1 . People enjoy giving to others. Generosity is a form of giving freely without the expectation of receiving anything in return. Not only does it make one feel happy and fulfilled, a recent study shows that generosity can actually lengthen one’s life.
A study from the University of California researched giving from one generation to another. Previous studies have measured giving on an individual level, but these researchers aimed to compare cultural differences around the world. They took data from 34 countries on six continents and measured the total transfers of private gifts from relatives, as well as health care and retirement benefits.
They concluded that both giving and receiving are beneficial. The researchers quoted a study on “warm-glow giving,” which shows how altruistic givers may not receive anything in return, yet their happiness and health improves 120.
People who volunteer, share and offer support benefit from their actions. They have improved mental health, physical health, sense of happiness and enjoy longevity (长寿) across all societies studied and in all ages. Another benefit of giving is the release of oxytocin, a hormone that produces feelings of love and generosity.
As for myself, in an interview for New York Times on March 20, I stated that due to our high levels of trust in Finland, people are willing to follow instructions and trust that everyone will do their part… and feeling that we are in this together.
The report suggests that since living in a trusting society benefits individuals’ health, it results in lower health care costs. A trusting social environment also promotes wellbeing, leading to an improvement in the length of life for all. Those who are generous become less isolated, less self-critical and less self-centered. They develop confidence, become more familiar and gain a sense of purpose. According to the generosity study, they tend to live longer and happier lives.
1. What was the aim of the recent study?| A．To encourage giving to next generation. |
| B．To measure giving on an individual level. |
| C．To compare cultural differences in giving worldwide. |
| D．To gather happiness of giving to others. |
| A．Selfless. | B．Selfish. | C．Passive. | D．Serious. |
| A．Effects of longevity. | B．Sense of happiness. |
| C．Strengths of volunteering. | D．Advantages of giving. |
| A．He is easy to cheat. | B．He must work in New York Times. |
| C．He loves being interviewed. | D．He might be from Finland. |
2 . In recent years, China has witnessed the growth of luxury (奢侈品) brands. In this market, Chinese consumers are now the largest spenders. It’s clear that a new generation of young, materialistic people is increasingly relying on luxury brands to improve its self-image. I am a fashionist too, at least in spirit — I love to look at clothes and shoes. But I don’t understand why people spend lots of money on designer labels. When a young woman buys a handbag that costs two months of her salary, that’s a scary thing.
What’s interesting is that scientists have found that having luxury things doesn’t lead to happiness. Study after study has shown that although we want material things, when we get them we don’t suddenly become “happy” people. In fact, a series of studies by Leaf Van Boven at the University of Colorado, US, has shown that individuals who spend money on travel and similar experiences get more pleasure than those who invest it in material things. That’s because experiences are more easily combined with a person’s identity. If I travel to Yunnan, that adventure affects how I think in the future. My memories become a part of me.
Moreover, as Van Boven has observed, young people who pursue happiness through “things” are liked less by their peers. People prefer those who pursue happiness through experiences.
It’s natural to want to express yourself through your appearance. So my advice is: create a look that isn’t tied to a designer label. Convey your own message. Take some lessons from the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. He was always in Levis jeans and a black turtleneck. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, routinely appears in hoodies and sneakers. These people, successful people, have style. You don’t have to break the bank to send a message about who you are. Take a trip. Go out into the world. Then come back and confidently create your own signature look.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．The author enjoys buying luxury brands herself. |
| B．The author agrees to overspend money on material things. |
| C．The author is critical of youths tying their looks to designer labels. |
| D．The author finds it natural for fashionists to follow fashion trends. |
| A．people dislike those who love luxuries |
| B．traveling changes a person’s identity greatly |
| C．luxuries have a negative effect on people’s happiness |
| D．experiences can bring people more happiness than luxuries |
| A．Be selective about designer labels. | B．Create your own personal unique style. |
| C．Choose simple and fashionable styles. | D．Try styles like Mark Zuckerberg’s. |
| A．prove how luxury leads to an unpleasant life |
| B．tell how to express yourself through appearances |
| C．report on a series of studies about luxuries and happiness |
| D．persuade readers to invest in experiences instead of luxuries |
3 . This past July was the hottest recorded month in human history. Heat waves brake temperature records worldwide. It’s more than just a matter of sweaty discomfort. As climate change worsens, access to artificially cooled spaces is rapidly becoming a health necessity.
Yet standard air-conditioning systems leave us trapped in a negative feedback cycle: the hotter it is, the more people use the air condition er and the more energy is consumed as a result. Cooling is the fastest-growing single source of energy use in buildings, according to the International Energy Agency. Breaking the cycle requires new innovations that will help bring cooler air to more people with less environmental impact.
Standard air-conditioning systems cool and dehumidify (除湿) through a relatively inefficient mechanism: in order to condense (冷凝) water out of the air, they overcool that air past the point of comfort. Many new designs therefore separate the dehumidification and cooling processes, which avoids the need to overcool. For example, some new air conditioner designs pull water from the air with desiccant (干燥剂) materials. The dried air can then be cooled to a more reasonable temperature. Massachusetts-based start-up Transaera claims that the system it is developing could use 35 percent less energy than the average standard air-conditioning unit.
However, the gains in efficiency might not help us get rid of the impact of air-conditioning. “It won’t work to simply replace every existing air conditioner with a better model and call it a day,” says Nicole Miranda, an engineer at the University of Oxford. “Instead, a truly coder future will have to employ other strategies. It’s critical to bring greenery and water bodies into cities to take advantage of natural airflow.”
“Cooling is a challenge involving many aspects,” says Sneha Sachar, an expert at the nonprofit organization ClimateWorks. “There isn’t one strategy or one answer. We need a combination of better buildings and cities, better technologies and a better understanding that the true cost of air-conditioning extends beyond electric bills.”
1. Why does the author talk about record heat in the first paragraph?| A．To make comparisons. | B．To support his theory. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To show cooled places. |
| A．It’s available in the market. | B．It’s time-honoured. |
| C．It’s the most efficient model. | D．It’s energy-saving. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Tolerant. | C．Negative. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．Companies will offer various options. |
| B．A comprehensive approach is required. |
| C．We can address the issue once and for all. |
| D．Our first priority is to lower electric bills. |
4 . On July 10, 1980, I was aboard an old destroyer (驱逐舰), sailing from Singapore to the Philippines. The day was grey with threatening clouds. There was a typhoon
Suddenly, the lookout
We got close to the boat and sent out the whaleboat with a small crew to
We
During those hours after the
| A．blocking | B．passing | C．heading | D．sweeping |
| A．spotted | B．recognized | C．got | D．confirmed |
| A．vast | B．narrow | C．remote | D．dangerous |
| A．comfort | B．guidance | C．convenience | D．assistance |
| A．turned around | B．came alive | C．broke down | D．pulled out |
| A．complaining | B．concerning | C．quarreling | D．setting |
| A．mercifully | B．angrily | C．casually | D．nervously |
| A．check | B．carry | C．knock | D．help |
| A．equipped | B．surrounded | C．crowded | D．occupied |
| A．secured | B．refreshed | C．disturbed | D．prepared |
| A．spare | B．sew | C．change | D．wear |
| A．accidentally | B．secretly | C．naturally | D．finally |
| A．covered | B．reflected | C．predicted | D．produced |
| A．recovered | B．motivated | C．settled | D．appreciated |
| A．support | B．permission | C．treatment | D．favor |
| A．typhoon | B．rescue | C．search | D．adventure |
| A．patience | B．attitude | C．speech | D．attention |
| A．engineer | B．captain | C．crew | D．lookout |
| A．tiring | B．cold | C．warm | D．clear |
| A．apart from | B．in spite of | C．by means of | D．instead of |
One night,
Big animals usually come into cities to find food. In Cape Town in South Africa baboons(狒狒) come into the city when they are driven by
In Berlin in Germany, pigs sometimes come into the city for food. They eat flowers and plants in parks and gardens. Sometimes they eat vegetables from gardens
6 . So many things can obstruct you seeing your loved ones in person, from busy schedules to long distances to a rather unexpected severe disease. Fortunately, due to modern technology, the people we miss are often only a phone call or text message away. But if you're someone who's more likely to type out messages than verbal ones, you may want to reconsider.
A new study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that communication interactions that included voice, like a phone call or video chat, created stronger social bonds than communication through typing, like text messaging or email.
In the study, researchers used various experiments to measure connectedness. In one, they asked 200 people to make predictions about what it would be like to reconnect with an old friend by email or by phone and then appointed people at random to do one or the other. Although people expected that a phone call would be more awkward, hearing someone's voice actually made the experience better and they didn’t feel awkward. In another experiment, it was found that both forms of voice communication—whether video or audio only—made the strangers feel significantly more connected than when they communicated via text.
Sabrina Romanoff, a Harvard trained clinical psychologist, says people tend to text or email instead of calling because of convenience, as they see it as a controlled form of communication where they can “correspond information exactly in the way they intend without unexpected additions by the other person.”
Romanoff says that each party is more present in the phone call, and therefore, able to understand the meaning behind the content without ruminating on the endless possible meanings behind words and punctuation. “In reality, a text message can make it hard to determine the true meaning behind a conversation, but a phone call is actually more convenient when considering the real effects of the message.”
1. What may help you to see your friend living in another country immediately?| A．The busy work | B．Long distances |
| C．An unexpected severe disease | D．A phone call or text message |
| A．Only one experiment was done for the study. |
| B．Less than 200 people took part. |
| C．In another experiment, the result of the former test was proved. |
| D．The participants still thought phone call was more awkward after the test. |
| A．People can convey meanings more precisely without being interrupted. |
| B．People think a text message is more formal than voice communication. |
| C．People hate to hear the voice of the people they connect with. |
| D．People do not believe what others said in the phone. |
| A．changing slowly | B．thinking deeply | C．standing quietly | D．disagreeing strongly |
7 . Chinese tourists prefer hotels and restaurants that offer free Wi-Fi when traveling abroad. Most Chinese tourists instantly update their social networks using their mobile phones. They send photos and short videos to friends and family when traveling abroad.
About 10 percent of outbound (出境的) Chinese tourists get expensive marring charges (漫游费) by using 4G-powered smart phones. About 90 percent of Chinese travelers consider free Wi-Fi indispensable when traveling abroad. They often use phone apps to create travel routes and book hotels, which requires large data flows that can be expensive without Wi-Fi.
But free Wi-Fi is not always available, even in regions with advanced telecommunications, such as the United States and Europe. Portable Wi-Fi costs 15~50 yuan a day, depending on the country. It’s cheaper in South Korea, Japan and Thailand. The Wi-Fi services increase rapidly thanks to reasonable pricing and smooth surfing.
More than 100 million Chinese went abroad last year, and the10 percent who used Wi-Fi services spent an average of 150 yuan, and it’s expected to grow largely. But the travel agencies business may become out of date in five to eight years, because more locations are offering free Wi-Fi. In the meantime, it is reported that more for-profit models should be introduced and offer more services for outbound travelers in the future.
1. Why do Chinese travelers prefer hotels and restaurants with free Wi-Fi when traveling abroad?| A．They want to have their phones updated. |
| B．They are fond of using phone apps to create their travel routes. |
| C．They prefer to experience the Wi-Fi service in different countries. |
| D．They'd like to share what they have seen with their friends and-family. |
| A．Necessary. | B．Useless. | C．Expensive. | D．Amazing. |
| A．Travel websites will stop offering free Wi-Fi services to travelers. |
| B．Travel website Tuniu intended to compete with Ctrip and launched its Wi-Fi phone service. |
| C．The Wi-Fi costs less when traveling in some Asian countries than in European countries. |
| D．The demand for Wi-Fi transmitters is growing in pace with 4G-smart phones. |
| A．It will be useless when for-profit models are introduced. |
| B．It will be used by more than 100 million Chinese next year. |
| C．It will grow in the future but will be outdated in a couple of years. |
| D．It will offer more non-profit services for outbound travelers. |
1.产生此现象的原因；
2.解决问题的具体建议。
注意：
1.词数100词左右；
2.信的开头已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear School President,
I am Li Hua, a senior student in your school. Recently, I found a lot of students pouring lunch in the school canteen and going to buy snacks instead.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your student,
Li Hua
9 . Nobody likes to fail. It makes people feel embarrassed and discouraged. What's worse, it may cause major professional or personal trouble and lead to negativity. Basically, failure is no fun for most people. However, a vast body of research tells us that failure provides us with a chance to grow and develop, increases adaptability, and helps protect against anxiety.
It's hard to change the mindset (心态) of a lifetime. But even if we still can't get over the broken marriage or the failed College Entrance Examination or the work presentation that went fearfully wrong, it might not be too late for our kids.
Christy Pennison, a professional consultant, says she works with an increasing number of kids and teens who show significant anxiety around a fear of failure. She said, "We want to protect our children, and we want them to live happy and meaningful lives, so we frequently tell them the harm of failure and ask them to avoid failure. The children experiencing internal and sometimes extenal pressure think they shouldn't fail. Meanwhile, we always have high expectations of them. So when they don't live up to a certain standard, or things don't go according to the plans, they will feel upset and anxious."
Pennison argues that failures, are often the hidden learning chances that can help people develop positive qualities, like persistence, focus, flexibility, patience, and positive self-image.
So what can parents do to help their children embrace (拥抱) failure instead of avoiding it at all costs? Pennison suggests directing praise towards the effort, not the result. "This allows children to build confidence in themselves, "she explains." Acknowledging the effort can give children permission to try new things without a fear of failure. And the bigger picture is that the development of the mindset —'I'd rather try and fail than not try at all.'—helps them keep a belief in themselves, and expands their world of possibilities." As Pennison points out, we all fail, but how we get up after we fail is what matters.
1. What aspect do most people focus on when thinking of failure?| A．The great courage to face it. |
| B．The efforts made to handle it. |
| C．Unexpected benefits it brings. |
| D．Unpleasant side effects it brings. |
| A．Bring up the main topic. |
| B．List the challenges in our life. |
| C．Add some background information. |
| D．Stress the importance of the mindset |
| A．The causes of children's anxiety. |
| B．Christy Pennison's comments on adolescents. |
| C．The consequences of overprotecting children. |
| D．Christy Pennison's experience in educating children. |
① Praise kids' every achievement.
② Make kids embrace a bright mindset.
③ Focus on the process of kids' effort
④ Expand kids' knowledge about the world.
⑤ Encourage kids to make new attempts.
| A．①②④ | B．②③④ | C．②③⑤ | D．①③⑤ |
10 . The sound that woke Damian Languell at 8:15 in the morning was so loud that he assumed it came from inside his house. As he got up to
In an act that a police report described as showing "
Languell thinks about that day often. Displaying the sort of empathy（感同身受）that
| A．work | B．exercise | C．check | D．discover |
| A．downside | B．outside | C．inside | D．upside |
| A．people | B．fog | C．leaves | D．smoke |
| A．car | B．rope | C．bus | D．cloth |
| A．Constantly | B．Obviously | C．Hesitantly | D．Immediately |
| A．burned | B．split | C．pressed | D．stuck |
| A．survived | B．witnessed | C．suffered | D．reported |
| A．with | B．against | C．by | D．on |
| A．peace | B．silence | C．pain | D．excitement |
| A．covering | B．catching | C．pouring | D．stopping |
| A．success | B．harm | C．effort | D．luck |
| A．expected | B．realized | C．concluded | D．assumed |
| A．little | B．limited | C．complete | D．some |
| A．crawled | B．jumped | C．ran | D．stepped |
| A．long | B．cold | C．bad | D．ugly |
| A．tore open | B．gave up | C．put away | D．cut off |
| A．pulled | B．threw | C．held | D．hugged |
| A．house | B．ground | C．safety | D．distance |
| A．forced | B．drove | C．advised | D．shocked |
| A．feet | B．choice | C．hope | D．heart |
