I just want to help people." she says. With her thoughtful words, she already has helped many people.

1. What do we know about Britney's grandmother?

A．She taught Britney to write poems.

B．She worked as a cleaner in the White House.

C．She always felt disappointed at Britney's poems.

D．She didn't believe Britney's dream could come true.

2. What made Britney decide to write poems?

A．Her grandmother's words.	B．Hughes's encouragement
C．Reading other writers' poems.	D．Studying at Howard University.

3. From the passage we can know that Hughes________.

A．earned his living by teaching poems

B．didn't publish his first poem until 1920

C．created many of his works in his forties

D．influenced many Americans besides Britney

4. Which of the following can best describe Britney?

A．Determined and confident.	B．Selfish and mean.
C．Patient and careful.	D．Active and easy-going.

10 . 阅读下面短文和问题，根据短文内容和每小题后的具体要求，完成对该问题的回答。

As a teenager, I hated P.E. lessons. I was not very good at sports, and I hated team sports because I always felt like I was disappointing the rest of the team. During these years, I sometimes felt disconnected from my body, like only my brain was “me” and my body was just a vehicle for carrying my brain around.

When I started university, I decided to try Kung Fu Club. To my surprise, I loved it! In my first year most of us were beginners. I used to go two or three times a week. Because it is not a team sport, I didn’t feel guilty about not being very good. And because it is a combat(格斗) sport, you train in pairs, which means that you get to meet people and talk to them. I also appreciated that the focus of the classes was on getting better at kung fu, rather than exercising to change my body. When I was doing kung fu, my body changed—I got stronger and quicker—but the changes were a side effect of the sport, instead of the goal.

When I moved to Italy this year, I decided to start doing a combat sport again. I joined a local martial arts(武术) club and I love it. We do lots of sparring. I think that sparring is like chess, but much faster and much more fun! If your sparring partner tries to hit you hard with his fist, you have to move quickly to avoid him, block or even catch his arm and then throw him to the mat.

When I was a teenager, I would say I just wasn’t a sporty person and that I just didn’t like sport and never would. Now I think that everyone should try as many sports as possible because I believe there is something out there for everyone! I feel connected to my body and I am happier and have more energy when I have been doing sport.

1. Why did the author hate P.E. lessons when he was a teenager? (不多于7个单词)
2. What club did the author go to when he was at university? (不多于3个单词)
3. What did the author do after he moved to Italy? (不多于7个单词)
4. How did the author become a sporty person? (不多于8个单词)