1 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What did the scientists do to the road?

A．They repaired it.

B．They painted it.

C．They blocked it

2. Why are young birds drawn to the road surface?

A．It’s warm.

B．It’s brown.

C．It’s smooth.

3. What is the purpose of the scientists’ experiment?

A．To keep the birds there for a whole year.

B．To help students study the birds well.

C．To prevent the birds from being killed.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Why does the man seldom do exercise?

A．He lacks motivation.

B．He has a heart problem.

C．He works all the time.

2. What does Jacob Sattelmair probably do?

A．He’s an athlete.

B．He’s a researcher.

C．He’s a journalist.

3. Why does the woman speak of a study?

A．To encourage the man.

B．To recommend an exercise.

C．To support her findings.

4. How much time will the man probably spend exercising weekly?

A．300 minutes.

B．150 minute.

C．75 minutes.

3 . Marilu Arce loves her job, but for a time she considered leaving. The traffic-plagued commute from her home to her office, nearly two hours each way, meant her daughters couldn’t enroll in after school activities because she couldn’t get home in time to take them.

Then her employer adopted a policy permitting her to work from home two days a week, and “I feel like it changed my life,” she said. Her stress level has dropped. Her daughters are thrilled. She likes her job more. That’s the type of reaction Arce’s boss likes to hear as the company measures the success of the work-from-home policy which was instituted three years ago in hopes of improving employee retention. So far, it seems to be working: turnover was less than five percent last year—its lowest ever.

Flexible work policies top employee wish lists when they look for a job, and employers increasingly have been offering them. Studies have shown working remotely increases employee engagement, but in moderation because there is still value in the relationships nurtured when colleagues are face to face. The key, advocates of flexible work policies say, is to match the environment with the type of work that needs to be done.

The flexibility hasn’t hurt productivity, which is up 50 percent. There is “something lost” when colleagues don’t gather at the water cooler, but it’s outweighed by the retention and happiness gains, he said. As jobs that require physical work decline, thanks to technological advances, life superficially appears to get better. Consumers benefit in the form of cheaper prices. Labor-saving appliances all make things easier and suggest that even more and better benefits are on the horizon. But is something lost?

Talk long enough to the most accomplished academics, they will brag about a long-ago college summer job waiting tables or repairing hiking trails. They might praise the installer who redid their kitchen. There seems to be a human instinct to want to do physical work. The proliferation of hard-work reality-television programming reflects this apparent need. Indeed, the more we have become immobile and urbanized, the more we tune in to watch reality television’s truckers, loggers, farmers, drillers and rail engineers. In a society that supposedly despises menial jobs, the television ratings for such programmes suggest that lots of Americans enjoy watching people of action, who work with their hands.

Physical work, in its eleventh hour within a rapidly changing Western culture, still intrigues us in part because it remains the foundation for 21st century complexity. Before any of us can teach, write or speculate, we must first have food, shelter and safety. And for a bit longer, that will require some people to cut grapes and nail two-by-sixes. No apps or 3D printers exist to produce brown rice. Physical labour also promotes human versatility: Those who do not do it, or who do not know how to do it, become divorced from—and, at the same time, dependent on—labourers. Lawyers, accountants and journalists living in houses with yards and driving cars to work thus count on a supporting infrastructure of electricians, landscapers and mechanics. In that context, physical labour can provide independence, at least in a limited sense of not being entirely reliant on a host of hired workers.

1. The author mentions the example of Arce to show that________.

A．she dislikes the present job for the long commuting time

B．she is having trouble balancing work and school life

C．people usually don’t work hard outside office

D．employers are facing the problem of staff drain

2. The practice of flexible working time is based on the belief that________.

A．it helps to increase job satisfaction for the employees

B．it improves harmonious relationship among colleagues

C．the decline in physical work gives employees more mobility

D．employees are entitled to request it according to their work

3. What is the possible reason for the popularity of hard-work reality-television programmes?

A．They entertain those employees burned out with overwork.

B．People can learn some basic labour skills from these programmes.

C．There’s an ongoing need for physical labour skills that technology doesn’t possess.

D．They offer instructive information for both employers and employees.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．The Emergence of Alternative Work Arrangements

B．The Rise of Automation, the Decline in Need for Labour

C．Time to Rethink in the Face of the Evolution of Work

D．New Challenges for Today’s Employers and Academics

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In a tea plantation (种植园), Maksim Ruban examined the collected fresh tea leaves carefully as local farmers began their annual tea-picking season.

The 25-year-old Russian runs a tea business in St. Petersburg, Russia. His company,    1    imports tea from China regularly, has an online store sell ng its products across Russia. Ever since he was a little kid, he    2    (become) fascinated with Chinese tea culture.

    3    (find) suitable tea flavors, the young man shuttles between Russia and China almost every year. Last month, he visited multiple Chinese cities and Qimen in Huangshan city was     4    must-see spot on his journey. The county is home to the world-famous Keemun black tea,    5    (award) the gold medal at the 1915 Panama World’s Fair. Keemun black tea, Darjeeling black tea from India and Ceylon black tea from Sri Lanka, are known    6    the world’s top three high-fragrance black tea varieties.

In a local Keemun black tea company, Ruban     7    (have) a close look at the local showroom, production workshop, and tea plantation. A tea craftsman also showed the complex manufacturing procedures with strict     8    (standard). Finally, the Russian man signed an    9    (agree) with the company, reaching their initial cooperation intention.

    10    (deep) impressed by Qimen’s beautiful ecological environment and high-quality tea leaves, Ruban has decided to introduce Keemun black tea to more Russian customers.

5 . “友善”是中华民族的传统美德，你校以“友善”为主题举办英语征文比赛,内容包括：
1. 日常生活中的友善行为；
2. 友善行为的意义或价值；
3. 提出倡议。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：传统美德traditional virtues
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 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.

7 . Do you find yourself pulling away from others, especially if you’ve experienced a deep disappointment? Maybe the most ______ thing most of us can do is to be with people when we don’t feel like being around anybody.

A man who lost his wife to cancer found himself wanting to be ______ . He dropped out of his community and ______ all of the activities he and his wife were used to for year. He ______ socializing at work and returned ______ home to an empty house after work. He turned down ______ from friends and co-workers.

His friends became ______ . One came by to visit and invite him over for supper the next evening. The two old friends sat in comfortable chairs by a ______ . The visitor extended the dinner invitation and ______ him to come, “You may need to ______ others to share your pain.”

The man responded that he felt better ______ staying with other people. “And ______ ,” he said, “it’s just too difficult to get out anymore.”

They sat in ______ for a while, watching the wood burn in the fireplace. Then the visitor did a(n) ______ thing. He took tongs (火钳) by the fireplace, reached into the fire, pulled out a ______ coal and laid down by itself on the earth. “That’s you,” he said.

The man sat in silence, ______ the red-hot ember. Neither man looked ______ as the once hot coal gradually transformed into a black lump. After some moments, the man said, “I get the ______ , my friend. I’ll be over tomorrow evening.”

We cannot ______ in any healthy way by ourselves. The leaf needs the branch. The branch needs the trunk. The trunk needs the roots. And the roots need the rest of the tree. We are ______ . And in that connection life and vitality (活力) are found.

1.

A．exciting

B．common

C．difficult

D．obvious

2.

A．independent

B．cheerful

C．sociable

D．alone

3.

A．enjoyed

B．refused

C．looked back to

D．took part in

4.

A．quit

B．reduced

C．kept

D．became fond of

5.

A．hurriedly

B．hopefully

C．straight

D．eagerly

6.

A．greetings

B．visits

C．kindness

D．invitations

7.

A．annoyed

B．alarmed

C．disappointed

D．curious

8.

A．warm fireplace

B．beautiful garden

C．bright window

D．TV set

9.

A．inspired

B．told

C．encouraged

D．required

10.

A．inform

B．expect

C．leave

D．allow

11.

A．while

B．without

C．regardless of

D．because of

12.

A．besides

B．otherwise

C．generally

D．therefore

13.

A．turn

B．silence

C．tears

D．talks

14.

A．frightening

B．heartwarming

C．unusual

D．interesting

15.

A．black

B．burnt

C．dark

D．flaming

16.

A．watching

B．holding

C．admiring

D．ignoring

17.

A．down

B．away

C．ahead

D．around

18.

A．point

B．invitation

C．news

D．notice

19.

A．think

B．understand

C．escape

D．survive

20.

A．welcomed

B．concerned

C．connected

D．affected

8 . Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is a light-weight material, about 95 percent air, with very good insulation (隔热) properties, according to Earthsource.org. It is used in products from cups that keep your drinks hot or cold to packaging material that protects items during shipping. With the above good features, Styrofoam still enjoys a bad reputation. It cannot be recycled without releasing dangerous pollution into the air. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is the fifth-largest creator of harmful waste.

But now the common worms which are usually disgusting can come to the rescue, specifically, mealworms. Scientists from the U. S. and China have discovered that mealworms can digest plastic. One mealworm can digest a pill-sized amount of plastic a day. Study co-author Wei-Min Wu says that in 24 hours, the plastic is turned into carbon dioxide.

Since Styrofoam has no nutrition at all, are the worms hurt by eating plastic? Much to the scientists’ surprise, the study found that worms eating Styrofoam were as healthy as worms eating bran (谷糠). The researchers will study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system, looking to copy the plastic breakdown but on a larger scale. Once the way can be put into practice, it will make a revolutionary difference to the disposal of plastic.

“Solving the issue of plastic pollution is important”, says Wu, a Stanford University environmental engineering instructor. After all, our earth is small and landfill space is becoming limited with too much garbage waiting to be dealt with, he says.

About 33-million tons of plastic are thrown away in the United States every year. Plastic plates, cups and containers take up 25 percent to 30 percent of space in America’s landfills. One Styrofoam cup takes more than 1 million years to recycle in a landfill, according to Cleveland State University.

1. What do we know about Styrofoam?

A．It can be used to cool drinks.

B．It is a weightless material.

C．It is harmful when recycled.

D．It is usually used on ships.

2. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．Mealworms have amazing digesting power.

B．Mealworms are not bad in their nature.

C．Mealworms can rescue people’s lives.

D．People misunderstood mealworms in the past.

3. Why will researchers study the worm’s eating habits and digesting system?

A．To find ways to help mealworms grow larger.

B．To imitate their ways of breaking down plastic.

C．To help develop their digesting ability.

D．To make sure of their safety after eating plastic.

4. In the future, plastic may be recycled ______.

A．by raising amounts of mealworms

B．by environmental engineering instructors

C．using a method inspired by eating mealworms

D．without sending out dangerous pollution

5. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Styrofoam is widely used in daily life.

B．Mealworms are genius at eating plastic.

C．Plastic recycling may be no more a problem.

D．Plastic can be turned into carbon dioxide.

9 . ________ the Montgolfier brothers took flight in balloons in the 18th century, air travel was not practical until the invention of powered flight in 1903.

A．When

B．Since

C．If

D．While

10 . As well as competitions, there are events such as poetry salons ________ you can share poems with others.

A．which

B．when

C．where

D．what