1 . Close to the king’s palace stood a little house. In it lived a
The king wondered, “I wish I could be as happy as him.”
One evening the king found the gardener packing up his tools after
“Why should I be unhappy when I get two meals a day and have a
“But what if tomorrow you fall sick! Shouldn’t you think of the future too?” the king asked.
“And start
“You said it. Thank you,” the king nodded and
| A．silly | B．lazy | C．cheerful | D．rich |
| A．rarely | B．immediately | C．uncomfortably | D．jokingly |
| A．starting | B．finishing | C．missing | D．studying |
| A．shot | B．arrested | C．ignored | D．approached |
| A．secret | B．use | C．price | D．goal |
| A．exchange | B．divide | C．appreciate | D．share |
| A．garden | B．palace | C．bed | D．kitchen |
| A．money | B．strength | C．time | D．company |
| A．sad | B．weak | C．tired | D．hungry |
| A．get up | B．roll over | C．lie down | D．break out |
| A．carefully | B．instantly | C．occasionally | D．painfully |
| A．energy | B．hate | C．meaning | D．ambition |
| A．chance | B．day | C．dream | D．meal |
| A．sings | B．listens | C．matters | D．prefers |
| A．respectfully | B．awkwardly | C．shyly | D．humorously |
| A．celebrating | B．arguing | C．learning | D．worrying |
| A．love | B．lose | C．change | D．forget |
| A．afford | B．fail | C．decide | D．plan |
| A．refused | B．pretended | C．threatened | D．determined |
| A．power | B．wealth | C．present | D．talent |
2 . Anxiety can be treated with medication.
Lavender (薰衣草)
Evidence suggests that lavender may be as effective as medicine in improving common and persistent anxiety.
Researchers found that the smell seemed to help mice relax, allowing them to explore brightly lit and unfamiliar territory.
Talking therapies
Mindfulness
Mindfulness meditation can be an excellent way of returning our anxious mind back to the present. The object of our focus may be the sensations in our body as we sit or walk or breathe or it may be some external stimuli such as sound or an object.
| A．We worry for many reasons |
| B．It’s thought to make the brain calm |
| C．Mice were used in their experiment to test this therapy |
| D．Mice not exposed to lavender preferred to hide in the dark |
| E．Mindfulness helps us see what is here at the present moment |
| F．We can approach anxiety with a kind and courageous attitude |
| G．However, experts agree other approaches may also be effective |
3 . Chicken is the number one food that causes food poisoning (中毒). So it makes sense that people want to know how to tell if chicken is bad.
Check the date. Checking the date is the first step to see if raw (生的) chicken is safe to eat. If the printed date passed, the quality of the meat isn’t that great, although it’s still usable.
Cooked chicken lasts three to four days in the refrigerator. If you’re unsure, use your senses again to check if cooked chicken is bad. Meat whose color has changed is one of the things that food poisoning experts never eat.
Remember, how to tell if chicken is bad comes down to color, touch, and smell.
| A．Use your senses |
| B．If you’re still in the store |
| C．You also have to know about raw chicken |
| D．Here’s advice on how to tell if chicken has gone bad |
| E．If one or more of these things seem to have a problem |
| F．Since you can tell whether cooked chicken is bad or not |
| G．People should cook raw chicken within one or two days of the date on the package |
4 . A state in Australia is fixing cameras as part of an effort to reduce the number of people using wireless devices (设备) while they drive. Road safety experts are worried about the growing number of accidents because of drivers using smartphones on the state’s roads. They say drivers who use phones while driving greatly increase their chances of causing an accident.
The units use AI to set aside drivers who are not touching their phones. Human beings then make sure if the pictures show illegal behavior before a notice is sent to the vehicle’s owner. A violation (违反) carries a fine of $232. Some cameras will be set up on roadsides forever. Others will be moved, from time to time, around the state.
Two fixed cameras took photos of 8. 5 million vehicles as part of a six-month test earlier this year. The cameras took photos of more than 100, 000 drivers with their hands on phones. One driver was using a phone and an Apple iPad at the same time. Another driver had a passenger guide the vehicle while they both held phones.
Not everyone agrees with the new program. Peter Khoury is a member of Australia’s National Rosds and Motorists’ Association. He accused (谴责) the government of using secret methods to cut down on phone that does not follow the law. The association supports stricter action against drivers who pay too much attention to their phones. However, the association wants the government to set up signs warning drivers that phone cameras are operating in an area.
Government modeling found that the phone cameras could prevent 100 deaths and serious injuries over five years.
Drivers are allowed to use phones in hands-free carriers and through wireless connections (连接). But it does not follow the law to touch a phone while driving except to pass it to a passenger. Drivers who are sitting at red lights or stopped in heavy traffic should also follow the new law.
1. Why is the Australian state setting up cameras on the roads?| A．To protect drivers. |
| B．To warn drivers of traffic jams. |
| C．To encourage the use of phones. |
| D．To reduce traffic accidents. |
| A．Drivers holding a phone. |
| B．Drivers touching their nose. |
| C．Passengers talking with the driver. |
| D．Passengers using two devices at the same time. |
| A．Uncaring. | B．Against. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Use a passenger’s phone. | B．Touch the phone at red lights. |
| C．Ask passengers to answer the phone. | D．Make a phone call while trapped in traffic. |
5 . Chimney swift (烟囱雨燕) numbers have fallen by more than 70 percent since the 1960s, scientists believe, and by more than one-third over the past 16 years. That large drop have made the International Union for the Conversation of Nature regard chimney swifts as“vulnerable(脆弱的)”. That is the last step before they are considered “endangered”.
Chimney swift numbers are becoming smaller as the shape and design of the nation’s buildings change. People are tearing down old factory buildings and schools. Many of these buildings have chimneys. Today, most American homes do not have chimneys. And many homeowners who do have chimneys cover up the top to keep out.
People across the United States are putting up tall, narrow buildings to help chimney swifts. They hope they will use these buildings as nesting areas and resting places.
Bird lovers, Georgean and Paul Kyle, are often praised for starting the present interest in building towers. “It does give us hope that if we put them up, they will use them,” the Kyles said. They have put up more than 100 towers in Central Texas. Eighty percent of those buildings before the birds’ March arrival get nests in their first year. Hundreds of migrating swifts make use of the towers.
But the link between the drop in chimney swift numbers and chimney loss is not clear. The flying insects that swifts eat also appear to be dropping.
Professor Rubega thinks the cause of the birds’ drop could be in South America. “Chimney swifts are basically a South American bird that stays in North America for four months, ” she said. Rubega said a big problem is that scientists have only a few reports of small numbers of chimney swifts in the upper Amazon Basin. So, they do not really know where the little birds spend the winter, let alone what may be happening to them there.
1. Where are chimney swifts used to living?| A．In rooms with humans. | B．In useless old buildings. |
| C．In the woods near villages. | D．In chimneys of buildings. |
| A．Give them much food. | B．Build homes for them. |
| C．Add chimneys to new houses. | D．Open chimneys for them to get in. |
| A．Chimney swifts suffer a lot in South America. |
| B．It’s necessary to build homes for chimney swifts. |
| C．Scientists know only a little about chimney swifts. |
| D．Chimney loss has nothing to do with the birds. |
| A．Chimney Swifts Numbers Are Dropping |
| B．Chimney Swifts Will Change Their Lifestyle |
| C．Chimney Swifts Prefer Their New Homes |
| D．Chimney Swifts Live in Peace with Humans |
6 . Even though my grandfather, whom I called Papaw, was a farmer, my grandma would iron his work clothes every day. But as the years passed, I began to question this practice. Why in the world did Papaw need his work ironed? Most days, he never saw anyone but me and maybe a few other farmers.
One day when I was about 13, I asked Grandma about it. I wanted to know why she thought she should spend time and effort pressing clothes that were seldom seen and would be filthy in just a short time in the field. She told me that Papaw was the most handsome man in the world. She said he was her best friend and the love of her life. She loved every chance she got to show him off and make the rest of the world jealous(嫉妒的) that he was hers.
Later that day, I looked closely at Papaw. He sure didn’t look all that handsome to me. His hair was thin on top. I really didn’t see how anyone could consider this man the most handsome one in the world. So I asked Grandma about it again a few days later. I told her that I had closely watched him and most certainly didn’t see him as the most handsome man on the earth. She smiled and gave me a girlish smile.
“You just aren’t looking in the right light. He has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. His face lights up when he smiles. I iron his clothes every day because he is a man worthy of respect. I want him to look the part every day.” I decided to forget I had ever asked. How could this old woman think that a common old man with false teeth was beautiful?
Years went on, and I watched Grandma and Papaw grow old together. I was probably 30 when it dawned on me what beauty really was — it was Grandma’s ironing Papaw’s pants.
1. What did the author think of Grandma’s ironing clothes for Grandpa at first?| A．It was not necessary at all. | B．It was wise of Grandma to do that. |
| C．It was a funny way to show love. | D．It was important for Grandpa to meet others. |
| A．Worn. | B．Dirty. | C．Useless. | D．Ignored. |
| A．Ugly. | B．Special. | C．Ordinary. | D．Very handsome. |
| A．Beauty lies in the lovers’ eyes. | B．Love requires trust. |
| C．Love will find its way out. | D．Love and a cough cannot be hidden. |
7 . Boats Once in the Canal Became Touring Boats
The River Thames, England
Boating along the River Thames will introduce you to historical places, from the old colleges of Oxford University to the royal (皇室的) palaces of Hampton Court and Windsor Castle, as well as to small English pleasures, such as local pubs and teahouses. For fans of Downton Abbey, the Magna Carta, which can hold eight guests at most, offers a special boat shaped around the show.
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Southern Burgundy, France
Burgundy is a wine lovers’ paradise (天堂). Is there a better way to taste-test all the different wines that the place offers than to boat with a wine taster? Captain Jason Ashcroft runs the Saroche with his wife, chef Dawn Coles, and together they create delicious local wine and foods. Other interesting parts of the tour as you boat along the Canal de Bourgogne: a visit to a 15th-century hospital, Hospice de Beaune and wine-tasting at a vineyard (葡萄园).
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Mosel River, Germany
The best time to take a boat tour in Germany is in the fall, when the leaves are turning. Boats along the Mosel River include visits to Germany’s oldest town, as well as to fairy-tale castles like Burg Eltz and to port towns including Koblenz. Taste Teutonie wines and cooking onboard, and relax in beer gardens at various stops in old-fashioned cities and towns along the way.
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River Po and Bianco Canal, Italy
Italy is all about amazing food, art, and culture, and this boat tour will give you a taste of all three. The tour goes from the Venetian Lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and crosses the Canal Bianco. Guests will be able to experience the greatness of Venice as well as smaller, less-visited cities such as Chioggia, Adria, and Ferrara. In Mantua, you will have the opportunity to appreciate a large collection of artworks.
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1. What can visitors see while touring the River Thames?| A．A vineyard. | B．Fairy-tale castles. |
| C．A famous university. | D．A UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| A．Enjoy wines. | B．Tour port towns. |
| C．See an old hospital. | D．Visit the oldest towns. |
| A．Mosel River, Germany. | B．Southern Burgundy, France. |
| C．The River Thames, England. | D．River Po and Bianco Canal, Italy. |
