We know that choosing a college major can be very hard. But have no fear! Your choice of major will not lock you into a specific career for the rest of your life. Here's what you need to know about college majors before you commit.

What is a major?

1.Beyond general college requirements， you'll also take a group of courses in a subject of your choosing such as Chemistry， Literature， or Political Science.

How important is my major?

The major you choose will neither predict nor guarantee your future. Many graduates find jobs that have nothing to do with what they studied in college. If you intend to earn a professional degree after college， you will probably need certain courses. 2.

When do I declare a major?

This varies widely across schools and programs.3.Others require that you declare upon a major by the time that you set foot inside your first class.

4.

Definitely. One of the most exciting aspects of college life is that it introduces you to new subjects and arouses new passions. However， keep this in mind. Every major has necessary coursework. If you change your major late in the game， it may take more than the traditional four years to earn a degree.

What are minors and double majors?

If one field of study doesn’t satisfy your intellectual appetite， consider a minor. A minor is similar to a major in that it’s an area of academic concentration.5.A double major provides you with an understanding of two academic fields. It allows you to become familiar with two sets of values and views while it also requires you to fulfill two sets of requirements.

A. Can I change my mind?

B. Is my major time-consuming?

C. It's your specialized area of study in college.

D. Most students find one major is more than enough.

E. Some schools may give you one year or more to decide.

F. But many future doctors major in non-science related fields.

G. The only difference is that it doesn’t require as many classes.

    Living gratefully has a huge transforming power, not just when something wonderful or special happens, but every day no matter what is happening.

I’ve recently been involved with two people whose lives were challenged by bad luck. I have seen how grateful living had the power to keep one of them going and how it’s beginning to lift the other. One was a friend and the other is my sister.

My friend seemed to be in good health when she received a deadly diagnosis: a disease with no effective treatment. She had all the emotions that a tragedy brings, but she also had a powerful response to despair (绝望) that gave her “the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” She wrote online daily, honestly sharing the details of her situation.

She wrote that even though it was difficult to move, this gave her more time to notice small things. She was grateful not only for the love and help of family and friends, but also for time to see the sun rise and watch the birds in her yard. No opportunity for gratefulness was wasted.

She taught that gratefulness is not a false cheerfulness. It’s taking every opportunity to celebrate the blessings of small things. We can be grateful for the challenges that help us develop sympathy for each other. Life is a precious gift.

She repeatedly blogged that she was happier than she had ever been.

When she wrote about “the worst day”, she ended with “life is still a lovely gift.” She died later that day.

Her message, however, changed my sister’s life. My sister’s health was getting worse and worse, though nothing life-threatening. She did have a very painful knee. Her life was in danger from her defeated spirit. She was bed-bound (卧床不起), getting weaker and weaker. Fearful, angry and depressed, she felt out of options for recovery.

I read my sister a few of my friend’s messages. I was careful not to say, “Why can’t you be more like her?” Instead, I let the words do their work. I’m grateful to say that an attitude of gratitude began to replace her anger and fear. I believe this helped her to heal.

We can’t be grateful for all that happens, but we can practice gratefulness for life itself, for all we can learn to deal with, for all the ways we can help each other grow and heal.

1.What happened when the author’s friend found she had an incurable disease?

A.She complained that life was unfair to her.

B.She started to appreciate and enjoy the small things in life.

C.She tried her best to look for treatment.

D.She repeatedly blogged about how painful it was.

2.How did the author’s sister feel when she was ill?

A.Calm. B.Lonely. C.Sad. D.Confused.

3.What does the underlined “this” refer to in the article?

A.Writing a blog. B.Eating healthy food.

C.Talking with family. D.Being grateful for life.

4.What message does the article mainly convey?

A.A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B.Gratitude has the power of lifting people’s spirits.

C.Health is the most important thing for people.

D.Families will always be there no matter what happens.

    Nature is like a great magician, performing wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed "the lungs of our planet", it generates about one-fifth of Earth's oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is currently in dange.

Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These blazes have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the "most intense" in almost a decade, according to BBC News.

The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.

Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events, such as lightning strikes. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture to clean land, reported CNN.

The disaster has raised concern around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest's capacity （能力）to absorb carbon is reduced.

Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he's worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a "tipping point （临界点）where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah （大草原）.

Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.

The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the crisis.

The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest preservation （保护）."Every little bit helps in a tragic situation like this," commented Gizmodo.

1.The underlined word "intense" in Para.2 probably means _______.

A.natural B.fierce C.common D.unexpected

2.What is the main cause of forest fires in the Amazon rainforest this year?

A.Lightning strikes. B.Hot weather.

C.Agricultural activities. D.Garbage left by tourists.

3.What was Nobre worried about in the article?

A.Global temperatures will rise.

B.The Amazon rainforest is close to disappearing.

C.Animals in the Amazon rainforest are under threat.

D.It will take decades for the Amazon rainforest to recover.

4.What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?

A.What the Brazilian government has done to fight fires.

B.Celebrities who care about rainforest preservation.

C.The possible future of the Amazon rainforest.

D.Efforts made to save the Amazon rainforest.

    Feel tired and want to have a break? People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation.

Although it might seem like a good time, looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.

For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. Halfway through the task, the students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn’t take any break at all.

Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles.

The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task, and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.

Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break – but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.

“Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different than how we use other screens like computers, and laptops,” Kurtzberg told Science Daily.

This is echoed (呼应) by a 2017 study from the US University of Chicago. It found that even if cellphones are turned off or turned face down, their mere presence reduces a person’s cognitive capacity (认知能力).

So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone away. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap (小憩). You may be surprised by the result.

1.What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?

A.It could make people more motivated at work.

B.It could reduce one’s ability to solve problems.

C.It could be beneficial both physically and mentally.

D.It could affect one’s relationships with others.

2.What does the underlined word “activate” probably mean in paragraph 7?

A.motivate B.associate. C.appreciate D.imitate.

3.What can we learn about cellphones from Kurtzberg’s words?

A.They may influence people in the same way as computers do.

B.They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work.

C.Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid.

D.They have become a necessary part of people’s lives.

4.What does the author suggest people do during break time?

A.Turn off their cellphones. B.Keep their cellphones face down.

C.Replace cellphones with laptops. D.Keep their cellphones out of sight.

    For some in China, the aim of travel is to create 15-second videos on a social-media app, dou yin. As a matter of fact, tourism is for recreation and leisure. The world Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours.Nowadays, apart from the traditional forms , a variety of new types of traveling are emerging.

Experiential travel

Last year's travel trend was "experiential travel". This is where tourists look for ways to get to know local culture and interact with local people so they feel less like an outsider but more like a resident.

Transformative travel

It usually goes through three stages – you go to a place that has a very different background than where you come from, you learn wisdom from the new culture and the people you meet, and finally you return home and apply the knowledge to your own life and the lives of those around you.

This last stage is how the “transformation” is completed and what separates transformative travel from experiential travel.

Eco-friendly travel

One way to plan a low-impact trip is to travel a shorter distance, which can reduce your carbon footprint. "One trans-Atlantic flight equals a year's worth of driving, so consider planning an adventure closer to home," according to US News.

Dark travel

Chernobyl is one of the most popular examples of the phenomenon known as dark tourism — a term for visiting sites associated with death and suffering, such as Nazi concentration camps in Europe or the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York.

1.In which column can we read this passage in the newspaper?

A.Advertising B.News C.Sports. D.Entertainment

2.Choosing the Transformative travel, you can__________

A.feel less like a local resident B.reduce carbon emission

C.put what you have learned into practice D.pay a visit to the sites related to sufferings .

3.Which of the following is suitable for the environmentalists?

A.Experiential travel B.Transformative travel

C.Eco-friendly travel D.Dark travel

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1.How do students enter the library?

A.With a library account. B.With a student card. C.With a password.

2.What is the maximum number of books current students can borrow?

A.12. B.11. C.9.

3.What kind of books have to be returned within one week?

A.Books borrowed by local residents. B.Books liked by a lot of people.

C.Books published recently.

4.What will the speaker do next?

A.Tell the students where to get bottled water.

B.Take the students on a campus tour.

C.Show the students around the library.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What is the woman doing?

A.Hosting a TV show. B.Giving a lecture on poetry.

C.Conducting a radio debate.

2.How did the man’s mother contribute to his success in poetry?

A.She sent him to poetry classes. B.She taught him to write business plans.

C.She asked him to read from early childhood.

3.What does the man find most difficult in writing?

A.Choosing the right words. B.Describing real experiences.

C.Getting an appropriate opportunity.

4.What does the man say about his own writing?

A.Creative. B.Successful. C.Encouraging.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.How far away is Hill Farm?

A.Nearly a mile. B.Just one mile. C.More than a mile.

2.Which is the route to Hill Farm?

A.Left track → bridge → road. B.Road → left track → bridge.

C.Bridge → road → left track.

3.What would the man like the woman to do towards the end of the conversation?

A.Give him a ride. B.Repeat what she said. C.Walk him to Hill Farm.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Why is Jane upset?

A.David fell in love with her. B.Kevin made up stories about her.

C.She made a mistake in calculation.

2.What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A.Teacher and student. B.Father and daughter. C.Employer and employee.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What has the woman ordered for herself?

A.Milk. B.Juice. C.Coffee.

2.Why does the man recommend strawberry juice?

A.It’s sweeter. B.It’s fresher. C.It’s colder.

In which year is the man in college now?

A.The first year. B.The second year. C.The third year.

What does the man suggest the woman do?

A.Consult a repair shop. B.Purchase another car. C.Fix the car herself.

What’s the matter with the woman?

A.She has caught a bad cold. B.She stayed online too long.

C.She is allergic to paint smell.

How does the man think of the book?

A.Humorous. B.Scientific. C.Popular.

What is the problem for the man?

A.He has to meet many people. B.He has to leave his friends.

C.He has to travel a lot.

Guided Writing

使用了20多年的学校图书馆因满足不了广大师生的需求而停止运营，进行改建。校长室希望就新馆的环境规划、设备更新和运行效率等方面征求学生的具体建议。假设你是本校学生何月平，给校长室写信，就至少两个方面提出自己的建议内容，并阐述建议的理由。

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Summary

The Super Strength of Spider Webs

The ability of fictional superhero Spider-Man to swing off city skyscrapers using his sticky web has fascinated many of us. But however amazing it appears to be, the superpower is unrealistic, right? Not completely, scientists say.

Spider silk is in itself a very strong material. In fact, it is about five times stronger than steel in weight-for-weight terms. Even so, this doesn’t thoroughly explain the strength of spider webs. It was not until recently that scientists discovered why spider webs are able to withstand huge forces.

The scientists found through a study that it is not just the remarkable strength of the silk spiders spin, but also a web’s intricate design that increases its durability. The creation of a typical web uses up a huge amount of a spider’s energy, so it contains a series of features which prevent major repairs from being needed.

Its complex structure means that when a single strand of web breaks, the overall strength of the web increases rather than weakens. Removing up to 10 percent of the threads from various areas made the web not weaker but actually up to 10 percent stronger. When a weight was applied, only one thread broke – so the spider could do minor repairs rather than start from scratch.

In previous studies, researchers also found the silk itself has an ability to soften or stiffen to withstand different types of loads – unlike any other natural or man-made fiber. In tests against three other materials made into similar webs, the spider silk was six times more resilient to damage when subjected to falling branches or high winds.

The scientists believe the findings could be used to help design a new generation of super strength materials. The intricate design of the spider web could be used in many areas of life to contain damage to a small area, said study co-author Markus Buehler, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Translation

1.按照惯例，参与批改考卷的老师不能使用任何电子设备。 (access)

2.每天仅准许两百名游客进入博物馆参观，因为里面陈列的物品极其珍贵。 (admit)

3.直到获悉儿子被心仪的私立小学录取时，这个多愁善感的妈妈才松了一口气。 (It …)

4.忠言逆耳利于行，这个道理尽人皆知，但是这个固执的老头是否有可能会听从你的建议呢？ (possibility)

Bicycles, roller skates and skateboards are dangerous. And don’t get me started on walking. But I’m glad I didn’t spend my childhood trapped indoors to protect me from every bump and bruise. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” 1. And now technology has become the new field for the age-old battle between adults and their freedom-craving kids.

Locked indoors, unable to get on their bicycles and hang out with their friends, teens have turned to social media and their mobile phones to socialize with their peers. What they do online often mirrors what they might otherwise do if their mobility weren’t so heavily limited in the age of helicopter parenting. Social media and smartphones have become so popular in recent years. 2.

As teens have moved online, parents have projected their fears onto the Internet, imagining all the potential dangers that youth might face – from violent strangers to cruel peers to pictures or words that could haunt them on Google for the rest of their lives.

Rather than helping teens develop strategies for negotiating public life and the potential risks of interacting with others, fearful parents have focused on tracking, monitoring and blocking. 3. “Protecting” kids may feel like the right thing to do, but it gradually weakens the learning that teens need to do as they come of age in a technology-soaked world.

The key to helping youth navigate contemporary digital life isn’t more restrictions. It’s freedom-plus communication. What makes the digital street safe is when teens and adults collectively agree to open their eyes and pay attention, communicate and negotiate difficult situations together. Teens need the freedom to wander the digital street, but they also need to know that caring adults are behind them and supporting them wherever they go. The first step is to turn off the tracking software. 4.

    Mental illness and disability were family problems for English people living between 1660 and 1800. Most women and men who suffered from mental illness were not institutionalized as this was the period before the extensive building of mental hospitals. Instead, they were housed at home, and cared for by other family members.

Now a new study by Cambridge historian Dr. Elizabeth Foyster will reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives.

Much has been written about the insane themselves but few studies have considered mental illness from the perspective of the carers. The lifetime burden of caring for those individuals whose mental development did not progress beyond childhood, and who contemporaries labeled as ‘idiots’ or ‘fools’, has been little explored by historians. Foyster’s research, which has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will carefully examine the emotional and economic consequences for families at a time when the Poor Law bound them to look after their mentally ill and disabled family members.

By asking key questions about the impact of ‘care in the community’ in the 18th century, Foyster hopes that her research will bridge social and medical history. Specifically, she aims to provide an historical perspective for contemporary debates such as how resources can be stretched to provide for children with learning difficulties and an aging population.

“The stresses and strains of family were worsened by high infant mortality and low life expectancy, and many individuals were pushed towards mental breakdown,” she explained. “Moreover, inherited conditions, senility(高龄) and what today would be described as ‘special needs’ could put great emotional demands on family members who had primary responsibility for their sick or disabled relatives.”

The research will shed light upon how caring for the mentally ill and disabled raised difficult issues for families about the limits of intergenerational responsibility, and whether family ties were weakened or strengthened by the experience. The questions of how far shame was attached to having insanity or idiocy within a family, and at what point families began to seek outside help, will also be addressed.

“The family must have seemed an inescapable feature of daily life between 1660 and 1800,” said Foyster. “Although there were those who were abandoned and rejected, for the majority, mental disability was accommodated within the family unit. I aim to get to the heart of what this really meant for people’s lives.”

1.Which is NOT the reason why those mentally ill and disabled were not institutionalized from 1660 to 1800?

A.Mental illness and disability were family problems then.

B.The extensive building of mental hospitals didn’t start yet.

C.They were abandoned by the government and the family.

D.The family would be found guilty if they didn’t care for them.

2.Why does Foyster want to carry out this study?

A.Because it can provide some food for thought for some current social issues.

B.Because the stresses and strains of family life have driven many people crazy.

C.Because she’s looking for ways to communicate with the sick or disabled people.

D.Because the limits of intergenerational responsibility in such families, interest her.

3.Which question will NOT be studied in the research?

A.How should resources today be stretched to provide for an aging population?

B.How did caring for the sick and disabled affect the family’s earning power?

C.How shameful did a family feel when their insane or disabled relatives were found out?

D.At what point did those families have to begin to look for outside help?

4.The passage is written in order to ________.

A.reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives

B.provide an historical perspective to contemporary debates

C.shed light upon whether family ties were weakened or strengthened

D.introduce a new historical study carried out by a Cambridge historian

    The global energy crisis is approaching. What can we do? Here are some steps you can take.

Cooling puts the greatest stress on your summer energy bill and the power grid. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Clean or replace filter monthly or as needed.

For central air conditioning systems and room air conditioners, look for the ENERGY STAR, the federal government’s symbol for energy efficiency. For central air, purchase the system with the highest possible Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. (SEER)

Use energy efficient ceiling fans either alone or with air conditioning. Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating air. When used with air conditioning, fans allow you to raise the thermostat and cut costs. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so before you leave, turn off the ceiling fan.

Let a programmable thermostat “remember for you” to automatically adjust the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce cooling bills by up to 10 percent. You can come home to a comfortable house without wasting energy and creating pollution all day while you are at work.

Try to make your home airtight enough to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner and reduce your cooling costs up to 20 percent.

Cut your air conditioning load, and reduce pollution by planting leafy trees around your home and fixing reflective bricks on your roof.

Close blinds or shades on south-and west-facing windows during the day, or fix shading equipment to avoid heat build-up.

Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers. And use fluorescent bulbs, which provide bright, warm light while using at least two-thirds less energy, producing 70 percent less heat and lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Drive the car that gets better gas mileage whenever possible if you own more than one vehicle. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10 percent of your trips from a car that gets 20 miles per gallon to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than £65 per year.

Carpool. The average U.S. commuter could save about £260 a year by sharing cars twice a week with two other people in a car that gets 20.1 mpg-assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas.

1.According to the passage, the thermostat is used to ________.

A.make rooms quieter B.control room temperature

C.turn off the air conditioner D.reduce room air pollution

2.We can conclude from the passage that the author probably discourages _________.

A.planting leafy trees around your home

B.turning off the ceiling fan before you leave your house

C.keeping your south-facing windows open during the day

D.using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs

3.According to the passage, you can save fuel by _______.

A.using energy-efficient ceiling fans

B.sharing cars with others on workdays

C.turning off everything not in use

D.reducing 10% of your car trips every year

    One picture in the Wonder Book of knowledge I had as a little boy showed a man reading a book while floating in the Dead Sea. What a miracle! How would it feel to lie back in water so thick with salt that it was impossible to sink?

Fed by the Jordan River and smaller streams, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface, and its water is ten times saltier than the Mediterranean. With evaporation its only outlet, salt and other minerals become super-concentrated.

Earlier this year, I drove down the long, steep hill to realize my dream. The shoreline was a broad area of bare salt-mud, but the water edge was far out of sight. Had somebody pulled the Dead Sea’s plug? I wondered. Eli Dior, an Israeli official, explained the problem: “The Dead Sea is drying up. Every year, the surface drops about one meter, and as the water level falls, shadow areas are left high and dry.”

Over the last half-century, the five neighboring countries have collectively diverted nearly all the water flowing into the Dead Sea to meet human and agriculture needs. Result: the Dead Sea is being emptied.

With population in the region set to double at least in the next 50 years, there is little hope of restoring the water being diverted for human consumption. No country has a drop to spare for the Dead Sea, where they know it will just evaporate. To dream of opening the dams and restoring natural balance is plainly unrealistic.

Yet one ambitious high-tech dream may turn out to be not only the salvation of the Dead Sea but also a ticket to peace around its shores. The “Red-Dead” is a proposed $5 billion project to bring sea water some 240 kilometers by pipeline and canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The Red-Dead may be the only solution, but even if the project is carried out successfully, the Dead Sea will be 10 to 20 meters lower than now and two thirds of its current size.

Whatever the future holds, the Dead Sea’s magical mix of sun, mud, sea and salt will surely survive. Many might complain that the Dead Sea is half empty—but for me the Dead sea will always be half full.

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

A.Dead Sea – miracle of the world.

B.Save the environment of the Dead Sea.

C.Slow shrinking of the Dead Sea.

D.Why is the Dead Sea so salty.

2.The shrinking of the Dead Sea is mainly caused by ________ according to the passage.

A.a severe reduction of the water flowing into the sea

B.rapid evaporation of the water in the Dead Sea area

C.the increasing quantity of water drawn from the sea

D.very low annual rainfall in the Dead Sea Area

3.Which of the following is right according to the passage?

A.With no outlet to any ocean, the Dead Sea has become by evaporation most dense waters on earth.

B.Though burdened with the growing population, the neighboring countries haven’t cut off the sources of the Dead Sea.

C.All the countries in the area will consider diverting less water from the Jordan River.

D.The Red-Dead Project has not only brought water to the Dead Sea, but peace to the area as well.

4.Which of the following statements will the author approve of?

A.If the Dead Sea dried up, great natural disasters would happen in the region.

B.The Dead Sea will not survive no matter what people do to save it.

C.The five neighboring countries should stop diverting water from the Jordan River.

D.Though the Dead Sea is shrinking gradually, it will not die.

    Sign has become a scientific hot button. Only in the past 20 years have specialists in language study realized that signed languages are ______ —a speech of the hand. They offer a new way to probe how the brain generates and ______ language, and throw new light on an old scientific ______: whether language, ______ with grammar, is something that we are born with, or whether it is a ______ behavior. The current interest in sign language has roots in the ______ work of one rebel teacher at Gallaudet University in Washington, D. C., the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf people.

When Bill Stokoe went to Gallaudet to teach English, the school enrolled him in a course in signing. But Stokoe noticed something ______; among themselves, students signed differently from his classroom teacher.

Stokoe had been taught a sort of gestural ______, each movement of the hands representing a word in English. At the time, American Sign Language (ASL) was thought to be no more than a form of pidgin English (混杂英语). But Stokoe believed the “hand ______” his students used looked richer. He wondered: Might deaf people actually have a genuine language? And could that language be ______ any other on Earth? It was 1955, when even deaf people ___________ their signing as “substandard”. Stokoe’s idea was academic heresy – a belief contrary to what was generally accepted.

It is 37 years later. Stokoe—now devoting his time to writing and editing books and journals and to producing video materials on ASL and the deaf culture—is having lunch at a cafe near the Gallaudet campus and explaining how he started a(n) ______. For decades educators fought his idea that signed languages are natural languages ______ English, French and Japanese. They assumed language must be based on speech, the modulation (调节) of sound. But sign language is based on the movement of hands, the modulation of ______. “What I said,” Stokoe explains, “is that language is not mouth stuff(素材)—it’s ______ stuff.”

1.A.unique B.neutral C.inexact D.vague

2.A.varies B.applies C.interrelates D.understands

3.A.argument B.definition C.conclusion D.statement

4.A.familiar B.complete C.changeable D.comparative

5.A.adopted B.inherited C.introduced D.learned

6.A.pioneering B.concluding C.proceeding D.imitating

7.A.casual B.odd C.witty D.tricky

8.A.clue B.file C.code D.digit

9.A.talk B.gossip C.clap D.shake

10.A.characteristic of B.different from C.equal to D.worthy of

11.A.contributed B.signified C.justified D.dismissed

12.A.evolution B.procedure C.revolution D.presentation

13.A.with B.among C.as D.like

14.A.space B.rhythm C.volume D.rate

15.A.culture B.brain C.muscle D.heart

    Recently, I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive, the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight delay before setting down. High desert winds had forced the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be circling the city for a few minutes waiting to land. We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts 1. (fasten) because there might be a few bumps. Well, that few minutes turned into about forty-five minutes, including a ride that would make a roller coaster 2. (pale) by comparison.

The movement was so sudden 3. several passengers felt sick and had to use airsickness bags. 4. you might guess, that’s not good thing to happen in a narrow space because it only serves to increase the discomfort of the situation.

About twenty minutes into the adventure, the entire airplane became very quiet. There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be distinctly noticed. Every passenger simply held on for dear life…5. one. A baby was having a good time! With each bump of the aircraft, he 6. let out a giggle of happiness. As I observed this, I realized that he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his safety. He 7. thought about the past nor about the future. Those are 8. we grown-ups have learned from experience. He was enjoying the ride because he 9. (not teach) to fear it. 10. (understand) this, I took a deep breath and sat back into my seat, pretending I was really on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even managed to giggle once or twice, which is much to the chagrin of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.

Directions: Write an English composition in 120 – 150 words according to the directions and requirements given below in Chinese.

你的朋友彼得沉迷于网络游戏《王者荣耀》(Glory of Kings)，高三了，他的成绩直线下 降，你作为他的朋友，给他写封信，谈谈你对这件事情的看法。

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Translation

1.这些保存完好的历史建筑让游客们流连忘返。 (reluctant)

2.教师对学生所产生的影响对于学生的未来发展来说可能意味着成与败的区别。 (impact)

3.中国政治和经济实力的提升如此之快，学中文的外国人越来越多。 (So)

4.好的爱情是你通过一个人看到整个世界，坏的爱情是你为了一个人舍弃了整个世界。(while)

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Write a summary of the passage in 60 words.

Job stress and worrying about job security can both take a toll on a woman’s body, although the two issues affect female health differently, according to research presented last month at the American Heart Association’s Annual Meeting in Chicago.

In a recent study looking at work stress and women, researchers from Harvard and Brigham and Women’s Hospital studied more than 17,000 otherwise healthy women, generally in their 50s, enrolled in the Women’s Healthy Study for 10 years. Overall, working women reporting high job strain faced a 40 percent higher rate of cardiovascular(心血管的) disease.

Worrying about losing a job did not appear to increase heart attack risk, but it was linked to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol（胆固醇）, all of which can eventually lead to cardiovascular disease. But whether chronic work-related stress is eating at your nerves or ballooning your waistline, there are natural solutions with no toxic side effects that you can use to relax the pressure.

Previous research out of the university of Oregon has found that you could adopt stress-damaging properties of Integrative Body-Mind Training（IBMT）before the workweek’s out. After practicing it for 20 minutes a day for five days in a row, participants reported reduced stress and increased energy. Prevention suggests this introIBMT exercise: Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and think of your mind as a full cup; as thoughts come and go, keep returning to an image of the cup becoming empty. Repeat for five minutes.

Regardless of your meditation style, know this: Compared too non-meditators, women who practice meditation enjoy up to a 66 percent drop on stress hormone levels, which can dramatically improve heart health. You don’t need to be a monk to enjoy the benefits of meditation. In fact, more and more Western integrative medicine practitioners are using it as a nontoxic health improver.

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

No matter what the reason, though, juggling more than one job is guaranteed to be a crash course in time management. If you’re not careful, the word “crash” could become more than figurative.

We all know that we’ll have to figure out a time management system when we take on a second job. Equally obvious is the fact that what works for one person (and their jobs) probably won’t work for anyone else. 1. There are a few tricks, though, that can help.

2.. Even if you are the boss on your second job——you’re working for yourself——you have an obligation to keep that work separate from you day job. Focus on what’s in front of you. There’s actually a benefit to punching a clock when you work for more than one supervisor. When you’re on the clock for Company A, you know exactly which projects you should be working on. If Company A is paying for this time, you should be theirs, heart and soul, at least until you clock out.

Good records can also help. I’m not just talking about the calendars and task lists most of us rely on, either. Making sure that you have any contact information available no matter whether you’re  at  Job   A,   Job   B   or   home   can   take   some   extra   effort,   but   it’s   worth it. 3.

I know plenty of people who bring their work to their primary job. It seems to be a favorite tactic of folks starting up a freelancing career or small business. I don’t think that’s the best way to manage a packed schedule. If you don’t have your primary employer’s permission, the best advice is to just keep things quiet. Give preference to the employer who is paying you for this specific chunk of time.

Some companies don’t want you to work anywhere else. They want you to put in your eight hours, go home, sleep well and come back rested. Others consider employees who go looking for other projects as its benefits —— such employees have a jump start on networking and have a wider variety of experiences.

4.. Because it can be very hard to figure out your boss’s attitude, the general rule seems to be that you keep quiet on your extracurricular activities. I wouldn’t talk about Job A at Job B, although, if my boss was to bring up the matter, I’d be entirely truthful.

A. Priority should definitely be given to your day job.

B. The same goes for your notes and other paperwork.

C. It’s up to you to find a system and stick with it.

D. Sometimes it is no easy task to make decisions between Job A and Job B.

E. Keep firm dividers between your different jobs.

F. Unfortunately, most supervisors do not come with a label which variety they are.

    What was the best gift I ever received? Well, I’m a music lover, so I’d have to say it was either a Spotify subscription or my top-of-the-range Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Together they’ve provided me with countless hours of high-quality audio accompaniment. Growing up in a loving, well-off family in one of the richest countries in the world, what more could I want?

Giving gifts to loved ones is great: it’s a rewarding way to spread joy and strengthen friendships and family ties. But at this time of year I’m always reminded of how many people not only get no presents but also lack the basics to allow them to live healthy lives. For me, luxury headphones were the perfect gift; for the world’s poorest, it would be nutritious food, clean water and health care.

The poorest 10% of the world’s population, some 700 million people, live on less than $1.90 per day. And that’s adjusting for local purchasing power: they live on what $1.90 would buy in the

U.S. Faced with this kind of budget, and often geographically isolated, they are forced to eat whatever they can find and drink and wash in unsafe water. They can only pray that they don’t succumb to malnutrition, malaria or any number of other diseases that, while perfectly curable in rich countries, frequently ruin or end lives in the developing world.

I don’t seek to make anyone feel guilty for exchanging luxury goods with the people they love. But it seems to me that there’s another type of giving that is, if anything, even more profound: giving the basics of life to those most in need. Sure, you might not get a thank-you letter(who does these days?), but you’ll have done something extraordinary.

However, I’m not just interested in people giving more to charity(although that is important). I’m also passionate about people giving smarter, because where you give can make a huge difference on the impact you’ll have.

What do I mean by that? Well, to start with, there’s a reason I’ve been talking about the developing world. Even average earners in the West are incredibly rich compared with the global poor, so a sum of money considered moderate for some could make a huge difference in the poorest countries.

That’s not to say that all developing world poverty-relief charities ate good at making a difference—that’s certainly not the case. Plenty of money donated in good faith is lost to local corruption, poor administration or programs of intervention that sound great in theory but don’t achieve much in practice. As a result, it’s crucial to look at the effectiveness of the work a charity does before committing your money. How much good does it achieve for each dollar donated? Is there robust evidence for the impact of its programs?

It’s not always easy for people to find the answers, but they are vital questions to ask. That’s why there are now organizations devoted to finding and promoting the best charities. As part of the  effective-altruism(利他主义)  movements,  they  are  dedicated  to  helping  people  make  the biggest possible difference with their donations.

I love my music, and I love my headphones. But this year, the best gift I could get is to see as many people as possible giving generously to the most effective charities in the world.

1.What does the phrase “succumb to”(paragraph 3, line 5)mean?

A.be unaffected by B.cease opposition to

C.be unconnected with D.help to cause

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A.The author thinks that people giving luxury gifts to the ones they love should feel guilty.

B.The author believes that there is nothing more he wants because he grows up in very rich family.

C.The author argues that compared with those poor, an ordinary worker in the West doesn’t earn much.

D.The author says that some diseases which might be deadly in poor countries can be cured in developed countries.

3.Which of the following statements can you possibly infer from the passage?

A.People used to receive a letter of compliment from the receiver after they donated money to charities.

B.Giving smarter means that those who donate should know clearly how the charity works with the government.

C.Some charity programs fail to achieve much and seem to be less effective because they are not very practical.

D.The organizations devoted to finding the best charities aim to appeal to people to donate more money.

4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A.Giving the basics of life to those in need

B.Giving best gifts to your beloved ones

C.Making the best gift count

D.The effective-altruism movement

    Think the world loves your selfies as much as you do? Not exactly.

It’s become something of a ritual for many of us. When you’ve binge-watched everything on Netflix and you are tired of online shopping, you head to the bathroom to put on your very best makeup. Your goal is clear; to get the perfect selfie for Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat…or, more likely, all of the above. After perfecting your eyeliner and curling your lashes, you’re ready. You hold up your phone, pout those lips real tight, and in an instant, snap.

But wait, have you ever wondered what’s behind your burning desire to self-document? Most people would say that this is a form of expression or perhaps even a way of boosting their self-esteem. Whatever your reasons may be, the moment you upload that picture, it’s no longer yours to judge. Indeed, you pass over that immense power to the online world.

While you may think that your ever-growing collection of selfies endears people to you, quite the opposite may be true. That is, at least, according to a recent study, conducted by Sarah Diefenbach, a professor at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and published in Frontiers in Psychology. Diefenbach surveyed a total of 238 people in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland to find out how many people regularly take and upload selfies and what they thought when others did the same thing.

Rather unsurprisingly, a massive 77 percent of the people surveyed admitted to being obsessed with regularly taking selfies. What was more interesting, though, was the fact that an astonishing 82 percent of people said that they would rather see other selfies on social media.Diefenbach calls this the “selfies paradox”: the idea that we like taking selfies but seriously dislike looking at other people’s selfies online.

The research didn’t just inquire into whether we want to see selfies, but also looked at how we view our own selfies as opposed to those of others. According to the results, people tend to see the selfies they like as “ self-ironic” and “authentic”,  whereas  they  think  that  other  people’s  selfies  as  “less  authentic”  and  more “self-presentational”.

In short, this research suggests that there is a massive gulf of difference between how we see our own selfies and how we judge other people’s pictures. It suggests that we are comfortable with the selfies we post since we believe they are obviously not serious or vain, but we think everyone else is a total egotist for doing the very same thing.

“This may explain how everybody can take selfies without feeling narcissistic. If most people think like this, then it is no wonder that the world is full of selfies,” explains Diefenbach. So, as illogical as it sounds, this could be why weunashamedly post selfies and then judge other people for doing so. Somehow, we are able to separate our own selfies from the sea of them online and naively think that ours are the only authentic ones.

So, the next time you idly reach for your phone and flick through the filters, consider this: The people around you may not need another carefully planned snap of your face. Instead, you might be better off, giving it a break and calling off the selfie photo shoot today. While you’re at it, make sure you never post these pictures on social media either.

1.Which of the following may not be the reason for people uploading their selfies on the Internet?

A.To show others what kind of persons they are.

B.To be more confident about themselves.

C.To encourage others to make comments on them.

D.To make others like them more.

2.What does the word “paradox”(line 4, paragraph 5) mean?

A.complicated statements B.contradictory statements

C.constructive statements D.complimentary statements

3.According to the passage, what are people’s attitudes towards selfies?

A.They tend to like their own selfies more compared with others’ selfies.

B.They believe that other people’s selfies are much better than their own.

C.They think that other people’s selfies are as genuine as theirs.

D.They sometimes feel ashamed of posting selfies on social media.