1 . If a pancake could dream, it might long for legs so it could jump off your breakfast plate in pursuit of a better, unchewed life. But legs aren’t necessary for something as flat as a pancake to jump around. A group of scientists have designed a pancake-shaped robot that can jump several times per second and higher than seven times its body height. The new robot named Hop, which swiftly jumps without feet, is an important contribution to the soft robotics.

Many ground robots move by rolling or walking. But it’s more efficient for robots to jump over obstacles (障碍物) than to go around them. Although jumping can offer some robots a competitive edge, engineering that ability has been a challenge for robotics researchers. Some soft robots that store energy can perform a single impressive jump very infrequently. Some lightweight soft robots that don’t store energy can jump frequently but can’t jump high or far enough to successfully cross an obstacle.

For inspiration, the researchers looked to gall midge larvae (瘿蚊幼虫) that miraculously throw themselves across distances 30 times as long as their loglike bodies. A gall midge larva bends its body and squeezes the liquid in its body to one end, making it rigid (僵硬的). The accumulation of liquid builds up pressure, and releasing the pressure sends it soaring (飙升). The robot’s body doesn’t resemble (像) that of a gall midge larva, but it jumps like one. Its body is made of two small plastic bags printed with electrodes; the front bag is filled with liquid and the back one is filled with the same volume of air. The robot uses electricity to drive the flow of liquid, which causes the body to bend and generate force with the ground, resulting in a jump. And the air bag imitates the function of an animal’s tail, helping the robot keep a stable position.

While the robot is currently restricted to Earth, it might be right at home exploring another planet. If this is true, the researchers robot might jump over dusty rocks and large holes on the moon or Mars, going where no pancake has gone before.

1. What does the author want to show by mentioning a pancake?

A．A pancake’s dream to have legs is unrealistic.

B．A robot is capable of serving a good pancake.

C．A pancake-shaped robot can jump without legs.

D．Research on pancakes advances our understanding of robots.

2. What difficultly do robotics researchers have in developing Hop according to Paragraph 2?

A．Hop’s avoiding an obstacle.	B．Hop’s moving around by rolling.
C．Hop’s performing one remarkable jump.	D．Hop’s jumping high and far continuously.

3. What inspiration do the researchers draw from gall midge larvae?

A．They are shaped like logs.

B．They have tails to change positions.

C．They bend their bodies and increase force.

D．They are filled with liquid and have rigid bodies.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of the new robot?

A．Intolerant.

B．Positive.

C．Indifferent.

D．Ambiguous.

2 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell about true friends.	B．To start a discussion.
C．To encourage online friendships.	D．To summarize(总结) the text.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In public.

C．In person.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie’s attitude toward online communication?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

4. Which of the following is the Rosen’s view?

A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.	B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life.
C．It’s wise to turn to friends online.	D．Social media help people stay closely connected.

3 . 假如你叫李华，暑假将有10位英国学生来你校国际部学习中国书法(calligraphy),现需要一名志愿者。请用英语给国际部老师写一封邮件,内容要点如下:
1.提出申请；
2.介绍个人情况；
3.表达期望。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：traditional Chinese literature中国传统文学；Chinese characters汉字
Dear Sir,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes!

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

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。

Learning how to choose a career is important not only to adults but also to students at college. People decide to have their careers    1    (change) simply because they dislike the job they     2    (current) have. They take on the jobs not because they like them but because they need to make a living. In this case,     3    (get) career guidance is very important. The first step in choosing a career     4    (be) understanding yourself. This will help you realize what you enjoy doing. 

The best way to do this is take a personality test,     5     it is available on the Internet for free. It is also important to understand your values and know what you are willing to do. Next, visit career guidance centers or career     6    (website). If possible, apply for a volunteer that benefits you. You can get professional help and decide whether the career path is     7    (suit) for you or not. Finally, you should learn universal (广泛适用的) skills,     8     will help you get opportunities to change your career in the future. All in all, choosing a career is important because most of the time in our lives     9    (spend) on work.  

Therefore, putting interests and hobbies into careers can always lead    10     the best jobs.

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。

Dogs are often called “man’s best friend” and make ideal pets.     1     most attractive quality of a dog is its faith in its owner. They always greet us when we come home and they will never leave us when we are     2     danger. For example, there was a very sick man and his dog barked and barked until the rescue team     3     (arrive).

Furthermore, dogs are strong animals     4     will protect us. Houses with dogs are considered much     5     (safe) than those with burglar alarms (防盗警报器). Not only will they stop thieves,     6     they will also guard against fire. For example, there was a serious fire and a dog managed     7     (pull) its owner out.

And     8     (final), dogs can be trained by people. Dogs can do a number of things that people can not. For example, they can find drugs, bodies, illegal DVDs and hunt down prisoners with     9     (they) nose. They’re also used to help the elderly and disabled.

To sum up, dogs are really friendly, civilized (文明的) and loyal     10     (partner) .

6 . How to Avoid an Internet Addiction

It may seem like everyone surfs the web these days. But if you can’t have interest in other aspects of your life because of the Internet, you may be on your way to an Internet addiction. You might fear you’re the only one who has experienced that feeling.    1     Luckily, there are some ways to avoid living your life in front of the computer.

    2    

More and more people in the world are becoming addicted to the Internet, and you are not the only one with this problem. So do not be embarrassed. Just be brave to admit that you are on your way to an Internet addiction. And then find others with the same problem and help each other beat it.

Set aside limited time for computer use.

Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. If you have a laptop, make sure to put it somewhere that you can remember but not somewhere that you see every day. Try keeping the lid closed when you are not using it.     3       If you have a desktop PC, try not to go near it or put something over it like a sheet.

Call people instead of sending instant messages or texts.

If you are free on weekends, call friends and ask them to go outside to do something you enjoy, like playing a sport. This will take your mind off the computer.     4    

Use an alarm clock or timer (计时器).

Before using your computer, decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes. Set the clock or timer and make sure that you get away from the computer when the time is up. Alternatively create a shutdown timer on your desktop.     5    

A．Being addicted to it is quite normal.

B．Admit you are at risk of an addiction.

C．The truth, though, is that it’s quite common to be an addict.

D．When the computer is not looking at you, you are less likely to use it.

E．This can be programmed to shut down your computer after the set time.

F．If you have a problem on weekdays, phone your friends or ask for help in person.

G．This will prevent you from using the Internet so often or going on to another page.

7 . Chloe Smith is a girl aged 6 from Atlanta, Georgia. One day, while taking a walk with her father near their home, she________something shiny under a pile of rubbish. She picked up the ________ to take home, as she often did on her treasure-hunting walks. Chloe was later ________ to discover she had found a stolen Olympic gold medal.

The medal belongs to former canoeist (划艇运动员) Joe Jacobi, who won gold while ________ for Team USA in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games. The medal, along with other personal belongings, was ________ in May of 2016 when someone broke into Jacobi’s can. Though police managed to ________ some of his stolen items, they hadn’t been able to find his ________ Olympic medal. It may have been lost forever, if not for a 6-year-old girl’s treasure-hunting ________ .

Chloe’s dad had seen Jacobi’s story on the news, and ________ realized it was his stolen property. He found Jacobi’s email and sent him pictures of the treasure. After________ the medal, Jacobi was astonished, just speechless.

Chloe was ________ to give it back after speaking with Jacobi on the phone. ________, Jacobi promised to speak to her class when school begins again this fall. The ________ of this little girl reuniting an Olympian with his beloved possession is ________ . When we talk about character and doing the ________ thing, Chloe represents the Olympic values in every sense of the word.

1.

A．sought

B．buried

C．noticed

D．dropped

2.

A．waste

B．object

C．material

D．antique

3.

A．embarrassed

B．satisfied

C．frightened

D．shocked

4.

A．competing

B．applying

C．coaching

D．preparing

5.

A．broken

B．stolen

C．replaced

D．deserted

6.

A．purchase

B．register

C．preserve

D．recover

7.

A．secured

B．prized

C．advertised

D．priced

8.

A．project

B．decision

C．habit

D．idea

9.

A．quickly

B．gradually

C．really

D．carefully

10.

A．identifying

B．obtaining

C．evaluating

D．investigating

11.

A．sorry

B．eager

C．upset

D．hesitant

12.

A．In addition

B．In fact

C．In return

D．In advance

13.

A．purpose

B．report

C．attempt

D．story

14.

A．heart-warming

B．breath-taking

C．eye-catching

D．life-changing

15.

A．important

B．simple

C．interesting

D．right

8 . Who is the man probably talking to?

A．A shop assistant.

B．His wife.

C．His co-worker.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

My mother believed in using things up. Last year, our cornfield had a bad harvest because birds feasted on the crops. It was probably then that Mom’s frugality(节俭)became even more extraordinary. She began keeping everything that seemed useless in the attic(阁楼)—worn-out clothes, old sheets, broken umbrellas, and some other old items. Mom’s favorite saying was “waste not, want not”(俭以防匮). My brother Josh and I weren’t sure what that meant until the “Affair of the Scarecrow(稻草人)”, which, as it later became known, left a lasting impression on us.

The story began with a pretty hat that Mom received as a gift to protect her from the sun. However, Josh and I could see that Mom’s frugal nature and fashion sense were in battle. Mom really didn’t want to get rid of the hat—it was new and had a lot of use left in it—but neither could she stand wearing it. She tried to take off the fancy decorations, but they were stuck on tight. She’d have to find some other solution.

Josh and I watched as Mom headed upstairs to the attic with the hat. “Waste not, want not,” she called back down. We heard boxes being moved around. Moments later, Mom leaned out, holding a flour bag full of straw, and with a mysterious smile, she placed the hat on it.

“What is that for?” I asked, confused. “A scarecrow! ” Mom exclaimed. “But not a good one yet.It needs a strong body to stand firm in the field,” she said with a frown. “And it doesn’t look scary enough,” Josh remarked. I had to admit that Josh, though younger than I was, could sometimes be more imaginative. Josh and I turned to each other, searching for a good idea. Soon enough, Josh’s eyes lit up with inspiration.

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Paragraph 1: “Come with me!” Josh called out.

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Paragraph 2: In the following days, the scarecrow stood proudly.

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