Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

假设你是明启中学学生王华，你校学生会将组织暑期志愿者活动，有三个项目供选择:1、到历史博物馆担任讲解员；2、到科创中心担任辅导员；3、到医院担任导医。学生可根据自己的志愿和特长优势，网上申请其中一项。你有意向提出申请。你递交的申请信需说明:

1. 所选择的具体工作；

2. 为什么选择这项工作；

3. 如何出色完成该工作。

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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1.多亏了我们共同努力，最近项目有了进展。(progress)

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2.只有那些学业表现优秀且个人素质高的学生，才会被授予奖学金。(with)

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3.你眼下所面临的问题是，如何尽快克服每天服用安眠药才能入睡的习惯。(overcome)

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4.令人欣慰的是，尽管他年轻时遭受巨大不幸，他对生活仍然乐观，心存善意，追求美好。(optimistic)

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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.

An international team of researchers found employees who endure what is known as “abusive supervision” are more likely to behave poorly on purpose by messing up tasks, arriving late, taking long breaks and putting in minimal effort.

The authors of the study, published in the Journal of Management, sought to answer why horrible bosses make employees less willing to show what is known as organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), or commitment to the company outside of their contractual obligations. That could include helping colleagues or volunteering for unusual work hours. They also assessed its effect on a worker’s tendency to harm the organization, by displaying counterproductive (反作用的) work behavior (CWB).

To find out more, and uncover which negative outcome bullying (欺凌) behavior is more likely to cause, researchers from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China, Renmin University of China and Swinburne University of Technology in Australia cooperated and analyzed 427 existing studies. They found workers acted out either because they felt they were being treated unfairly in the workplace, or felt stressed and this affected their ability to perform as expected. An employee who felt they were a victim of injustice tended more towards reluctance to show OCB. Stressed workers, meanwhile, were more associated with CWB.

Employers who worried supervisors are affecting productivity can take steps to ease issues by regularly training managers, introducing policies which cope with workplace injustices and helping workers to deal with stress.

This is not the first study to suggest unkind practices can affect the well-being of workers. The paper follows a study published in the European Heart Journal last year, which showed employees who suffer bullying are more likely to develop heart diseases than those who aren’t. Bullying and violence are common at workplaces and those exposed to these stressors are at higher risk.

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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.

Decades of research has demonstrated how junior employees benefit from being mentored (指导). Guidance from senior colleagues has also been shown to enhance mentees’ job performance and satisfaction. 1.

We were especially interested in understanding how mentoring might help mentors who work in stressful occupations. Mental health is a growing concern within occupations that play important social roles, such as medical professionals, firefighters, and police officers. And because policing is one of the most stressful occupations, with high levels of mental health and well-being difficulties, we conducted a study of a formal mentoring program in an English police force.

2. It was designed to support the development of junior officers by giving them a way to discuss concerns and receive guidance. Our study involved two parts. First, we conducted a field experiment: we compared the mental health of 17 mentor-mentee pairs to a control group of 18 pairs of senior and junior officers that did not participate in the program. Second, we interviewed both the mentees and their mentors separately.

Our experiment results showed that people who served as mentors experienced lower levels of anxiety, and described their job as more meaningful, than those who did not mentor. We learned from our interviews that mentoring afforded senior officers, as well as junior officers, a chance to discuss and reflect on concerns. 3.By acknowledging that these anxieties were common, both mentees and mentors grew more comfortable in discussing them and in sharing different coping mechanisms.

Why does mentoring have this impact on mentors? 4. Despite the pressures that comes with their roles — including abuse, difficult decision making, and the risk of death — police officers tend not to seek support from other officers, including more senior colleagues. This is to avoid negative stigma, a shameful reputation, associated with mental health disorders. Mentoring thereby offered a way to build trust within a relationship that laid a foundation for open and honest communication of sensitive topics.

A. We believe it offers a way to receive support that is often lacking.

B. The mentoring program was launched in 2013 in one of the police forces in England and Wales.

C. Formal mentoring programs provide an opportunity to encourage the discussion of difficult and sensitive topics.

D. However, what we are wondering is why mentoring has such great impact on mentors as well as mentees.

E. Mentors heard their mentees’ accounts of anxiety and realized these feelings — which they also shared — were common.

F. We know far less, however, about how mentoring might benefit mentors themselves.

    Escaping predators (食肉动物), digestion and other animal activities—including those of humans—require oxygen. But that essential ingredient is no longer so easy for marine life to obtain, several new studies reveal.

In the past decade ocean oxygen levels have taken a dive—an alarming trend that is linked to climate change, says Andreas Oschlies, an oceanographer at the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Germany, whose team tracks ocean oxygen levels worldwide. “We were surprised by the intensity of the changes we saw, how rapidly oxygen is going down in the ocean and how large the effects on marine ecosystems are,” he says. It is no surprise to scientists that warming oceans are losing oxygen, but the scale of the drop calls for urgent attention. Oxygen levels in some tropical (热带的) regions have dropped by an astonishing 40 percent in the last 50 years, some recent studies reveal. Levels have dropped less significantly elsewhere, with an average loss of 2 percent globally.

A warming ocean loses oxygen for two reasons: First, the warmer a liquid becomes, the less gas it can hold. That is why carbonated drinks go flat faster when left in the sun. Second, as polar sea ice melts, it forms a layer of water above colder, more salty sea waters. This process creates a sort of lid that can keep currents from mixing surface water down to deeper depths. And because all oxygen enters the surface, less mixing means less of it at depth.

Ocean animals large and small, however, respond to even slight changes in oxygen by seeking refuge in higher oxygen zones or by adjusting behavior, Oschlies and others in his field have found. These adjustments can expose animals to new predators or force them into food-scarce regions. Climate change already poses serious problems for marine life, such as ocean acidification, but deoxygenation is the most pressing issue facing sea animals today, Oschlies says. After all, he says, “they all have to breathe.”

Aside from food web problems, animals face various other physiological challenges as their bodies adjust to lower oxygen levels. Chinese shrimp (虾) move their tails less vigorously to preserve energy in lower oxygen environments. Some creatures, such as jellyfishes, are more tolerant of low oxygen than others are. But all animals will feel the impact of deoxygenation because they all have evolved their oxygen capacity for a reason, says Oschlies. “Any drop in oxygen is going to damage survivability and performance,” he says.

1.According to the first two paragraphs, what worries scientists the most?

A. The worsening deoxygenation in the warming ocean.

B. The survival of predators and various marine animals.

C. The alarmingly changeable oxygen levels in the ocean.

D. The lack of attention to the warming of tropical oceans.

2.Which of the following is a reason for the oxygen loss in the ocean?

A. Polar ice melting consumes much oxygen in the ocean.

B. Global warming reduces the amount of oxygen in the air.

C. The surface polar ice water prevents oxygen going down.

D. Salty water holds less gas in the increasingly warmer ocean.

3.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Ocean deoxygenation changes some animals’ natural territories.

B. Ocean acidification is more serious a problem than deoxygenation.

C. Not all ocean animals are bothered by the decreasing oxygen levels.

D. Some animals reduce their movements in order to absorb more oxygen.

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

A. The Oxygen Levels of Marine Life B. Ocean Warming Affects Food Web

C. The Survivability of Ocean Animals D. The Ocean Is Running Out of Breath

Use your domestic plan when you travel in over 100 countries for $10 a day. Add International Day Pass to your existing plan before you go, then follow these tips to help manage costs and make the most of your travels:

How it works

While abroad, if you make or accept a call, listen to a voicemail, send a text, or use data, you will be automatically charged $10 for 24-hour access to your domestic plan. During that period you can:

• Use your domestic plan data to email, post on social media, translate languages and more.

• Make unlimited calls to countries included in International Day Pass.

• Send unlimited texts to the world.

How to help manage costs

• If you are outside of a 24-hour access period and you don’t want to use your phone, turn off data roaming (漫游) to avoid being charged $10 accidentally.

• Save data by connecting Wi-Fi, especially if you download, or send and receive large files.

Note: INTERNATIONAL DAY PASS: Coverage not available in all areas. Int’l Day Pass may be removed if international talk, text, or data use exceeds (超过) 50% of your total talk, text, or data use for two months.

1.With the AT&T International Day Pass, ___________.

A. one can make unlimited calls to any country for $10 a day

B. the phone will automatically turn on Cellular Data Roaming

C. the phone calling can enjoy a favorable price, saving your cost

D. one can save money by using WiFi to download or send large files

2.According to the travel tips, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Without International Day Pass, one cannot make phone calls back to the US.

B. $10 will be automatically charged if roaming remains turned on after 24 hours.

C. Pay-per-use will apply when one forgets to remove the International Day Pass.

D. The Pass will be removed if the use of data exceeds the average monthly amount.

3.Which of the following groups of people might be in the greatest need of the AT&T International Day Pass?

A. People who have settled abroad.

B. People who work in AT&T overseas offices.

C. People who have relatives in foreign countries.

D. People who make frequent business trips abroad.

    “The history of the world is but the biography (传记) of great men,” argued Thomas Carlyle, the advocate of what has come to be known as the “Great Man Theory of History.” This theory suggests that the broader movements and outline of history all go back to the leadership of great individuals who had unique influence on their times. Whether or not Carlyle’s theory proves true is debatable, but that certain individuals cast long shadows is not.

As one who is entrusted with a leadership position, I find it profitable to read of others who have led. Wherever you find me, you’ll likely find a good biography nearby. Why is this the case? First, I find good biographies fascinating. I’ll occasionally read a novel, but I’ve never been overly drawn to fiction. I have found myself unable to sleep while in the struggle of the Battle of Britain in William Manchester’s The Last Lion. For me, not to read biographies would rob me of pleasure in my life.

Second, I find good biographies informative. A good biographer tells not only the story of a person, but also of their times. Reading a good biography is like wandering through an intellectual shopping mall. The first store is what drew you there, but you will be pleasantly surprised along the way at what other items grab your attention. You’ll find no better account of the British Empire at its peak than the opening chapters of Manchester’s Visions of Glory, volume one of his The Last Lion. Strictly speaking, a biography is but a slice of history.

Third, I find good biographies relaxing. Winston Churchill once noted a man who works with his hands should have a hobby that engages his mind, and a man who works with his mind should have a hobby that engages his hands. Another way to apply Churchill’s saying is to combine technical, pen-in-hand vocational reading with leisurely biographical reading. Indeed, few things are more relaxing to me than winding down the evening and entering into another world.

This is why I love reading good biographies, and why I pity the person who neglects them. Don’t be counted among their number.

1.What is implied in the first paragraph?

A. The author finds Carlyle’s theory undebatable.

B. Carlyle believes great men alone cannot create history.

C. It is debatable whether one should read great men’s biographies.

D. The author agrees that history is greatly influenced by certain men.

2.What does the underlined phrase “other items” in the third paragraph refer to?

A. good biographies B. stories of certain times

C. the volumes of The Last Lion D. the chapters of the British Empire

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The author considers biographical reading enjoyable.

B. The author can travel to another world in the evening.

C. The author has fought many battles during his lifetime.

D. The author profits commercially by reading biographies.

4.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A. To analyze the benefits of vocational reading.

B. To introduce to readers his unique reading strategies.

C. To present great men’s history through biography reading.

D. To recommend biography reading through his own experiences.

    When Elinor Ostrom won the Nobel Prize for her research on economic governance in 2009, it was the first (and so far, the only) time a woman won a Nobel for Economics. That prize has ____ for nearly 50 years. We don’t do a great job of recognizing women’s contributions to science and innovation. My colleagues and I wondered: Is one of the reasons why women are more likely to ____ science than men because they don’t receive the same recognition?

To understand how ____ shapes women’s motivation to remain in science, we first had to get a good measure of the motivations. We sought to first study a highly visible ____, prizes, because large prizes tend to be understood and appreciated by the broader public, and they also influence those who make decisions about scientific ____ and other financial support.

Our study focused on prizes in the biomedical sciences. If we’re going to find ___ anywhere in science, it would be in this field. Women have entered biomedicine in equal numbers to men since the early 2000s. ____ this, of all Nobels awarded to women, a full two-thirds have been for biomedical research. Our ____ was simple: we documented all biomedical research prizes we could find over the past five decades. We also considered the financial awards and importance associated with the prizes, as indicators of their ____. Then we measured the percentage of prizes won by women and the association between gender and prize quality.

Our initial results highlighted overall____ news: the proportion of biomedical prizes awarded to women has risen steadily. But when we looked at the association between gender and quality of prizes awarded, we observed a major difference: on average, women scientists win prizes associated with less money and importance than men do. Importantly, our further research suggests that there’s no ____ that the quality or value of women-led research is any lower than that of men, as measured by citations (引用) per article, productivity, or width of research topics studied. ___, women are catching up in terms of number of prizes won, but still fall significantly behind in regard to the importance and monetary awards associated with the prizes.

The bottom line: while on the surface it may appear that the gender gap has somewhat____ when it comes to science prizes, great injustice is hidden just below. The problem likely ____ beyond the borders of science. In business, for example, prizes and funding for new technology and innovation may follow a similar pattern, helping to explain the phenomenon observed for female entrepreneurs, again ____ by research. This is something worth examining in greater depth.

1.A. remained B. awarded C. existed D. established

2.A. leave B. doubt C. question D. suspect

3.A. contribution B. recognition C. resolution D. promotion

4.A. indicator B. substance C. confirmation D. compliment

5.A. experiments B. innovation C. study D. grants

6.

A. gender equality B. research prospects

C. innovation patterns D. government control

7.A. In line with B. Contrary to C. Compared with D. In case of

8.A. concept B. outcome C. requirement D. approach

9.A. improvement B. quality C. accomplishment D. reputation

10.A. vague B. sudden C. good D. fundamental

11.A. description B. evidence C. document D. comparison

12.A. Therefore B. However C. Instead D. Nevertheless

13.A. highlighted B. eliminated C. strengthened D. narrowed

14.A. dominates B. extends C. overtakes D. justifies

15.A. turned out B. taken on C. backed up D. held up

Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Eat healthier without quitting sugar

Not long ago, fat was regarded as the evil for a healthy diet. Before that it was salt. Now the sugar-free diet  1. (explode) onto the health scene —and seems to have topped many people’s list of New Year’s resolutions.

Sugar-free diets encourage people to avoid sweeteners such as honey, soft drinks and some fruits. Some also recommend  2. (restrict) dairy products. The diet’s advocates note that excessive sugar consumption may increase the risk of heart disease and some cancers. So many sugar-free followers avoid milk, yoghurt and cheese  3. the assumption that these products contain sugars.

It’s true we are swallowing too much of the sweet stuff, with the average American consuming around 20 teaspoons of 4. (add) sugar a day. But you don’t need  5. (quit) sugar for healthy eating. Quitting sugar is unlikely to improve your health any more than cutting down on over-processed foods and eating more vegetables.

Research shows dieting is not effective over the long term and can lead to greater weight gain over time. The brain interprets dieting and restriction as hunger,  6. causes the storage of fat. Besides, the sugar-free diet is confusing and imposes a set of rules that  7. (make) up without scientific evidence. Such a restrictive diet can create food fear or an unhealthy relationship with food. People who worry about food are more likely to diet. This may be 8.they are worried about their weight, or about the impact certain nutrients have on their health.

Through series of experiments, 9. the researchers are certain about is that you can eat plenty of plants, enjoy whole grains and beans. Fruit is your friend, not your enemy. Most people could probably eat a little less sugar, a little  10. (often), but you don’t have to quit it for good to be healthy.

Questions are based on the following passage.

1.

A. The approach to getting good scores. B. The effectiveness of cramming.

C. The impact of a good night’s sleep on a test. D. The better way to prepare for a test.

2.

A. Join the woman in her study. B. Memorize everything on his notes.

C. Entertain himself and have fun. D. Skip lunch and hurry to the cinema.

3.

A. Organize a study group and quiz herself.

B. Get involved in the revision without rest.

C. Review the materials earnestly as scheduled.

D. Focus on the chapters assigned by the teacher.

4.

A. Hardworking and focused. B. Energetic but easily distracted.

C. Score-oriented and efficient. D. Ambitious but readily discouraged.

Questions are based on the following passage.

1.

A. To use an app to order meals. B. To know how to use a GPS signal.

C. To communicate with the robot properly. D. To pay extra money for the delivery.

2.

A. It can move on its two feet at a very fast speed.

B. It can identify the customers through its cameras.

C. 3G technology enables it to find the customers’ houses.

D. It was built by a European online take-away food company.

3.

A. The relationship between human and robot. B. The creative ways to use a robot.

C. The world’s newest invention and technology. D. A self-driving food-delivery robot.

Questions are based on the following passage.

1.

A. They use types of fuel that are not allowed on land.

B. It takes more energy to move through water than over land.

C. Their engines are not as powerful as those of other vehicles.

D. They carry large numbers of passengers and vehicles as well.

2.

A. They are sometimes rude to other tourists.

B. They don’t have meals in local restaurants.

C. They fill up the restaurants and make noise.

D. They complain when the city is too crowded.

3.

A. A new way of travelling. B. Reasons to ban cruise ships.

C. Measures against pollution. D. Problems caused by cruise ships.

A. The woman dreams of becoming a critic someday.

B. The woman is confident in the sales of her paintings.

C. The man doubts that the woman’s paintings will sell well.

D. The man is concerned about critics’ comments on the show.

A. Youngsters don’t really know what fashion is.

B. People should care more about their appearance.

C. It’s not sensible to go after brand-name clothing.

D. Styles change more quickly than necessary nowadays.

A. She’s flying to Hong Kong. B. She’s going to say goodbye to Bill.

C. She’s going to buy an airplane ticket. D. She’s leaving for Hong Kong with Bill.

A. The man can change his room later. B. She has no spare room for a change.

C. The hotel’s business is now very good. D. She’s busy with her business right now.

A. He is sorry for the woman’s absence.

B. He is worried about their trip expense.

C. He suggests the woman bring her daughter.

D. He suggests the woman visit the university.

A. Sending an e-mail. B. Talking on the phone.

C. Working in an office. D. Doing spelling practice.

A. Join the club himself. B. Persuade the member not to quit.

C. Attend the next club meeting. D. Look for someone to fill the position.

A. Travel agency. B. Tour news.

C. A job opportunity. D. Sales strategies.

A. Customer and travel agent. B. Guide and tourist.

C. Customer and shop assistant. D. Trainer and trainee.

A. At a hotel. B. At a travel agency.

C. At an airport. D. At a police station.

Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

假如你是明启中学的学生李华。为丰富学生的在校生活，你校学生会计划开设一个活动室，向学生征询如何布置的建议。请你给学生会主席王平写一份电子邮件，邮件必须包括:

你的建议或设想

你的理由

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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

1.窃贼一定是深夜时从窗户逃出去的。(must)

____________________________

2.在上海处处可见行人为坐在轮椅上的老人或残疾人让路。(make way)

____________________________

3.新生身处不习惯的学习环境，产生焦虑是很自然的。(It)

____________________________

4.唯有亲临这部音乐剧的现场，你才会明白为何六十年来每场演出都座无虚席。(Only)

____________________________

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.

Holding Parents Responsible—An Unfair Punishment

The rise in teen crime suggests that some parents are failing at their parental tasks. To correct the problem, lawmakers in some states require parents to serve jail time. They hope that this punishment will motivate parents to take their responsibilities seriously.

Despite public support for parental responsibility laws, many people think that the laws are unfair. They suggest that parents should not be punished for the criminal acts of their children, unless it can be shown there is a related fault on the parents’ part. For example, if young teenagers are arrested for drinking alcohol supplied by parents, then parents should be held responsible because they helped the teenagers break the law. People who oppose parental responsibility laws also believe that punishing parents is unlikely to create a change in the kids’ behavior. These people argue that parents may not be at fault. The children of good parents can fall in with the wrong kids and get into trouble, they say. Worse yet, if mom is in jail, there may be no one at all to control her kid. That lack of control may then lead to more crime.

The unfortunate fact is that jailing a mom or dad punishes the rest of the family. The jailed parent cannot work to help feed the family or pay the rent. A parent who is sent to jail for the crimes of a teenager may also be fired from a job for missing too much work. Furthermore, little evidence exists to support the idea that the threat of punishment improves a parents’ ability to control a teenager. The problem is that some teens cannot be controlled by their parents, even if the parents try hard to control them. These struggling parents are not ignoring their parental responsibilities. Opponents of parental responsibility laws say that parents who are in this situation need help, not a jail sentence.

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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.

Spacewalk!

Most people don’t know that the anniversary of an important event in space exploration occurred last month. On March 18, 1965, spaceman Aleksi Leonov became the first human to complete an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) or spacewalk. It marked the first time that a human was able to leave a spacecraft and operate in the emptiness of space. It is a dangerous procedure, but one that is vital for the success of manned space missions.

1. In space, a spacesuit must protect people from extreme cold and heat, provide air to breathe, and remove extra carbon dioxide. 2. Too much of it, and the spacesuit becomes firm and difficult to move in. Too little of it, and astronauts can become dangerously sick after returning to their spacecraft.

Astronauts now perform complex jobs in the emptiness of space in modern spacesuits. They have logged many hours repairing and upgrading equipment on satellites during EVAs. 3. On July 20th, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon for the first time. There is no atmosphere on the moon, but there is gravity—about 17 percent of Earth’s, which means Neil needed a special suit for walking on the moon’s surface. Suits for the moon are equipped for exploration far from any vehicles, including tough boots that can resist cuts from the rough surface while walking. But sharp rocks weren’t the only danger to astronauts.

The moon surface is covered with a fine and flour-like dust which consists of small particles (颗粒) left over from the numerous meteorite (陨石) strikes on the moon. 4. When astronauts would leave the moon’s gravity, the dust on their suits began floating all over. It got into delicate equipment inside the spacecraft and the astronaut’s eyes and lungs. As different space agencies plan for returning people to the moon, new EVA suit designs will have to take something else into account. Keeping astronauts safe also means keeping their suits clean.

A. However, EVAs don’t just happen in empty space.

B. It sticks to everything, eventually causing joints and seals to fail.

C. Spacesuits also have to maintain ideal air pressure during a spacewalk.

D. Unfortunately, most people have no idea about space exploration or spacesuits.

E. Without the ability to work in space, we are unable to keep our space programs functional.

F. There are a few things that must be taken into account to make an EVA both safe and effective

    Studies show that older people tend to remember the positive things in life rather than the negative things, while younger people remember the positive and negative equally well. The dominant psychological theory to explain this is that older people are aware of their limited time left, so they prioritize positive emotional experiences. But about a decade ago, I worked with biologist Robert Trivers on his idea that there was an evolutionary basis for older people’s increased positive outlook. Our research took us in the fascinating direction of exploring how the body uses its energy.

When our ancestors needed more energy than usual, perhaps while being chased by a tiger, they had to get that energy from somewhere in the body. Could they borrow it from the brain? That organ uses 20 percent of our metabolic (新陈代谢) output, whether we are solving math problems or watching television reruns. Due to this constant energy requirement, borrowing energy from the brain when our need surpasses the available supply is not an option. Perhaps we could borrow energy from our muscles. Because we use far more muscle energy when we are active than when at rest, in principle, we could borrow energy when we are sitting. But the problem is that most of the energy-demanding emergencies of our ancestors required a muscular response. There was no way to borrow energy from our muscles during an emergency because relaxing when a tiger showed up was not an effective response. This brings us to our immune system, which, when strong, protects us from many illnesses and diseases. Like the brain, the immune system works at great metabolic cost, but largely in the service of keeping us healthy in the future. We have an enormous number of immune cells coursing through our body, a momentary break from production is fine. So, when our body needs extra energy, one of the places it goes is our immune function. When you’re being chased by a tiger, you don’t need to waste energy making immune cells to fight off tomorrow’s cold. What you need is to shift all available energy resources to your legs, with the hope that you will live to experience another cough or sneeze.

As a result, our immune system evolved to run in maximum amounts when we’re happy, but to slow down dramatically when we’re not. With this background in mind, Trivers supposed that older people evolved a strategy of turning this relationship on its head, becoming more focused on the positive things in life in an effort to enhance their immune functioning. This was helped along by their knowing much more about the world than younger adults, so they can deal with some of the unpleasant things in life more easily.

1.According to Robert Trivers, when our body needs extra energy, ______.

A. muscles will respond to it by relaxing a little bit

B. organs will speed up metabolic processes to answer it

C. immune system will temporarily shut down to fulfill it

D. brain will satisfy it by sharing optional metabolic output

2.In paragraph 3 “this relationship” most probably refers to the one between ______.

A. experiences and related knowledge B. happiness and biological evolution

C. immune function and health D. optimism and length of life

3.What can be concluded from Robert Trivers’ study?

A. Younger people adopt strategies of handling tense situations from everyday life.

B. Our ancestors evolved their immune systems in fighting against fierce animals.

C. Realizing that their days are numbered, older people prefer being positive.

D. Being negative drains energy from our body, lowering resistance to disease.

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

A. Brain, muscles and immune system B. Age, health and happiness

C. Ancestors, emergency and evolution D. Energy, effort and response

    Is it wrong—either grammatically or in terms of style—to mix the simple past tense with the past perfect in one sentence? To give an example, the following seems a bit heavy and awkward to me: “There had been a time when she had been happier.’ I prefer: ‘There had been a time when she was happier.’ Any thoughts?

—ALEX

I think the second version is the correct one—it’s shorter and clearer. Rather than focusing on tenses, focus on the clean, short sentence. If something seems heavy and awkward to you, the writer—then it probably is. Always short sentences.
---DIANA
 

I have constructed texts for a range of children’s picture books all based on working profession: bus driver, postman, footballer, cleaner, teacher, policeman to list a few. I’ve listed about thirty professions so far. I thought of titling them as Mr Bus Driver, Mr Postman and so on. Would I be infringing (侵权) the Mr Men titles if I did or should I think of something else?

—RAJIV

The Mr Men stories are based on characteristics, not on jobs—Mr Lazy, Mr Noisy, etc—so they bear no relation to your projects. However, you will come under fire from gender equality supporters—every job you list could equally be done by a woman. No teacher and few parents would find work useful if it implies that all professions are open only to men. I advise you to look at modern children’s books in a library or bookshop.

                                                                ---DIANA

1.Alex wants to know how to ______.

A. avoid uncertain terms in writing B. use tenses properly in one sentence

C. improve grammatical skills D. focus on clear and short sentences

2.Diana reminds Rajiv that he will be severely criticized for ______.

A. tending to hold gender prejudice B. breaking the law using Mr Men titles

C. not characterizing enough professions D. not running a project related to education

3.Which of the following questions is not supposed to be asked if you email Diana?

A. Is there a good market for traditional poems these days?

B. Can you possibly evaluate my recently written novel enclosed?

C. Where can I get some instructive books on writing for my son?

D. How can I write an appropriate acknowledgement for my book?

    The bus screamed to a stop in Nazareth, Israel. Five Australian backpackers boarded and struck up a conversation with me. They asked typical travelers’ questions—where was I going and why was I traveling alone? My plan was to travel with a friend of a friend, I explained, but when I called her that morning, she didn’t pick up and I had no other way to reach her. My stomach was in knots, but I decided to head out anyway, thinking I might run into her if I traveled to Tiberius, where we had planned to go together.

“Why don’t you travel with us?” one of the backpackers offered. They were experienced adventurers who would work for a few months, save, then travel for as long as they could. Their current plan was to explore the Middle East and Europe in three months while working in London.

It seemed risky to travel with strangers, but my instinct said yes. For the next two weeks, I explored Israel with the backpackers and learned to trust my instincts in all types of new and interesting situations. When they hook a ride, I took the bus, but when they wanted to steal into the King David Hotel’s swimming pool, I led the way. The world opened up to me because I chose to travel alone. I joined complete strangers, who become close friends. Years later, one couple from the backpacking group even flew from Sydney to Phoenix to be in my wedding. The trip was such a special experience that it gave me confidence in all areas of my life. Since then, I’ve backpacked alone across South Africa, sky-dived from 12,000 feet in New Zealand and even moved across the U.S. with no job lined up.

On my third day wandering in Israel with my new friends, I bumped into the woman I was supposed to meet. Though I was happy she was all right, I was grateful she hadn’t picked up the phone.

1.By “My stomach was in knots” (in paragraph 1), the author most likely means that she was ______.

A. sick of riding on a bumpy bus B. nervous of meeting strangers

C. upset about the sudden change D. sorry about the impractical plan

2.Which of the following best describes the backpackers the author met?

A. Courageous but disrespectful. B. Jobless and poorly educated.

C. Warmhearted and trustworthy. D. Homeless but lighthearted.

3.The author’s sixth sense told her that ______.

A. she would get along with the backpackers B. it might cause trouble to have a swim

C. she ought to stay away from the backpackers D. it could add excitement to get a free ride

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Most of the backpackers became the author’s lifelong friends.

B. The author gathered the courage to be a fulltime backpack traveler.

C. The woman missed the phone call with the purpose of traveling alone.

D. The author considered it the best decision of her life to travel on her own.

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

Keeping it in the family

“You understand grandmother when she talks to you, don’t you, darling?” The girl nods. I met her, her Japanese mother and English father on a plane to Japan. The parents were eager to ____ their experience of bringing up their daughter bilingually (使用双语地) in London. It isn’t easy: the husband does not speak Japanese, so the child hears the language only from her mother, who has come to ____ that the girl will reply in English. This can be painful. Not sharing your first language with loved ones is hard. Not passing it on to your own child can be especially tough. Many immigrant parents feel a sense of ____.

Children learn languages easily, but this doesn’t mean that ____ exposure is enough. They must hear a language quite a bit to understand it—and use it often to be able to speak it comfortably. This is mental work, and a child who doesn’t have an intention to speak a language will often avoid it. So languages often die when parents move abroad. In the past, governments discouraged immigrant families from keeping their languages. These days, officials tend to be ____; some even see a valuable resource in immigrants’ language abilities. Yet many factors ensure that children still lose their parents’ languages, or never learn them. A big one is institutional ____. A child’s time spent with a second language is time not spent on their first. So teachers often discourage parents from speaking their languages to their children. Parents often ____ obey, worried about their children’s education. This is a(n) ____, for children really can master two languages or even more. Research does indeed suggest their vocabulary in each language may be somewhat smaller for a while, but other studies hint at intellectual advantages among bilinguals. They may be more skillful at complex tasks, better at maintaining attention.

Even without those side effects, ____, a bilingual child’s connection to another culture is a good thing in itself. How to ____? When both parents share the native language, the strategy is often to speak that at home, and the national language outside. But when they have ____ languages, perhaps the most common approach is “one parent, one language”. Francois Grosjean, a language expert from Switzerland, ____ the necessity. He recommends reserving occasions on which the only language that may be spoken is the one that needs ____. Sabine Little, a language expert at the University of Sheffield, puts the emphasis elsewhere. Making the native language yet another task ____ by parents can lead to rejection, she argues. She recommends letting the child form their own ____ connection to the language, for languages are not just another thing to be drilled into a young mind, but a matter of the heart.

1.A. conceal B. publicize C. discuss D. imagine

2.A. accept B. argue C. decide D. ensure

3.A. excitement B. inferiority C. failure D. injustice

4.A. momentary B. maximum C. repeated D. continued

5.A. less stimulated B. less controlling C. more relieved D. more discouraging

6.A. engagement B. feature C. prejudice D. pressure

7.A. cheerfully B. faithfully C. immediately D. reluctantly

8.A. instance B. shame C. ambition D. suggestion

9.A. though B. hence C. besides D. otherwise

10.A. keep it up B. carry it on C. figure it out D. bring it about

11.A. multiple B. different C. foreign D. target

12.A. removes B. challenges C. emphasises D. ignores

13.A. preservation B. restriction C. rejection D. connection

14.A. performed B. imposed C. shared D. recommended

15.A. skillful B. powerful C. apparent D. emotional