Directions：Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Small businesses hold the key to employed happiness. As the calendar flips to another year, many employees will consider starting the new year on the hunt for a new job.
In today’s changing workforce, it is more important than ever for companies to realize that a salary alone is no longer enough to attract or retain strong employees.
According to a survey by Aflac, small business deserve a round of applause for their ability to keep employees happy. The report found that 85 percent of small-business employees are happy in their current job, and more than half（51 percent）agree that most of or all of their happiness in their current job is a result of working for a small business.
Nearly a quarter of participants（23 percent）stated that the feeling of importance was the best part of working for a small business. Small businesses have the unique ability to make employees feel appreciated, respected and valued on a personal and professional level.
In a small-business environment, there are typically fewer layers between newcomers and leadership. This tight-knit structure can create a family-like atmosphere that allows employees to feel that their opinions matter and that they play a significant role in the business’s mission.
Flexibility is also vital in creating employee happiness. According to the report, 30 percent of respondents noted that flexible scheduling was the best part of working for a small business. A workplace that promotes healthy work-life balance can create happier, less stressed employees and can also increase productivity.
Although small business excel at keeping employees happy, there is always room for improvement. In a small-business community, money does not seem to be the only motivator. In fact, 65 percent of small-business employees indicate that an improvement in their benefits offerings would make them happier.
By offering a great benefits plan that includes voluntary benefits, small business can ensure that their employees are able to find the right benefits to meet their individual needs.
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Directions：Complete the following passage by using the sentences given below. Each sentences can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.
Can just one person make a difference? You bet! In a community every person counts, and getting involved is not difficult. Take stock of your own talents and interests. 1. Don’t wait for someone else to act first. Take the initiative! Once you see what you can accomplish, you’ll want to keep going.
Here are just a few ways to make a difference in your community. How many more ways can you come up with?
Clean up the community. People often throw litter in places where there is already litter. And the problem only becomes worse until someone gets fed up and does something. Could your neighborhood use a cleanup? Neighborhood cleanups are often sponsored by local businesses or schools. But if your community doesn’t have a cleanup program, get together with friends to organize one. You could pick up garbage in a larger area twice a year, or you could clean a smaller area every few months. 2.
Include the isolated. Do you know anyone who is housebound? Almost all neighborhoods have a few people who have to stay at their homes. These people are often elderly and unable to leave their homes to perform simple tasks. 3. By letting them“borrow”your legs and eyes, you can make them feel included. You can run errands for them like shopping or paying bills. They might like you to read to them if their eyesight is failing. Governments provide some of the services these people need, but programs cannot give them friendship; that’s what communities are for!
4. Reading clubs are popular all over Europe and North America. Members might read at home to prepare for discussion, or they might read aloud to each other and talk about what they just read. Either way, a book or article can spark lively discussion and this often challenges people to take action.
A. Cleaning your community will have a positive effect on others in society.
B. They find a need or an issue you really care about.
C. But they belong to the community, too.
D. Living in a clean neighborhood will be its own reward.
E. Don’t hesitate to take part in the community’s activity.
F. Round up some readers.
The koala is an unusual creature. Native to Australia and a bit bigger than a rabbit, it spends most of its time in eucalyptus trees（桉树），feeding on leaves that are poisonous to nearly every other animal on the planet.
The koala sleeps about 22 hours a day and spends the remainder of its time eating and resting. It might spend 10 minutes a day moving, experts say, usually from one tree to another. It has a soft pad at the end of its spine and extra thick fur on its rear end to make the effort, of sitting more comfortable.
Threats and protective measures
The unique lifestyle of the koala has helped it prosper, but today the cute and iconic creature is facing threats from habitat loss, disease and a changing climate. Koala populations are expected to decline by 50 percent in the next 20 years according to the Australian Museum.
To help protect these animals, which bring in an estimated $1.1 billion to Australia each year through koala-related tourism, an international team of researchers has published the first complete genome（基因组）of the koala. Their hope is that the keys to the marsupial’s（有袋动物）long-term survival might be planted in its genetic code.
“The ultimate goal is that we won’t have to…rescue them from the edge of extinction,”said Rebecca Johnson of the Australian Museum Research Institute in Sydney, who led the work.
“Now we have a really good understanding of the koala genome, and we are in a fantastic position to use that knowledge to help us manage them.”
Early findings
An elementary analysis of the koala’s genome, published in Nature Genetics, has already yielded some interesting findings.
For example, the authors found that, compared to other mammals, the koala’s DNA includes an expansion in the number of genes that encode for enzymes involved in anti-poison. That allows them to have a diet that depends almost entirely on eucalyplus leaves which are unusually high in poison. However, it also means that koalas metabolize（代谢）medicines like anti-chlamydia antibiotics faster than other animals.
The koala genome also revealed why koalas are such famously picky eaters. They are known to consume leaves from just 20 of Australia’s 60 known eucalyplus species. And even when they are in one of their preferred trees, koalas take leaf selection very seriously.
Information waiting to be discovered
Johnson said that the information encoded in the koala’s DNA is already being included in management strategies by conservation groups. However, she said the findings described in the new paper represent the early stages of what can be gleamed from the marsupial’s genome.
“The data is public, and I would love for anyone to start mining it and see what other amazing things they can find,”she said.“Once you have a genome of this quality, the sky’s the limit with what you can do with it.”
1.What can be concluded from the passage?
A. The research on the Koala’s DNA has prevented its extinction successfully.
B. Scientists are trying to rescue Koalas by providing more eucalyptus leaves.
C. Koala’s extinction is being controlled effectively in Australia.
D. Scientists are trying to find a way based on Koala’s gene to save them.
2.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Koalas can digest poisonous leaves thanks to their gene.
B. Koalas are particular about leaves because of their taste.
C. Koalas are being extinct just due to human’s activities.
D. Koalas will move to other continents in order to survive.
3.“The sky’s the limit”in the last sentence most probably means ___.
A. The sky is the restriction
B. The sky is too high to reach
C. There is no limit
D. There is no possibility
4.The passage is mainly about ___.
A. Koala-a Special Creature in Australia
B. scientific research on Koalas
C. scientific efforts to save the Koalas
D. Koala’s Characters and Preference
Families should reduce exposure to synthetic chemicals found in food colorings, preservatives and packaging materials as a growing body of research shows they may harm children’s health, according to a policy statement and technical report from the American Academy of Pediastrics released online.
The statement also suggests improvements to the food additives regulatory system, including updating the scientific foundation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations safety assessment retesting all previously approved chemicals.
Leonard Trasande ,the author of the policy statement, to tell us more about these concerns.
Q: What are the growing number of studies showing us?
A: Over the past two decades, an accumulating body of science suggests some food additives can interfere with a child’s hormones, growth and development.
Potentially harmful effects of food additives are of special concern for children because they are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more relative to body weight, than adults do and are still growing and developing. An early injury to their organ systems can have lifelong and permanent consequences.
Q: What additives does the statement highlight?
A: The additives of most concern, based on rising research evidence cited in the report, include:
Bisphenols, such as BPA, used to harden plastic containers and line metal cans, can act like estrogen（雌激素）in the body which may potentially change the timing of puberty, decrease fertility, increase body fat and affect the nervous and immune systems. BPA is now banned in baby bottles.
Phthalates, which make plastic and vinyl tubes used in industrial food production flexible, may affect male genital development increase childhood obesity and contribute to cardiovascular disease. In 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use or some phthalates in child-care products such as teething rings.
1.According to the American Academy of Pediatric’s report, people should ___ to cope with the problem of food additives.
A. try to avoid food additives in daily life and revise relevant rules on food additives
B. update the food safety assessment program and check the approved chemicals again
C. improve the food additives regulatory system and retest all approved chemicals
D. reduce the usage of food additives and establish new food protection system
2.Leonardo Trasande holds the view that food additives do more harm to children than adults because study shows ___.
A. children are more sensitive to what they eat and drink than adults
B. children usually eat and drink more unhealthy food than adults
C. children are just too young and weak to protect themselves
D. children’s organs are easier to be damaged and hard to recover
3.How many specific kinds of harmful effect caused by the additives are mentioned in the passage?
A. 2 B. 7
C. 8 D. 3
Many people prefer eating out instead of cooking at home. A change appears to be taking place, though, and millennials are leading the way. According to one survey, more young people are starting to cook at home for three basic reasons: They can save money, eat healthy and waste less food.
Popular TV chefs are also getting millennials excited about learning some basic cooking skills. Many millennials view cooking as a form of entertainment and self-expression. They proudly post pictures of their cooking creations on Facebook or Instagram, and invite friends over to share the cooking experience.
Many millennials have also found ways to avoid wasting food. After roasting a chicken, they put the leftover bones in their freezer instead of the garbage can. Later, they use the bones to make chicken stock which is an important ingredient in many dishes.
They also hate throwing out fruit that’s too old. To avoid that situation, they bake ripe fruit like berries and bananas for 15 minutes at 175 degrees C. Then they freeze it overnight. After that, they place the fruit in plastic bags and store it their freezer for later use.
Now any millennials only eat at restaurants that have excellent food-waste policies. These servants use every part of the vegetables they buy, including their stems and roots, in dishes. They also use beef, chicken and pork bones to make their own stock.
Millennials also reduce food waste by only buying what they require. Before going to a market, they write down what they need and don’t buy anything else. They way they won’t purchase more food than they can consume.
1.What is the main subject of this article?
A. A cooking trend that has attracted millennials.
B. A plan that millennials have for donating food.
C. A novel cooking technique that millennials like.
D. A food production system favored by millennials.
2.What do millennials with fruit before freezing it?
A. Mix it with other ingredients in a bowl.
B. Carefully remove the skin and seeds from it.
C. Use a sharp knife to chop it up into pieces.
D. Put it in an oven at the proper temperature.
3.According to this article, when do millennials make careful choices?
A. When they dine out together
B. Whey they vote for candidates
C. When they choose an employer
D. When they plant a new garden
4.According to this article, how do millennials avoid purchasing too much food?
A. They select small cans and packages.
B. They prepare a practical shopping list.
C. They leave their credit cards at home.
D. They weigh produce before buying it.
Serendipity - an unexpected delight – is the word that comes to mind when describing the seven-day hike my wife and I recently did in the wild and undeveloped northwest coast of Galicia, Spain.
Simply ________, anyone who is adventurous, loves traveling to Europe and is fit enough to do 10-mile hikes should seriously consider doing this hike.
Before this experience, I had never heard about On Foot Holidays programs that allow hikers to go at their own pace, with maps and detailed hiking ________, but without a guide or other travelers, while still enjoying a high level of local support.
What ________ caught my attention was an announcement about On Foot Holidays’ newest hike, the Lighthouse Way, which they described as a journey along“the last ________ coast of Europe.”This particular hike sounded both challenging and rewarding enough to ________ a try.
On Foot Holidays booked our lodging each night and ________ a taxi to take our baggage to the next destination, so we just had to carry our daypack essentials. Each day we ________ or spoke with the company’s local expert who was available ________ emergency, but whose main function was to keep us informed about the daily weather forecast and to make special taxi arrangements when we decided to ________ a couple of 14-mile hikes to less than 10 miles.
The ________ of the trails and scenery made every hike a delight. One of our hikes followed a narrow trail along a steep, rocky cliff ________ the steel-blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean that thrash against jagged rocks hundreds of feet below us. We stopped to picnic and watch the only living things we saw that whole day: a herd of goats above us, and a group of dolphins jumping in the waves below. In the distance, many of mountain peaks ________ sparkling wind turbines（涡轮机）like candles on a cake.
Silence and loneliness were the features of each day’s accommodation. The only sounds we heard were birds singing, the wind blowing through trees or the waves breaking against the shoreline. The air was clean and the temperature brisk, with frequent ________ of cloudy, cool, windy and rainy weather interspersed（点缀）with glorious bursts of sunshine.
There was remarkably little litter, the exception being spots along the shore where ocean currents ________ mostly fishing items.
My wife and I realized that we are pilgrims searching for meaning, awareness and joy on our journey through life, and our Galician hiking ________ had moved us further down that path in ways we won’t forget.
1.A. lost B. moved C. urged D. put
2.A. strings B. instructions C. devices D. materials
3.A. initially B. gradually C. smoothly D. firmly
4.A. recommended B. developed C. unspoiled D. discovered
5.A. warrant B. provide C. imagine D. evaluate
6.A. prepared for B. arranged for C. paid for D. turned to
7.A. negotiated B. discussed C. contacted D. texted
8.A. in addition to B. in need of C. in case of D. in favour of
9.A. shorten B. extend C. decrease D. expand
10.A. appearance B. variety C. character D. route
11.A. displaying B. reflecting C. following D. overlooking
12.A. established B. lightened C. sported D. structured
13.A. changes B. intervals C. adaptions D. interactions
14.A. stretched B. withdrawn C. floated D. deposited
15.A. experience B. technique C. investigation D. experiment
