1 . In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what “keeping up with the Joneses” is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.

The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began earning $125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days. He got married and moved with his wife to a very wealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.

It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.

Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it “Keeping up with the Joneses” because “Jones” is a very common name in the United States. “Keeping up with the Joneses” came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand’s series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.

People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are “Jonses” in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead.

1. Some people want to keep up with the Joneses because they ______.

A．want to be as rich as their neighbors	B．want others to know or to think that they are rich
C．don’t want others to know they are rich	D．want to be happy

2. It can be inferred from the story that rich people like to ______.

A．live outside New York City	B．live in New York city
C．live in apartments	D．have many neighbors

3. Arthur Momand used the name “Jones” in his series of short stories because “Jones” is ______.

A．an important name	B．a popular name in the United States
C．his neighbor’s name	D．not a good name

4. What’s the author’s attitude to keeping up with the Joneses？

A．Negative.	B．Positive.
C．Supportive.	D．Objective.

2 . When did you last write a letter? Properly write one—by hand? In a digital world, sending a text or email is far more convenient than using traditional mail. Well, some people claim that writing still has many benefits, so maybe it’s not time to throw away your ballpoint or fountain pen yet.

These days, when people request things in writing, a typed, electronic document will be accepted. Doing this on a computer means it could be saved, edited, copied and sent via email. But doing a handwritten document is unique: it requires planning and thought, and, as well as practicing your handwriting, it helps you to remember selling and punctuation.

Some experts believe your brain benefits from using old-fashioned pen and paper. This is particularly related to students, because typing notes into a laptop is thought to lack the “tactile feedback” (触觉回馈) to the brain. They think taking note by hand involve cognitive engagement (认知参与) in summarizing, paraphrasing organizing, concept and vocabulary mapping. They also agree that handwriting may improve fine movement skills in your hands and fingers.

There are everyday benefits to using pen and paper too. Writing notes, shopping lists or messages on the back of an envelope can still be useful, quick and convenient. But putting pen to paper in a letter to a friend or loved one can probably have the most influence. Pen pal writer Katherine Moller told the BBC: “In a word where it is so easy to get online email or to send a fast text, it is so personal and so precious to know someone choose to turn off the virtual world to spend some time with you.”

So, while digital skills remain important, don’t get rid of your pens and pencils yet-especially if your smartphone, tablet or laptop runs out of power!

1. Two questions are asked in paragraph 1 to ________.

A．offer background information	B．ask for opinions
C．show disagreement	D．lead to the topic

2. Why is doing a handwritten document special?

A．Because it involves planning, thought and handwriting.

B．Because it creates spelling and punctuation.

C．Because it does harm to hands and fingers.

D．Because it helps the brain recover from disease.

3. What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A．There are everyday benefits to using pen and paper.

B．Writing by hand to someone shows true emotion.

C．It is not easy to email or to send a fast text today.

D．Digital sills are always important and necessary.

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

A．It’s Time to Throw Away Your Pens

B．A World with Writing by Hand

C．Do We Still Need to Write by Hand?

D．The Birth of Writing by Hand

4 . There is a popular saying in the English language: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, that is not true. Unkind words, name-calling or even the so-called “the silent treatment” can hurt children as much as being physically hit, sometimes even more so. A recent study of middle school children showed that verbal (言语的) abuse by other children can harm, the development in the brain. The study was a project of researchers at Harvard Medical School in Massachusetts. Researcher Martin Teicher and his team studied young adults, aged 18 to 25. These young men and women had not ever been treated in a cruel or violent way by their parents. The researchers asked the young people to rate their childhood exposure to verbal abuse from both parents and other children. Then the researchers performed imaging tests on the brains of the subjects.

The images showed that the people who reported suffering verbal abuse from peers in middle school had underdeveloped connections between the left and right side of the brain. The two sides of the brain are connected by a large bundle of connecting fibers called the corpus callosum. This was the area that was underdeveloped.

The middle school years are a time when these brain connections are developing. So, unkind, hurtful comments from children or adults during this period have the greatest effect. The researchers tested the mental and emotional condition of all the young people in the study. The tests showed that this same group of people had higher levels of fear, depression, anger and drug abuse than others in the study.

The researchers published their findings online on the American Journal of Psychiatry's website.

Parents cannot control what other people say to their children, but they can prepare their children.

1. Why does the author use the popular saying at the beginning?

A．To show the power of words.

B．To introduce an opposite view.

C．To prove the author's argument.

D．To show ancient people's wisdom.

2. What did the people studied in the research have in common?

A．They were hurt by unkind words.

B．They performed poorly in imaging tests.

C．They had their brain slightly damaged.

D．They experienced no physical abuse at home.

3. What will be discussed in the next paragraph?

A．Comments on the findings.

B．Approaches to further studies.

C．Suggestions to parents.

D．Different opinions on the matter.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Unkind words hurt the brain.

B．Verbal violence should be stopped.

C．The way we speak matters.

D．Words are worse than sticks and stones.

5 . In 2010, a huge earthquake hit Haiti, causing the deaths of over a hundred thousand people and millions of dollars’ worth of damage.    1    On this occasion, funds were raised with amazing speed--within a week of the quake, the American Red Cross had raised $22 million. The reason? People were donating via their mobile phones.

    2     Gone are the days when people donated door by door. In today’s world of computers, smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches, charities can now reach more people than ever before.

Social media in particular has had a great impact on charity.    3     This enables charities to raise money extremely quickly, as in Haiti. And the quicker aid can be delivered, the more lives can be saved. Individual fundraising has also benefited. Most people are now so well-connected through sites like Facebook that asking people to contribute to your chosen cause is easier than ever.

New, innovative ways of donating are being thought up all the time. For example, if you want to support a good cause and keep fit at the same time, you can use an app called Charity Miles.    4     For every kilometer you cover, the app’s sponsors will make a donation to a charity of your choice. There’s also Snapdonate, which allows users to donate simply by taking a photo of a charity’s logo with their smartphone. The app recognizes the logo and allows users to immediately make a donation through their phones. This cuts out the need for entering payment details on charity websites, and makes the process of donating small amounts to multiple charities much simpler.

Apps like these are growing in number, and that can only be a good thing.    5    

A．People were eager to aid others in trouble.

B．The app can track the distance you run or cycle.

C．News of disasters spreads quickly around the world.

D．Charity helps to refresh the development of social Media.

E．Technological advances have changed how charities work.

F．The international community jumped into action to provide aid.

G．In future, we could support our chosen cause more easily and more often.

6 . On the way home from his job at a cake shop on one August evening, Craig Schum stopped his car at the East Hampton Airport for a break. He got out of the car and kicked off his shoes to relax.

Within seconds, though, Schum saw something shocking: A small plane dived and crashed into the woods at about 100 yards from the run-way. “I don’t remember making the decision that I should go help out,” he says. “I just started running.” Schum rushed across the street barefoot before taking off his apron (围裙). Then he climbed over a six-foot-high fence and ran toward the woods.

When he got there, he discovered the pilot, Stephen Bochter－his head was covered in blood－beside the burning plane. Brochter’s only passenger, his wife, Kim Brillo, was on the ground, unable to move. “She had blood all over her,” says Schum. “I thought she was dead.”

Without a second thought, Schum struggled to lift the fence and brought Brochter and Brillo out from under it. There was only one thought in Schum’s mind that he must bring the couple to safety as quickly as possible. Moments later, the entire plane exploded (爆炸). After the ambulance arrived, Bochter and Brillo were taken to a nearby hospital and treated for injuries.

Brochter, an experienced pilot, later said that the plane’s electrical system had failed shortly after take-off. He had been trying to land at the East Hampton Airport when the plane began to fall. He managed to level the wings before crashing into the woods. “Everything was on fire, and Schum came out of nowhere to save us,” says Bochter. “We are extremely lucky to have lived through it because of him.”

1. What did Schum do upon seeing the plane crash?

A．He called the police at once.	B．He decided to pull over.
C．He rushed to rescue without thinking.	D．He got back to put on his shoes.

2. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．How Schum got to the crash site.	B．How terrible the crash was.
C．How Schum helped with the crash.	D．How the injured were treated.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The crash of the plane was no surprise.

B．Schum came to help at Brochter’s request.

C．The plane broke down near its destination.

D．Brochter appreciated Schum’s timely help.

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．An Angel in an Apron	B．An Experienced Pilot
C．A Terrible Plane Crash	D．A Couple in Love

7 . After her own experience using a service dog, Tabitha Bell understands how helpful a service dog is. Having learnt from her doctor that many people were unable to afford a service dog, Tabitha decided to start the organization Pawsitive Pawsibilities (Paws), which raises money to help people buy service dogs.

Amazing Kids (AK)：What has been the most difficult part of managing Paws?

Tabitha Bell(TB) ：It is always a struggle ( 难事) to come up with new and creative ways to raise money.

AK：What are the different ways that Paws raises money?

TB ：We have done dress competitions in my middle school and then my high school. I have done a benefit concert( 慈善音乐会) in my high school which I hope to continue in college. I put on my first

Super Paws 5k run in Utah and we are organizing our second for October in California. So we would love to have as much participation (参与) as we can get!

AK：How do you choose a puppy­owner match?

TB：After we have a meeting with the person who needs a dog, we send them to a dog trainer and let the trainer make the final decision. The person will discuss with the trainer what jobs the dog has to do and then the trainer will find a dog that he thinks will suit the owner.

AK：What are your plans for the future?

TB：This fall I'm going to be attending the University of California, Berkeley. I am hoping to use my skills I get to encourage others and lead Paws to reach hopefully the whole nation.

1. What can we learn about Tabitha Bell?

A．She is good at training dogs.

B．She depends on a service dog to live.

C．She was studying at university when starting Paws.

D．She started Paws because of her doctor's suggestion.

2. What does Tabitha Bell find most difficult when working with Paws?

A．Matching a dog with an owner.

B．Finding experienced dog trainers.

C．Reaching out for more people in need.

D．Working out good ways to collect money.

3. Who has the final say（发言权）on which dog to choose for a person?

A．The person's doctor.

B．The dog trainer.

C．The dog owner.

D．The manager of Paws.

8 . There’s no doubt that one of the greatest human achievements is the exploration of the space. Ever since astronaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to be sent into the orbit around the moon in 1961, scientists have been pushing the boundaries further and further. But until now the exploration into the unknown has been dominated (主导) by men.

Of course, in the past, women were also included in the space projects and played an active role on the ground and behind the scenes. For example, they worked as seamstresses (女裁缝师), sewing vital spaceflight components. In fact, many of NASA’s key works would never have been possible without them. Recently Hollywood produced a movie called Hidden Figures to focus on a group of American female mathematicians, especially the black women, who helped NASA send the first American into space. But this was not women’s only contribution. Back in 1963, Soviet astronaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be sent into space. However, after that, space flight programs were slow to employ women. In the USA. NASA didn’t accept applications from women to become astronauts until 1978.

But attitudes have changed and leading officials at NASA say that the first person to set foot on Mars should be a woman. The space agency aims to have a sex-balanced workforce but can only achieve that if equal numbers of men and women are trained for science and technology jobs. As Allison McIntryre told the BBC, “My director is a woman. We have female astronauts. We haven’t put a woman on the moon yet. And I think that perhaps the first person to step on Mars should be a woman.”

1. What did Yuri Gagarin do in 1961?

A．He landed on the moon in success.

B．He discovered many new boundaries.

C．He led scientists to explore the moon.

D．He made the first journey into the space.

2. Why does the author mention the film Hidden Figures?

A．To show women are the true heroes of NASA’s first launch.

B．To stress that black people have won equal rights in NASA.

C．To prove women can do as well as men in NASA’ projects.

D．To present women’s contributions to NASA’s space programs.

3. What is Allison McIntryre’s attitude toward women astronauts?

A．Uncaring.	B．Disapproving.
C．Supportive.	D．Disappointed.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Will the First Person to Step on Mars Be a Woman?

B．Great Achievements Have Been Made in Space Exploration?

C．Why Men Played an Important Role in Exploring the Unknown?

D．Men and Women Have Made Equal Contributions to NASA’s Projects?

9 . 阅读下面短文，回答文后的5个问题，并把答案写在答题卡上。每题答案不多于15词。

2018 Human Development Report

HDI: Human Development Index(人类发展指数)

[1] Looking back over almost three decades (十年), human beings have made impressive progress. Across the world, people are living longer, are more educated and have greater living chances. The average lifespan(寿命) is seven years longer than it was in 1990, and more than 130 countries have improved their primary education.

[2] Although HDI values are rising, the rising rates differ greatly. South Asia was the fastest growing region over 1990–2017, at 45.3 percent, followed by East Asia and the Pacific at 41.8 percent. And the OECD(经济合作与发展组织) countries grew 14.0 percent. It shows gaps(差距) across regions are hopefully to be reduced.

[3] But HDI growth has also slowed in all regions, particularly in the last decade. Part of the reason lies in the 2008–2009 global food, financial and economic problems. But part is simply that as human progress advances, slower HDI growth is unavoidable. As more countries reach the upper limits of HDI, measures of the quality of human development become more central.

[4] Progress since 1990 has not always been steady(稳定的). Some countries suffered great losses or even setbacks due to wars, diseases or economic problems. For example, many countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia saw their HDI values fall in the 1990s due to the fall of the Soviet Union(前苏联). Although faced with these challenges, countries in these regions recovered their losses and grew over the last two decades.

[5] In sum, there have been great advances in human development over the past few decades, especially in low human development countries since 1990. But some countries have suffered serious setbacks—sometimes paying the price of the gains of several decades. And the gaps in human development across countries, while narrowing, remain huge.

1. What’s the present situation of people according to 2018 Human Development Report?
2. The fact of different rising HDI rates gives us hope to ______.
3. Compared with the HDI growth, what is more important?
4. How do wars, diseases or economic problems affect human development?
5. Which paragraph is the topic paragraph?

10 . If you use social media to chase away loneliness, a new study suggests you’re going against the gain.

We may have heard a lot about the benefits of interacting with others online, but the findings of a study conducted by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists show a direct relationship between social media usage and feelings of isolation (隔绝). In short, the more time you spend on social media, the lonelier you may feel.

With increased interaction on a large number of apps that allow for endless virtual connectivity, loneliness seems like the last problem frequent social media users would face, but according to the leader of the study Brain Primack, it has the exact opposite effect.

“Mental health problems and social isolation are at widespread levels among young adults nowadays,” Primack said, “We are naturally social creature, but modem life tends to separate us instead of bringing us together. While it may seem that social media presents opportunities to fill the social void (空隙), I think this study suggests that it may not be the solution people were hoping for.”

Primack and his team examined the social media habits of 1,787 U.S. adults aged 19 to 32 via a questionnaire that asked about the time and frequency they spent on the most popular social media platforms. Eventually, they determined that young adults who are constantly logging into social media reported more feelings of isolation than those with less social media usage. Frequent exposure to unrealistic descriptions on social media instead of face-to-face social interactions may give people the impression that others are living happier, more connected lives, and this may users feel more socially isolated in comparison.

1. What does the underlined phrase “going against the grain” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Doing it all wrong.	B．On the way to success.
C．Taking a risk.	D．Making a difference.

2. How did Primack and his team conduct the study?

A．By providing explanations.	B．By collecting data online.
C．By doing a survey.	D．By describing their own experiences.

3. What can we learn from the study?

A．You will feel happier if you spend more time online.

B．Interaction online is not the solution to social isolation.

C．Virtual connectivity is best way to fill the social void.

D．Popular social media platforms can bring people together.

4. What does the text mainly tell us?

A．New study on social media usage has been published.

B．Face-to-face social interactions are on the way out.

C．Social media does users more harm than good.

D．Social media might make loneliness worse.