1 . The Roman Colosseum is a giant amphitheater built two thousand years ago. Despite its age and an earthquake that knocked down its south side, most of the 150-some-foot building is still standing. Like many ancient Roman structures, parts of it were constructed using a specific type of concrete. Scientists and engineers have long suspected the key to these buildings’ strength is their use of this Roman concrete. But exactly how this strong concrete has contributed to the architecture’s durability (耐用) has been a mystery to researchers worldwide.
A team of interdisciplinary (跨学科的) researchers recently discovered a potential answer to why these ancient Roman buildings have been able to weather the test of time while many modern, concrete structures seem to collapse after a few decades. The answer: self-healing concrete. The material has three components: limestone. volcanic material and water. For years, architects and historians have guessed the volcanic material is what makes it strong — which it does. But it does not explain the material’s self-healing ability.
What the researchers found was that the self-healing properties might simply be a result of chemistry. The limestone in the concrete is likely the secret. When the ancient Romans made mortar (砂浆), they heated up the lime to turn it into a substance called “quicklime” — a very reactive chemical sibling to limestone. And, because they introduced water to the quickli me during mixing, the heat it produced set up a chemical foundation that could strengthen the concrete later. When tiny cracks start to form later, the quicklime stops them from becoming bigger. When it rains, the lime quickly fills the crack or reacts with the volcanic ash to“heal”the material.
For materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez, this new understanding of ancient Roman con crete is a welcome discovery. “This is one way that the material can be greener,” says Ramirez. “It’s sort of like a message in a bottle. The Romans made the material. We had to kind of figure out how they did it so that we can make better materials — and then in turn, attend to our environment better.”
1. Why is the Roman Colosseum mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To show many wonderful ancient Roman structures. |
| B．To provide a clue for studying ancient Roman structures. |
| C．To disclose to the world the mystery of ancient Roman structures. |
| D．To start the introduction of the durability of ancient Roman structures. |
| A．Change. | B．Prove. | C．Stand. | D．Suffer |
| A．A material called quicklime. | B．A chemical foundation. |
| C．The volcanic material. | D．The water in the crack. |
| A．Roman concrete was made like a message in a bottle. |
| B．Roman concrete was aimed at protecting the environment. |
| C．Further study of Roman material will be carried out soon. |
| D．The way to make Roman material can be practical nowadays. |
2 . The first week of September was a week that I had been expecting (期待) all summer. I didn’t want summer to end, but I was excited about going to high school for my first week.
When I got to school in the morning on the first day, I realized how large the school was, and how many students went there. I ended up in the wrong classroom because of the size of the school. Luckily, a kind senior showed up and guided me to my homeroom before I was late. I was happy to see that in a class of unfamiliar (不熟悉的) faces, the only open seat was next to my good friend Casey. My science teacher seemed like a good teacher. She was exciting and fun.
After finishing four classes without too much of a challenge, I didn’t feel too bad about ninth grade. However, the fifth class changed everything. I didn’t feel ready after all. My teacher’s name is Mr. Valassidis but he told us to call him Mr. V. Mr. V told us that we would have to write 40 essays (文章) and read AP-level books such as The Odyssey this year. I love reading and writing. But come on. 40 ESSAYS? AP-level books? Now I was afraid.
The courses in high school seem like they’re going to get much harder, but they haven’t yet. Even though my classes look hard, they look really exciting too.
The first week passed quickly. Although a lot of things were overwhelming (令人不知所措的): the size of the campus, the crowds (人群) and the seniors, having a totally different experience than I had ever had before was really exciting. Now, I’m really happy about high school. I have lots of friends in my classes, I really like my teachers and I’m meeting new people.
1. How did the author feel when his high school life was about to start?| A．Happy. | B．Nervous. | C．Relaxed. | D．Helpless. |
| A．He was late for class. | B．He was praised by Mr. V. |
| C．He got lost on the campus. | D．He met Casey for the first time. |
| A．The strict rules in classes. |
| B．How his science teacher behaved. |
| C．What he was expected to do with his studies. |
| D．The reading homework on the first day of high school. |
| A．Hard and unexpected. | B．Busy but eye-opening. |
| C．Tiring but meaningful. | D．Different and exciting. |
3 . The African elephant holds the record for sleeping the least among mammals — about two hours a day — but now, the elephant seal is giving its namespace a run for its money. Recent experiments on elephant seals showed the animals averaged only two hours of sleep per day during the seven months out of the year they spent at sea.
Jessie Kendall-Bar, a Ph. D. at the University of California, discovered elephant seals’ special ability. She found in the open ocean, elephant seals sleep less than two hours per day. While on land, they sleep more than 10 hours a day. “That’s really special,” she says. Previous observations had shown that elephant seals in the open ocean surface for a couple of minutes at a time. So scientists knew that they must be sleeping underwater. But they knew very little about it.
To find out more, Kendall-Bar developed a headcap to gather data about the animals’ brain waves, heart rates, dive (潜水) depths, and movements to determine when they were sleeping. She discovered that seals do not sleep in two-hour bursts. Instead, they take some “catnaps (小睡)” lasting less than 20 minutes each. Starting at the surface, adult seals take 10-minute dives at great depths, usually from 300 to 1,000 feet.
At this point, the animals enter the first stage of sleep, or slow-wave sleep. Then, they fall into REM sleep, when their bodies turn upside down. It seems REM sleep at great depths is risky because of the inability to escape at that moment. “It is just scary to imagine an animal doing this underwater in that state,” says study co-author Terrie Williams.
But what’s likely happening is that the seals are sleeping at great depths where their primary hunters — sharks and killer whales — hardly appear. “The elephant seal is basically using its ability to div e really deep as a protective mechanism (机制),” says Kendall-Bar. “It doesn’t have to keep one eye open or stay awake. It’s sleeping with its entire brain.”
1. Why does the author start the text with the African elephant?| A．To point out the sleep problems of animals. |
| B．To introduce elephant seals’ sleeping patterns. |
| C．To praise elephant seals’ great ability to survive. |
| D．To stress the importance of getting enough sleep. |
| A．Their sleep habits vary by location. |
| B．They spend a long time playing in the sea. |
| C．They can enter a stage of deep sleep quickly. |
| D．Their brain waves are slower than other large animals’. |
| A．It’s a common group activity. | B．It can increase their heart rates. |
| C．It’s made up of a series of short sleep. | D．It helps them develop their swimming ability. |
| A．To get sufficient food easily. | B．To escape from loud noises. |
| C．To maintain their body temperature. | D．To avoid attack from natural enemies. |
4 . Craig Clark is retired from his job in computers. He grew bored in his retirement and wanted to take on a challenging hobby. He decided to continue doing what he does best, which is to fix computers. In his spare time, he helps individuals and families improve their lives by giving them access to technology.
Craig places ads for his donations on the neighborhood community website. Once he fixes the old computers, he then offers them to community members for free. He was aware that many individuals struggled financially and often couldn’t afford to buy a computer due to the expense (费用). He wanted to find a way to help solve this problem. So far, he has given away more than 430 computers.
Melissa, one of Craig’s computer receivers, proves his giving nature. Her daughter needed a computer for school. But as a single mother of four children, buying a new expensive computer was not in her budget. One day she received a free computer from Craig. It was a lifesaver for her family.
A computer can influence people in many ways. It helps the elderly easily connect with health professionals from the comfort of their homes. It also saves them time and money by having their medicine and food delivered and monthly bills paid with the help of their online accounts. Computers have also connected many young students with online educational programs. They have also helped families connect with relatives living far away through email, social media, and video meetings.
Craig is excited that his labor of love is beneficial to those in need. He is known in his Florida community as the Tech Fairy. He uses his IT skills as a unique way to help improve the lives of hundreds of his community members. He now wants to inspire other technicians (技术员) to join him on his mission of kindness and become tech fairies in their own communities. Together they can improve the lives of many.
1. What does Craig prefer doing in his spare time?| A．Finding solutions to poverty. | B．Selling computers at a low price. |
| C．Repairing and donating computers. | D．Teaching computer-fixing skills. |
| A．Wise and independent. | B．Clever and energetic. |
| C．Brave and determined. | D．Skilled and generous. |
| A．Community members’ gratitude to Craig. |
| B．Local people’s useful advice on Craig’s business. |
| C．The common types of online educational programs. |
| D．The life-changing benefits brought by Craig’s action. |
| A．A tech fairy connects people with technology |
| B．A man calls on people to recycle used computers |
| C．A fun way to improve community relationships |
| D．A man chooses to be a volunteer in his retirement. |
5 . The southwestern United States has experienced drought for more than 20 years. Arizona has increasingly pumped (抽吸) water from underground, but that meets less than half of what the state needs. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of new residents arrive every year, and more communities are built. One report shows that a large area near Phoenix doesn’t have enough groundwater for all the homes that developers want to build there. That means 800,000 people.
Some experts say the solution is to import water from outside the state. One idea is to build a $5.5 billion desalination (脱盐) plant on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The plant would remove salt from the water and pump that water to Arizona through a 200-mile pipeline. Supporters say this could provide a water supply for decades.
Environmentalists see a different future. Some of the salt taken out of the Sea of Cortez might end up back in the ocean, harming wildlife. The pipeline would damage land where people and animals live. And the desalination process uses lots of energy. This would create greenhouse gases, the very gases that are causing the conditions that have led to Arizona’s water problems.
Margaret Wilder is a professor at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. She warns that big projects like this one could be used to show much more unsustainable development in the desert in the future. Moreover, desalinating water would likely be a massive expenditure for Arizonans. Cities pay about $50 to $150 for 326,000 gallons. That’s enough for a family of three in Phoenix for a year. Desalinated water could charge 20 times as much.
Environmentalists say the government should focus on cutting the demand for water rather than increasing the supply. That would mean taking water-saving measures and limiting how many homes are built. Thousands of households in Tucson, Arizona, are collecting rainwater and using it for cooking, drinking, and in their gardens. Government leaders have taken notice. Tucson also helps residents pay for equipment that collects rainwater for home use.
1. What is the problem faced by the southwestern United States?| A．A population increase. | B．A serious heatwave. |
| C．A waste of resources. | D．A water shortage. |
| A．It provides a long-term solution to drought. |
| B．It would harm the planet from various aspects. |
| C．It fails to take people’s basic needs into account. |
| D．It draws people’s attention to environmental destruction. |
| A．Affordable. | B．Costly. | C．Unsafe. | D．Beneficial. |
| A．People are unsatisfied with the government’s water measures. |
| B．Collecting rainwater is the key to meeting water demands. |
| C．People are exploring water resources with official support. |
| D．Public concern about water safety has increased. |
6 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee(拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法)to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin, “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| B．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| C．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| D．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| D．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| A．A science report. | B．A news report. |
| C．Children’s literature. | D．An advertisement. |
7 . The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer’s (阿尔茨海默症). He was losing his memory.
A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.
Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep each night when she was young. She thought about hirıng a professional pianist to work with her father.
Naomi, Melissa’s best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.
“Why do this?” Steve wondered.
“Because she cares.” Melissa said.
Steve nodded, tear in eye.
Naomi drove to the Goodwin home: She told Steve she’d love to hear him play Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
Naomi put a small recorder near the piano. Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.
“It was beautiful.” Naomi said after listening to the recording. “The music was worth saving.”
Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was still in Steve Goodwin. It was hidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.
Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He’d move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she’d take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.
Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn’t play it.
Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it “Melancholy Flower”.
Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him “honey” and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.
Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve’s favorite, and most personal songs. With Naomi’s help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve’s songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn’t.
In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: “Melancholy Flower.”
She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve’s permission. He considered it an honor.
After the concert, Naomi told, the family that Steve’s music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.
The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.
By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.
Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.
1. Why did Melissa want to save her father’s music?| A．His music could stop his disease from worsening. |
| B．She wanted to please her dying old father. |
| C．His music deserved to be preserved in the family. |
| D．She wanted to make her father a professional. |
| A．It was slow but productive. |
| B．It was beneficial to his health. |
| C．It was tiresome for Naomi. |
| D．It was vital for Naomi’s career. |
| A．thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted... |
| B．didn’t expect the damage the disease brought about |
| C．didn’t fully realize the value of her husband’s music |
| D．brought her husband’s music career to perfection |
| A．The Kindness of Friends | B．The Power of Music |
| C．The Making of a Musician | D．The Value of Determination |
I used to chase happiness a lot when I began to work. I would run after different experiences-goals, achievements and success, because I was quite sure that once I caught up with them, happiness would be with me. It was during that period that I learned happiness was a very fast runner.
Later, I tried to sneak up on happiness. I thought if I didn’t care too little or too much but just enough, it wouldn’t see me coming and then I could catch it.
It turned out that happiness is similar to owls, for both of them have 360-degree vision and extremely sharp hearing. Finally, I decided to sit still, very quietly, until happiness forgot I was there, let down its guard and got close to me. This, surprisingly, worked better than either of the other two ways.
After reading a passage in Time, I think I know the reason. Apparently, for Americans, the chase of happiness is just linked to achieving individual goals which is different from that in other cultures. In many cultures, happiness is considered as a social phenomenon that happens most readily when it is shared. But our society puts the responsibility for catching happiness on each individual’s shoulders -a heavy burden indeed.
On Facebook, there are a lot of unbelievably happy people doing amazing happiness—producing things every day. However, most of the time, no one is really that happy all the time behind the scenes.
I also like what a famous business man told Time reporter Mandy Oaklander, “A happy life doesn’t consist of happy moments but every moment of the day.”
Now you know how to get happiness, don’t you?
1. What did the author learn from his first period of chasing happiness? (no more than 10 words)2. How do you understand the underlined words in Paragraph 2? (no more than 5 words)
3. What was the author’s approach to chasing happiness a third time? (no more than 15 words)
4. What does the chase of happiness mean to Americans? (no more than 6 words)
5. Do you think you’re on the way to chasing happiness? Please explain. (no more than 25 words)
9 . Why does social media trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy? Because instead of being real life, it is, for the most part, impression management, a way of marketing yourself, carefully choosing and filtering (过滤) the picture and words to put your best face forward.
Online “friends” made through social media do not follow the normal psychological progression of an interpersonal relationship. You share neither physical time nor emotional conversations over the Internet. You simply communicate photographs and catchy posts to a diverse group of people whom you have “friended” or “followed” based on an accidental interaction. This is not to say that your social media friends can’t be real friends. They absolutely can, but the two are not the same. Generally speaking, there are no unfiltered comments and casually taken photos on our social media pages. And, rightfully so, because it wouldn’t feel safe to be completely real and honest with some of our “friends” whom we don’t actually know or with whom trust has yet to be built.
Social media can certainly be an escape from the daily routines, but we must be cautioned against the negative effects, such as addiction, on a person’s overall psychological well-being.
As humans, we are eager for social connection. Scrolling (滚动) through pages of pictures and comments, however, does not provide the same degree of fulfillment as face to face interactions do. Also, we tend to idealize others’ lives and compare our downfalls to their greatest accomplishments, ending in feelings of loneliness and inadequacy.
Social media can lead people on the unhealthy pursuit of perfection. Some people begin to attend certain events or travel to different places so that they can capture that “perfect” photo. They begin to seek validation through the number of people who “like” their posts. In order for it to play a psychologically healthy role in your social life, social media should enhance an already healthy social network. Pictures and posts should be byproducts (副产品) of life’s treasured moments and fun times, not the planned and calculated image that one is putting out into cyberspace in an attempt to fill insecurities or unmet needs.
Ultimately, social media has increased our ability to connect with various types of people all over the globe. It has opened doors for business and allowed us to stay connected to people whom we may not otherwise get to follow. However, social media should feel like a fun experience, not one that contributes to negative thoughts and feelings. If the latter is the case, increasing face to face time with trusted friends, and minimizing time scrolling online, will prove to be a reminder that your social network is much more rewarding than any “like”, “follow” or “share” can be.
1. What does the author imply social media may do to our life?| A．It may facilitate our interpersonal relationships. |
| B．It may filter our negative impressions of others. |
| C．It may make us feel isolated and incompetent. |
| D．It may help us make as many friends as we can.” |
| A．They do not find all their online friends trustworthy. |
| B．They do not want to lose their followers. |
| C．They want to avoid offending any of their audience. |
| D．They are eager to boost their popularity. |
| A．Learn Jessons from other people’s downfalls. |
| B．Strive for perfection whatever the cost. |
| C．Paint a rosy picture of other people’s lives. |
| D．Show their life’s accomplishments more impressive than reality. |
| A．Use social media to increase their ability to connect with various types of people. |
| B．Stay connected to those whom they may not otherwise get to know and befriend. |
| C．Try to prevent negative thoughts and feelings from getting into the online pages. |
| D．Strengthen ties with real-life friends instead of caring about their online image. |
10 . One good part about school is field trips. Students can get out of the classroom and into the real world, even if just for a few hours.
Students do better in school. Students who go on field trips generally have better grades.
Students learn to be more independent. A field trip includes many things. Although adults are in charge, it’s also up to students to figure out what exhibits they want to learn about, how they can finish certain tasks, etc. During field trips, students can have many such situations to learn to be independent. In the process, they sometimes may feel unpleasant and stressed.
Students develop a stronger connection to a neighborhood. By getting out of the classroom and, into the streets, students can become more familiar with a neighborhood.
| A．Students master more social skills. |
| B．So students can develop lifelong friendships. |
| C．And they have higher graduation rates from school. |
| D．These trips, wherever they are, can influence students. |
| E．But they’ll see their ability to deal with problems alone improve. |
| F．They will learn more about its culture, environment, population, etc. |
| G．Teachers’ detailed guidance will help students behave well in school. |
