| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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The old Chinese saying “as happy as spending the New Year” might be outdated now in the busy modern world. The Spring Festival is regarded as the most important festival for Chinese people and an occasion for all family members to get together, like Christmas in the West. But many traditional customs accompanying the Spring Festival, however, have weakened in practice. Setting off fireworks was once the most typical custom of the Spring Festival. People thought the sputtering (爆裂) sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, the activity has been completely or partially forbidden in big cities for years as the government has taken security, noise and pollution factors into consideration. “In recent years, some cities have begun to allow people to light fireworks during limited hours at the Spring Festival, surrendering to (屈从于) public demand. Respecting folk traditions is a gesture of respect toward public opinion,” said Zhou Xing, a folklore researcher. “As people gain more income and it becomes easier to buy daily goods, the New Year holiday is just like any other. After long workdays, many people use the New Year holiday to take a rest, rather than visiting friends and neighbors. The process of making and enjoying the family dinner on Spring Festival Eve is the most important thing. However, many families would like to eat out to save time and energy,” said Li Shunzhi, a resident of Harbin, Heilongjiang. “I enjoy the holidays very much in the countryside. My family has been preparing for the Spring Festival more than two weeks before the holiday, cleaning the house, buying holiday goods and decorating the house with papercuttings. On New Year's Eve, the whole family stays up to see the New Year in, and in the days to follow, a series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held. Without the ancient traditions, the holiday is nothing to us,” said Zhang Hui, from Hebei. 1.What Li Shunzhi said implies ________. A.what people do during the festival now is different from the past B.people would like to have the family dinner on Spring Festival Eve C.people prefer to visit friends and neighbors rather than take a rest D.the New Year holiday is just like any other day 2.What can we learn from the last paragraph? A.Zhang Hui often spends two weeks preparing for the Spring Festival. B.Zhang Hui is used to spending the Spring Festival with his family. C.Zhang Hui always takes part in a series of activities after the Spring Festival. D.Zhang Hui lives in the urban area. 3.What does the whole passage show? A.The Spring Festival is as lively as before. B.The Spring Festival is outdated now. C.The Spring Festival is losing its qualities. D.The Spring Festival in China is more important than Christmas in the West.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Some pigs tend to be optimistic while others are pessimistic, according to a new research that is meaningful to animal welfare. The study, published in the journal Biology Letters, is the first to show that mood and personality interact in an animal, influencing judgment. Asher, a researcher at the University of Newcastle's Institute of Neuroscience, and her team housed groups of pigs in two types of environment. One reflected standard commercial conditions and the other was cushier with more space and plenty of soft, deep straw. After the pigs got accustomed to these new homes over a few weeks, the researchers picked 18 pigs from each type to train and test their judgment. “To do this, we trained each pig. In one corner of a training room there would be a bowl with chocolate sweets — pigs love them — and at the opposite side of the room there would be a bowl containing coffee beans, which pigs find bittertasting,” a researcher said. Over a number of training trials, pigs learned to go to the bowl reliably when it was in the corner where they had figured out to expect chocolate sweets. On the contrary, they quickly learned to avoid the bowl when it was in the corner where they would expect to find the coffee beans. The researchers next placed an unfamiliar bowl in different locations, to see how the pigs would react. Some gaily dashed to the bowl no matter what was inside, showing optimism that it would contain their favorite sweets. Others, however, behaved as though they expected it to contain coffee beans, displaying pessimism. The findings suggest that a onesizefitsall answer to animal welfare issues does not exist. Even if pigs are just equal to bacon or other meat for some people, there is still cause for concern. Studies have suggested that how an animal is treated during its lifetime can directly affect meat quality and taste. 1.What was the study trying to figure out? A.How to make pigs happier. B.The similarities between humans and pigs. C.How living environment affected pigs' mood. D.How pigs' mood and personality affected their judgment. 2.What does the underlined word “cushier” in Paragraph 2 mean? A.Simple. B.More comfortable. C.Unpractical. D.Less free. 3.What do the findings of the new research imply? A.People should treat pigs equally. B.People's health relies on meat quality. C.People should meet pigs' various needs. D.People's attitude toward pigs is totally wrong.
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| 3. 难度：困难 | |
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When 1 was a boy we used to live across the road from a big hill with huge oak trees growing out of it．When winter arrived，thick，heavy snow would fall，and my two brothers would grab their sleds heading over to the hill for a day of fun．I remember watching them with envy because 1 was still too small to go sledding．Finally，one winter 1 was considered big enough and joined my brothers as they carried their sleds up the long hill and prepared to ride down it． The first few trips I rode with one of my brothers and had the time of my life．It was so exhilarating when the wind whipped across my face as I flew down the hillside on the wooden sled．Near the end of the day 1 was overjoyed too when my oldest brother decided to let me try riding the sled all by myself．I climbed on it full of excitement and lay on my stomach．Then with one big push my brother sent me down the snowy hillside．1 was doing pretty well too until I hit an old stump hidden by the snow and went off course，straight towards one of those big oak trees．My heart pounded in my chest and I could hear myself screaming．At the last possible second I rolled off and the sled crashed into the tree．I could hear my brothers running down the hill yelling，“You have to steer(操控)!You have to steer!” Sadly，that wasn’t the last time I failed to steer when some obstacle knocked me off course in my life．Many times problems，troubles，and my own failures have sent me crashing into the trees of anger, frustration, and despair．I am still learning that life isn’t always safe sledding．I am still learning that it is up to me to steer myself back to love, back to kindness, back to goodness, and back to God． Life is a trip，but no one ever said it was a smooth ride．Steer well then．Steer straight．Steer your soul towards the light and the love we are all meant for． 1.What do we know about the author when he was very young? A.He lived on a big hill with huge oak trees on it． B.He was frightened to go sledding with his brothers． C.He longed to go sledding with his brothers． D.He carried his brothers’sleds as they went sledding． 2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word“exhilarating”in Paragraph 2? A.delightful B.Terrifying C.ordinary D.violent 3.Why did the author fall off his sled? A.Because his sled crashed in an oak tree． B.Because he lost control of his sled． C.Because his brother pushed it so hard． D.Because the hillside was snowy． 4.What does the author mean to tell us? A.Losing control of a sled can be dangerous． B.Courage and determination can change one’s life． C.Life can be controlled by one himself D.Life is a mystery full of coincidences．
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| 4. 难度：中等 | |
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We have all heard of superfoods whether it is from articles or in the news. But what are they? 1. Superfoods are things you eat that do more than satisfy your hunger because they help your body work better. Think of your body as a car. The better the gas you put in your car, the better it will run. 2. As the saying goes, "You are what you eat." This is very true because if you are eating foods that are full of fat, your body will most likely show it. On the other hand, if you are eating energy-filled foods, your body will show that as well. 3. They are filled with fiber (纤维), proteins, and important nutrients that are easily used by the body. To become a superfood officially, a food has to meet three requirements. First, it must be available (可获得的) to everyone. Second, it must contain nutrients that help you live longer. 4. Eating superfoods can change your life in many ways. Not surprisingly, people who start eating them lose weight quickly. One reason for this is that many superfoods are naturally low in calories (卡路里). 5. With most diets, people concentrate on what shouldn't be eaten. With superfoods, they focus on all the great things they can eat. There are other benefits to adding them to your diet as well. Eating superfoods over time helps keep you looking young, fights heart disease and cures some cancers. A.Some of the top superfoods are berries, nuts, and whole grains. B.Our bodies are just the same. C.Another reason is that sticking to eating them is very easy. D.This is a good question with a simple answer. E.Getting a wide variety of foods, superfood included, is the better solution. F.Lastly, its health benefits must be proven by scientific studies. G.If you want to start adding superfoods to your diet, do it at your own pace.
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| 5. 难度：困难 | |
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NASA scientists have found evidence of flowing water on Mars. This opens up the possibility of _______ and wonders we cannot begin to imagine. The _______ undoubtedly is an astonishing achievement. We may be excited by the thought of living things on another _______, but we seem to have lost _______ in our own. In the past four decades, the world has_______ 50% of its vertebrate(脊椎动物)wildlife. But across the latter half of this period, there has been a steep _______ in media coverage of the subject. Think of what would change if we valued _______ on the earth as much as we value the possibility of water on Mars. _______3% of the water on this planet is fresh and of that, two-thirds is frozen. Yet we lay waste to the _______ part. Sixty per-cent of the water used in farming is ________ by careless irrigation. Rivers, lakes and aquifers (地下蓄水层)are sucked dry, while what remains is often so bad that it ________ the lives of those who drink it. As for salty water, which so interests us ________apparently detected on Mars, on Earth we express our ________ by destroying it. A new report suggests fish numbers have halved since 1970. Coral reefs are under such ________ that most could be gone by 2050. A couple of weeks ago, I launched a column(专栏) focusing on extreme consumption, and ________ suggestions. They have flooded in. here are just a few of the ________. Wigs(假发)for babies, to allow “baby girls” with little or no __________ at all the opportunity to have a beautifully realistic hair style”. The iPotty, which ________ little children to keep playing while toilet training. A smartphone for dogs to take pictures of themselves… As clever new ways of wasting stuff are continually ________, we become more used to the ________ consumption of the world’s precious resources. Isn’t it time for us to have seconds thoughts about our lifestyle? 1.A.peace B.trust C.life D.danger 2.A.appearance B.discovery C.performance D.operation 3.A.planet B.stage C.level D.island 4.A.courage B.hope C.pride D.interest 5.A.spread B.lost C.ignored D.found 6.A.climb B.turn C.increase D.decline 7.A.water B.plants C.animal D.air 8.A.Often B.Only C.Even D.Last 9.A.private B.public C.unclear D.accessible 10.A.checked B.chosen C.wasted D.polluted 11.A.saves B.threatens C.enriches D.changes 12.A.when B.If C.because D.though 13.A.complaint B.doubt C.appreciation D.surprise 14.A.pressure B.control C.guidance D.attention 15.A.made B.considered C.invited D.followed 16.A.benefits B.reasons C.features D.products 17.A.time B.hair C.help D.knowledge 18.A.permits B.promises C.persuades D.advises 19.A.criticized B.reported C.replaced D.created 20.A.expensive B.limited C.pointless D.sustainable
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| 6. 难度：简单 | |
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语法填空 As a general rule, a band may start as a group of high-school students 1. (share) the same interest in music. They may first practice their music in someone’s house. Sometimes they may play to 2.(passer-by) in the street or subway. And then the musicians may get the chance to give 3. (perform) in pubs or clubs, for which they are paid4. cash. As time goes by, they gradually become known to the audience and some even make records! The Monkees, 5., started in a different way. Of 6. (it) four members, only one was good enough and the other three just pretended 7. (sing) during the broadcasts. To be honest，it couldn't 8.（call） a real band in the beginning. Anyhow,the band became so popular and sold many records. 9. (fortunate), the Monkees broke up about 1970. But they reunited in the mid-1980s and produced a new record in 1996, 10.was to celebrate their former happy time.
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| 7. 难度：简单 | |
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假如你是李明，你的英国网友Tom参加中国象棋网络挑战赛获得了一等奖。请根据以下提示写一封英文电子邮件向他表示祝贺。 1) 祝贺他获奖； 2) 肯定他付出的努力； 3) 询问何时方便，在网上切磋棋艺。 注意： 1)词数80词左右； 2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 3)开头和结尾已为你写好。 Dear Tom, _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Yours, Li Ming
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