| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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If you contact Indy Cube (a provider of workspaces) after 5 p.m., you’ll receive an automatic message, “We will get back to you pretty quickly during working hours. If you are messaging us outside of these, we’re probably busy with things like horse-riding, dancing or a good sleep.” The firm is one of a growing number of employers giving their workers an extra day off for the same pay as a five-day week. The four-day week schedule can raise productivity for bosses and happiness for workers. It’s not just small businesses that spot a chance to save money by turning the lights off one day a week. Perpetual Guardian, one of the biggest organizations to make the switch, enjoys huge global interest, with 406 organizations from around the world asking it for advice. “This week we have had people contact us from Japan, Canada, the UK, France, Switzerland,” said its founder Andrew Barnes. “The day off that each worker takes varies, perhaps making it a bit hard to manage. But there’s a change in the firm’s culture—less time surfing on social media and fewer unnecessary meetings,” said Barnes. However, Kate Cooper argues that the reasons behind increases in productivity are not yet clear. Cooper said that “the Hawthorne effect” may be in play. That is, people change their behavior simply because they feel they are being observed. In this case, they feel that by being granted a four-day week, they believe their bosses are interested in their work. “But how long could that last?” Cooper doubts. Comment 1: I don’t exactly disagree with a 4-day week as long as I still have the option to work five days and get more money for it. Comment 2: It’s an interesting idea, but so much needs to happen before this becomes an option for the majority. Comment 3: I feel there is a great reason: the environment. We need to be producing less stuff to reduce the stress on our planet. Comment 4: I thought this was supposed to be here 20 years ago with the advances in technology. Comment 5: 3 days off a week? Preparing for 7 days off a week. People will get lazy. 1.What can we learn about Indy Cube? A.It is one of the biggest providers of workspaces. B.It is the first company to start the four-day week. C.Its boss should be pleased with a higher productivity. D.Its employees are worried about their income. 2.What does Andrew Barnes think of the four-day week schedule? A.It will be adopted by other companies in the world for sure. B.It has made a positive influence on the company’s culture. C.It benefits big companies more than smaller ones. D.It has helped the firm sign contracts with other countries. 3.What is the attitude of Kate Cooper towards the effect of a four-day week? A.Doubtful. B.Indifferent. C.Disappointed. D.Positive. 4.Which suggests the four-day week is currently enjoyed by only a small part of the staff? A.Comment 1. B.Comment 2. C.Comment 3. D.Comment 5. 5.Which expresses the greatest concern about the four-day week? A.Comment 1. B.Comment 2. C.Comment 4. D.Comment 5.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know exactly where she’s been during her worldwide vacation in a special way. The traveler, who was born with a bone disease, had her right leg amputated(截肢) at the age of four. Although the amputation caused setbacks for Gallagher early on, she now sees it as inspiration for living her best life. To spread that message, Gallagher has taken to social media, where she shares photos of her travels across the globe, but instead of using geo-tag (地理位置标签), she writes her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture. Now she has been taking pictures across the Continent, which show her cycling over the canal in Amsterdam, Holland, relaxing on a wall overlooking the city of Barcelona, Spain, posing with a waffle (华夫饼) in Brussels, Belgium, taking in the impressive Parthenon temple in Athens, Greece, and enjoying a river cruise in Budapest, Hungary, all with the well-known locations written on her artificial leg. “I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden thought to get a chalk-board,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too keen on the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.” “When I’m writing on my leg, people often stare, looking puzzled, but once I share the photos, I receive only positive feedback. Seeing this, I feel much fired up and decide to try more. My leg hasn’t stopped me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do. I don’t know if it’s my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, but regardless, I’ve been able to keep up with my peers and lead a pretty great life,” said Gallagher. Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the way of your dreams. And if life gives you an artificial leg, make art. 1.What message does Gallagher want to spread in her special way? A.She suffers little from her leg amputation. B.She has become healthier after traveling globally. C.She looks on her misfortune as another form of blessing. D.She has exactly fallen in love with posting photos online. 2.How does Gallagher record her travels across the globe? A.By keeping a personal journal of her travels across the world. B.By sharing pictures with locations written on her artificial leg. C.By describing the impressive scenic spots in detail. D.By interacting with her family and friends on social media. 3.What encourages Gallagher to continue in the face of others’ confusion about her behavior? A.People’s positive feedback. B.The peer pressure. C.The recovery from her bone disease. D.The support from her relatives. 4.Which of the following can best describe Gallagher? A.Helpful and ambitious. B.Friendly and generous. C.Determined and creative. D.Independent and sensitive. 5.What can we know from the passage? A.Gallagher has become an outstanding artist. B.Gallagher’s friends were supportive of her idea. C.Gallagher travels globally with her friends. D.Gallagher’s photos will be on display in Philadelphia.
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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Until decades ago, our visions of the future were largely positive. We thought science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all. However, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from epidemic (流行病) flu to climate change, we might even tend to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to. Yet such depression is misplaced. The fossil record shows that many species have existed for millions of years—so why shouldn’t we? Take a look at our species in the universe, and it becomes clear we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens of thousands of years. Look up Homo sapiens (智人) in the “Red List” of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN), and you will read: “Listed as Least Concern because the species is widely distributed, adaptable, currently increasing, and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline.” So what does our deep future hold? Many researchers and organizations are now thinking seriously about the question. The potential evolution of today’s technology is complicated, so it’s perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the possibilities of the bright future. Our future is quite rosy because it shows many promising possibilities of achievement. Besides, we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans and to improve those to come. Take a longer view and we can say with considerable assurance that the past holds the key to the future: by analyzing the past, we can make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants (后代) will find themselves. 1.According to the passage, what inspired our visions of the future in the past? A.The desire for lives of fulfillment. B.The belief in equal opportunity. C.The deep appreciation of threats. D.The faith in science and technology. 2.What can we know about human beings according to IUCN’s “Red List”? A.They control the world’s development. B.They severely threaten the environment. C.They are strong enough to continue existing. D.Their overall population will decrease. 3.What does the underlined word “rosy” in the last paragraph probably mean? A.Dangerous. B.Annoying. C.Hopeful. D.Undisturbed. 4.What should we do to ensure the future of mankind? A.Explore our planet’s abundant resources. B.Draw upon our experience from the past. C.Build our ambition to reshape history. D.Increase the population of the world. 5.Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A.The Bright and Promising Future of Mankind B.Science and Technology Connected with Humans C.The Fully and Highly Evolved Human Species D.Different Researches Conducted on Our Future
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| 4. 难度：中等 | |
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Persuasion is to convince someone to agree with you, just like art which also calls for special techniques to accomplish. 1. Ethos is a speaker’s way of convincing the audience that he is trustworthy, honest and reliable. One common way a speaker can develop ethos is by explaining how much experience or education he has in the field. After all, you’re more likely to listen to advice about how to take care of your teeth from a dentist than a fireman. 2.For example, a politician who is trying to convince an audience to vote for him might say that he alone can save the country from a terrible war.3.Similarly, an animal charity might show an audience pictures of injured dogs and cats to make the viewers feel pity, so they will be more likely to donate money. Logos is the use of facts, statistics or other evidence to support your argument. 4. Presenting this evidence is much more persuasive than simply saying “believe me”. 5.So, the next time you listen to a speech, watch a commercial or listen to a friend try to convince you to lend him some money, be on the lookout for these ancient Greek tools of persuasion. A. Although ethos, pathos and logos all have their strengths, they are often most effective when used together. B. Pathos is a speaker’s way of connecting with an audience’s emotions. C. According to the ancient Greeks, there are three basic tools of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos. D. Understanding the basic persuasion techniques can put you ahead of the competition. E. An audience will believe you if you have convincing data to back up your claims. F. These words are intended to fill the audience with fear, thus making them want to vote for him. G. Political leaders mostly use pathos to persuade their audience.
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| 5. 难度：中等 | |
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Stephen was on campus to register when I first met him. One summer day ______ I was heading for the administration building, I heard someone call my name. I ______ around and saw Philip, one of my colleagues standing with another young man. As Philip introduced me to the young man, named Stephen, he reminded him that he would be taking one of my ______, Introduction to Literature. With a somewhat ______ expression, Stephen asked if my class was going to be “hard”. Would he be able to pass? I ______ he was concerned about failing before the ______ day of classes. We talked about what the class would ______ and I saw Stephen’s eyes getting big with ______. Then I remembered a bit of classical dialogue: Question: “How do you eat an elephant?” Answer: “One bite at a time.” I told him to ______ his work that way. Do his assignments, all of them, and get them in on time. I ______ that most successful students I knew made a timetable of all the assignments so they could ______ their workload in advance. As time went on, I learned more of Stephen’s story. He had ______ in middle school. It had taken him longer to finish than most young people. Family members, including his mother, kept reminding him that he was a ______. Now, in the face of their negative-saying he had been admitted into college. He told me that before coming to our campus no one had believed he had much ______. Stephen didn’t become an “A” student. He didn’t make any honor rolls. ______, he managed to pass most of his courses by being in class every day, turning in all of his assignments on time and ______ his studying into bite-sized digestible parts. By passing course after course he began to gain a measure of self-respect. He was a great singer and he was ______ the school’s cross-country team. Every time I saw him on campus, he would brighten up and say, “One bite at a time.” Whenever he introduced me to his friends, he would tell them that he was ______ when he was supposed to be failing. His ______, he said, was that he was ______ what I taught him before classes ever started: “Take it one bite at a time.” 1.A.since B.when C.once D.until 2.A.turned B.sat C.moved D.went 3.A.jobs B.tests C.classes D.projects 4.A.innocent B.angry C.inspired D.pained 5.A.sensed B.imagined C.heard D.admitted 6.A.gathering B.parting C.closing D.opening 7.A.change B.adjust C.cover D.produce 8.A.satisfaction B.anger C.fear D.relaxation 9.A.avoid B.continue C.present D.approach 10.A.warned B.announced C.argued D.added 11.A.plan B.increase C.ease D.share 12.A.fitted B.hesitated C.struggled D.progressed 13.A.cheat B.failure C.winner D.leader 14.A.experience B.information C.potential D.honor 15.A.Still B.Otherwise C.Therefore D.Besides 16.A.taking up B.breaking down C.going over D.getting through 17.A.for B.on C.at D.of 18.A.wondering B.recovering C.concentrating D.succeeding 19.A.secret B.skill C.reply D.theory 20.A.spreading B.considering C.practicing D.expressing
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| 6. 难度：中等 | |
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I didn’t feel that this was an __________ time to mention the subject of money. A.ambiguous B.appropriate C.adequate D.aggressive
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| 7. 难度：中等 | |
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Palm doesn’t have a natural talent for music but he __________ it with hard work. A.gets across to B.makes up for C.comes up with D.keeps up with
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| 8. 难度：中等 | |
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May I have a look at your valuable stamp __________ back to the 1950s? A.date B.dated C.dating D.dates
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| 9. 难度：中等 | |
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He is so stubborn that it’s no use __________ him ________ his mind once he makes a decision. A.to persuade, to change B.persuading, to change C.persuading, changing D.to persuade, changing
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| 10. 难度：中等 | |
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It won’t be long __________ our winter vacation begins, but my vacation plans are still up in the air. A.when B.until C.that D.before
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| 11. 难度：中等 | |
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School was dismissed an hour earlier __________ the bad weather yesterday. A.on account of B.in case of C.in contrast of D.on the basis of
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| 12. 难度：中等 | |
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On the doctor’s advice, the old lady decided to live __________ the climate is mild. A.that B.in where C.in which D.where
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| 13. 难度：中等 | |
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Shocked and frightened, I was lost for words, standing there for __________ seemed like hours. A.when B.which C.what D.that
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| 14. 难度：中等 | |
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Through different after-school activities, our school offers such a platform to students __________ they can show their talents. A.whom B.that C.which D.where
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| 15. 难度：中等 | |
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All their luggage __________, the couple boarded the plane for New York. A.having checked B.checked C.checking D.to check
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| 16. 难度：中等 | |
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__________ she was in great pain, Mary never lost the will to live. A.Even though B.As though C.Only if D.As if
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| 17. 难度：中等 | |
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We admire Susan for her persistence, the only one of the young girls who __________ in the rock band for 3 years so far. A.played B.play C.have played D.has played
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| 18. 难度：中等 | |
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I’ll never forget my teacher __________ influence I took up teaching, determined to dedicate myself to the rewarding career. A.who B.that C.under whose D.under his
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| 19. 难度：中等 | |
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J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter series __________ readers of all ages, and went straight to number one on the best-seller list. A.attended to B.referred to C.turned to D.appealed to
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| 20. 难度：中等 | |
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The dog suddenly started barking as if aware __________ the stranger’s approach. A.at B.to C.of D.with
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| 21. 难度：中等 | |
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下列每个句子中有一处语言错误。每处错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。 增加: 在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）, 并在其下写出该加的词。 删除: 把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。 修改: 在错的词下划一横线, 并在该词下面写出修改后的词。 注意: 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。 1.The beautiful scenery of the town impressed me most for the first time I visited it. 2.Who is in charge of the project is to blame for the failure caused by carelessness. 3.If the police thought he was the most likely one, they couldn’t arrest him since they had no convincing proof. 4.The most important factor which contributes to success is what you do every single day. 5.It was at 11:00 that the business meeting finally came to the end. 6.Faced with the complicated situation, Tom had no alternative but turn to his friend for help. 7.Far from satisfying with his progress, Tom devoted himself entirely to writing. 8.The film adapted from a detective novel has received a positive respond from the audience. 9.There’s still some doubt that our demand for higher salaries will be taken seriously. 10.We presented Mr. Green with a Chinese knot, a gift giving to foreigners as a symbol of Chinese culture.
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| 22. 难度：中等 | |
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假如你是李华，你的美国笔友Jane发来邮件，说她在当地“汉语桥 (Chinese Bridge)”比赛中琵琶(pipa)演奏和中文演讲均获第一名，下个月她将作为学生代表赴华参加汉语桥总决赛。请你给她写一封邮件，内容包括： 1. 表示热烈祝贺； 2. 提出赛前建议； 3. 期待早日见面。 注意：1. 词数100左右； 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 Dear Jane, ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yours, Li Hua
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