1 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee(拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法)to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now? ” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture, ” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up. ” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
| A．Every Chinese can write Chinese characters easily, especially with computers. |
| B．Only with the help of computers can some Chinese people write Chinese characters. |
| C．Despite the help of computers, Chinese people have forgotten how to write. |
| D．Computers are the only means to rely on to write Chinese characters for many people. |
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
2 . “Look how stupid he is!" a 7-year-old said to her dad Daniel Funke, pointing to a picture of a famous person on the Internet. The photo showed the man writing his name with his pen turned upside down.
Of course, the photo was not the original one. It had been changed to look like him using the pen the wrong way. Funke quickly pointed out the mistake, and his daughter got an on-the-spot education in fake news. By then, however, many people had already shared it on social media.
“The pitfalls of sharing misinformation and fake news can be very serious," says Laeeq Khan, who heads the Social Media Analytics Lab at Ohio University in Athens. Sharing something that’s not true can cost people their lives, he says. Last year, people in India used a messaging app, WhatsApp, to spread fake stories about a kidnapping ring. The lies caused violent attacks in which people died.
Fake news stories hurt people in other ways, too. For example, fake reports lead some parents to refuse vaccines (疫苗) for their children. Yet without vaccines, children can get serious diseases or even die.
“About seven in 10 Americans were telling us that fake news has a big influence on the confidence in our government,” says Jeffrey Gottfried. He’s a journalism and media-research expert at Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. Researchers there did a survey in the United States about the influence of made-up news. About half the people in the survey said they had shared misinformation online. Most of them said they didn’t realize it at the time.
Besides causing serious results, sharing a fake story makes it harder for people to tell what's real. And when people find out a story is not real, they may not trust other information from a person who spread it. Therefore, it's important to do fact-checking before sharing news stories.
1. What is the purpose of the first two paragraphs?| A．To bring up the topic of the text. | B．To tell an interesting news story. |
| C．To provide the main idea of the text. | D．To list people's popular online behavior. |
| A．Mistakes. | B．Problems. | C．Advantages. | D．Possibilities. |
| A．About 30% of online news wasn't real. |
| B．Made-up news spread faster than expected. |
| C．Made-up news had a bad influence on children. |
| D．Many Americans shared fake news without knowing it. |
| A．Positive | B．Unclear | C．Worried | D．Supporting |
3 . Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or, if they were creative enough, to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, a UK company, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger” (视频博主). The survey, carried out among 1,002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.
This change is undoubtedly as a result of the Internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach audience of the world, without having to enter a career in show business in the traditional way.
In the past, the biggest stars were trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become a star. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.
However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they fail to notice the fact that only those who are successful earn fame and fortune. For every success there are hundreds of others who never get off the starting line. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that remain dreams forever.
Although being vloggers is popular, some young people choose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the Internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. His job allows him to express his enthusiasm, and is always a learning experience. And that's enough for him.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Most young Britons choose to be vloggers as their job. |
| B．The Internet is influencing young Britons’career choice. |
| C．The Internet is taking the place of traditional studios. |
| D．Young Britons can not find jobs without the Internet. |
| A．Vloggers can earn greater fame and more money on the Internet. |
| B．There is too much competition in the traditional show business. |
| C．The Internet makes it convenient to enter show business. |
| D．Anyone with a computer will surely become a star. |
| A．Only a few vloggers can be famous and wealthy. |
| B．A vlogger can not earn fame and fortune. |
| C．People often see the bright side of being a vlogger. |
| D．Dreams will always remain dreams. |
| A．Learn from others. | B．Become an online hit. |
| C．Hold running races. | D．Combine jobs with hobbies. |
4 . Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers (低头族).
Recently, a cartoon made by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities（身份）are buried in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie (自拍照)in front of a car accident site, and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.
Although the ending sounds overstated (夸大), the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Continuously stretching (伸展) your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying, “the neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to（往往） stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed (抢劫) of their cell phones in broad daylight.
1. The author gives the example of a cartoon in Paragraph 2 ________________.| A．to advertise the cartoon made by students. |
| B．to inform people of the bad effects of phubbing. |
| C．to show the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers. |
| D．to warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients. |
| A．hide | B．use | C．cover | D．pay all attention to |
| A．His social skills could be affected. |
| B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed. |
| C．He will cause the destruction of the world. |
| D．He might get separated from his friends and family. |
| A．negative (消极的). | B．supportive. |
| C．optimistic. | D．objective (客观的). |
5 . For top students from low-income families, applying to colleges is particularly difficult. One approach makes this whole process easier? Provide an adviser for them.
That's the idea behind CollegePoint, a program to help gifted students go to schools that match their intelligence. When a high school student takes a standardized test—the PSAT, SAT or ACT—and they score in the 90th percentile, and their families make less than $ 80, 000 a year, they get an email from the program offering them a free adviser. The advisers listen, guide and answer students' questions.
Connor Rechtzigel, an adviser in Minnesota, sees the importance of his role, for research shows that low-income students are far more likely to undermatch because they don't think they have what it takes to get in and because many don't even know what schools are out there. He helped high school senior Justice Benjamin, the first in his family to apply to college, thinking about what his ideal learning experience was. Finally, Justice narrowed in on smaller schools where he could study environmental science and made his final choice: Skidmore College in New York.
Figuring out how to pay for college is a major part of what CollegePoint advisers do. Nakhle, an adviser in North Carolina, is working with Hensley, an Ohio high school senior who can't get extra financial help from her family. They spent a lot of time comparing and analyzing her financial-aid award letters, which made her decision much clearer. Finally, the Ohio State University offered an option where she would pay nothing. Staying in-state wasn't her first choice, but it was the best option for her.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．How CollegePoint works. | B．The history of CollegePoint. |
| C．Ways to apply for a free adviser. | D．The challenge of choosing colleges. |
| A．Thinking highly of their abilities. | B．Knowing little about colleges. |
| C．Lack of enough learning experience. | D．Failure to pass the entrance exam. |
| A．She didn't want to stay far from home. | B．Her favorite major was provided there. |
| C．She would show her talents to the full. | D．The university met her financial needs. |
| A．Steps for Students to Choose Suitable Colleges |
| B．CollegePoint—How to Be a Financial Adviser |
| C．Advisers Helping College Students to Score High |
| D．CollegePoint—Helping Students Select Ideal Colleges |
6 . Interactions between people and elephants have a long history. Elephants have been trained and used by human beings for thousands of years, for everything from transportation to construction to logging to war.
In more recent times, Asian elephants have been used in entertainment and as a living ''machine'' to help move logs through the jungle as part of the logging industry. The latter changed in Thailand in 1989, when the Thai government banned the use of elephants in the logging industry. Owners of elephants had very little choice but to turn to tourism to earn enough to care for themselves and their elephants by offering elephant riding to tourists.
Mahouts (象夫) are the elephant handlers who you will see riding or managing the elephants at any camp you visit. The traditional mahout life isn't easy. They are bonded to their elephant and they rarely have time off or time for family.
These years, younger mahouts in Thailand have been more likely to leave the mahout life to find jobs in the city, resulting in elephants having to get used to multiple mahouts. This can lead to additional stress on the elephant, or result in abuse by a mahout trying to manage an elephant that hasn’t built any level of trust with him.
Opponents of elephant riding may suggest that elephant rides be illegal. My worry is that an immediate ban could lead to another massive change in how elephants are treated, similar to ending elephant logging in 1989. How will mahouts that are currently making a living and supporting their elephants through rides be able to continue to do so? The average lifespan of an elephant is 60 years. Any solution needs to take into account the long-term effects on the elephants currently employed giving rides.
1. What happened in 1989 in Thailand?| A．Elephants lost their jobs. | B．Elephants joined in tourism. |
| C．Entertainment was forbidden. | D．The government banned logging. |
| A．The great stress to make money. |
| B．The former masters’ leaving them. |
| C．The heavy load on the elephants. |
| D．The owners' mistrust of the elephants. |
| A．Will You Go to Thailand? |
| B．Why are Elephants Trained? |
| C．How do Mahouts Train Elephants? |
| D．Should You Ride Elephants in Thailand? |
| A．To present a problem. | B．To criticize mahouts. |
| C．To introduce Thailand. | D．To record his experience. |
7 . Luke is a cute dog, living together with me for five years. We get lots of
Somehow, Luke rushed toward the forest. There was no longer any hope at that moment to wait for Luke to come back to the
| A．rain | B．sun | C．noise | D．fires |
| A．damaged | B．removed | C．changed | D．treated |
| A．made | B．caught | C．set | D．burned |
| A．forest | B．house | C．area | D．shelter |
| A．lost | B．died | C．appeared | D．remained |
| A．warned | B．reminded | C．informed | D．promised |
| A．buried | B．trapped | C．controlled | D．swallowed |
| A．immediately | B．slightly | C．approximately | D．particularly |
| A．Since | B．Unless | C．When | D．Until |
| A．call | B．shout | C．voice | D．sound |
| A．understood | B．recognized | C．treated | D．realized |
| A．recorded | B．noticed | C．followed | D．wanted |
| A．fireman | B．doctor | C．farmer | D．teacher |
| A．save | B．raise | C．protect | D．hate |
| A．fun | B．enormous | C．little | D．risky |
8 . There are multiple experiences a Westerner can describe as a “culture shock” in China, one of the fastest-growing economies, like eating mouthwatering baozi for breakfast. These experiences, however, paled in comparison to the one I experienced during my time in an organization I’ve been serving in for two years to provide free educational tours at my leisure — the advancement and equalizing of China’s known wealth disparity（差异）through the social network and cashless payment giant（巨头）, WeChat, which I rarely used before.
Last month, the organization led a thrilling trip to camp. Initially, we went through a village kept alive by the residents. The views there are so attractive and refreshing. Walking through endless red apple trees, I saw an elderly woman who gently offered to sell me apples. Unfortunately, I informed her I didn’t have cash on hand. She quickly told me to scan the QR code（二维码）on her phone, which in seconds would get my money into her bank account via WeChat. Needless to say, I was blown away. And of course, the apples were tasty.
As an advocate of financial growth opportunities in under-served communities, it was inspiring to witness that technology lets people contribute to the economy regardless of socioeconomic background in China. Though the socioeconomic problems remain to some extent, access to and adoption of technology creating financial opportunities transforms the lives of everyday citizens and enables communities to flower.
While I once didn’t believe a “cashless society” was possible and thought it could cause more unfavorable conditions, I now stand corrected. Perhaps it might take longer for New York City to adapt, as we lag behind in this transformation and there is so much we can learn. I also wonder what the human race can achieve when technology provides endless opportunities for people of all backgrounds to advance.
1. What does the first paragraph tell us about the author?| A．She is struggling with culture shock. |
| B．She really enjoys Chinese breakfast. |
| C．She does voluntary work when free. |
| D．She likes using social networks. |
| A．Scenery of the village. | B．Taste of the apples. |
| C．Popularity of WeChat. | D．The way of paying. |
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Concerned. | D．Curious. |
| A．Technology helps narrow the wealth gap |
| B．New York will be the next cashless society |
| C．Humans will achieve more with technology |
| D．China becomes the fastest-growing economy |
9 . Have you ever thought of quitting your job when you feel exhausted? Maybe most of you would say “yes”. After a particularly busy period at work, I decided to get away from it all by going on a hike in the mountains in southern France.
Before I left, I read an interesting story in a magazine. It read, “Once, while I was riding on a crowded bus, the man sitting next to me threw his cell phone out of the window when his phone rang. I was surprised. He looked at me, shrugged (耸耸肩) and looked away. I had no idea whether it was his or stolen or whether he even knew what a cell phone was or not, but he clearly wanted to be free of it, because it clearly troubled him.”
Billions of people across the world use cell phones. Though cell phones are a wonderful way for communication, they often do the exact opposite. Using cell phones can increase stress within families and friends.
So when I recently returned home, I got rid of my cell phone. Now I go outside without taking my phone with me. I’ve noticed things in my neighborhood I never noticed before, such as gardens. I’ve met new people, started conversations with neighbors I didn’t speak to before and talked with some of my friends face to face instead of chatting over the phone.
Instead of keeping me off from the world, stopping using my cell phone has helped me get even closer to my family and friends.
1. According to the story, the man on the bus threw away his cell phone because .| A．it didn’t work properly | B．it was stolen from someone else |
| C．he didn’t like the phone’s style | D．he didn’t want to be bothered by it |
| A．are too expensive for many people |
| B．are of no use to the author |
| C．can also get people into trouble |
| D．can make life more interesting |
| A．He wants to own a garden now. |
| B．He always chatted with his neighbors. |
| C．He used to take his cell phone when going outside. |
| D．He once threw away his cell phone. |
| A．tell us not to let cell phones control our lives |
| B．encourage others to hike with him in France |
| C．share his experiences in France with us |
| D．teach us how to get along with neighbors |
The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big "to do" over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.
I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”
She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?”
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.
Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.
1. The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (Paragraph 4) means __________.
| A．show much concern about | B．have a special effect on |
| C．list jobs to be done for | D．do good things for |
| A．beautiful hair | B．pretty clothes |
| C．lovely smile | D．young age |
| A．the guest gave her more coats to carry |
| B．she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly |
| C．the guests praised her sister more than her |
| D．her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests |
| A．parents should pay more attention to the elder children |
| B．the younger children are usually more easily hurt |
| C．people usually like the younger children more |
| D．adults should treat children equally |
