1 . Have you ever been in a bathroom, dressing room or another private area with a mirror and had that feeling that someone is watching you? You can check to see if a mirror is transparent by observing how it is installed and using a few simple techniques to determine if there’s a wall behind it.     1    

Check out the lighting. For a two-way mirror to be effective, the light on the mirrored side needs to be 10 times brighter than the light on the other side. If the lighting is dimmer, it’s possible to see through the glass to the observation area. Look around and determine whether the lighting seems extraordinarily bright.     2    

    3    Press your face up to the mirror and cup your hands around it, creating a dark tunnel to block out as much light as possible. When you do this, if the light in the observation room is at all brighter than the light on your side of the mirror, you should be able to see something through the glass.

Sound it out. The sound of tapping a two-way mirror has also been described as bright or sharp as opposed to a thud (砰的一声) from an everyday mirror. Tap on the surface of the mirror with your knuckle (指节).     4    An observation mirror will produce an open, hollow and echoing sound because there is an open space on the other side.

    5    Then hold a flashlight to the mirror (it can be the “flashlight” on your smartphone). If it is a two-way mirror, the room on the other side will be illuminated and you’ll be able to see it.

A．Turn off the lights.

B．Try to look through the glass.

C．Observe how the mirror is installed.

D．If so, you might be looking at a two-way mirror.

E．There are some accurate ways to tell if a mirror is two-way or not.

F．A normal mirror will produce a dull, flat sound, since it’s placed in front of a wall.

G．People standing on the other side of the wall can observe someone looking in the mirror.

2 . The early bird catches the worm, right?

There was a time in my life when it seemed I couldn’t advance at work. I had this coworker who was always one step ahead of me.     1     But for some reason, my normally strict boss seemed to love him.

Then one morning I headed into work half an hour early so I could also leave early to catch my flight for a weekend vacation. When I got there, my coworker and boss were chatting over coffee. I joined in and realized they had been having these morning chats for months!

    2     By missing out on these small morning coffee chats, I was missing out on building an important connection for my career. So it’s important that we look at how the time that we arrive at our events is affecting our lives.

Often, we rank things based on how we understand the importance of our punctuality for that event. How early would you show up to something like a doctor’s appointment? Do you get there right on time, or 15 or more minutes earlier?

Think about your job. If it’s more casual and relaxed, do you always show up on time?     3     Did you ever find yourself getting in trouble at work for being late?

Now think about personal events. If you went to a friend’s birthday party or their dinner, would you show up on time? Consider how you show up for even more casual hangouts, like, checking in with your parents.

    4    

When we show up early, we give ourselves the chance to reduce stress about missing out or making anybody else upset.     5    

A．Look at a job where it’s very strict.

B．It’s safe to say I never showed up late again.

C．He wasn’t that much better than me at our job.

D．Have you ever shown up late to a flight on purpose?

E．Missing out something small in our life doesn’t matter.

F．Now, honestly, ask yourself, could you start these things earlier?

G．And we also account for any emergencies that might cause further panic.

3 . Natural disasters may claim thousands of lives or destroy millions of homes. What can we learn from disasters?

Sometimes, there are no real answers. Everyone has lost something and someone, and they keep on asking what they have done to deserve this cruel fate. It’s okay to hold on to these questions, but no matter how hard and painful it is, you should keep moving, breathing and living.     1    

Even strangers can teach you kindness. There may be millions of selfish people in the world.     2     There is still kindness out there, waiting to be discovered. You will find it everywhere, at the most unexpected places—even among the wastelands left by the disaster.

Family is everything. Sometimes we forget to love our family, just because we’re too busy with our own lives.     3     We will not realize their value until we arrive at an empty house, an abandoned and forgotten place that you once called “home”.

    4     Sure, reality can be harsh and unforgiving but it doesn’t mean that we should blame ourselves and feel like a victim forever. We have to strive and thrive; we have to fight and do whatever it takes to resist and rise up. Not everyone will have a happy ending or an interesting plot, but we can always decide how to write the ending.

Every day of your life should be spent loving and living. Don’t be angry at the world for letting you live an unbearable life of heartbreaks and frustrations.     5     So just love deep and love hard. Live as if it’s your only chance to find the happiness that you deserve.

A．You’ll find your way someday.

B．Your money won’t matter in the end.

C．Life is too short to live in its imperfections.

D．However, it’s not a reason to lose hope in humanity.

E．You shouldn’t be a victim forever——be a survivor.

F．You have to help yourself first before you can help others.

G．At times, we take them for granted because we think they’ll always be there.

4 . Americans spend billions on vitamins, multivitamins for their health, but a review of numerous studies concluded there is little to no evidence that some of those vitamins prevent heart disease, cancer or death.

The report, released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force last week, concluded that “recent evidence is not enough” to determine whether vitamins actually help or hurt your health, based on 84 studies, 52 of which were done since 2014. Vitamins examined included vitamins A, B, C, D and E, as well as other multivitamins.

“Our suggestion is neither for nor against taking vitamins, or combinations of those nutrients (营养物质). We just don’t have enough evidence,” said Dr. John Wong, a doctor in the Department of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center who was involved in the report.

While the finding is that vitamins don’t have any benefits to “healthy, non-pregnant (未怀孕) adults”, it doesn’t apply to “children, people who are pregnant or may become pregnant, or people who are hospitalized.”

The Task Force admitted it makes sense that people would take vitamins in hopes of health benefits, as some shortage may lead to illness. But experts agreed the best way to get good health and prevent cancer is a balanced diet and regular physical activity.

“The suggestion across all organizations about vitamins is to eat a balanced diet, and then the key tends to be on plenty of fruit and vegetables and less junk foods,” Wong said.

Wong added people should refer to their health doctors to determine if any vitamins are worth taking. He said this suggestion should also serve as a need to further research into proving the official benefits and risks for each vitamin.

1. Why can’t we say whether vitamins really benefit or harm health?

A．Because they really have no benefit.

B．Because many studies have proved it.

C．Because evidence is not enough at present.

D．Because Dr. John Wong wasn’t involved in the research.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．Vitamins are of no benefit to anyone.

B．Vitamins are beneficial to healthy adults.

C．Children can’t take vitamins though they are in hospital.

D．People could take vitamins if lack of vitamin may tend to illness.

3. Which is the best way to avoid cancer according to the Task Force?

A．Taking enough vitamins.

B．Eating more packaged foods.

C．Following their health doctor’s advice.

D．Having a balanced diet and doing exercise.

4. Which can be suitable title for the text?

A．Taking Vitamins: No Benefit to People

B．Doctor’s Advice on Buying Vitamins

C．Taking Vitamins: Likely to Waste Money

D．Americans Spending More Money on Vitamins

5 . In looking through your social media, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed pictures accompanied by texts. The pictures are likely made possible by a text-to-image program called DALL-E. For example, Twitter user posted a tweet with the text, “To be or not to be, rabbi holding avocado, marble sculpture.” Then a matching picture appears below.

The AI models come from Google’s Imagen software as well as OpenAI. a start-up backed by Microsoft. On its website, OpenAI calls DALL-E “a new Al system that can create realistic images and art from a description in natural language.” But most of what’s happening in this area is coming from a relatively small group of people sharing their pictures. That’s because Google and OpenAI have not made the technology broadly available to the public.

The text-to-picture services identify the most important parts of a user’s text and then guess the best way to picture those terms. There’s generally a text box, a button to start the generation process and an area below to display images. To indicate the source. Google and OpenAI add watermarks in the bottom right comer of images from DALL-E and Imagen.

Engineers trained the models on various collections of words and pictures from the web. OpenAI recognizes the potential for harm that could come from a model. To avoid the risk, employees removed violent content from training data, and there are filters（筛选）stopping DALL-E from producing images if users submit（提交）violent or illegal content.

Boris Dayma, a developer from Texas spelled out the problems in an explanation of their software. Despite the risks, Dhariwal, a research scientist at OpenAI, said it could open up creative opportunities for individuals and could help with commercial applications for dressing up websites. Results should continue to improve over time.

1. What is the function of the the AI system DALL-E?

A．Beautifying pictures at users’ request.

B．Producing pictures from human words.

C．Changing pictures into vivid descriptions.

D．Providing pictures for users to choose from.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning DALL-E?

A．Its users’ rights.	B．Its operating conditions
C．Its working process.	D．Its company’s prospect.

3. How could DALL-E ensure the images it produces legal?

A．All images come from a unified model.

B．The training data is selected beforehand.

C．Improper requests can’t be submitted.

D．Filters remove the unhealthy description.

4. What is Dhariwal’s attitude to the future of DALL-E?

A．Positive.

B．Objective.

C．Uncertain.

D．Worried.

6 . Picture the scene: you’ve spent years working towards a very specific goal. You’ve put in countless hours of work and made many efforts along the way, but now that you’ve got there it doesn’t feel quite like you imagined. Instead of celebration, you feel emptiness, confusion and doubt.

Welcome to the anti-climax. The often-experienced but seldom-discussed downside of achieving life’s biggest milestones. Many of us work tirelessly towards our goals. We may spend our lives dreaming of the day we get married, publish our first hook or buy our first home. However, oftentimes, when we achieve these things it doesn’t feel quite as expected. In fact, the achievement of these goals feels a bit of a letdown.

So why do we often experience an anti-climax with big goals, even though we’re happy to achieve them? “An anti-climax can be an unexpected by-product of a milestone achievement. Usually, the more significant the milestone, the greater the anti-climax may be. The intensity（强度）of an anti-climax often relies on what we expect of this achievement.” says Rachel Vora. a psychotherapist（心理治疗师）.“The journey to achieving a milestone can he exciting and tiring in addition to giving us a sense of purpose and focus. Therefore, when this disappears overnight. we can often feel lost and confused, in spite of feeling proud of our achievement.

When this happens it can contribute to a mixture of emotions. We often falsely believe that we’ll feel completely different afterwards or that our feelings of low self-worth will disappear, but this is rarely the case. “Clients（客户）often present to me with an extremely great sense of ‘is this it?’ and ‘what now?’.” says Vora. “These feelings of confusion and disappointment, if let ignored, have the potential to cause clients to be in low spirits, or even worse.”

1. Why does the author mention the examples in paragraph 2?

A．To present a fact.	B．To prove a rule.
C．To explain a term.	D．To make a prediction.

2. What does Vora think is the leading cause of the anti-climax?

A．Low self-worth.	B．High expectations.
C．Sense of purpose.	D．Unexpected achievements.

3. Which of the following is a case of the anti-climax?

A．Amy felt empty before giving a speech.

B．Jack felt lost after his first novel came out.

C．Mary felt proud when she joined a ballet club.

D．Tom felt doubtful about taking further education.

4. What will the author probably talk about in the following text?

A．How to hold back feelings.

B．How to improve self-worth.

C．Hon to identify the anti-climax.

D．How to deal with the anti-climax.

7 . Banff National Park is home to an amazing wildlife population. But the busy Trans Canada Highway that cuts through the park is a hazard to the lovely animals. To address the problem, Banff first put-up wildlife fencing on either side of the highway to discourage animals from entering the busy road. Then, since 1996, they’ve opened six wildlife overpasses and 38 underpasses to help the animals cross the highway in safety. I was fortunate to visit Banff’s Red Earth Overpass with Trevor Kinley, the project manager with Parks Canada. He told me that so far, they have documented 10, 000 safe animal crossings on this overpass alone. “ Some animals have learned how to use the crossings much more quickly than others. Black bears are the fastest learners, followed by deer. Wolves and lions take the longest to work out how to use them, ” Kinley said, laughing. “ But those animals that are slower to adapt are usually more capable and determined at figuring out the safest way to cross those overpasses and underpasses. ”

There is some criticism (批评) that channeling so much wildlife into a few bridges and tunnels is like making a trap for the animals, offering big animals an easy meal on either side. “ But research has shown that this is not the case, ” Kinley assured me. “ There are no more killings around the crossings than there are anywhere else in the park. ”

Walking over the Trans Canada and then walking underneath through one of the tunnels, I was amazed to see the fresh tracks of black bears, wolves, deer and many kinds of smaller animals. Somehow, all these animal footprints made me so happy, knowing that all this wildlife was passing safely under and over the longest road in Canada.

Hopefully, the success of the wildlife crossings in Banff will continue to inspire similar solutions around the world, where human pressure on wildlife continues to grow.

1. Which of the following best explains “ hazard ” underlined in paragraph 1?

A．Shelter.

B．Message.

C．Answer.

D．Danger.

2. What does Trevor Kinley say about those wolves and lions?

A．They are stupid animals.	B．They are cautious learners.
C．They are very dangerous.	D．They are good at adapting.

3. What are the critics worried about?

A．There are too many bridges and tunnels.	B．Many animals will not use the crossings.
C．More killings might happen at the crossings.	D．Illegal hunting might be encouraged in the park.

4. How does the author feel at the end of the visit?

A．Concerned.

B．Disappointed.

C．Shocked.

D．Delighted.

8 . The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was invented by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is a self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The MBTI personality inventory (量表) sorts people into 16 type categories, each of which is represented by four-letter codes such as INFP and ESTJ. Every year, about 1.5 million people have enjoyed discovering their personality type by completing the MBTI. Many companies, as well as hundreds of universities, use it in hiring and training.

Nevertheless, the MBTI has received a noticeable criticism from the academic community. Some research suggests the MBTI is unreliable because the same person can get different results when retaking the test. Other studies have questioned the validity of the MBTI, which is the ability of the test to accurately link the “types” to outcomes in the real world -for example, how well people classified as a certain type will perform in a given job.

Merve Emre, a professor a Oxford University, points out that it would be more scientifically advisable to score the MBTI scales continuously to show people the degree to which they resemble the types. Even when the MBTI’s results don’t quite match your intuition (直觉) about yourself or are just wrong, they can still provide self-insight and insight into differences and similarities between people.

Scoring and interpreting the MBTI the way other personality inventories are scored and interpreted might be less fun than finding. All of the folklore (民间看法) about INFPs, ESTJs, etc. would have to be dismissed. But, in the end the MBTI is sufficiently reliable and valid enough to be useful in a number of real-world contexts.

1. What do we know about the MBTI from the first paragraph?

A．It is a personality-testing tool.	B．It is divided into 16 categories.
C．It is a study of personal preference.	D．It is a questionnaire on four-letter codes.

2. Why does the MBTI invite criticism?

A．It performs badly in job interviews	B．Its reliability has been questioned.
C．It requires people to retake the test	D．Its advantages are not fully shown.

3. What does Merve Emre think of the MBTI?

A．It is beyond criticism.	B．It is a more scientific test.
C．It is less fun than other tests.	D．It is useful for self-exploration.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．How Can We Use the MBTI?	B．Why do We Criticise the MBTI?
C．Is the MBTI Totally Meaningless?	D．Is Scoring the MBTI Really Necessary?

9 . Great Panda Center

Join GoEco on a 7-day volunteer program in China to help wildlife at a giant panda center!

Your schedule

Day 1: Arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The local team will be waiting to pick you up and transfer you to the hotel in Chengdu.

Day 2: Walk around Chengdu, visit Panda Breeding Center and enjoy delicious hot pot dinner.

Day 3-6: Transfer to Panda Base in the mountains and take part in rewarding volunteer work! Each day, volunteers will work for 4-6 hours and in the evenings, volunteers will take part in cultural activities ranging from dumpling making to Chinese language lessons.

Day 7: Take a bus to either the airport or Chengdu City Center if extending stay.

Some of your tasks include

• Preparing food for the pandas

• Cutting down and carrying bamboos

• Cleaning panda enclosures

• Occasionally participating in observation and research

Requirements

• Ages 18-50 (This project may accept volunteers who are under 18 with a letter of consent（同意）from a parent)

• Basic English and/or Chinese

• Motivation to work with animals

Total project cost: $1200

• What’s included

Room: Shared hotel room

Food: Three meals a day

Airport transfers: Airport transfers upon arrival and departure

• What’s not included

Flights, travel health insurance, personal expenses

Important note: Please apply for this program 1-2 months in advance. Families upgrading to private accommodations must pay an additional charge.

1. What might volunteers do on the sixth day?

A．Visit Panda Breeding Center.

B．Clean panda enclosures.

C．Travel around Chengdu.

D．Depart from Panda Base.

2. What does the project cost include?

A．Accommodations.	B．Personal expenses.
C．Travel insurance.	D．The air ticket.

3. What is required of applicants?

A．Being fluent in both English and Chinese.

B．Having experience of working with animals.

C．Applying for the program in advance.

D．Being at least 18 years old.

10 . Europe is the perfect place for a holiday. Every corner of the continent is bursting with history, culture and sights. The countries are so very close to one another, and yet so completely different.

Sweden

Sweden is a brilliant destination for a campervan (露营车) holiday, with hundreds of well-appointed camping sites suitable for vehicles. Head north to Lapland in the Arctic Circle and you’ll find true wildernesses where you can truly get close to nature. Head here between June and mid-July and you’ll be able to take in the midnight sunshine. If you’re looking for great nightlife, head to Gothenburg, Stockholm or Malmo.

Germany

There are massive industrial cities, rolling plains, towering mountains, deep forests and long, sparkling rivers. It’s not just what’s to see that makes Germany so great, but the ease of seeing everything. All these wonderful locations are all linked by one of the world’s best road systems.

Scotland

Scotland has something for everyone: cities with rich nightlife, incredible scenery, wonderful lochs and medieval (中世纪的) castles. If you want to get away from it all, then the Highlands are one of the least populated areas in the whole of Europe. Hikers will love the Cairngorms – the largest national park in the UK.

Spain

Spain’s famous for its beach holidays, but it offers so much more than that. With a lovely climate, rich history, excellent architecture, delicious cuisine and friendly locals, Spain has long been a favoured destination for holiday.

1. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To explain why the attractions in Europe are world-famous.

B．To show the rich history and culture of the European countries.

C．To tell about the differences between the European countries.

D．To introduce some great European holiday destinations.

2. What can you enjoy only in Sweden?

A．Beautiful scenery.	B．Midnight sunshine.
C．Medieval castles.	D．Great nightlife.

3. For a lover of seaside holiday, which country is a good choice?

A．Sweden.

B．Germany.

C．Scotland.

D．Spain.