1 . Daily life has its satisfactions: The perfect reply to a friend’s text message; The first after-work drink; The sound of another government U-turn. But do any really compare to the joy of going to sleep? That moment when the mess of 21st-century existence disappears into the non-judgmental hug of a bed?

Somehow we have pushed this pleasure to the back of the queue. A third of American adults report sleeping less than the recommended seven hours. Many of us feel under-rested. For some, the problem is modern life: emails, to-do lists and screens. For other people, it’s the demands of work or family. Then there are those who can’t sleep when they try. In 1895 the Earl of Rosebery resigned after barely a year as British prime minister, unable to overcome his insomnia (失眠症). Up to 1 in 10 adults meet the criteria for insomnia.

Stressing ourselves out about a lack of sleep can make the problem worse. In his book Overcoming Insomnia and Sleep Problems, Oxford professor Colin Espie writes about “orthosomnia”, where people are so focused with sleeping well that they become too anxious to do so. The marketing of sleeping aids adds to this.

Espie says we each have a sleep pattern that, like a shoe size, we figure out through trial and error. Genetically, some humans are larks (百灵鸟) and some are owls; the larks may just have better cardiovascular (心血管的) health. For an owl to try to fight their natural schedule, and sleep earlier, wouldn’t necessarily help.

Once we weren’t urged to sleep until we were dead. Now we are told to sleep or we’ll be dead. Nowadays sleep is becoming something that people hope to excel at. About that I’m unconvinced. A goodnight’s sleep is a great pleasure. As far as possible, it should also remain a simple one.

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about sleep problem?

A．The criteria for insomnia.	B．The dangers of poor sleep.
C．The causes of inadequate sleep.	D．The sleep situation of American people.

2. What can we learn about “orthosomnia” in Paragraph 3?

A．It is caused by extreme anxiety.	B．It will worsen the sleep problem.
C．It refers to the sleep environment.	D．It can be improved by sleeping aids.

3. What can we infer from Espie’s words?

A．Sleep pattern is related to humans’ gene.

B．The owls have better cardiovascular health.

C．The sleep pattern of the larks is healthier.

D．It is necessary to fight our natural schedule.

4. What does the underlined phrase “excel at” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Figure out.

B．Be good at.

C．Give way to.

D．Compete with.

3 . Climate breakdown threatens to cause a global food production crisis. The UN forecasts that by 2050, feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in global water use for agriculture. It is hard to see how agriculture can feed the population of the planet, let alone toward the end of the century and beyond. Agriculture is a major cause of climate breakdown, and both river and air pollution. Industrial fishing is similarly driving ecological collapse in seas around the world.

However, at this critical time, farming (a new kind of food technology) is creating astonishing possibilities to save both people and the planet. Farming will enable the return of vast areas of land and sea to nature, greatly reducing carbon emissions (排放物). It means an end to the employment of animals, a stop to overfishing, and a dramatic reduction in cutting down forests and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂). It is the best hope for stopping the destruction of the planet and, if it is done right, it means cheap and abundant food for everyone.

We are about to welcome one of the biggest economic transformations, of any kind, for 200 years. Arguments continue about plants against meat-based diets; however, new technologies will soon make these arguments irrelevant. Before long, most food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from micro-organisms (微生物).

Not only will food be cheaper, it will also be healthier. Due to the fact that farming creates food products built up from simple components rather than broken down from complex ones, hard fats and other unhealthy components can be screened out. Meat will still be meat, but it will be grown in factories rather than in the bodies of animals. Fats will still be fats, but food is likely to be better, cheaper and much less damaging to the living planet.

1. What is the major cause of sea ecological breakdown?

A．Food production.	B．Global farming.
C．Industrial fishing.	D．Climate breakdown.

2. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about farming?

A．Its benefits.

B．Its security.

C．Its research.

D．Its limits.

3. What will provide the majority of food in the near future?

A．Sea animals.

B．Wild plants.

C．Micro-organisms.

D．Farm products.

4. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude to farming?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Disapproving.

D．Unclear.

4 . Arden University

Arden University has physical study centres in London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Berlin, Germany, and also offers high quality online bachelor and master degree programmes to British and international students all over the world. They have supported over 50,000 students while remaining true to their core values, ensuring higher education is available for all. Covering a range of professional subjects in 12 academic fields, Arden University makes UK education accessible and affordable through their creative study platform. Click here to view this school.

University of London International Programmes

We have over 60,000 students in every corner of the globe studying on more than 100 different programmes. Our global footprint and flexible study method has enabled students to study wherever they live. As a family of 19 world-class colleges and admired institutes, the University of London has an international reputation for academic distinction in teaching and research. Our students achieve exactly the same standard of internationally recognized qualification as those who attend the University itself. Click here to view this school.

University of York

The University of York is one of the top ten universities in the UK for teaching and research, and is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world. This well-established university consists of over 30 academic departments and research centres and a student body of 13,000, and was named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2010. Most of the distance learning courses are designed to meet professional development needs, and reflect the benefits of online learning in this context. Click here to view this school.

Lloyd’s Maritime Academy

Course options include popular and well-established diplomas in Marine (海洋) Surveying, Ship Management, and Maritime Law. Various accreditation levels are available from short, online based certificate courses to fully-accredited diploma and postgraduate diploma study options. We also offer our best course — the MBA in Shipping&. Logistics. The continued strength of these distance learning programmes have over 6,000 students enrolled on our courses. Click here to view this school.

1. Which holds the largest number of students?

A．Arden University.	B．University of York.
C．Lloyd's Maritime Academy.	D．University of London International Programmes.

2. What can you learn at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy?

A．How to be a training teacher.	B．How to be a good programmer.
C．How to be a professional in shipping industry.	D．How to be an excellent shipbuilder.

3. What do the four schools have in common?

A．They all offer online courses.	B．They are only accessible to the British.
C．They are all top ten schools in the world.	D．They were all built in the early 20th century.

5 . Youths in East Asia are now embracing a new philosophy they’ve called “tang ping”, or “lying flat”. The phrase     1     (apparent) traces its origins to a post earlier this year in an online forum run by the Chinese search giant Baidu. The author suggested that instead of working one’s entire life chasing after an apartment and traditional family     2     (value), people should pursue a simple life.     3     other words, just “lie flat”.

Talk of “lying flat” has spread rapidly through China as young people fight with intense competition for the most     4     (attract) jobs, especially in tech and other white collar fields. Many tech firms     5     startups demand of people to work nearly double—or more —the number of hours in     6     typical work week.

This type of phenomenon, though, isn’t limited to China. Across East Asia, young people say they’ve become exhausted by the prospect of working hard for seemingly little reward. In the Republic of Korea, young people are giving up on     7     (marry) and home owner-ship. In Japan, they are so pessimistic about the country’s future     8     they are avoiding material possessions.

“Young people     9     (wear) out,” said Lim Woon-taek, a professor of sociology at Keimyung University in the Republic of Korea. “They don’t know why they have to work so hard.” As more young people grow frustrated with pressure, they say they want to give up conventional rites of passage, such as     10     (get) married or having children. But life itself is a process of fighting, gaining and enjoying. This philosophy does no good to our society.

6 . When sorting through the apples at the grocery store, you see an ugly, strange-looking apple. Whether it’s a strange color, has spots, or is a strange shape, you wonder how it made it onto the shelves. Who would buy and eat this? Most people would not buy ugly produce. That is why it is rare to see ugly-shaped fruit or off-colored vegetables. So what happens to this produce?

Data have shown that 20%—40% of fruits and vegetables are rejected even before they reach grocery stores. And even more are rejected on site, because grocery stores and companies have incredibly high standards for what their produce should look like. That includes color, shape, size, weight, and length. And the food that doesn’t meet these standards is thrown away. There are incredibly strict laws about food donation that actually makes it illegal to donate food that doesn’t meet standards that are similar to those of the grocery store as well as laws that restrict this food from being used as animal feed.

Besides, 10% of rich countries greenhouse gas emissions come from food that was grown and never eaten. Food waste not only contributes to climate change, but also food insecurity and extreme poverty. As stated above, in the greatest food wasting countries, there are laws that confine produce from being donated to people in need.

By reducing food waste, a third of the world’s entire food supply could be saved. That’s enough to feed 3 billion people. Also, by reducing food waste, farmers all over the world could sell more of their produce and inspire their rural, agricultural economies. There are many ways to get involved in ending food waste! You can participate in advocacy events hosted nearby like with Feedback Global, who hosts an event called “Feeding the 5000” where they seek to feed 5000 people with food that would have otherwise been wasted. Encourage your local grocer to sell ugly produce. Food is food!

1. Why is ugly-shaped fruit rarely seen at the grocery store?

A．It is not tasty or nutritious.	B．Farmers would not plant it.
C．Most people are not fond of it.	D．Few people choose to purchase it.

2. What happens to ugly-shaped fruit or off-colored vegetables?

A．They are consumed.	B．They are donated.
C．They are wasted.	D．They are buried.

3. What does the underlined word “confine” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Refuse.

B．Restrict.

C．Contact.

D．Protect.

4. What would be a suitable title for the text?

A．Ugly fruit could lead to a prettier world

B．Food waste makes 3 billion people in poverty

C．Feedback Global is seeking to feed 5000 people

D．More people should get involved in ending food waste

8 . Saving lives has always been an important mission (使命) of science. Now science, and indeed all society, are facing a new dilemma: whether or not to try and save more lives through human cloning.

The first cloning experiments in the 1950s involved frogs and toads. It was not until 1997 that scientists successfully cloned the fist mammal, the now world-famous sheep known as Dolly. Cloning techniques’ have continued to improve since then, and today there are cloned mice, salmon, and cattle.

Some scientists want to apply the methods used in cloning animals to produce skin, or organs, and other body parts for humans. One of these methods involves taking adult cells from the brain or blood and growing them into new tissues. Another more complex technique takes embryo (胚胎) cells and develops them into a wide variety of cell types and tissues. It is this planned use of human embryos that has resulted in controversy (争议) and criticism.

The cloning of human cells provides the potential to find cures and eliminate diseases. The dream of some researchers is to create a Utopian world of good health. Others question whether it is right to “Play God” in an attempt to cure the disabilities and diseases in this world.

Some of the great hopes for cloning include the utility to perform transplants, whenever they are needed, using cloned organs. For example, people with lung cancer may simply have their lungs replaced with healthy ones. Scientists also look forward to the day when people in wheelchairs can walk again, and illnesses such as Alzheinmier’s and Parkinson’s Disease can be prevented.

However, a lot of people worry about the appearance of masses of identical people, and the production of “perfect” humans for warfare or slave labor. We might even see headless human bodies being stored at hospitals for their “spare parts”. With such thought-causing possibilities for the 2lst century, human cloning will no doubt continue to receive widespread attention and scrutiny (审视).

1. What problem is science faced with?

A．Whether human cloning can help save more lives.

B．How to carry out human cloning scientifically.

C．Whether human cloning should be used for saving lives.

D．How to save more lives through human cloning.

2. What can we know about cloning according to the text?

A．It has a history of over half a century.

B．I develops very quickly in the 21st century.

C．It can protect people from diseases of any kind.

D．It has enabled many people in wheelchairs to walk again.

3. The underlined word “eliminate” in paragraph 4 most probably means “________”.

A．put up with	B．get along with
C．make up for	D．get rid of

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Human body parts will be stored at hospitals for use.

B．Hunan cloning may become a trend in the 21st century.

C．Many people learn the effects of human cloning on our society.

D．People think humans will surely be cloned for slave labor.

9 . In an office building of Helsinki, Finland, a social worker is meeting six elderly people for lunch-via tablets propped on their kitchen tables. While many countries with growing elderly populations are building new care homes, Finland is looking after people in their own homes-by means of technology.

The most common reason for a home visit by a social worker is to check that Grandma is taking her medicine. A pill-dispensing (配药的) robot in her home can do that. Each holds a two-week supply of multiple drugs, gives a reminder when it is time to take them and dispenses the right combination. For one in five people who try them the robots don't work, usually because Grandma is reluctant to take lots of pills. But for the rest, they have cut medication-related visits from 30 to just four a month.

The idea of old folk living alone perhaps worries Finnish people less than many others; Finns pride themselves on their rugged self-reliance. A welcome pack for foreign journalists includes a book of cartoons depicting “Finnish nightmares”, such as having to say “hello" to a neighbour. Social isolation, however, is a big problem for the elderly because it leads to faster cognitive and physical decline. To deal with that, Helsinki runs virtual get-togethers for its homebound elderly. These should be regarded as extras, though. A degree of personal interaction, not just the virtual kind, is surely necessary even for Finns.

The biggest challenge for both humans and devices is to spot problems early. Local tech companies, including MariCare Oy and Benete, have developed systems to gather data on things like how often a person visits the bathroom or opens the fridge. Care workers use such data to prioritise whom to visit and what to check for. Not opening the fridge as often, for example, is a hint that memory problems may be getting worse.

The biggest gain from technology may be that it makes it easier to keep old people fit enough to remain in their own homes. This is much cheaper, and usually nicer, too.

1. How does Finland look after its elderly?

A．By building more new care homes.

B．By offering them remote-care services.

C．By increasing the population of social workers.

D．By creating more senior-accessible public areas.

2. How can a pill-dispensing robot help?

A．It comforts the elderly reluctant to take pills

B．It reminds nurses to restore an elderly's drug supply.

C．It ensures the doctors give the right combination of pills.

D．It saves social workers the trouble of frequent home visits

3. What might the author suggest the Finns do?

A．Make some face-to-face contact.

B．Stick to their tradition of self-reliance.

C．Run as many virtual get-togethers as possible.

D．Keep a safe social distance with their neighbours.

4. What is a shared goal of MariCare Oy and Benete?

A．Freeing the homebound elderly from restrictions.

B．Helping the elderly suffer less from memory loss.

C．Identifying potential health problems of the elderly.

D．Developing household systems suitable for the elderly.

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What place did the Mary Celeste depart from?

A．Italy.

B．The USA.

C．Greece.

2. When was the Mary Celeste found in the eastern Atlantic 600 miles from Gibraltar?

A．In October, 1872.

B．In November, 1872.

C．In December, 1872.

3. Why did the ten people leave the ship?

A．The ship was sinking.

B．The ship was badly damaged.

C．Nobody knows the real reason.

4. What was also gone besides the ten people?

A．The alcohol.

B．A lifeboat.

C．A survival suit.