1 . Map reading, growing fruit and vegetable and basic car service are also more common skills among the baby boomer generation. But according to a new survey, just one in three 18- to 25-year-olds are able to do basic DIY, compared to two-thirds of those aged 58 and over.

Sarah Clarke-Kuehn, Chief Operating Officer-Commercial, said, “The survey findings are so interesting as they highlight a very common incorrect conception related to ‘getting old’.”

When asked at what age they thought developing new skills becomes “difficult”, Gen Z respondents said they were 35 years old, while those aged over 58 believed this number was 63 years old. The belief is that there is a boundary between learning new skills and getting a sense of achievement. But we know that this is just not the case. The benefits in continuing to enjoy life, as well as developing new talents are very significant—both physically and mentally as we grow older.

Neuroscientist and author, Dr Julia Jones, said, “We underestimate our brain’s ability to continue learning. Our brain is the most complex and precise structure in the known universe but we only use a small part of its true potential throughout our lifetimes. To boost continued brain health, we should learn complex and novel skills at all ages. This becomes more important as we age, because these learning experiences help to build new connections between neurons (神经细胞) that maintain intelligence and reduce the risk of future brain decline.”

“Learning languages and musical instruments are believed to be effective at boosting neuroplasticity (神经可塑性) due to their complex nature, but all learning is beneficial and can bring a sense of achievement, purpose and social engagement.”

Dr Jones added. “Find a new hobby and throw yourself into a wonderful learning experience or pick up an old pastime and improve those skills. I’m currently learning to play the guitar and it’s opened up a whole new world of music and fun.”

1. What is mentioned about the young generation in the text?

A．They lose interest in DIY.

B．They have no idea in plants.

C．Many of them lack some basic skills.

D．Many of them own poor reading skills.

2. What does the author imply in paragraph 3?

A．Learning brings a sense of belonging.

B．It is never too late to learn in one’s life.

C．It is necessary to show off one’s talents.

D．The benefits of lifelong learning are temporary.

3. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The significance of knowing the structure of the brain.

B．The difficulties in improving the ability of the brain.

C．The reasons for taking full advantage of the brain.

D．The process of protecting the brain from risk.

4. What is Dr Jones’ attitude to learning musical instruments?

A．Favorable.

B．Negative.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unclear.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman plan to do with Sharon?

A．To do homework together.

B．To go to see a film.

C．To go to school.

2. Where is the woman’s report card?

A．In her schoolbag.

B．At Sharon’s.

C．At the teacher’s office.

3. What trouble does the woman have got in her Spanish?

A．She always hands in her assignments in time.

B．She was confused by some verbs on her last test.

C．She finds it is a piece of cake for her to learn Spanish.

3 . 由中央电视台推出的大型文化情感类节目《朗读者》自开播以来，广受好评，为书香中国，全民阅读推开一扇窗，迎来一缕曙光。假如你是某学校学生会主席李华，为配合学校即将开展的读书周 (Reading Week) 活动, 请写一封倡议信，鼓励同学们多读书，读好书。
注意：1)词数100左右；
2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3)开头已给出，但不计入总词数。
Dear Fellow Students,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours Sincerely,

Li Hua

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Bike-sharing solves 'last mile' problem

Bike-sharing apps are an effective solution     1     the "last mile" problem for commuters (上班族), but service operators and users need to deal with issues     2     (concern) with the transport method, Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng said in Beijing on Monday.

Speaking at his first news conference since his     3     (appoint) as minister in September, Li praised the online-to-offline bike rental model pioneered in China by Ofo, Mobike and Bluegogo. "It's an effective way of solving the 'last mile' problem, which is     4     bike-sharing services have been so popular," he said.

According to data,     5     first week of this year saw 5.85 million active users of Mobike services,     6     (make) it the market leader, while Ofo had 1.4 million active users. "The development of the bike-sharing industry has been     7     (large) positive, but problems do remain," Li said. He urged governments to support and supervise the market.

Since the middle of last year, the bike-sharing market     8     (boom). Bikes are parked along     9     (sidewalk) and can be accessed through smartphone apps. However, the model has also led to problems such as     10     (legal) parking and theft.

5 . This past year, my 14-year-old son and I took in a high-school-age exchange student. This was not the first time we had done this. I was hoping for a _______ of that happy experience. The most difficult step in the process is the _______ decision to go ahead. These kids come not as guests _______ as family. One can have all sorts of reasons for not doing it: What if he doesn’t _______? What if he eats a lot?

_________ these worries, we took the leap, and in August 2010 our boy arrived – a lively Swede who ran toward us _______ Anton ran toward him with a handmade _______ reading “Welcome, Gustav!” What’s interesting is that those first moments, hours, and days were never _______. If ever a stranger were made for our family, it was Gustav.

When one _______ a foreign student, one of the biggest considerations is how he will interact with one’s ________ children. Gustav, at 17, was not only a good role model, but also showed big ________ leadership. A couple of months into his __________, I approached Gustav and asked, “Are you homesick?” He ________ me a thoughtful look, said, “I think about home, but I’m not homesick.” It was a perfectly reasonable and honest __________.

With a month to go, we had to talk about Gustav’s ________. There was a flight ________ to consider, graduation from high school and, of course, ________ some way for Gustav to pack up. The day finally came. “I don’t want to leave,” he said, but we both knew that there was no ________ in the matter. “I know,” I said. “We don’t want you to leave. You have ________ beauty to our lives.” That might have been the last thing I said, or needed to say, but something else ________. “Gustav,” I said as he faced me, “I always wanted to have three sons. Thank you.”

1.

A．swap

B．section

C．repeat

D．request

2.

A．fresh

B．last

C．necessary

D．initial

3.

A．but

B．and

C．yet

D．or

4.

A．pick out

B．dive into

C．hang on

D．fit in

5.

A．Instead of

B．Regardless of

C．In favor of

D．In terms of

6.

A．how

B．as

C．why

D．which

7.

A．scene

B．sign

C．sight

D．scenery

8.

A．specific

B．gentle

C．awkward

D．tense

9.

A．takes in

B．keeps up

C．contributes to

D．adapts to

10.

A．other

B．own

C．another

D．special

11.

A．basically

B．officially

C．brotherly

D．luckily

12.

A．recovery

B．stay

C．plan

D．difficulty

13.

A．reached

B．jumped

C．threw

D．posted

14.

A．story

B．comment

C．reason

D．response

15.

A．return

B．hesitation

C．departure

D．decoration

16.

A．campaign

B．motivation

C．decision

D．reservation

17.

A．figure out

B．pointed out

C．take off

D．pay off

18.

A．decision

B．project

C．brand

D．choice

19.

A．attached

B．added

C．donated

D．devoted

20.

A．rejected

B．erupted

C．answered

D．received

6 . At a Berlin day-care center, the children packed away all the toys: the cars, the tiny plastic animals, and Legos, even most of the art materials. They then stood in the empty classroom and looked at their two instructors. “What should I do now?” my son, then 5, asked. He did not get an answer to this question for a long time. His day-care center was starting a toy-free kindergarten project.

For several weeks, the toys would disappear, and the teachers wouldn’t tell the children what to play. While this practice may seem cruel, the project has an important goal: to improve the children’s life skills to strengthen them against addictive behaviors in the future.

The toy-free kindergarten is not a new idea in Germany. It grew out of an addiction study group in Bavaria in the 1980s. The group included people who had worked directly with adult addicts and determined that, for many, habit-forming behavior had roots in childhood. To prevent these potential seeds of addiction from ever being planted, the researchers eventually decided to create a project for kindergartens, which in Germany typically serve children ages 3 to 6, and remove the things children sometimes use to distract themselves from their negative feelings: toys.

The rules of the toy-free kindergarten are simple: For a period of three months, all the toys are removed, leaving only furniture and things like blankets and pillows. The teachers meet with the children and the parents before the toy-free time starts so they know what to expect, but once the project begins the teachers observe, rather than direct, the children’s play. They let the children learn how to deal with their own boredom and frustration.

A kindergarten in the Bavarian city of Penzberg was the first to try out a toy-free time in 1992. Aktion Jugendschutz published information about the project shortly thereafter, and the project quickly spread. Today, toy-free projects can be found in hundreds of kindergartens throughout Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Other countries have also shown interest. The Penzberg kindergarten has even received calls from interested groups as far away as China.

1. The toy-free project is based on the idea that __________.

A．adult addicts are deeply attached to toys

B．children don’t value their toys sometimes

C．habit-forming behaviors start in childhood

D．playing with toys will do harm to children

2. What can we learn about the rules of the toy-free kindergarten?

A．The children will be emotionally prepared in advance.

B．The children will listen to stories told by the teacher.

C．The teacher will direct the children to play.

D．Nothing will be left in the classroom.

3. What purpose does Paragraph 1 serve in the text?

A．To offer an argument.

B．To introduce the topic of the text.

C．To show the background information.

D．To make a comparison.

4. “China” is mentioned in the last paragraph to show that __________.

A．the project isn’t that satisfying

B．the project has a history of 20 years

C．the project has enjoyed great popularity

D．China has played an important role in popularizing the project

7 . In 2006, an alarm sounded concerning the health of honeybees in the United States when a Florida beekeeper found 400 of his hives were empty.     1     Home gardeners can play an important role in supporting bees, in particular, by offering food, water, and shelter for them.

Food. Grow a variety of plants to supply nectar (花蜜) and pollen (花粉) throughout the growing season. Bees like plants native to their habitats.     2     Choose a sunny location and set plants in groups.

Water. Although we rarely see them taking a drink, bees appreciate gardens with a source of water. It can be as simple as filling a shallow water dish with small stones and branches so bees can land and rest while drinking. A birdbath (水盘) also offers a dependable destination for bees.     3    

Shelter.     4     These bees don’t live in hives like honeybees but in logs, dead tree branches, even in holes in the ground. You can build a bee shelter by drilling holes in an untreated wood block. The holes should be three to five inches deep and a quarter inch in diameter.     5     Choose a site protected from wind and rain for your nest — under the eaves of a shed, for example.

By creating an environment with shelter, water, and bee-friendly plants, soon your local bees will be buzzing.

A．Replace the water regularly.

B．Even plants in a window box can help.

C．Leave an inch of space between holes.

D．Leave an area of bare dirt for ground insects.

E．So choose wildflowers and natives whenever possible.

F．Don’t ignore the wild bees that live in North America.

G．Similar reports of disappearing bees were reported nationwide.

8 . When I was in Tanzania, Modesta was my Swahili teacher, who was friendly and outgoing. Three years later, I was living in India, teaching at an English-medium international school. Modesta was still in her village, about 15. She had exhausted her country’s free education options. Instead of high school, early marriage is waiting for her. After much thought, I decide to invite Modesta to join me. I stressed the challenges: She’d have to adapt to living in an English-speaking environment, dealing with racism, and being separated from her family. Modesta decided she was up for the adventure.

At the airport gate, the agent asked for our yellow fever vaccination (疫苗接种) certificates. Tim and I pulled out ours but Modesta didn’t have one. “Then she won’t be allowed on the plane,” the agent said. “India won’t let her into the country without it. But...” My heart was racing. How had I failed to think of this? “There’s a clinic at the other end of the airport,” the agent said. “Takeoff is in 30 minutes, and the certificate is only valid 10 days after the injection.”

When the nurse finished the injection, I glanced at my watch again — 14 minutes — and said: “So, in order for us to travel today, the paperwork has to be dated 10 days earlier.” The nurse replied with a lazy eyebrow raise. “Modesta is from the village,” I almost cried. “For her this means everything: continuing her studies, learning English...” The nurse didn’t say anything, but with nine minutes left, when she handed us the certificate, it was backdated by 15 days.

We dashed through the gate just as it was closing. When we finally took off, my hand shook as I held Modesta’s. Tim finally broke our silence. “I was ready to pay an enormous bribe back there, to get them to change the date.” “I was ready to tell lies,” I said. “Big lies, whatever it took.” “I was praying and praying to Jesus,” Modesta said. Fifteen years later, Modesta has friends on four continents and the first college degree in her family.

1. If Modesta had refused the author’s invitation, she ___________.

A．would have been married

B．would have taught foreigners Swahili

C．would have studied in an international school

D．would have continued her education in Tanzania

2. Why Modesta was not permitted to board the plane?

A．She had a fever at that time.

B．She didn’t have a passport.

C．She didn’t get a birth certificate.

D．She was not vaccinated against yellow fever.

3. Why was the nurse willing to backdate the certificate by 15 days?

A．Modesta prayed to Jesus.

B．The author told a white lie.

C．Tim gave her a large amount of money.

D．She knew deeply what it meant for Modesta.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．Modesta would face racial discrimination in India

B．Modesta failed to adapt to the new environment

C．Tim was unwilling to accept Modesta

D．Modesta’s parents treated her badly

9 . A series of activities were held in Beijing to celebrate World Book Day in April. Some focused on helping children form a reading habit. To help parents select the suitable reading materials, a book list for children compiled (编纂) by experts was recently released at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children.

The list called Kingdom of Little Bookworms is divided into two parts - one for children aged 3 to 6, and the other for those above 6. “We still don’t have an official system of reading levels in China,” says Bai Bing, an experienced children’s book writer. More than half of the 35 books recommended for children under age 6 are picture books in simple language, while the other 42 books for older children deal with wider topics and require better comprehension ability.

During the book list’s release, experts also emphasized parents’ role in cultivating children’s reading habit. “At home, if parents watch TV and are on gadgets all the time, it’s hard to imagine that their children will have a good reading habit,” says Wang Zhigeng, director of the children’s book section at the National Library of China. “Action speaks louder than words. If parents themselves like reading and buying books, the children will imitate — and reading will become a family’s culture.”

Wang points out that reading aloud for the children is important. He says: “To read out loud the story with your emotions, a clear voice and body language — to convey your feelings to your children. It will help the development of children’s abilities of empathy and comprehension.”

1. What do we know about the book list?

A．It is compiled for adults.

B．The list is divided into three parts.

C．At least 18 books in the list are picture books.

D．It is based on the official reading system of reading levels in China.

2. When it comes to forming a good reading habit, __________.

A．watching TV regularly will help a lot

B．parents should set a good example to their kids

C．parents should take their kids to libraries frequently

D．doing sports will be helpful to being creative readers

3. What does the underlined word “gadgets” may refer to?

A．Books.	B．Cars.
C．Parties.	D．Smart phones.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Parents should care about their kids’ inner minds.

B．A book list encourages kids to read more.

C．How to create a reader-friendly home.

D．Bedtime stories are really helpful.

10 . With the average life expectancy increasing every year, you might expect that there would be plenty of opportunities for younger people to tap into the knowledge that their older relatives have. However, recent YouGov research has found that just 35 percent of Brits know a lot about their grandparents, while 56 percent know very little and 8 percent know absolutely nothing. A lack of time is most probably the biggest reason for this sad reality. However, LifeBook can help change that by helping you share your knowledge and memories so they can be remembered for years to come.

You will receive regular face-to-face interviews over three to four months — the interviewer will record all the meetings and help you select and caption photographs for your LifeBook. Our professional writers will transform these recordings into the written word and capture your “voice”. You will have your very own project manager to help guide you through your experience.

The finished books will be hand-crafted and feature up to 160 pages including up to 60 photographs illustrating your life stories. Call us on 0800 999 2280 and quote NY2017 to take advantage of our special New Year offer: 5 Free Books worth £300 or Free Champagne Book Signing for up to 20 people when your book is complete.

We believe everybody has a story to tell and let us help you tell yours.

1. In Paragraph 1 the research results are mentioned to show that __________.

A．we live longer than before

B．we are more independent

C．a Lifebook is a must for us nowadays

D．Brits know a lot about their family histories

2. If Mary want to have her Lifebook, ___________.

A．she will be interviewed only once

B．she will get help from a personal manager

C．she has to provide 60 photos to choose from

D．she has to record something important in her life

3. The purpose of the text is to __________.

A．warn	B．amuse
C．guide	D．advertise