| 1. 难度：困难 | |
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Like their ancient toga-wearing counterparts, modern philosophers continue to disagree on the nature of freewill. Do we really have any control over the choices we make and the things we desire, and if so, to what degree? Theories of freewill vary, but the ancient words of Plato still line up with our modern perceptions(概念) of temptation and willpower. The respected Greek philosopher argued that the human experience is one of constant struggle between the intellect and the body, between rationality and desire. Along these lines, true freedom is only achievable when willpower unchains us from bodily, emotional, instinctual slavery. You can find similar thoughts throughout world religions, most of which offer a particular and often difficult path to rise above our darker natures. And science? Well, science mostly agrees with all of this. Willpower is all about overcoming your natural desires to eat cupcakes, skip your morning workout, play games on mobile phone, hit the snooze alarm and check your e-mail during a funeral. Your willpower, however, is limited. If life were a video game, you'd see a glowing "willpower" or "ego"(自我) meter at the top of the screen next to your "life" meter. Successfully resist one temptation, and the meter drains a little. The next temptation drains the "willpower" meter even more, until there's nothing left at all. Our modern scientific understanding of willpower in large part stems from a 1996 research experiment involving chocolate and radishes(小红萝卜). Psychologist Roy Baumeister led a study in which 67 test subjects were presented with tempting chocolate chip cookies and other chocolate-flavored treats before a persistence-testing puzzle. Here's the catch: The researchers asked some of the participants to withdraw from sweets and snack on radishes instead. Baumeister's results told a fascinating story. The test subjects who resisted the sweet stuff in favor of radishes performed poorly on the persistence test. They simply didn't have the willpower left to resist slacking off(松懈). The research inspired more than a thousand additional studies discussing everything from the influence of positive messages to the ego-sapping power of daily decisions. Studies also show that cognitive capacity also affects our ability to hold out against temptation. Cognitive capacity is essentially your working memory, which you employ when resisting a temptation ... or holding a string of numbers in your head. A 1999 study from the University of Iowa professor Baba Shiv found that people tasked with remembering a two-digit number held out better than people remembering a seven-digit number when tempted with chocolate cake. 1.What do you understand by ‘freewill’? A.The control we have over the choices. B.The choices we make and the things we desire. C.The choices that philosophers force us to make. D.Our perception of temptation. 2.According to Plato, when is true freedom available? A.Willpower to realize one’s own ego. B.Our ability to overcome temptation. C.Our ability to remember things. D.The desire to give in to temptation. 3.What is meant by ‘cognitive capacity’? A.When there is a struggle between the intellect and the body. B.When our willpower helps us to overcome our basic instincts. C.When we desire that which we cannot achieve. D.When we have no control over our ego.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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It's hard to overstate the importance of rainforests in keeping the world a place we want to go on living in. Yet they are being cleared at a terrifying rate, in part because methods to check on their protection are failing. The Nature Conservancy think they have a solution by listening to the rainforests' voices, and researchers they have partnered with have published a paper in Science confirming its viability(可行性). Forest monitors struggle to keep up with what is happening in areas that are large and remote from population centers. Satellite images can flag complete destruction, but they do a poor job of measuring when a forest's diversity is degraded. Researchers have started tying small, solar-powered sound recorders to trees, setting them to listen at regular intervals, particularly dawn and dusk when the rainforest is most alive. The recorders provide an indication(显示) of the animal sounds for hundreds of meters in all directions. This marks a major advance over camera traps, which of course only point in one direction and are blocked from seeing far. Reviewing several studies on the workings of these, Dr. Zuzana Burivalova of Princeton University and co-authors report that these sound recorders supply an amount of information about the forests' true condition, far more than can be showed by other remote sensors. Moreover, it is far cheaper to visit an area once to put in a recorder than to stick around for larger measurements. Burivalova and colleagues also note some less obvious advantages. Once the data is uploaded, it can be analyzed by anyone. Deep learning programs can be used to tie sounds to their makers. Calls can be assessed in many ways, revealing both the number of noisy animals in the recorders' vicinity(附近) and the diversity of species that make them. The authors call for "a global organization to host a global acoustic(声学) platform" to provide a massive database of rainforest sounds, allowing comparisons between healthy and degraded rainforests half a world apart. 1.What is the possible reason for the rainforests disappearing rapidly according to paragraph 1? A.The climate changes have a bad effect on it. B.People attach no importance to its protection. C.Goods related to rainforests are popular among consumers. D.There is a lack of good means to monitor its real condition. 2.What is the disadvantage of the Satellite images? A.It cannot keep track of the wildlife in the forest. B.It cannot predict the wildlife diversity with cameras. C.It cannot figure out the wildlife diversity in the forest. D.It cannot mark the disappearance of the rainforests clearly. 3.What can we learn from paragraph 3? A.The forests' true condition is worse than expected. B.The sound recorders are more efficient and reliable. C.The remote sensors are far more effective than the sound recorders. D.They need larger measurements to record the rainforest sounds. 4.What does the underlined word "them" in paragraph 4 refer to? A.Animal calls. B.Obvious advantages. C.Previous studies. D.Nearby recorders.
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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It's easy to imagine the Sahara as a lifeless and timeless place, where the merciless forces of nature rule over any sense of human history. However, that’s far from the truth. Some corners of the Western Sahara, found along the northwestern coast of Africa, are littered with hundreds of ancient stone monuments from centuries worth of human culture, some of which date back to over 10,000 years ago. Between 2002 and 2009, the Western Sahara Project, led by the University of East Anglia in the UK, documented the archaeology(考古学) and environment of northwestern Sahara around the town of Tifariti. The monuments come in a variety of forms and were constructed by a number of different cultures across the centuries. Many appear to be little more than long rows of piled rocks, while others are purposefully placed large stones standing proudly in a circular pattern. Others are 5-meter-high (16 feet) dry stone wall constructions that could have only been built by human hands. It’s unclear what most of the monuments are meant to represent, although most are assumed to be burial mounds(墓冢), used as part of a funerary ceremony, or sign at the presence of a grave. This desire to construct burial mounds is something that can be found in countless cultures across the planet, from the Scythians of ancient Siberia to the sea-faring Vikings of northern Europe, and it looks like the ancient people of Western Sahara were not different. For one reason or another, this natural basin area managed to remain a place of human activity over the millennia, especially when times became tough in the surrounding areas. "One of our theories is that as the Sahara dried between five and six thousand years ago—this is one of the refugia(避难所), an area where water remained," Joanne Clarke, prehistoric archaeologist at the University of East Anglia, told Atlas Obscura. 1.How were the monuments constructed? A.They are in different shapes. B.They are piled up on one another. C.They took about 500 years to complete. D.Most of them are parallel to each other. 2.What will the researchers probably focus on about the monuments in future? A.The way to build burial mounds. B.The symbols of different monuments. C.The original appearances of the monuments. D.Their difference between the Sahara and other regions. 3.What does Joanne Clarke think of the Sahara in history? A.It was the mere source of water in that area. B.It used to be a shelter from sufferings for people. C.People used to hold various activities in its honor. D.It shouldn’t have dried five and six thousand years ago. 4.What can be the best title of the text? A.The Sahara used to be a heaven for every culture. B.The Sahara is really a lifeless and timeless place. C.The burial bounds represent different cultures in the Sahara. D.The Western Sahara is covered with mysterious ancient stone monuments.
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| 4. 难度：中等 | |
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Students perform less well in final exams if smartphones are allowed in class, for non-academic (非学业的) purposes in lectures, a new study in Educational Psychology finds. Students who don’t use smartphones themselves but attend lectures where their use is acceptable also do worse, suggesting that smartphone use damages the group learning environment. Researchers from Rutgers University in the US performed an in-class experiment to lest whether dividing attention between smartphones and the lecturer during the class affected students’ performance in within-lecture tests and a final exam. 118 students at Rutgers University took part in the experiment during one term of their course. Smartphones were not allowed in half of the lectures and allowed in the other half. When smartphones were allowed, students were asked to record whether they had used them for non-academic purposes during the lecture. The study found that having a smartphone didn’t lower students’ scores in comprehension tests within lectures, but it did lower scores in the final exam by at least 5%, or half a grade. This finding shows for the first time that the main effect of divided attention in the classroom is on the length of time in keeping memory, with fewer things of a study task later remembered. In addition, when the use of smartphones was allowed in class, performance was also poorer for students who did not use them as well as for those who did. The study’s lead author, Professor Arnold Glass, added: “These findings should alarm students and teachers that dividing attention is having a not obvious but harmful effect that is damaging their exam performance and final grade. To help manage the use of smartphones in the classroom, teachers should explain to students the alarming effect—not only for themselves, but for the whole class.” This is the first-ever study in an actual classroom showing a relationship between losing attention from smartphones and exam performance. However, more researches are required to see how students are affected by using smartphones after school. 1.What is the purpose of paragraph 1? A.To present the main findings of the experiment. B.To explain how the experiment was carried out. C.To give details about the result of the experiment. D.To suggest what should be done for teachers and students. 2.We know from the experiment that having a smartphone in class ________. A.had no bad effect if students do not use them B.caused an average 5% drop in students’ scores C.made it harder for students to keep things in mind D.had a bad effect on students’ performance in all tests 3.What’s Professor Glass’ attitude towards using smartphones in class? A.He was against it. B.He was in favor of it. C.He cared little about it. D.He doubted the findings. 4.What is the research team likely to do next? A.To find out ways to improve students’ memory. B.To call on schools to ban smartphones completely. C.To study the influence of using smartphones after class. D.To do researches on focusing attention in actual classrooms.
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| 5. 难度：简单 | |
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Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a better student in several ways. 1. Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest. You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. 2. Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective(选择的) process. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes. 3. ●Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it. ●Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts. ●Write your notes in your own words. ●4. ●Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written. As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time. 5. A. Use words, not complete sentences. B. There are three practical note-taking methods. C. You must write your notes on separate paper. D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later. E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes. F. The following methods may work best for you. G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand.
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| 6. 难度：简单 | |
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On Thursday morning, two teenage boys were rescued by a drone (无人机) in Australia while lifeguards were still training to use the machine. The ______, aged 15-17, got into difficulties about 700 feet off the coast of Lennox Head, New South Wales (NSW). A passerby saw them ______ in dangerous waves. Lifesavers ______ sent the drone to drop a lifeboat, and the pair made their way safely to the ______. The drone, known as “Little Pipper”, was actually not ______ to be saving anyone just yet---lifeguards were being trained to ______ the machine. When a call came about the swimmers ______, the drone happened to be nearby. Jai Sheridan was the lifeguard who ______ the drone. He described the experience as ______. “The Little Ripper ______ proved itself today. It is a highly efficient (高效的) piece of lifesaving equipment. I was ______ the drone when the alarm was raised. I directed it towards the swimmers, and dropped the ______. With its support they made their way to safety. They were ______, but not hurt. The teens were rescued in just 70 seconds with the drone---while a lifeguard would have taken up to six minutes to ______ the rescue.” John Barilaro, an official of the state, ______ the rescue as historic. “It was the world’s ______ rescue by the unmanned aircraft”, he said. “Never before has a drone been used to ______ swimmers like this.” Last December, the NSW state government ______ some “Little Ripper” drones for 247,000 pounds. ______ some are designed to spot sharks, others are ______ with lifeboats, alarms and loudspeakers. “It was money well spent,” said John Barilaro. 1.A.swimmers B.pilots C.visitors D.rescuers 2.A.playing B.surfing C.struggling D.training 3.A.finally B.secretly C.immediately D.gratefully 4.A.island B.ship C.hospital D.shore 5.A.advised B.supposed C.allowed D.guided 6.A.operate B.repair C.work D.power 7.A.in charge B.in place C.in action D.in trouble 8.A.flew B.brought C.checked D.designed 9.A.funny B.useful C.amazing D.important 10.A.necessarily B.basically C.probably D.certainly 11.A.studying B.piloting C.boarding D.inspecting 12.A.lifebelt B.lifeline C.lifeguard D.lifeboat 13.A.sick B.tired C.excited D.surprised 14.A.record B.complete C.experience D.report 15.A.thanked B.greeted C.imagined D.praised 16.A.latest B.best C.first D.quickest 17.A.rescue B.warn C.protect D.reward 18.A.offered B.bought C.booked D.made 19.A.Since B.Unless C.While D.Before 20.A.equipped B.connected C.covered D.filled
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| 7. 难度：简单 | |
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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。 There were many great philosophers in ancient China. Confucius stressed the significance of 1. (kind), duty and order in society, 2. ideas influenced Chinese society for over 2, 000 years. Mencius was a student of Confucius’s ideas. His teachings were similar to 3. of Confucius. He 4. (bring) up by his mother and had an important position in the government of 5. state. He believed man is good, that people would be good if government was kind, and 6. people were more important than rulers. Mencius wrote a book 7. (call) The Book of Mencius in his last years. Mozi was also an 8. (influence) thinker, whose beliefs were similar to Confucius’s 9. some ways. Born into a poor family, he became famous for his unusual clothes and behaviour. Because he considered that government was most important, he spent many years 10. (try) to find a state where people would follow his teaching. He believed all men were equal.
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| 8. 难度：简单 | |
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅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（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。 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：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词； 2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。 One day, Dad and I was taking a walk by the lake while a boy rode by at a very high speed. Suddenly, we heard the loud scream. We turned around and saw the boy struggling in the lake, crying out help, Daddy and I ran towards him quickly and had pulled him out of the water. However, the boy rode away immediate without saying “Thank you”. I felt disappointing at his behavior. To my surprises, the boy came back with hot drinks and dry towels several minutes late. Seeing this, I knew I had misunderstood him and felt ashamed of me.
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| 9. 难度：简单 | |
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假设你是北京市某中学的学生李华，请根据以下提示，针对北京市遭沙尘暴袭击的情况，向某英语报社写一封信，呼吁大家植树造林，保护环境。 1. 过去家乡树木成林：如今人们毁林种地建房； 2. 气候变化，土地沙漠化； 3. 植树造林，人人有责。 注意：1. 词数100左右：开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。 2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 3. 开头语已为你写好。 Dear Editor, I’m a student at a middle school of Beijing. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yours, Li Hua
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