1 . Would you believe it, Bangladesh is the happiest nation in the world! The United States, on the other hand, is a sad story: it ranks only 46th in the World Happiness Survey. That's far behind India, the fifth happiest place in the world, and others including Ghana and Latvia, Croatia and Estonia.

The research was led by London School of Economics professors into the link between personal spending power and the quality of life. It has proved that money can buy everything but happiness. The study revealed that people in Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, act far more happiness from their small incomes than, for example, the British (32nd on the list) do from their relatively large bank balances. In fact, people in most rich countries are much unhappier than poorer people in countries like the Domini can Republic and Armenia.

Most unfortunate, however, are Russians and people in some other parts of the former Soviet Union. They are neither rich nor happy, indicates the World Happiness Survey.

The study shows that although the British have twice as much money to spend in real terms compared with 40 years ago, their quality of life has not improved. Earlier surveys showed that many Britons thought money could bring happiness. The new study shows that such a link still exists in poor countries because a small increase in income can mean large improvements in lifestyle.

The researchers have concluded that although Britons are rich compared with most other countries, many suffer from an emotional poverty caused by consumerism (消费主义) and the breakdown of family life. “We are being seduced by a huge economic power and our personal needs are not being met,” said nip Marks, a social sciences researcher at survey University who also worked on the report.

1. How is the second paragraph organized?

A．By giving reasons.	B．By making a comparison.
C．By giving numbers.	D．By following the time order.

2. What does the underlined word “seduced” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．attracted

B．reduced

C．contracted

D．Prohibited

3. What is the writer's attitude towards the result of the survey?

A．Favorable.

B．Doubtful.

C．Objective.

D．Unclear.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Some effective ways to act happiness.	B．Results from the World Happiness Survey.
C．The belief that money could bring happiness.	D．Introduction of the happiest nation in the world.

2 . “What is the story of your piano?” a new friend asked over dinner. My piano sits in the corner of my small living room.

My piano has a story? “All pianos have stories” she said. Suddenly, my piano’s story came flooding out of me fully-formed as if I’d always had this tale to tell.

I loved music since childhood. I started with the recorder and moved on to instrument like the violin, trumpet (小号) and guitar. But playing the piano had always been my dream, a dream our family could not afford.

I grew up in an immigrant Chinese family in Toronto. My father waited tables in a Chinese restaurant, and my mother worked in a Chinese laundry. Despite our poor childhood, my siblings (兄弟姐妹) and I were always fed with love. I can’t remember which birthday it was when she spared the money to buy me a doll. Of course, by then I’d grown out of the age of wanting dolls, but she worked too hard to know that, and I never told her. I happily and gratefully accepted the doll because I loved the gift that was her loving me enough to buy it for me.

So it was eventually with my piano. It was in my last year of high school. I took piano lessons for about a year before university forced me to stop. I had to make a decision: to work towards the more practical goal of medical school or my love for music. Finally I chose to stop piano lessons.

I moved that piano around with me over the next decade — until my son was born. He showed an early interest in music, so I put him in piano lessons. I played that piano through my son — although guitar was finally his instrument of choice .

I’ve come to realize that for my career, I’ve let all personal pleasures fall away. I figured I’d get back to playing the piano when I retire. Maybe it’s time to get that piano retuned (重新调音) again, this time for myself, before it’s too late to enjoy. Maybe that’s something we all should do right now .

Sometimes a single question can open whole paths of thinking and discovery. So, what is the story of your piano?

1. What do we know about the author from the first four paragraphs?

A．She was born in a musical family.

B．She had a poor but happy childhood.

C．Her interest in dolls never faded.

D．Her parents were too busy to care for her.

2. What is the main reason the author stopped learning piano?

A．Her parents persuaded her to do so.

B．She faced study and career pressure.

C．She couldn’t afford piano lessons.

D．Her university didn’t provide such lessons.

3. What will the author probably do in the near future?

A．Restart her piano dream.

B．Ask her son to learn piano.

C．Buy a new piano for herself.

D．Focus on her medical career.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?

A．To explain the influence of music on her.

B．To encourage readers to play an instrument.

C．To look back on her childhood experience.

D．To share her story about an unrealized dream.

3 . 鉴于他的个人阅历和历史背景，李白多数作品都是以浪漫主义风格为主要特色，这点就不足为奇了。
Given his personal experiences and the historical background, it is only natural to see that the majority of Li Bai’s poems ________ ________ ________ the romantic style.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How many chapters will be covered on the exam?

A．3.

B．10.

C．15.

2. When will the exam be?

A．Next Monday.

B．Next Wednesday.

C．Next Friday.

3. Who can take the makeup exam?

A．Anyone with a doctor’s note.

B．Anyone whose parents call the professor.

C．Anyone with a letter from the headmaster.

5 . 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。

Giant pandas prefer eating shoots and leaves of bamboo, all of    1    are richer in nutrition. Because of their low-energy diet, they avoid stressful situations,    2    (prefer) spending time alone.

In addition to eating for about half a day, the giant pandas spend the rest of their time in sleeping. In the wild, they sleep for 2 to 4 hours    3    its two meals. The keepers feed giant pandas twice    4    day at regular times in the zoo.Therefore, they spend most of their spare time in rest.

Pandas get into positions of    5    (vary)kinds.Their favorite sleeping position is putting their hind paws on the trees with their front paws shading their eyes.

Panda families don't live together, and each female    6    (have)a well-defined range. Males generally live apart, except for in the short breeding season. They enjoy    7    (free) of being alone. In addition to one month spent with their partners during mating season, most of their time     8    (spend)alone.

Seldom    9    (active)attacking men or other animals, the giant pandas always evade them when coming across them. However, they will burst into anger at small things such as their cubs(幼兽)    10    (watch)by visitors.

6 . How to fight your bad breath

More than 80 million people suffer from bad breath, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, a professional association of dentists from Canada and the United States.     1    , the most common reason is poor oral hygiene (卫生). Here are some ways to fight bad breath and bring others talking to you a more pleasant experience.

    2    .

Onions and garlic add flavor to many foods, but they also add odors (臭味) not easily brushed away. The substances that cause their bad smells make their way into your bloodstream and travel to your lungs, where you breathe them out. The best way to avoid the problem is to avoid such foods.

Avoid dry mouth.

Saliva (唾液) is the key thing in your mouth that helps keep the odor under control because it helps wash away bacteria.     3    , try drinking water or chewing sugarless gum.

Brush and floss (用牙线清洁).

Oral hygiene experts recommend you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once to reduce plaque (牙斑). The sticky buildup on your teeth collects bacteria that cause bad breath, and trapped food adds to the problem.     4    , the experts warn. If you brush too hard you can wear down your teeth.

Brush your tongue.

    5    . To rid your tongue of odor-causing bacteria, remember to brush it when you clean your teeth. If your toothbrush is too big to reach the back of your tongue, buy a scraper, which is designed specifically to apply even pressure across the surface of the tongue area. This removes bacteria and dead cells that brushing alone can’t take care of.

A．Avoid certain foods

B．Don’t overdo things, though

C．If you aren’t producing much saliva

D．Bacteria don’t just live on your teeth

E．Brush your teeth after you eat these foods

F．Although bad breath can happen because of medical reasons

G．If your bad breath is thought to be caused by a potential health condition

7 . 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。

Helen Keller became blind and deaf at nineteen months old. Because she was deaf, Helen was unable to talk. She didn’t know how words sounded and couldn’t read     1     (they). Despite her disabilities, Helen learned to communicate.

Her teacher, Anne Sullivan,    2     (teach) her how to communicate with others. Anne wrote words on Helen's hand. Next, Helen learned how to make sounds in her throat.

Although her words didn’t sound very clear, she had learned to say words     3     her mouth. Helen also learned to read and write by     4     (use) Braille (盲文). She could read     5     (fast) with her fingers than people could read with their eyes! Helen Keller not only overcame many difficulties in her own life, but she also helped other people try to make their lives better. She became     6     writer and wrote about the challenges of being blind and deaf.

Helen travelled to towns and cities, and even other countries. She told people to be     7     (thank) for all their senses and to look at and listen to things as if they would never see or hear them again. Helen Keller was a kind of     8     (encourage) to others. She showed     9     a Person who couldn’t see or hear could achieve. For Helen, nothing could get in the way of her strong wish     10     (live) a full life.

8 . 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。

We tend to think about success in terms of wealth and accomplishments. That’s a fair measurement, but the problem is that when we addict into the     1     (victory), we tend to overlook the sacrifices required in order to get there. In fact,     2     (neglect) to account for the existing sacrifices is one reason why so many of us have a hard time sticking to     3     (health) habits and following up on goals.

Time is a factor when it comes to making sacrifices. As Warren Buffett famously     4     (say), “It’s the only thing you can’t buy. I mean, I can buy anything I want, basically, but I can’t buy time.” He’s     5     (absolute) right. Should you watch another section of your favorite Netflix show     6     give up TV for two months so you can plant that garden you always dreamed about?

Making the decision isn’t easy, but the good news is     7     we already do this naturally. A 2009 study found that people are “far    8     (little) willing to keep many choices open” when some have bigger rewards than others. If the payoffs are unknown, however, we have a harder time giving them up. That’s why doing an activity check is so important. You have to actually take the time     9     (figure) out the opportunity costs, gains of each and what to pursue over the     10    .

9 . 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。

Career and job sit LinkedIn released its annual “Emerging Jobs” list. No. 1 on the list is artificial intelligence (AI) specialist who figures out things like where     1     makes sense to build AI systems. This is the third year in a row that a role related to AI     2     (top) the list, and the demand     3     (expect) to increase in the future. The pay is very impressive too, with AI roles often     4    (reach) six figures.

There are     5     (opportunity) for AI specialists within many IT roles such as software development, and programming. Some AI specialist jobs are advertised using AI technologies such as speech     6     (recognize), but are not directly linked to AI. When AI is used outside of academia, it is usually as part of larger projects solving     7     (practice) problems faced by businesses. Therefore, anyone     8    is interested in a career using AI must be able to offer skills and experience beyond AI.

So what's behind this rapid growth in AI jobs? We're in an     9    (extreme) tight labor market so companies are really looking to hire whoever can get the job done. Learning skills like TensorFlow and Python, as well as throwing yourself     10    machine learning and natural language processing, could help you land the role.

10 . Older adults often suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (轻度认知功能障碍). It is defined as the stage between cognitive decline that comes naturally with aging and the more serious decline in brain performance—dementia (痴呆), MCI affects many aspects of cognition, such as memory, language, judgment and thinking.

Modern treatment for MCI and dementia involve mostly medications that are yet to be proven effective. But there are natural ways for individuals with MCI to improve their condition. Cognitive training, for instance, can help them develop their remaining cognitive skills. Improving their cardiovascular fitness can also lower their risk of further brain damage caused by blockage of blood vessels.

But in recent study, researchers at RMIT University in Australia found yet another way to boost cognitive function without using modern medications. By evaluating clinical evidence presented by multiple studies, the researchers found that traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) can cause positive changes in the brains of adults with MCI. They reported their findings in an article published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a sensitive measure used to evaluate changes in cognitive function. MoCA is often used to test the effects of TCM on people with MCI. The researchers selected a total of 19 studies, 16 of which contributed to data analyses. Three studies were placebo-controlled (安慰剂对照), while nine compared a TCM herb with conventional medication. Three studies combined a TCM with a modern drug, and one study combined a known TCM with cognitive training. In two of the placebo-controlled studies, which lasted for 24 weeks, TCM herbs produced favorable results at the end of treatment. Overall, results suggested that certain TCM formulations can improve MoCA scores by 1.76 to 2.34 points.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that TCM herbs, owing to their active components, can improve cognitive function in people with MCI.

1. What's the main reason the elderly suffer from MCI?

A．Mental decline.

B．Aging.

C．Cancer.

D．Hearing loss.

2. Which is the natural way to improve MCI in the elderly?

A．Cognitive training.

B．TCM with cognitive training.

C．Traditional Chinese medicine.

D．The Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

3. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 4?

A．Show the history of TCM.

B．Describe the function of TCM.

C．Prove the effectiveness of TCM.

D．Point out the importance of TCM.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．How to Treat Dementia Effectively

B．TCM Can Improve Memory and Cognition

C．Effective Ways to Treat MCI and Dementia

D．Modern Treatments Can Cure MCI and Dementia