The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment' sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world-Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw（取出） and deposit（存入） books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.
In 2009. Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. "I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other," Bol said. .
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 0f the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little, structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads . The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries' main appeal. "A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life," says the Atlantic article. "Every book is a potential source of inspiration "
1.How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
A. Citizens shared them.
B. Tod Bol donated them.
C. US government provided them.
D. The communities bought them.
2.Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?
A. He wanted to promote his idea worldwide.
B. He was inspired by the sharing economy.
C. They can offer neighbors more chances to talk.
D. They are a gift to please his mother.
3. What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?
A. The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries.
B. Little Free Libraries are physical and human.
C. E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial.
D. Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads.
4.Little Free Libraries attract readers most in that ______.
A. they connect strangers together
B. they are located all over the world
C. they are in various shapes and sizes
D. they may give readers a sense of discovery
Upon entering college, Yang Yi was uncertain about a lot of things. However, the 19-year-old international economics and trade student was certain about one thing: She wanted to participate in animal welfare efforts.
“I'm .always a nature and animal lover," she said. She joined the environmental protection association at her school. Now being president of a group of 25, she leads its efforts to help stray（流浪）cats and dogs by raising money to buy them food and collecting old clothes to make them homes.
However, sometimes the association raises doubts. Some students have questioned whether helping stray animals breaks the laws of nature. "We tried to resolve the controversy," Yang said. “For wild animals, the best way to protect them is to preserve their environment and their natural habitat, and to let them live their own way. However, for animals that depend heavily on humans, such as dogs and cats, the proper way to treat them is to respect them and take care of them." Besides, if not accommodated properly, stray animals can bring threats to public health, as they are the main cause of rabies（狂犬病）in cities. "Now, many young people in China have agreed upon the need to strike a balance between humans and nature. The only problem is how," said Yang. Yang and her fellow volunteers are cautious about what they do to help. For instance, sometimes people feed stray cats human food such as chocolate. But Yang and her friends point that such food can be dangerous to stray cats.
Yang also cooperates with Non-Governmental Organizations to spread animal protection knowledge. One of their recent exhibits was about animals in the entertainment industry. "We are still figuring out the best way to protect animals, but simple deeds such as saying no to animal performances can prevent wildlife from being captured and tamed. Step by step, we'll eventually reach our goal," she said.
1. Why did Yang Yi join the environmental protection association?
A. She majored in a relevant field.
B. She wanted to protect nature and animals.
C. She was uncertain about her life.
D. She intended to know about animal welfare.
2.What do the group members do for stray animals?
A. They shelter them with old clothes.
B. They feed human food to them.
C. They train them for entertainment.
D.They donate money to the association.
3.In paragraph 3,Yang believes that
A. all animals should live naturally
B. young people have known how to balance human and nature
C. stray animals are bound to spread rabies
D. chocolate is not a proper food for stray cats
4. What does Yang Yi think of her work?
A.Enjoyable. B .Doubtful. C. Hopeful. D. Awful.
完形填空
阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I went to a group activity, “Sensitivity Sunday”, which was to make us more the problems faced by disabled people. We were asked to “ a disability” for several hours one Sunday. Some members, , chose to use wheelchairs. Others wore sound-blocking earplugs（耳塞）or blindfolds（眼罩）.
Just sitting in the wheelchair was a experience. I had never considered before how it would be to use one. As soon as I sat down, my made the chair begin to roll. Its wheels were not . Then I wondered where to put my . It took me quite a while to get the metal footrest into . I took my first uneasy look at what was to be my only means of for several hours. For disabled people, “adopting a wheelchair” is not a temporary（临时的） .
I tried to find a position and thought it might be restful, kind of nice, to be around for a while. Looking around, I I would have to handle the thing myself? My hands started to ache as I the heavy metal wheels. I came to know that controlling the of the wheelchair was not going to be a(n) task.
My wheelchair experiment was soon . It made a deep impression on me. A few hours of “disability” gave me only a taste of the , both physical and mental, that disabled people must overcome.
1.A. curious about B. interested in C. aware of D. careful with
2.A. cure B. prevent C. adopt D. analyze
3.A. instead B. strangely C.as usual D. like me
4.A. learning B. working C. satisfying D. relaxing
5.A. convenient B. awkward C. boring D. exciting
6.A. height B. force C. skill D. weight
7.A. locked B. repaired C. powered D. grasped
8.A. hands B. feet C. keys D. handles
9.A. place B. action C. play D. effect
10.A. operation B. communication C. transportation D. production
11.A. exploration B. education C. experiment D. entertainment
12.A. flexible B. safe C. starting D. comfortable
13.A. yet B. just C. still D. even
14.A. shown B. pushed C. driven D. guided
15.A. realized B. suggested C. agreed D. admitted
16.A. lifted B. turned C. pressed D. seized
17.A. path B. position C. direction D. way
18.A. easy B. heavy C. major D. extra
19.A. forgotten B. repeated C. conducted D. finished
20.A. weaknesses B. challenges C. anxieties D. illnesses
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Public Speaking Training
·Get a coach
1. ，so get help. Since there are about a billion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that's right for you.
·Focus on positives
Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well. Nothing can hurt confidence more than being told that you aren't doing well. 2. , so good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn't do.
· 3.
If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it's going to give you lots of dos and don'ts, walk away! Your brain is so full of what you're going to be talking about.
4. . As far as we're concerned, there are basically no hard and fast rules about public speaking. Your audience can be your friends.
·You are a special person not a clone
Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a special one, with your own personal habits. 5. . Your training course should help you bring out your
personality, not try to turn you into someone you're not.
A. You aren't like anybody else
B. You already do lots of things well
C. Turn your back on too many rules
D. Check the rules about dos and don'ts
E. Whatever the presentation, public speaking is tough
F .The one thing you don't want is for them to fall asleep
G. So trying to force a whole set of rules into it will just make things worse
The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).
1. In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?
A. The 13th. B. The 17th. C. The 18th. D. The 20th.
2. Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?
A. In the East Wing. B. In the main West Wing.
C. In the Sainsbury Wing. D. In the North Wing.
3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?
A. Piccadilly Circus. B. Leicester Square.
C. Embankment. D. Charing Cross.
It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly （精彩地）written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in–depth!
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).
1.How did the author find his friend a book liar?
A. By judging his manner of speaking.
B. By looking into his background.
C. By mentioning a famous name.
D. By discussing the book itself.
2.Which of the following is a “guilty secret” according to the World Book Day report?
A. Charles Dickens is very low on the top-ten list.
B. 42% of people pretended to have read 1984.
C. The author admitted having read 9 books
D. Dreams From My Father is hardly read.
3.By lying about reading, a person hopes to .
A. control the conversation
B. appear knowledgeable
C. learn about the book
D. make more friends
4.What is the author’s attitude to 58% of readers?
A. Favorable. B. Uncaring
C. Doubtful D. Friendly
