1 . The United States Congress is responsible for making and approving federal laws—rules that everyone in the country must follow.But exactly how do those laws get made? The process is not easy，and it takes a long time.

A law begins when someone puts forward an idea.The idea can come from anyone，but it has to get to a U.S.lawmaker who wants it to become legislation.In time，the idea is further developed into a written proposal，called a bill.

Then，a member of Congress officially proposes the bill.After the bill is introduced，it is sent to a small group of lawmakers，called a“committee”.Sometimes committee members seek more information about the proposal by holding hearings.Sometimes the committee changes the bill.Sometimes it decides not to take any action.In that case，we say lawmakers“table”the bill，or let it“die in committee”.

But now and then，the bill is offered to lawmakers not on the committee.Those lawmakers debate the bill further.They might change the bill again.Finally，the full House or Senate votes on the bill.If it does not earn the majority of votes，the bill does not advance.

Finally，the agreed-upon bill is sent to the president.If the president signs it，the bill becomes a law.If the president does nothing and Congress is officially meeting，the bill becomes a law.But if the president does nothing and Congress is not in session，the bill does not pass.Or the president can officially reject the bill.If that happens，the bill is not stopped.Instead，it is returned to both the Senate and the House.If two-thirds of the senators and two-thirds of the House members approve the bill once again，even with the president objecting，they turn the bill into a law.

1. Who is the first to propose a bill?

A．A lawyer.

B．A citizen.

C．A member of Congress.

D．A committee member.

2. When does a bill finally become a law?

A．After it is sent to a committee.

B．When the president signs it.

C．After it returns to the Congress.

D．While Congress is not in session.

3. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Not every bill can be turned into a law.

B．Anybody can put forward a proposal.

C．If“tabled”，the bill has to be voted on.

D．Once proposed，the bill can't be changed.

2 . Drinks Have No Wings

You may have heard that “Red Bull gives you wings”. But while most people take the advertising slogan as a metaphor(隐喻), some Americans seem to have taken it very seriously.

Benjamin Careathers had been drinking the drink for 10 years, expecting to at least feel more energetic, but nothing happened. Feeling fooled by the ad, he took the issue to court.

In October, the Austria-based company agreed to pay $ 6.5 million (39.7 million yuan) to customers who have bought the drink since 2002. People in the US can apply for a share through energydrinksettlement.com before March 2015.

But is the case really that ridiculous?

Red Bull said they had done nothing wrong and they only paid the money to save the cost and trouble of legal action.

However, the suit(诉讼) told a different story. Even though there is no evidence that Red Bull energy drinks provide more benefit for consumers than a cup of coffee, the company markets their products as a superior source of energy that costs little.

“Such conduct means that Red Bull’s advertising and marketing is not just ‘puffery’ (吹捧) but is misleading and therefore actionable (可诉讼的) ,” the suit said.

The company said that the drink could promote healthy joints and reduce the risk of eye diseases. However, according to the organization, the product contains a lot of sugar, which could actually lead to many health problems.

Coca-Cola agreed to pay $ 1.2 million in compensation in July. But to fully stop the company from linking the drink to health benefit, Truth in Advertising, another non-profit organization, took the issue to court again in late October.

False advertisements have become a common problem around the world. China changed its consumer rights   last year to ban advertising companies and media from making or publishing false advertisements. Celebrities are also made responsible if they endorse (代言) false or substandard products.

1. Faced with the suit, the Red Bull company decided to _______________.

A．apologize to its customers and pay for their losses in health

B．take full responsibility for the bad effects it has caused to its customers

C．give no one but its American customers some money as a reward

D．spend some money to save the cost and trouble of legal action

2. What benefits can people get, according to the Red Bull company?

A．One can really fly like birds, for it offers you wings.

B．Drink it, and one can be forever energetic and young.

C．As it contains a lot of sugar, it can make one more powerful.

D．Healthy joints can be promoted if one takes this drink.

3. It is implied in the passaged that __________________.

A．in China more companies will be taken to court for failing to live up to their promises

B．both Red Bull and Coca-Cola are now winning the consumers’ trust and respect

C．Benjamin Careathers has benefited a great deal since he drank Red Bull

D．no puffery words have ever appeared in both Red Bull and Coca-Cola’s advertisements

4. Many countries’ attitude towards those false advertisements is likely to be ____________.

A．Tolerant.

B．Favorable.

C．Unbearable.

D．Indifferent.

3 . Parking Information

There is a mix of paid and free parking on Granville Island. Below you will find all relevant information to parking and traffic management.

FREE PARKING STALLS（停车位）

Free parking throughout Granville Island for all motorized vehicles is intended for visitors only. Free parking stalls are available and vehicles are limited to occupy one stall, once per day, and within the maximum posted time limit. When the posted time limit is reached you move your vehicle, or should you require additional parking during the same day, your vehicle must be parked in a pay parking stall.

Free Parking restrictions are strictly enforced from 7 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week.

Once your vehicle is parked, you are not permitted to move to another free stall on Granville Island at any other time through out the day. You may move to any of the pay stalls.

PAID PARKING STALLS

Pay parking restrictions are strictly enforced from 7 am to 7 pm,7 days a week.

Daily Parking

The Daily Pass is valid for 24 hours from the time of purchase. The pass is VOID（无效） if not placed face up with the date and time visible. The pass is VOID if not parked in a pay parking lot.

Weekly Parking

The Weekly Pass is valid for 7 days from the time of purchase. The pass is VOID if not placed face up with the date and time visible. The pass is VOID if not parked in a pay parking lot.

Monthly Parking

Monthly parking is limited and available on a first come first serve basis and sold starting on the twenty-sixth (26) of every month. Monthly Parking Passes are available at the Granville Island Administration Office from 8:30am-5:00pm.

A monthly parking pass allows a vehicle to be parked in an appointed parking stall only when it is clearly displayed.

Lost monthly passes cannot be replaced.

1. Visitors to Granville Island can             .

A．park their cars for free as long as they wish

B．move their cars to different free stalls

C．pay the parking when the time limit is reached

D．use the same free stall for many times

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the notice?

A．paid parking pass is valid only when it is clearly displayed.

B．Cars with the Daily Parking Pass can be parked in a free stall.

C．One can buy the Monthly Parking Pass on any day of the month.

D．One can apply for a new Monthly Parking Pass if it is lost.

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Do you know the UK government has     1    (successful) passed a law banning branding on packs of cigarettes? That means tobacco manufacturers will be forced     2    (pack) their cigarettes in plain packets. The motivation behind this     3    (decide) is to make smoking less appealing to people, especially children. A similar law     4    was passed in Australia in 2012 has resulted     5    a fall in smoking rates from 15.1% to 12.8% for people aged 14. As for January 2015, 22% of adult men and 17% of adult women smoke in Great Britain. The possibility of smoking in the UK increases with age so that at the age of 15, 8% of school children     6    (be) regular smokers. It is thought that children will be less attracted to cigarettes     7    (sell) in unbranded boxes. Smoking is one of     8    biggest causes of preventable deaths in England. Every year about 80,000 die and over 450,000     9    (send) to hospital due to smoking. This places a large strain(压力) on the health service and is also a factor in why the government would like to prevent people from     10    (take) up smoking or help them quit.

5 . Thanks to new rules, many students in Zhejiang and Heilongjiang provinces can now stay in bed longer than     1     .

On Feb 23, the Zhejiang Department of Education published a new guideline that     2     (allow) primary schools to start school later, reported Xinhua News Agency. According to the guideline, start     3     (time) could vary among different grades and seasons, with students in Grade 1 and 2 starting no     4     (early) than 8:30am.

    5     similar guideline was announced by the education department in Heilongjiang province on Feb 24. Now, senior high school students in the province are required     6     (get) to school at 7:30am at the earliest.

These changes are aimed     7     making sure students get adequate sleep and enough time for breakfast. Before the guideline     8     (publish), many primary school students in Zhejiang must arrive at school as early as 7 or 7:30am,     9    left many of them arriving     10     (feel) tired and hungry.

6 . They hide in trees, hang from helicopters, even follow people down on motorcycles—all so that they can snap a shot of a celebrity. They are paparazzi—photographers who make a living by taking pictures of the rich and famous.

This September, California, a state with plenty of celebrities, passed a law aimed at taking action against paparazzi. The law forbids photographers from entering private property to take pictures, from using high-tech devices to take pictures of people on private property, and from “persistently following in order to take a picture.” Violators can be fined or spend time in prison. The United State Congress is considering passing a similar law.

Supporters of the California law say it will protect the privacy of celebrities, whom paparazzi have been bothering for years. Opponents (反对者) say the law restricts photojournalists from doing their job.

Most celebrities seem to like having their pictures taken when they are in public at award shows or other events. After all, it’s free publicity. But when they’re not in public, they say, photographers should leave them alone. Yet paparazzi have been known to secretly look in windows and worse. Actor Michael J. Fox said that paparazzi have even “tried to pretend to be medical personnel at the hospital where my wife was giving birth to our son.”

Celebrities have as much right to their privacy as anyone else, supporters of the law state. Supporters further argue that the California law is a fair way to keep the press at bay, because the law still allows photographers to do their job. It only punishes them, supporters say, when they violate celebrities’ privacy.

Opponents of the law say it violates the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (美国宪法第一修正案), which guarantees that no laws will be made to limit “the freedom of speech, or of the press.”Although some people might not consider paparazzi a part of the legal press, the California law does not single out paparazzi. It applies to photographers working for any publication.

Opponents of the law are also concerned about its wording. “Does ‘persistently’ mean following someone for six minutes, six seconds, or six days?” asked lawyer Douglas Mirell. The wording of the law is too vague, critics complain, and could be used to punish almost any news photographer.

The United States needs a free press to keep the public informed about important news, paparazzi law opponents say. Limiting the press in any way, they argue, limits the freedom of all.

1. Which of the following will be considered illegal by the new California law?

A．Paparazzi slipping into the house of a famous person to take a shot.

B．Paparazzi taking photos of famous people with high-tech cameras.

C．Paparazzi hiring helicopters as a fast means of transportation.

D．Paparazzi rushing towards filming sites on motorcycles.

2. Supporters of the new law believe that ________.

A．it prevents the media from getting worse

B．it gives photographers a fair way to compete

C．punishment forces paparazzi to quit their job

D．privacy of famous people needs special protection

3. Opponents of the new law are concerned that _________.

A．it will violate paparazzi’s privacy

B．the First Amendment will be changed

C．some photographers will be wrongly accused

D．people will not be informed of important news

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the new California law?

A．Critical.

B．Neutral.

C．Approving.

D．Skeptical.

7 . New Zealand plans to bar foreigners from purchasing existing homes. The ban is expected to become law this year. It aims to slow the rising housing prices and protect New Zealanders interested in buying a home.

The Labour Party government believes that foreign investors have pushed many possible first-time home buyers and families out of the housing market. Last year, median housing prices across the country rose by 5.8 percent, to over $405,000. Housing prices rose even more in New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. Price there rose by more than 18 percent over a 12-month period that ended in June 2017.

The rising prices have pushed home ownership outside the reach of many possible buyers. One home owner told VOA he feels sorry for the younger generation. “I just believe the market has made it impossible for them to get into the housing. ’’ Just 25 years ago, three out of every four New Zealanders lived in their own homes. Now the rate is 64 percent —and falling.

The plan to ban foreigners from buying existing homes has yet to be approved. But the measure, called the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill, passed its first reading in parliament in December. Restricting foreign ownership of housing has been tried in other countries, including Switzerland, “If foreign investors are looking to put their cash into New Zealand, if it then forces up the price of property, people cannot afford to live anymore.” says Norman Gemmell, chair of public finance at Victoria University.

Critics say foreign investors have had only a small effect on the cost of housing. Low interest rates, limited supply and immigration have also driven up house prices.

Housing prices continue to make solid gains across the country. And for many New Zealanders, the dream of owning a home is as distant as ever.

1. Which is the main factor of the high housing prices, according to the Labour Party government?

A．Low interest rates.	B．Domestic investors.
C．Immigration.	D．Foreign buyers.

2. What is true about the housing condition in New Zealand?

A．Housing prices rose by over 18 percent over a year.

B．The housing prices of the capital city rose the least.

C．The rate of New Zealanders living in their own houses is decreasing.

D．The country has witnessed the highest rise of housing prices up to now.

3. What do we know about the ban against housing buying of foreigners?

A．It has been approved in New Zealand so far.

B．It has won the support of people from all walks of life.

C．Similar bans have been adopted in some other countries.

D．It will definitely make New Zealanders harder to own a home.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．It is hard for the locals to buy a house in New Zealand.

B．A ban on stopping foreign home buyers will take effect in New Zealand.

C．The prices of houses have been rising sharply in New Zealand.

D．There are many reasons for high housing prices in New Zealand.

8 . Visitor Code of Conduct

Please help us maintain a healing environment for our patient. Visiting hours and policies vary throughout the hospital. Please ask a staff member about the policy on the unit you wish to visit. We ask that you comply with the following visitor rules:

• Do not visit if you are sick (fever, cough, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting) or have been exposed to chicken pox (水痘) or other contagious (传染的) illness within the past three weeks.

• Clean your hands each time you enter and leave the patient’s room.

• Follow isolation precautions (隔离预防措施) that are posted on the patient’s door.

• You must wear shoes and shirts at all times. Clothing must be clean and neat.

• Visitors are limited to two per patient each time.

• Do not use waiting rooms on a unit if you are not visiting a patient in that unit.

• Waiting rooms are not for overnight stays.

• Children must have adult supervision (监护) at all times and must be respectful of the hospital’s healing environment. Some units do not allow children’s visiting.

You will be asked to leave for violating (违反) any of the above rules or for the followings:

• Your behavior creates a risk to patients, families or staff.

• You appear to be ill.

• You refuse to follow isolation precautions.

• You are not respectful or considerate of others.

• You fail to supervise children.

If you believe someone is violating these rules, or you need assistance, please notify security by dialing 7363 on the hospital phones or 813-844-7363 on your mobile phone. Security is available at all times.

Waiting areas are monitored at all times by a security video camera.

1. The underlined phrase “comply with” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.

A．obey	B．study
C．discover	D．pass

2. According to the passage, you should ________ before you visit a unit in the hospital.

A．make an appointment	B．ask permission from the doctor
C．check the visiting policy	D．ring up the patient first

3. If a child wants to visit the patient, he/she should ________.

A．stay at the waiting room of any unit	B．be supervised at all times
C．refuse to follow isolation precautions	D．create a new environment for patients

4. According to the code, visitors are allowed to ________.

A．touch patient equipment	B．visit patients in group of two
C．stay overnight in the waiting room	D．change into slippers in the patient room

5. What can be concluded from the text?

A．Children can go to visit patients by themselves.

B．If you seem to be ill, you can still visit the patients unless it is contagious.

C．Visitors who violate the rules will not be allowed to visit again.

D．You can ask for security’s help at any time.

9 . In 2011, British wildlife photographer David Slater traveled to the Tangkoko Nature Reserve on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. After following about 25 endangered black monkeys in the forest, Slater set up his camera. The monkeys went up to it, and were attracted by it immediately. Finally, they began playing with the camera and took photos of themselves. One monkey took many photos, some of which appeared with a July 2011 Daily Mail article about Slater playing with the monkeys. One of the photos became the cover of a book of Slater’s work. Wildlife Personalities, which was published in 2014 by Blurb, Inc., in San Francisco. Slater is considered as the copyright (版权) owner of the photos.

In September 2015, however, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) considered the monkey it calls Naruto as the copyright owner of the photos. Through his “friends” at PETA, Naruto was suing (控诉) the photographer and the publishing company Blurb for copyright: “The photos resulted from the purposeful actions of Naruto and were not helped by Slater, resulting in works of authorship… by Naruto.”

“If a human had taken a photo with Slater’s camera, that person would own the copyright to the photo,” says Jeff Kerr o£ PETA. “Naruto should be treated no differently.”

The lawyer for Slater and Blurb, Andrew Dhuey, required that the case be dismissed (被驳回) in November 2015. Dhuey mentioned a 2004 case in which the court had to decide whether whales could sue the US Navy for the danger they’d received from machines used by the Navy. The court ruled that they could not.

In January, the court ruled in favor of dismissing the case. PETA lawyer Jeff Kerr objected, “We believe it has been stated clearly in the Copyright Act. The Act allows courts to fill in decisions like this one.”

1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?

A．To tell a story to support the topic.	B．To give the background information.
C．To express the author’s opinion.	D．To attract readers’ attention.

2. Why did PETA challenge the copyright of the photos?

A．The camera was not Slater’s.	B．Slater did harm to Naruto.
C．The photos were taken by Naruto.	D．Slater just helped a little.

3. What did Dhuey do to help Slater and Blurb?

A．He made a public speech.	B．He had a talk with PETA.
C．He turned to the US Navy.	D．He gave an example.

4. How did the court rule on the copyright of the photos?

A．Naruto can’t own it.

B．Naruto and Slater should share it.

C．Slater can’t use the photos anymore.

D．Slater should pay some money to PETA.

10 . As more and more people like to travel,independently, minsu have grown in popularity, with homestays offering tourists the opportunity     1     (experience) local lifestyles.     2    Aug 1, 2017, Beijing introduced a new tourism regulation to improve the operation and management of minsu.

The regulation     3     (state) that the city and district governments should guide the development of minsu and encourage the development in suburban areas. Shopping during trips should     4     (manage)as well with the city and district governments shouldering their responsibilities.

“The new regulation encourages people to operate minsu and serve their guests     5     (proper) , ”said Cui Zhaohai, 29, an owner of a minsu in downtown Beijing. “I achieve a strong sense of accomplishment by changing an old courtyard into a well-decorated minsu and at the same time it allows me to protect the old architecture.”

Chen Xiao, 30, a tourist     6     (stay) in a minsu in Lijiang, Yunnan province thought highly of minsu, “ The     7     (operate) are often friendly and it’s also convenient to find other tourists,     8    want to car pool or travel together to cut cost.”

According to Wang,     9    official from Beijing government’s law department, the city government should release more detailed regulations about minsu in Beijing’s urban and rural area no     10     (late) than Aug 1, 2018.