1 . Amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in children. In all cases of amblyopia, there’s a stronger eye and a weaker eye, and it’s winner-take-all in the cortex (大脑皮层). The cortex learns to ignore the sign al from the weaker eye. By ignoring the weaker eye, the brain doesn’t fuse (融合) images from both eyes. As a result, people with amblyopia can have trouble seeing in 3D.

In an attempt to solve this problem, doctors start treating patients with amblyopia at a young age, while their brain pathways are still developing. The children, usually under 7 years old, are often told to wear an eye patch over their strong eye to force the brain to rely on the weaker. But whenever the eye pa tech is removed, the competition can start over. For lasting improvement, new treatments need to teach the brain to stop suppressing (抑制) key visual cues coming from the weaker eye, says neuroscientist Dennis Levi of the University of California.

Now, several research teams are taking a new way that aims to get the brain to make better use of the information coming from both eyes. Several companies are working on treatment s based on this new angle. One is called Luminopia.

Luminopia’s therapy involves having children watch videos through a virtual reality headset. As the children watch, the headset blocks out certain parts of the display for each eye, so the patients actually have to combine input from the two images to get the full video.

The company conducted a trial showing that children with amblyopia begin to see better on eye chart assessments after three months of one-hour sessions done six days a week. But they have yet to measure improvements in long-term effectiveness. It is believed that if people with amblyopia don’t learn to fuse signals from both eyes from a young age, they never will. So some scientists think attempting to treat adults, whose brains have suppressed signals from their weak eye for decades, is a lost cause.

1. Why does a person with amblyopia have trouble seeing in 3D?

A．His brain is unable to receive images.	B．His weaker eye fails to receive signals.
C．His stronger eye can't send signals to the brain.	D．His cortex overlooks signals from the weaker eye.

2. Which of the following best describes the effect of an eye patch?

A．Temporary.

B．Ineffective.

C．Wonderful.

D．Comprehensive.

3. What is the working principle of Luminopia’s therapy?

A．Forcing the brain to rely on the weaker eye.

B．Activating the weak eye to get the full video.

C．Improving the situations with eye chart assessments.

D．Blocking out the images received from the stronger eye.

4. What can we learn about Luminopia’s therapy from the last paragraph?

A．It has an instant effect.	B．Adults are its main targets.
C．It has long-term effectiveness.	D．More trials need to be conducted.

2 . The greatest sports moments often have a wonderful flow state behind the victories or performances. Being in flow refers to the moments where distraction reduces, and concentration ________ .

It was a _______ summer camp ping pong tournament where I was not only down I set, but 7 points behind my opponent (对手), who had only 3 points left to ________ the set, and the tournament. For a comeback, I had to win at least 10 points, without making ________ !

Facing the desperate situation, I could ________ it a day and let my opponent win. Perhaps my opponent had already focused on the ________, but failure wasn’t an option! Thus, I ________ it out, hoping for the best. I told myself, “Let’s just try and win the next point, nothing else.” ________ deep, I stared at the ball with a clear mindset and keen ________. I took it, hit it back and scored!

5 points to go, 4 points to go... My opponent started getting visibly ________ and made mistakes. Point by point I was getting closer to being even.7-8. I was one point away from doing the ________. My mouth was shut and my eyes stayed ________ the entire set. He made another error. 8-8. The comeback was complete. The crowd went ________! Winning the next 3 points, I managed to win that set. In the last set, my opponent turned restless again. ________ the flow, I ended up winning the final set, and the tournament.

Despite a small game, it inspired me a lot. Not being able to control how our opponent plays, we can _______ how to react. Don’t be there, where you are not. Instead, be here and now! Stay in flow! Be concentrated!

1.

A．limits

B．decreases

C．heightens

D．changes

2.

A．tough

B．competitive

C．crazy

D．close

3.

A．lose

B．win

C．tie

D．restart

4.

A．adjustments

B．reservations

C．efforts

D．mistakes

5.

A．call

B．make

C．leave

D．take

6.

A．defense

B．attack

C．celebration

D．relief

7.

A．figured

B．tried

C．pointed

D．stuck

8.

A．Sighing

B．Breathing

C．Regretting

D．Struggling

9.

A．attention

B．interest

C．insight

D．appreciation

10.

A．confused

B．desperate

C．exhausted

D．uneasy

11.

A．right

B．impossible

C．opposite

D．previous

12.

A．swollen

B．bright

C．sharp

D．bloodshot

13.

A．wild

B．silent

C．mad

D．deaf

14.

A．Going against

B．Cutting off

C．Holding to

D．Recovering from

15.

A．wonder

B．determine

C．predict

D．consider

3 . How to have an attractive personality

Demonstrating an attractive personality is key to making friends and having lasting relationships. These traits (特性) give you the ability to inspire and fascinate others, making others more drawn to you as a result.

Listen to others.     1     Instead of responding to a text, opening an email, or thinking about your next meal, pay attention to what the other person is saying. Show them you’re listening and interested by commenting on the story or asking questions.

Speak sincerely. No one likes to be cheated.     2     If you can’t commit to something, it’s better to be honest about it than to have to tell them at the last minute that you can’t make it. When people ask for your opinion, you should be honest.

    3     You should always say what you believe in, be willing to take risks, and have the ability to admit your mistake without being worried about what other people will think. Doing this shows that you have self-confidence. This helps create an attractive personality.

Know “how” vs “what”. How you say things is arguably more important than what you say. If you try to give someone a genuine compliment, but he or she thinks you say it with a sarcastic undertone, your compliment won’t mean a thing.     4     If you notice that people often take things you say the wrong way, there’s a good chance you can change how you speak. Ask your friends to make you aware of the way you’re coming across.

Show enthusiasm for everything. Even if something makes you slightly uncomfortable, handle it with a smile on your face, an open mind, and a sense of humor. Not every day is going to be perfect, but being enthusiastic can help you accomplish anything.     5    

A．Tell people the truth.

B．You may make things bad.

C．Be aware of the way you speak.

D．Have confidence in how you speak and act.

E．When you act this way, people will love being around you.

F．Asking questions is important when it comes to confidence.

G．Listening is a trait that is often forgotten in today’s society.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the phone number of Greg Hunter?

A．555-1234.

B．555-2134.

C．555-1243.

2. What does the woman mainly worry about?

A．Her age.

B．Her health.

C．The cost.

3. What does the man suggest the woman do?

A．Walk faster.

B．Take the Subway.

C．Go swimming regularly.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Where did the speaker take the course?

A．In the mountains.

B．In the office.

C．In the forest.

2. How many people took the course with the speaker?

A．8.

B．9.

C．10.

3. What did the speaker learn from the course?

A．How to solve emergencies.

B．How to be an expert climber.

C．How to be more brave and confident.

6 . 阅读短文，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。

Now Zack is bringing the broadcast from the largest museum on Earth—the Louvre,    1    (vivid) showing us some of the Louvre’s most amazing treasures.

    2    the top of these stone stairs is the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It looks like she has just    3     (fly) down out of the sky and is standing on a ship. Her head and arms are missing, but you can imagine her    4     (hold) her arms up high, celebrating the result of an ancient battle. Then he guides us to see the painting Mona Lisa.

    5     (protect) by glass, it looks smaller than we would expect. When you look into her eyes, she seems to have a mind     6    her own. Finally, the self-portrait of Rembrandt,     7    is one of history’s greatest artists, is shown to us. It     8    (paint) by Rembrandt himself about 400 years ago. Throughout his life, he made over 90 self-portraits. However, no one really knows the reasons.

In total there are about 35,000 works currently     9    (display) in the Louvre and it would take a lifetime to see everything. Zack recommends the fantastic place and hopes that we can visit it one day     10    (feel) the power of these great works of art for ourselves.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How did the man go to London?

A．By bus.

B．By car.

C．By underground.

2. What did the man and his friends have for the meal?

A．Spanish food.

B．Chinese food.

C．Mexican food.

3. What does the man say about the restaurant?

A．It was full.

B．It was quiet.

C．It was expensive.

8 . Seven years ago, my wife bought me a terrific birthday present. For $70, she   _________ me two garden plots of land 20 feet by 20 feet from the Skokie Park District, which come with free _________ to fresh water from faucets, no _________. The football field of garden is a true place of beauty, costing the Park District very little to _________, with the water pipes being the only _________ capital investment.

My _________ is that gardening is good exercise accessible to people far into late middle age and beyond, deeply beneficial and _________ by couples and groups of friends. My garden neighbors and I, once _________, share ideas and encouragement. My daughter loves to help me _________ the wild weed, and the whole family loves the good fresh food, some of which I give to friends and neighbors.

I __________ about $300 to $400 a year but harvest literally 10 times the __________ of fresh produce—and I’m far from the best gardener!

We need to __________ one another while respecting each other as individuals, as carriers of subcultures, as positive people. Human difference is easier to accept with __________ when we know each other and are building something together.

And who doesn’t need to have __________ and get some exercise and eat great food? Community gardening is a wholly __________ activity.

1.

A．sold

B．offered

C．guaranteed

D．rented

2.

A．use

B．access

C．storage

D．entrance

3.

A．comment

B．difference

C．charge

D．way

4.

A．measure

B．decorate

C．design

D．operate

5.

A．initial

B．risky

C．heavy

D．wise

6.

A．responsibility

B．qualification

C．ambition

D．experience

7.

A．occupied

B．divided

C．beloved

D．possessed

8.

A．lecturers

B．strangers

C．farmers

D．competitors

9.

A．harvest

B．irrigate

C．grow

D．classify

10.

A．waste

B．collect

C．earn

D．invest

11.

A．habit

B．value

C．room

D．time

12.

A．calm down

B．appeal to

C．connect with

D．believe in

13.

A．doubt

B．curiosity

C．care

D．dignity

14.

A．fun

B．money

C．fame

D．fortune

15.

A．tolerant

B．specific

C．positive

D．convenient

9 . In America, the “Big Dig”, a highway project that resulted in a mess of traffic in the centre of Boston for years, came in five times over its initial budget. Even the Germans get huge projects wrong. Conception to operation of Berlin Brandenburg Airport has taken 30 years, with seven missed opening dates. The airport ended up costing $8.2 billion. However, the original estimate was about $2.7 billion.

Huge projects like Berlin Brandenburg Airport are the subject of an amusing new book called How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner. Mr. Flyvbjerg sets up a database of over 16, 000 projects and data analysis reveals that only 8.5% of the projects meet their initial estimates on cost and time, and 0.5% of them achieve what they set out to do on cost, time and benefits.

Over-optimistic time and cost estimates originate from both psychological and political perceptions: the reliance on intuition (直觉) rather than data, and a problem that Mr. Flyvbjerg calls “strategic misrepresentation”. This is when budgets are intentionally reduced in order to get things going. And once the projects are under way, they will not be stopped, because money spent on them will thus be wasted.

Mr. Flyvbjerg speaks highly of Pixar’s methodical approach to developing and testing films in great detail before they go into production. He also tells the story of how Frank Gehry’s well-developed architectural models helped ensure the success of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Narrowing down the producing window of a project before it is actually carried out reduces the probability of unexpected events.

Big customized projects are particularly likely to run into trouble. However, the more a project can be divided into standardized processes, the better its prospects are. Projects run into problems for specific reasons as well as general ones: Britain’s trouble is not something that China has to worry about, for instance. But the iron law is that if you plan strictly and standardize where possible, you are less likely to dig yourself into a hole.

1. How does the author introduce the topic of the passage?

A．By making a contrast.	B．By giving an explanation.
C．By presenting examples.	D．By showing an experience.

2. What message does Bent Flyvbjerg’s data analysis convey?

A．Projects’ success rates can be estimated.

B．Projects’ desired outcome can’t be achieved.

C．Most projects suffer overspending and delays.

D．Most projects lack comprehensive data analysis.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Failures in decision-making.	B．Methods of reducing massive costs.
C．Strategies for getting work done.	D．Reasons behind inaccurate estimates.

4. What is the key to preventing projects getting into trouble?

A．Planning thoroughly in advance.

B．Analyzing specific and general reasons.

C．Focusing on efficiency of projects.

D．Drawing lessons from former experiences.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What mainly made the man hesitate to visit the White House?

A．Lack of interest.

B．The tight security.

C．The historical atmosphere.

2. How did the woman get the tour information?

A．From the website.

B．From the local paper.

C．From the travel guide.

3. Where are the speakers probably now?

A．In the White House.

B．In a dining hall.

C．At an airport.

4. What is the man like?

A．Serious.

B．Humorous.

C．Careful.