＂Did you hear what happened to Adam last Friday?＂ Lindsey whispers to Tori.
With her eyes shining, Tori brags, ＂You bet I did. Sean told me two days ago.＂
Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happens to be yours truly, Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.
An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic — breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out — that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.
If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(传言) can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the ＂in group.＂ In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).
Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.
The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your ＂juicy story＂ might have.
1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to __________.
A.introduce a topic B.present an argument
C.describe the characters D.clarify his writing purpose
2.An important negative effect of gossip is that it _________.
A.breaks up relationships B.embarrasses the listener
C.spreads information around D.causes unpleasant experiences
3.In the author’s opinion, many people like to gossip because it __________.
A.gives them a feeling of pleasure
B.helps them to make more friends
C.makes them better at telling stories
D.enables them to meet important people
4.Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can ________.
A.provide students with written rules
B.help people watch their own behaviors
C.force schools to improve student handbooks
D.attract the police’s attention to group behaviors
5.What advice does the author give in the passage?
A.Never become a gossiper. B.Stay away from gossipers.
C.Don’t let gossip turn into lies. D.Think twice before you gossip.
A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night’s sleep. But now a study has found it really does help people nod off（打瞌睡）—if it is milked from a cow at night.
Researchers have discovered that “night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety（焦虑）.The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder（奶粉） made from cows milked both during the day and at night. Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food.
Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.
While the effect of cow milk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who have trouble falling asleep at night.
Previous （以前的）studies have also showed that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax.
1.According to the text, the mice fed with daytime milk_______.
A.started sleep more easily B.were more anxious
C.were less active D.woke up later
2.Which of the following is true of melatonin according to the text?
A.It’s been tested on mice for ten years.
B.It can make people more energetic.
C.It exists in milk in great amount.
D.It’s used in sleeping drugs.
3.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Night Milk and Sleep B.Fat Sugar and Health
C.An Experiment on Mice D.Milk Drinking and Health
4.How does the author support the theme of the text?
A.By giving examples.
B.By stating arguments.
C.By explaining statistical data.
D.By providing research results.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Dreaming about whether you would want to read minds, see through walls, or have superhuman strength may sound silly, but it actually gets to the heart of what really matters in your life.
Every day in our work, we are inspired by the people we meet doing extraordinary things to improve the world.
They have a different kind of superpower that all of us possess: the power to make a difference in the lives of others.
We’re not saying that everyone needs to contribute their lives to the poor. Your lives are busy enough doing homework, playing sports, making friends, seeking after your dreams. But we do think that you can live a more powerful life when you devote some of your time and energy to something much larger than yourself. Find an issue you are interested in and learn more. Volunteer or, if you can, contribute a little money to a cause. Whatever you do, don’t be a bystander. Get involved. You may have the opportunity to make your biggest difference when you’re older. But why not start now?
Our own experience working together on health, development, and energy the last twenty years has been one of the most rewarding parts of our lives. It has changed who we are and continues to fuel our optimism about how much the lives of the poorest people will improve in the years ahead.
1.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Your life style. B.Your life value.
C.Your trouble in life. D.Your life experience.
2.Why does the author say they are inspired every day?
A.They possess different kinds of superpowers.
B.They have got the power to change the world.
C.Some people around them are making the world better.
D.There are many powerful people in their life and work.
3.What does the author stress in Paragraph 5?
A.Learning more and contributing more to a cause.
B.Rising above self and acting to help others.
C.Working hard to get a bigger opportunity.
D.Trying your best to help the poor.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A.The author believes the lives of the poorest will get better.
B.Much more progress will be made in the near future.
C.The work on health is the most valuable experience.
D.People’s efforts have been materially rewarded.
阅读理解。
Enough ＂meaningless drivel＂. That’s the message from a group of members of the UK government who have been examining how social media firms like LinkedIn gather and use social media data.
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee’s report, released last week, has blamed firms for making people sign up to long incomprehensible legal contracts and calls for an international standard or kitemark (认证标记) to identify sites that have clear terms and conditions.
＂The term and conditions statement that we all carelessly agree to is meaningless drivel to anyone,＂ says Andrew Miller, the chair of the committee. Instead, he says, firms should provide a plain-English version of their terms. The simplified version would be checked by a third party and awarded a kitemark if it is an accurate reflection of the original.
It is not yet clear who would administer the scheme, but the UK government is looking at introducing it on a voluntary basis. ＂we need to think through how we make that work in practice,＂ says Miller.
Would we pay any more attention to a kitemark? ＂I think if you went and did the survey, people would like to think they would,＂ says Nigel Shadbolt at the University of Southampton, UK, who studies open data. ＂We do know people worry a lot about the inappropriate use of their information.＂ But what would happen in practice is another matter, he says.
Other organisations such as banks ask customers to sign long contracts they may not read or understand, but Miller believes social media requires special attention because it is so new. ＂We still don’t know how significant the long-term impact is going to be of unwise things that kids put on social media that come back and bite them in 20 years’ time,＂ he says.
Shadbolt, who gave evidence to the committee, says the problem is that we don’t know how companies will use our data because their business models and uses of data are still evolving. Large collections of personal information have become valuable only recently, he says.
The shock and anger when a social media firm does something with data that people don’t expect, even if users have apparently permission, show that the current situation isn’t working. If properly administered, a kitemark on terms and conditions could help people know what exactly they are signing up to. Although they would still have to actually read them.
1.What does the phrase ＂ meaningless drivel＂ in paragraphs 1 and 3 refer to?
A.Legal contracts that social media firms make people sign up to.
B.Warnings from the UK government against unsafe websites.
C.Guidelines on how to use social media websites properly.
D.Insignificant data collected by social media firms.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that Nigel Shadbolt doubts whether _______.
A.social media firms would conduct a survey on the kitemark scheme
B.people would pay as much attention to a kitemark as they think
C.a kitemark scheme would be workable on a nationwide scale
D.the kitemark would help companies develop their business models
3.Andrew Miller thinks social media needs more attention than banks mainly because _______.
A.their users consist largely of kids under 20 years old
B.the language in their contracts is usually harder to understand
C.the information they collected could become more valuable in future
D.it remains unknown how users’ data will be taken advantage of
4.The writer advises users of social media to _______.
A.think carefully before posting anything onto such websites
B.read the terms and conditions even if there is a kitemark
C.take no further action if they can find a kitemark
D.avoid providing too much personal information
5.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Say no to social media?
B.New security rules in operation?
C.Accept without reading?
D.Administration matters!
1.It can be concluded from paragraph 1 that _______.
A.the problem of global warming will have been quite solved by 2020
B.gas emissions have been effectively reduced in developed countries
C.the Paris Agreements is more influential than the Kyoto Protocol
D.humans have made continuous efforts to slow down global warming
2.If nations could only keep the initial promises of the Paris Agreement, what would happen by the year 2100?
A.The human population would increase by one third.
B.Little over 50% of all species would still exist.
C.Nations would not need to tighten their emissions targets.
D.The Agreement’s minimum goal would not be reached.
3.If those island nations not far above sea level are to survive, the maximum temperature rise, since the start of the industrial age, should be_______.
A.0.8℃ B.1.5℃
C.2℃ D.3.5℃
Section B
Direction：Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished sattments. For each of them there are four choices markedA, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
One early morning, I went into the living room to find my mother reading a thick book called Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again. My interest was aroused only by the fact that the word “Poems” appeared in big, hot pink letters.
“Is it good?” I asked her.
“Yeah,” she answered. “There’s one I really like and you’ll like it, too.” I leaned forward.
“‘Patty Poem,’” she read the title. Who is Patty? I wondered. The poem began:
She never puts her toys away,
The poem was just three short sections. The final one came quickly:
And I’ll be sad.
A terrible sorrow washed over me. Whoever Patty was, she was a mean girl. Then, the shock.
“It’s you, honey,” My mother said sadly.
To my mother, the poem revealed a parent’s affection when her child grows up and leaves. To me, the “she” in the poem was horror. It was my mama who would be sad. It was so terrible I burst out crying.
“What’s wrong?” my mother asked.
“Oh Mama,” I cried. “I don’t want to grow up ever!”
She smiled. “Honey, it’s okay. You’re not growing up anytime soon. And when you do, I’ll still love you, okay?”
“Okay,” I was still weeping. My panic has gone. But I could not help thinking about that silly poem. After what seemed like a safe amount of time, I read the poem again and was confused. It all fit so well together, like a puzzle. The language was simple, so simple I could plainly understand its meaning, yet it was still beautiful. I was now fascinated by the idea of poetry, words that had the power to make or break a person’s world.
I have since fallen in love with other poems, but “Patty Poem” remains my poem. After all, “Patty Poem” gave me my love for poetry not because it was the poem that lifted my spirits, but because it was the one that hurt me the most.
1.Why was the writer attracted by the book Best Loved Poems to Read Again and Again?
A.It was a thick enough book.
B.Something on its cover caught her eye.
C.Her mother was reading it with interest.
D.It has a meaningful title.
2.After her mother read the poem to her, the writer felt ______ at first.
A.sad B.excited
C.horrified D.confused
3.The writer’s mother liked to read “Patty Poem” probably because______.
A.it reflected her own childhood
B.it was written in simple language
C.it was composed by a famous poet
D.it gave her a hint of what would happen
4.It can be concluded from the passage that“Patty Poem”leads the writer to _______.
A.discover the power of poetry
B.recognize her love for puzzles
C.find her eagerness to grow up
D.experience great homesickness
