People worldwide are living longer. Today, most people can expect to live into their sixties and beyond. By 2050, the world’s population aged 60 and older is expected to total 2 billion, up from 900 million in 2015.

While this shift in proportion (比例) of a country’s population towards older ages---known as ageing---started in high-income countries, for example in Japan, 30% of the population are already over 60 years old, it is now low- and middle-income countries that are experiencing the greatest change. 1.At the biological level, ageing results from molecular (分子的) and cellular damage over time.

This leads to a growing risk of disease and eventually death. 2. That’s why we say there is no “typical” older person. While some 70 year-olds enjoy extremely good health, other 70 year-olds are weak and require a lot of help from others.

3. Retirement, relocation and the death of friends and partners are some of the possible reasons. For example, moving older people to a better house, which seems an admirable behavior, may do harm to their health eventually.

4. Some people believe older people can be active and productive. A longer life brings opportunities,  both  for  older  people  themselves  and  for  society.  They  can  pursue  new activities  such  as  further  education  or  a  new  career.  They  also  contribute  in  many  ways  to communities. 5. This can lead to discrimination against older people. Therefore, society as a whole needs to address the ageist attitude by developing sound policies and offering various opportunities so that older people can experience fulfilling ageing.

A. Nobody can ever escape from the ageing process.

B. But these changes are only loosely linked to a person’s age.

C. Yet the extent of their contribution depends heavily on their health.

D. Beyond biological changes, ageing is also related to other life changes.

E. Although ageing is a universal trend, views towards older people divide.

F. However, to others, older people are weak, dependent, and a burden to society.

G. By 2050, many countries like Chile and China will have a similar rate of older people to Japan.

Understanding Chinese Culture: The Challenge to the West

Late last year, a New Zealand newspaper reported that China was sending 120 doctors to a Pacific island to assist with their community health. A positive action, one might think, but the focus of the story was to ask what China was doing in the Pacific, and how we have failed to the extent that we have allowed this to happen. What are the Chinese doing on “our patch”?

In fact, the rise of China is to a certain degree promoted as a threat. The challenge to the West, then, is to improve an appreciation of what China is. How does China’s cultural heritage present a positive advantage to the world?

To understand this, it is important to consider the foundations of Chinese culture and society. China has more than 5,000 years of uninterrupted cultural development. We at least need to go back 2,500 years to study Taoism, for its cultural and philosophical roots, and Confucius for his social philosophy and influence on society.

Taoism provides us with many aspects of the special nature of Chinese culture and philosophy. The concept of yin and yang in Taoism, which brings us balance through the integration of opposites, is well-known but not fully understood in the West. Chinese medicine, which tends to take a longer time to take effect, with a focus to work in harmony with the body, is to restore imbalance causing diseases rather than targeting only the specific symptom or problem area.

Confucius’ contribution  to  Chinese  society  also  provides  a  difference  to  Western  society. Eastern society places the community as the most important component of society. In Western society, it is the individual that is considered to be the unit of society, compatible with an objective analysis of issues.

Considering a monkey, cow and banana, which is the odd one out? The vast majority of Chinese will choose the cow because the monkey eats the banana, which gives food to the monkey. Western people invariably choose the banana because they see the objective classification of the monkey and cow. The consideration of these two responses, and extension into deeper philosophical understanding, presents a major difference between Chinese and Western thought.

Therefore, the challenge to the West is to embrace an alternative perspective on issues. It is time  for Western media to seek a balance in reporting affairs, and critiqu（e It is time for a Chinese voice to be heard in the West. 评判）the Western perspective.

1.The news report in the first paragraph     _.

A. tells a story of Chinese doctors

B. demonstrates the concern of the West

C. stresses the decline of Western culture

D. shows the medical development of China

2.Why is Chinese medicine mentioned in the passage?

A. To help better understand Taoism.

B. To define the concept of yin and yang.

C. To emphasize the contributions of Taoism.

D. To express the author’s pride in Chinese culture.

3.We can learn from the passage that             .

A. Taoism has a greater influence than Confucianism

B. Confucianism finds balance in integrating opposites

C. the West takes China’s cultural heritage as an advantage

D. Eastern society considers community the essential unit of society

4.The author’s purpose of writing the passage is to             .

A. warn the West of the threat of China

B. introduce to the West what China really is

C. recommend the West to accept the rise of China

D. appeal to the West to have an objective attitude to China

How to Make Friends, According to Science

Friendship is one of life’s most important features, and one too often taken for granted.

The human desire for companionship may feel boundless, but research suggests that our social capital is finite—we can only handle a certain number of relationships at one time. Social scientists have used some creative approaches to measure the size of people’s social networks; these have returned estimates ranging from about 250 to about 5,500 people. Looking more specifically at friendship, a study using the exchange of Christmas cards to test closeness put the average person’s friend group at about 121 people. However vast our networks may be, our inner circle tends to be much smaller. The average American trusts only 10 to 20 people. Moreover, that number may be shrinking: From 1998 to 2017, the average number of trusted friends decreased from three to two. This is both sad and of important consequence, because people who have strong social relationships tend to live longer than those who don’t.

So what should you do if your social life is lacking? Here the research is instructive. To begin with, don’t refuse to consider the humble acquaintance（交情）. Even interacting with people with whom one has weak social ties has a meaningful influence on well-being. Beyond that, building deeper friendships may be largely a matter of putting in time. A recent study out of the University of Kansas found that it takes about 50 hours of socializing to go from acquaintance to casual friend, an additional 40 hours to become a “real” friend, and a total of 200 hours to become a close friend.

If that sounds like too much effort, renewing inactive social ties can be especially rewarding. Reconnected friends can quickly recapture the trust they previously built, while offering each other a dash of novelty（新奇）drawn from whatever they’ve been up to in the meantime. And if all else fails, you could start randomly to tell secrets to people you don’t know that well. Self-disclosure makes us more likable, and as a bonus, we are more likely to favor those to whom we have revealed our soul.

Longing for closeness and connection is common and everywhere, which suggests that most of us are stumbling（跌跌撞撞）through the world, expecting companionship that could be easily provided by the lonesome stumblers all around us. So set aside this article, turn to someone nearby, and try to make a friend.

1.From Paragraph 2, we can know that             .

A. a strong social relationship can guarantee a long life

B. real friendships are based on the exchange of presents

C. people’s inner circle is decreasing despite large social networks

D. people’s social networks depend on their desire for companionship

2.What does the author suggest to improve one’s social life?

A. Sharing secrets with close friends.

B. Choosing likable people as friends.

C. Avoiding the humble acquaintance.

D. Spending time for deeper friendships.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The tips on how to develop friendship.

B. The reasons for seeking companionship.

C. The benefits brought by a good social life.

D. The relationship between friendship and happiness.

4.The author helps readers better understand his idea mainly by             .

A. using research results

B. making comparisons

C. giving some examples

D. telling personal stories

Printable Tags Turn Everyday Objects into Smart Devices

Engineers have developed printable metal tags (标贴) that could be attached to everyday objects and turn them into smart Internet of Things devices.

The metal tags are made from copper foil (铜箔) printed onto thin, flexible, paper-like materials to reflect WiFi signals. The tags work essentially like “mirrors” that reflect radio signals from a WiFi router. When a user’s finger touches these “mirrors”, it disturbs the reflected WiFi signals in such a way that can be remotely sensed by a WiFi receiver like a smartphone.

The tags can be nailed onto objects that people touch every day, like water bottles, walls or doors. These objects then become smart and connected devices that can signal a WiFi device whenever a user interacts with them. The tags can also be shaped into thin keypads or smart home control panels that can be used to remotely operate WiFi-connected speakers and other Internet of Things devices.

Xinyu  Zhang,  a  professor  of  electrical  and  computer  engineering,  named  the  technology LiveTag. He pictures people using LiveTag technology to track human interaction with everyday objects. For example, LiveTag could potentially be used to assess the recovery of patients who have suffered from stroke (中风). “When patients return home, they could use this technology to provide data based on how they interact with everyday objects at home, whether they are opening or closing doors in a normal way, or if they are able to pick up bottles of water, for example. The amount, intensity and frequency of their activities could be recorded and sent to their doctors to evaluate their recovery,” said Zhang. “And this can all be done in the comfort of their own homes rather than having to keep going back to the clinic for frequent testing,” he added.

The researchers note several limitations of the technology. LiveTag currently cannot work with a WiFi receiver further than one meter away, so researchers are working on improving the tag sensitivity and detection range. Ultimately, the team aims to develop a way to make the tags using normal paper and ink printing, which would make them cheaper to mass produce.

1.When people touch a printable metal tag,     .

A. they are actually touching a mirror

B. the WiFi router will stop sending signals

C. the reflected WiFi signals will be disturbed

D. their fingers can be sensed by a WiFi router

2.LiveTag can probably be used to     .

A. precisely locate everyday objects

B. remotely control a WiFi-connected TV

C. easily block signals from WiFi devices

D. greatly improve one’s physical condition

3.LiveTag helps stroke patients by     .

A. evaluating the process of their recovery

B. sending data of their activities to doctors

C. connecting their smartphones with doctors’

D. recording doctors’ assessments of their recovery

In December 2017, I attended a conference. Five successful women delivered speeches on the topic  “Bouncing  Back  after  Setbacks.”  As  I  sat  there  listening  to  their  many  personal  and professional mistakes and setbacks, I felt fortunate that I hadn’t made that many mistakes in my own life.

Those women had lost thousands in investments, started companies but failed, sold companies that later ended up being worth millions, and lost partners in the name of business. Despite knowing that they had, in fact, bounced back and were again doing very well, I was starting to feel sorry for them.

Then, as if someone whispered in my ear, I heard the words: “Don’t be so proud of yourself. You haven’t made any mistakes because you haven’t lived at all. Look how boring your life is.” Whose voice was this, and how dare it speak to me like that?

I think, for the first time, I heard my own heart speak. It shook me to my core, and it took all I had to keep from crying. I started thinking of the mistakes I had made. The voice was right. There weren’t many at all. I had followed a straight path for 38 years. I went to school, earned bachelor’s and  master’s  degrees  with  honors,  and  stayed  at  every  job  I’d  had  far  longer  than  it  was professionally beneficial for me to do so. In fact, at 38, I had only had three jobs. “The devil(魔鬼) you  know is  better than  the  one  you  don’t ” was my motto.

A quick review of my life made me realize that it was the actions I hadn’t taken that I was suddenly regretting. I hadn’t studied abroad. I hadn’t risked love. In fact, I was perpetually single. I hadn’t started a business. I hadn’t traveled enough. I had said “no” far more than “yes”.

The voice that whispered to me continued to the New Year. It was like it laughed at me. The thought of turning forty frightened me. It’s one thing to be unhappy and unsettled in your twenties, and perhaps even in one’s thirties. But was I going to start a new decade with the same boredom? I needed something to pick me up, some activity I could look forward to.

1.How did the author feel when first hearing stories from the 5 speakers?

A. Regretful.    B. Surprised.

C. Lucky.    D. Guilty.

2.The author felt like crying during the conference because she realized                   .

A. she hadn’t lived her life to the fullest

B. she was deeply touched by the women

C. she had nothing to be proud of in her life

D. she had made a lot of mistakes in her life

3.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A. The familiar devil is more frightening.    B. Saying “no” is better than saying “yes”.

C. It’s better to stay within the comfort zone.    D. You’d better change your job more frequently.

4.From the passage, we can learn that the author                     .

A. felt afraid of ageing

B. traveled abroad a lot

C. was married in her thirties

D. decided to do something new

Father’s Example

At the age of 16, my father sat beneath the street light to study until exhaustion kicked in. Sometimes, if he was lucky, the school guard would let him slip into the empty corridors to  ______ the cold. Other nights, the guard shooed him away. The  __________ of electricity in the home he shared with six family members was one of the easier roadblocks to overcome on his path to becoming a _______.

Despite poor conditions, supporting the whole family after Grandpa’s death, and the 60% illiteracy（文盲）rate of his country, Pakistan, my father defeated the odds to establish his own clinic.

However,  he  decided  to  ____________  this  comfortable  lifestyle  and  move  to  America  to   ______ limitless opportunities for his family.

Because of his  __________ , I strive to take advantage of every opportunity. I transferred from my familiar suburban middle school, where I stood out, to the  _________ International Baccalaureate（IB）

Diploma Program. Although I also made sacrifices, like my father, by switching schools, I have no ______ . At my current high school, I have endless  __________  to excel and interact with students from many backgrounds. Leaving my friends and the  __________ of living five minutes from school was a small price to pay after I put my life into perspective. Changing schools gave me the  ______  to pursue rigorous (严格的) courses. My academic future challenges and pushes me.

For the rest of high school, I hope to keep my grades  ________ , excel on standardized tests, and participate in summer programs. I understand that grades do not define a person, but I am motivated to study, like my father,  _________  I reach success.

I firmly believe that to develop our society we must first assist the less  __________ . I hope to choose a career that lets me do this. My motivation to become a doctor results from my desire to ease the  _______ of others. Also, I realize that  ________  is the groundwork of my future and that I must ______  a solid foundation in it to achieve my goals.

______ my father’s sisters, who married young and never graduated from high school, I enjoy my  life in America with infinite possibilities, and I must work to  __________ from all of them. My father  worked  his  entire  life  to  secure  my future.  I  ________  it to  him,  and  to  myself,  to  make something of my education.

1.A. keep    B. escape    C. defend    D. fight

2.A. lack    B. danger    C. delivery    D. power

3.A. lawyer    B. writer    C. doctor    D. professor

4.A. lead    B. adopt    C. leave    D. continue

5.A. check    B. appreciate    C. predict    D. seek

6.A. sacrifice    B. talent    C. instruction    D. preparation

7.A. enjoyable    B. admirable    C. developing    D. challenging

8.A. ideas    B. regrets    C. concerns    D. excuses

9.A. gifts    B. wishes    C. opportunities    D. decisions

10.A. relief    B. honor    C. result    D. comfort

11.A. drive    B. award    C. duty    D. turn

12.A. consistent    B. average    C. typical    D. common

13.A. though    B. if    C. until    D. since

14.A. energetic    B. friendly    C. ambitious    D. fortunate

15.A. burden    B. pain    C. worry    D. stress

16.A. freedom    B. interest    C. health    D. education

17.A. build    B. follow    C. shake    D. give

18.A. Against    B. With    C. Unlike    D. Beyond

19.A. withdraw    B. benefit    C. struggle    D. recover

20.A. offer    B. owe    C. give    D. send

It was almost midnight, but Mary couldn’t fall asleep. “One sheep, two sheep…” She  1. (start) to count sheep. But did it really work? Actually, some  2.  (scientist) believe this may not be a very good way to fall asleep. Some people try so hard to count that they can be more clear-headed. Instead, they can try taking a bath to fall asleep. They can also think about a quiet beach or a walk in the woods,  3. can make them relaxed and fall asleep more  4. (quick).

Today, dogs are found  1.  (help) to all who fly in airplanes. They are trained to smell, track, and find bombs on planes and in luggage. Dogs are easy to train because they already have deep connection to humans. Many of these dogs are donated to the safety program, where they2. (give) a good home. The partnership between dogs and humans allows each to profit from the special talents of the other as they work together  3.（save）lives.

Hangzhou is one of China’s most popular cities. It is full of cultural heritage(遗产) and famous 1.  its natural scenery. Italian traveller Marco Polo described Hangzhou as the  2.  (fine) and most splendid city in the world. The beauty of West Lake has inspired countless poets and painters, and you can’t leave without  3. (try) the Longjing Shrimp, one of Hangzhou’s signature dishes. The dynamic city is home to many of China’s tech companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba.

每年，国家科学技术奖励大会都会在北京人民大会堂隆重举行，届时党和国家领导人会为获奖的科学家颁奖。请你围绕以下要点谈谈你的感想。

1．党和政府为什么如此重视科技事业的发展；

2．作为一名高中生，你应该如何去做。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2．短文要求包含所有要点，但不要逐条翻译；

3．可以适当发挥，增加细节以使行文连贯。

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Long ago the Emperor decided to hold a swimming race between 13 different animals. The order in which they finished would decide the order of their 1. (appear) on the Chinese calendar.

All the animals lined up on the river bank and were given 2. task of getting to the opposite shore. The cat wondered how he would get there 3. he was afraid of water. The ox worried he couldn’t cross the river 4. his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat 5. (jump) onto the ox’s back and guide him across. The ox, steady and hard­working, did not notice the two animals on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat ran behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed 6. into the water. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first, 7. the rat got the first year 8. (name) after him and the ox got the second year. 9. the lazy pig reached the finishing line in the 12th place, the race was over and the pig was awarded the final place on the calendar.

From that day on, the cat, 10. never finished the race and lost his place on the calendar, became the enemy of the rat.

The summer holiday was over and for 7-year-old Ella, school was starting again. She was now in the second grade and felt very _______ . But she said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

Many new kids came into her ________ , two of whom spoke with accents. One spoke with a Spanish accent and the ________ spoke Portuguese. Ella came home and told her dad and mom about the two girls. The ________asked if she shared something ________ herself. She said, “Yes, but it was hard to ________ them.” But, she said, “I TRUST IN ME, and I’ll get to ________ them better tomorrow.”

One noon Ella wanted to eat inside ________ it was cold outside. She went to the canteen to find a ________ when Kyle came over and ________ her off the bench (长 凳). Ella was so ________ , and started to cry. She ________ terrible, but said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

On the same day, Ella’s friend Hannah told her Kyle was ________ to her too. Ella wanted to tell Kyle to be friendly to Hannah but was ________ . So she asked for her parents’ help. They gave her much ________ , saying, “I’m sure that, if you ________ to Kyle that she’s being rude, she would understand.” The next day when Ella saw Kyle, she ________ Kyle not to be rude to Hanna or anyone. Ella was very ________ because she said to herself, “I TRUST IN ME.”

Ella ________ a lot in the second grade and most importantly she learned to ________ herself because she knows she can do anything.

1.A. curious    B. excited    C. disappointed    D. uncomfortable

2.A. life    B. class    C. way    D. bedroom

3.A. former    B. another    C. other    D. next

4.A. parents    B. brothers    C. teachers    D. friends

5.A. by    B. for    C. with    D. about

6.A. invite    B. understand    C. approach    D. persuade

7.A. like    B. help    C. know    D. instruct

8.A. because    B. yet    C. and    D. if

9.A. chance    B. cook    C. partner    D. seat

10.A. set    B. pushed    C. saw    D. knocked

11.A. embarrassed    B. surprised    C. impressed    D. puzzled

12.A. remained    B. looked    C. became    D. felt

13.A. respectful    B. polite    C. mean    D. kind

14.A. afraid    B. cautious    C. nervous    D. shy

15.A. space    B. encouragement    C. blame    D. challenge

16.A. show    B. prove    C. promise    D. explain

17.A. warned    B. forbade    C. told    D. forced

18.A. brave    B. direct    C. determined    D. enthusiastic

19.A. thought    B. learned    C. worked    D. talked

20.A. look after    B. depend on    C. believe in    D. care about

Reading books is one of the best hobbies. It not only helps you pass your time but also helps you increase your knowledge in a meaningful manner. 1. Here we will give you a few tips that can help you.

● Fall into the habit of borrowing books to read.

This is a very old school practice but still it can be highly effective (有效的). When you borrow a book, there is obviously a deadline (期限) set. 2.

● Read everywhere.

Keep a book in your bag and read it anywhere you go. This will help you to pass your time in a very productive manner. 3. Anyway, you can read your book 24 hours a day.

●4.

This can easily be described as a new school technique. You can read out to your brother or sister and this will enable you to finish your book as well as increase the knowledge and understanding of your brother or sister.

● Choose your books very carefully.

5. Thus choose your books very carefully in order to enjoy your time and also finish your book effectively. If you choose a good book that can keep you interested for a longer period of time, there is no way that you are going to leave it incomplete.

A. Read out to someone else.

B. Realize the importance of reading books.

C. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the reading habit.

D. Find an excuse to read every day just by visiting book clubs.

E. Yes, life is too short to read a book that doesn’t impress you.

F. It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling or are about to sleep.

G. This can encourage you to read it often to finish the book on time.

The number of buses, taxis and other vehicles on Kenya’s roads is growing every day. Now, the country’s first electric-powered motorbikes are coming onto the market. The bike is designed to cut down on pollution and aimed at low-income communities. Most motorbikes used in Kenya depend on gasoline, but not this new motorbike.

Three university students developed the new ecotran bike. It catches the sun’s energy, stores it in batteries and uses it to charge (充电) the electric motor. Robert Achoge is one of the student inventors. “Our hope is that by the fifth year, we will be able to cover the whole of Kenya with the electric motorcycle so as to protect the environment and provide affordable transport.”

The students have set up a charging station for the motorbikes in Nairobi. The small battery can run for 70 kilometers when fully charged. Once the power is used up, the motorbike has to return to the station while another charged battery is connected to the bike. The U.S. African Development Foundation (ADF) is helping set up two solar-powered charging stations in the port of Kisumu.

Each ecotran bike costs about $700. One taxi operator says the new motorbike costs less to operate than that running on traditional gasoline. “When it comes to buying gasoline, there’s no need. It’s basically good for various things. As long as you won’t take quite a heavy load (装载), you can go with it anywhere. Otherwise, it may break down halfway. But now people still have a preference to the gas-powered bikes.”

A Nairobi businessman Kennedy Kusimba is selling the ecotran bikes. He hopes they will become popular. “We also know they are more reliable compared to the gas-powered bikes. They are more efficient (效率高的) and they will last longer.”

1.What has happened to the vehicles in Kenya?

A. Motorbikes are not allowed on the road.

B. A new kind of motorbike is hitting the road.

C. There are fewer buses and taxis in the street.

D. Traditional motorbikes don’t need gasoline any more.

2.What do we know about the ecotran bike?

A. It was developed by the ADF.

B. It can charge itself while running.

C. Its energy comes from the sunlight.

D. It does more harm to the environment.

3.What do people think of the ecotran bike?

A. It’s better not to use it to carry too much.

B. It is a good choice for the long-distance journey.

C. It will take the place of gas-powered bikes soon.

D. It is much more expensive than a traditional motorbike.

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A. A research plan.    B. An advertisement.

C. A business report.    D. A science magazine.

Megan McDonald is the writer of the popular Judy Moody and Stink books. McDonald, the youngest of five girls, grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I talked with her for our magazine recently. Here are some questions I asked and her answers to them.

Q: What was the inspiration for your characters Judy Moody and Stink?

A: My original inspiration came from growing up with so many sisters.

We grew up in a family of readers and storytellers. I had all these funny stories about my sisters that I wanted to tell. The first Judy Moody book probably has the most stories that came from my childhood. After that, Judy and Stink really took on a life of their own. Everyone knows a “Judy Moody” in his/her life.

Q: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?

A: Beverly Cleary with the Ramona books. Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh was also a really important book for me growing up. And now, I would say that one of my most favorite authors is Katherine Paterson. I love her book called The Great Gilly Hopkins. Gilly is so individual, strong-minded and willful. She’s not always perfect. Judy Moody was sort of inspired by that character. I love that book.

Q: What advice do you have for kids who want to write books?

A: It’s really simple. I think the best thing anybody — a kid or an adult — can do if he/she wants to write is to read. I feel really strongly about that because I think reading is not only what inspires us, but it’s a way that we learn languages, and it’s a way that we learn how stories work with beginnings, middles, and ends. For me, it all begins with reading.

1.According to Megan McDonald, growing up with so many sisters .

A. kept her from reading

B. wasn’t a very good experience

C. helped her write books in later life

D. made her different from other girls

2.The underlined sentence means Judy and Stink .

A. became popular with readers

B. wanted to become independent

C. were just ordinary people in our lives

D. developed no longer based on McDonald’s childhood

3.McDonald’s last answer mainly shows reading is .

A. simple    B. important

C. private    D. basic

4.Who talked with Megan McDonald in the text?

A. A teacher.    B. A TV reporter.

C. A fan.    D. A journalist

We’ve got two dogs, Roxie and Cosita. My childhood memories are full of the cats we’ve loved, from my dad’s cat, Bandit, to our beloved white cat Cecelia, whose gray fur formed a perfect heart shape across her stomach. But since our last cat friend, Sunny the orange cat, died too young, we’ve been cat-less. The sudden loss of Sunny was hard to move on from, especially for my mom.

This year, Mom finally thought she was ready for a new kitten. It was all she wanted for her birthday on June 16. “Roxie and Cosita need a new friend!” she said. In the week leading up to her birthday, something happened. She started to hear a kitten’s meow (喵叫声) in the garage. Every time she went in and out of the garage, she could hear the soft cries but couldn’t tell the exact position of the sound. She asked my dad if he heard it too. He only shrugged (耸肩). At last, Mom’s birthday was arriving. She kept her fingers crossed, hoping for a kitten.

Over the past week, my dad had heard the kitten’s meow every time he walked past my mom’s car. One day he opened the hood (车盖) of the car, and a yellow kitten stared back at him. How in the world did she get there? And where did she come from? Dad didn’t know, but he fed the kitten every day, waiting for the day he’d give her to Mom.

The little kitten was such a perfect birthday gift, and Dad even didn’t need to leave the house to find her for my mom’s happy birthday! When it came time to name our new furry friend, we took inspiration from a song famously performed by Wilson Pickett and called her “Sally”.

1.What was difficult for Mom to forget?

A. The young orange cat’s death.

B. The moving of one of her friends.

C. The sudden death of the cat Bandit.

D. The heart shape across Cecelia’s stomach.

2.What gift did Mom hope for?

A. A new car.    B. A little cat.

C. A little dog.    D. A new cassette.

3.What can we learn about Sally?

A. Dad hid her in Mom’s car.

B. Sally was bought for Mom.

C. Sally was named after a song.

D. Mom received her ahead of the birthday.

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. A new home for Sally    B. My pet friends in memory

C. My mom’s happy birthday    D. An unexpected birthday gift

Zoos give people a chance to get close to animals from every continent in the world. But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth visiting. Singapore Zoo

At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans (猩猩) sits nearby enjoying theirs. A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. Or join the Wild Discoverer tour for a detailed look at some of the animals.

Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals. Those who want to sleep with zebras (斑马) have a chance at this zoo. Special overnight journeys allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests.

Taronga Zoo

The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia offers special animal contact. Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. For those who want to learn what it’s like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a “Keeper for A Day” program for anyone over 18 years old.

San Diego Zoo

At Southern California’s San Diego Zoo, animals live in natural-looking areas. Wildlife photography (摄影) lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. The zoo offers people opportunities to meet a lion or feed a rhino. The zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back.

1.Where can you breakfast with orangutans?

A. At Bronx Zoo.    B. At Taronga Zoo.

C. At Singapore Zoo.    D. At San Diego Zoo.

2.The “Keeper for A Day” program is intended for .

A. animal protectors    B. wildlife researchers

C. adults working with keepers    D. adults interested in keepers’ life

3.At San Diego Zoo, you can .

A. sleep with lions or rhinos

B. join the Wild Discoverer tour

C. camp out overnight on the zoo grounds

D. have a better communication with animals

假定你是李华，上周应留学生朋友Leslie的邀请，你去听了一场钢琴音乐会，你打算教他认识中国汉字以示感谢。就此请你用英语给他写一封信件，内容包括：

1.对受邀表示感谢；

2.简要回忆音乐会及感受；

3.提出教他汉字作为回报。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Leslie,

How is everything getting along with you recently?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在该漏字符号下写上该加的词。

删除:把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。

修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该横线下写上修改后的词。

注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

I have been fond of playing chess for many years and I have made a rapid progress, for which I am proud. However, I came across the chess player on the Internet several days ago. While played, I was so eager to win. But because of my carelessness, I failed in the end, what got me crazy. I burst into tear. My parents looked at me in silence. Only when I calmed down they tell me that it was no use get angry when we met with failures. What we should do is learn to control our emotions or try to do better next time. I was ashamed of what I did. “Never will I lose my temper again.”I told me.

1.You will never gain success unless you are fully d__________ to your work.

2.Hearing the news that he had passed the exam, Jack breathed in r__________ .

3.There is no d_________ that the concert will be held as scheduled.

4.After 10 years’ hard work, her dream became a r__________.

5.She was a_________ into Peking University in July 2018, which made her parents very happy.

6.All men are created ___________.(平等的)

7.It is the __________(保护) for trees that really matters, rather than how many trees are planted.

8.English is a subject __________(属于) to the college entrance examination subjects.

9.Many people hold the wrong view that money can __________(解答，解决) everything.

10.I need some __________(志愿者) to help the washing-up.

We all make mistakes more than once. 1.(hope), we learn from them finally. We all have wishes that we can’t make2.(come) true. We all make a 3. (judge) of other people and then find out they are really nice people. And we don't know what difficulty they have gone through in life4.has made them who they are. We all get jealous(嫉妒的) of others even if we shouldn’t. We should be secure enough in ourselves and our partners and we should be happy for our friends when they 5.(success) in something.

We are all humans and have human6. (feel). That doesn’t make us bad people7.that’s part of 8.makes us human .We just have to remember: when we have bad thoughts we have to turn 9.into positive ones.

We all have to be10.( thank) for what we have. Be kind to yourself and others and you will be happy.

I don’t know about your neighborhood but where I live, there seems to be a serious mosquito invasion(侵略). We’ve always known mosquitoes ______us, so we do everything_____to make sure they don’t get us.

To prevent them from getting into the_____ , we always make sure we close the doors and windows.______, this in itself is a challenge_____people still need to come in and out of the house. So you can’t _____them out completely.

Speaking of the “____”, what is it really? I’m sure you know its meaning in the dictionary, but let’s ______its purpose for a minute. Does a door have the ability to work on its own? No, it doesn’t _____whether it is an electric door or a normal wooden one, someone or something has to control its ____.

Our lives are full of doors that only we can____. We decide when and who to ____through them. Look at the doors of _____, for example. Do you know no one becomes your friend_____your own decision? Yes, you may have met by chance but the decision to keep that friendship/relationship going is what you make as a person. The______comes in when you become heartbroken, hurt and bitter, and then you realize it is the_____door to open._____, not many people are able to close such a door after it opens and as a result, they have very many mean people staying in____relationships that tire them and suck(吸吮)their ______like the mosquitoes do. If you are in such a _____, do yourself a favor and close that door to keep those “mosquitoes” away.

1.A. injure    B. destroy    C. kill    D. attack

2.A. amazing    B. reliable    C. possible    D. legal

3.A. house    B. body    C. way    D. pillow

4.A. Besides    B. However    C. Moreover    D. Therefore

5.A. as    B. so    C. as if    D. even if

6.A. send    B. lock    C. set    D. make

7.A. challenge    B. question    C. mosquito    D. door

8.A. make use of    B. think highly of    C. think about    D. search for

9.A. happen    B. work    C. care    D. matter

10.A. movement    B. progress    C. track    D. position

11.A. select    B. control    C. design    D. decorate

12.A. look    B. enter    C. pull    D. check

13.A. future    B. work    C. friendship    D. education

14.A. for    B. without    C. after    D. in

15.A. cause    B. opportunity    C. problem    D. result

16.A. secret    B. proper    C. wrong    D. back

17.A. Finally    B. Evidently    C. Typically    D. Unluckily

18.A. peaceful    B. unhealthy    C. personal    D. generous

19.A. tears    B. sweat    C. blood    D. water

20.A. society    B. way    C. style    D. situation

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Being a superhero to others

Ewan Drum has always liked superheroes. He likes how they help people. At age seven, he told his parents, “I want to dress up like a superhero and help the homeless. ” 1.Wearing his red superhero cape (斗篷), Ewan helped pass out 70 bag lunches to hungry people in a park in Detroit, Michigan. That’s how Super Ewan was born.

2.People donated(捐赠) money and supplies (供给物), and Ewan took them to those in need.

When someone donated jugs(大罐) of water, Ewan and his family drove their car to get even more. They took the water to Flint, Michigan, a city that had unsafe drinking water. Another time, a businessman donated six turkeys(火鸡) for Thanksgiving.3.“In the end”, he says,“we gave 64 turkey dinners to families all around Detroit.”

Ewan has a motto: Everyone can be a superhero to someone. At an event called the Hero Round Table, Ewan told the audience,“It’ s not hard to help people.You can keep some socks and food in your car to help people in need. You can help a neighbor with doing the garden. 4. .”

It' s been several years since Super Ewan started his task. Every month, he still visits the same park to hand out clothes, food, and supplies to people who are hungry or homeless ---his Super Friends. 5.

“No matter what, ”Ewan says, “I will always keep helping people.”

A.News spread about Ewan’ s act of kindness.

B. This superhero says he’ ll never take off his cape.

C. Ewan says he wants more adults to act like superheroes.

D. Every little thing helps and can make someone feel happy.

E. A few months later, Ewan ’s family planned a day of giving.

F. Several days later, his parents drove to Flint and helped him raise a lot of money.

G. With his parents’ help, Ewan asked for more turkeys through the Internet, plus side dishes.

Alexa is a form of artificial intelligence, or AI for short. Many people start their mornings by asking Alexa for the weather forecast or the latest news. A device(设备) that houses Alexa can also play music from your favorite playlists, keep a shopping list, order takeout food, answer questions, send messages and even run “smart” home controls.

Training AI systems to respond to problems with human-like intelligence and learn from their mistakes can take months, or even years. Consider Alexa and similar software, such as Apple’s Siri. To do the tasks its human owners ask, these systems must make sense of and then respond to sentences such as, “Alexa, play my Ed Sheeran playlist” or “Siri, what is the capital of India?”

Computers can’ t understand language as it is spoken by people. So AI researchers must find a way to help humans communicate with computers. The technology used to get computers to “understand” human speech or text is known as natural language processing. By natural language, computer scientists refer to the way people naturally talk or write. To teach an AI system a task like comprehending(理解) a sentence or responding to a person ’s last move in a board game, scientists need to feed it lots of examples.

AlphaGo is an AI system designed by Google that has beaten a human champion, Lee Sedol, at the strategy(策略) board game Go. To train AlphaGo, Google had to show it 30 million Go moves that people had made while playing the game. Then AlphaGo used what it learned to analyze those plays as it played against different versions (版本) of itself. During this practice, the program came up with new moves---ones never seen in games between people.

1.What does the example of Alexa show?

A. AI may replace humans one day.    B. AI is playing a role in our modern life.

C. AI has been widely used around the world.    D. AI has totally changed people’s bad habits.

2.How do scientists train AI systems?

A. By testing them thousands of times.    B. By teaching them almost everything.

C. By giving them quite a lot of tasks to do.    D. By providing them with large amounts of data.

3.What can we learn about AlphaGo?

A. It has become very skillful and intelligent    B. It is the most convenient AI system.

C. It avoids making any mistakes    D. It just follows human orders

Nola (August 21, 1974 -November 22, 2015) was a northern white rhino who lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido, California. At her death, she was one of only four remaining northern white rhinos in the world. The other three lived in Kenya. World Rhino Day, held on September 2, is to raise awareness(意识) of the less than 30,000 other rhinos left on Earth.

“Rhinos need our help today, not tomorrow,”Nola’s lead keeper Jane Kennedy said. “Last year we lost over 1,200 rhinos just in South Africa. If we continue to lose more than 1,000 rhinos a year, in 10 to 20 years all the rhinos on the planet will be gone.”

“Unfortunately, most animals are in danger of dying out because of humans,” Kennedy says.“ Humans have either poached animals, or because there are over seven billion of us, we’ ve taken up too much of the world’s resources ”. Poachers illegally hunt rhinos for their horns. They sell the horns for thousands of dollars per pound, to be used for art, jewelry, and decorations.Experts believe that one rhino is poached every eight hours.

In 1975, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research started the Frozen Zoo, a program through which researchers have collected cell (细胞) samples from more than 8,000 different types of animals, including the northern white rhino. Scientists hope that by studying the rhino cells, they will get greater understanding of it, and will find ways to increase its numbers.

Jane Kennedy describes World Rhino Day as “a celebration of rhinos along with an awareness campaign for everybody across the world to know that rhinos need our help.”At the San Diego Zoo, children and adults are welcome to visit and speak with zookeepers to learn about rhinos. But you don’ t have to live in San Diego to celebrate World Rhino Day. It is observed around the world, with zoos and wildlife parks holding special events and programs to teach people about rhinos, and enable them to see the animals up close. For more information, go to www.worldrhinoday.org.

1.What do we know about Nola?

A. It was a baby white rhino.

B. It was one of the last of its kind.

C. It lived with other northern white rhinos in Kenya.

D. It died on September 22 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

2.What troubled Jane Kennedy according to Paragraph 2?

A. The rhinos’ uncertain future.    B. The rhinos’ strange activities.

C. The limited natural resources.    D. The rare animals in South Africa.

3.What does the Frozen Zoo aim to do?

A. Invent new kinds of animals.    B. Keep animals from dying out.

C. Prevent rhinos from being hunted.    D. Raise public awareness of rhinos.

4.What is the main purpose of the last paragraph?

A. To help people know more about animals.    B. To encourage people to protect rhinos.

C. To report special events in San Diego.    D. To introduce World Rhino Day.

One Sunday, Nicholas, a teenager, went skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. In the early afternoon, when he was planning to go home, a fierce snowstorm swept into the area.Unable to see far, he accidentally turned off the path. Before he knew it, Nicholas was lost, all alone! He didn’t have food, water, a phone, or other supplies. He was getting colder by the minute.

Nicholas had no idea where he was. He tried not to panic(惊慌). He thought about all the survival shows he had watched on TV. It was time to put the tips he had learned to use.

He decided to stop skiing. There was a better chance of someone finding him if he stayed put. The first thing he did was to find shelter from the freezing wind and snow. If he didn’t, his body temperature would get very low, which could quickly kill him.

Using his skis, Nicholas built a snow cave. He gathered a huge mass of snow and dug out a hole in the middle. Then he piled branches on top of himself, like a blanket, to stay as warm as he could.

By that evening, Nicholas was really hungry. He ate snow and drank water from a nearby stream so that his body wouldn’t lose too much water.Not knowing how much longer he could last, Nicholas did the only thing he could--- he huddled in his cave and slept.

The next day, Nicholas went out to look for help, but he couldn’t find anyone. He followed his tracks and returned to the snow cave, because without shelter, he could die that night. On Tuesday, Nicholas went out to find help. He had walked for about a mile when a volunteer searcher found him. After two days stuck in the snow, Nicholas was saved.

Nicholas might not have survived this snowstorm had it not been for TV. He had often watched Grylls’ survival show Man Vs. Wild. That’s where he learned the tips that saved his life. In each episode of Man Vs. Wild, Grylls is abandoned in a wild area and has to find his way out.

When Grylls heard about Nicholas’ amazing deeds, he was super impressed that Nicholas had made it since he knew better than anyone how hard Nicholas had to work to stay alive.

1.What happened to Nicholas one Sunday afternoon?

A. He got lost.    B. He broke his skis.

C. He hurt his eyes.    D. He caught a cold.

2.How did Nicholas keep himself warm?

A. He found a shelter.    B. He kept on skiing.

C. He built a snow cave.    D. He lighted some branches.

3.On Tuesday, Nicholas_________.

A. returned to his shelter safely    B. was saved by a searcher

C. got stuck in the snow    D. stayed where he was

4.Nicholas left Grylls a very deep impression because he___________.

A. did the right things in the dangerous situation    B. watched Grylls' TV program regularly

C. created some tips for survival    D. was very hard-working

Since 1904, Ravinia Festival has been Chicago’s “sound of summer”, a place where you can meet up with your friends, have a wonderful time and hear some of the greatest music in the world. We’ ve got stars on the stage and stars in the sky, and it’s all within your reach. But there’s more to Ravinia than merely the world’s greatest music. For as many people who walk through Ravinia’s gate each summer, there are just as many ways to enjoy what we call “The Ravinia Experience”. For some, it all starts with a picnic picked up along the way, greeting your friends at your favorite spot on the lawn.

Ravinia Dining

Whether you want to add a bottle of wine and some cheese to your picnic on the lawn or sit down to a meal, Ravinia has a wide variety of choices and we welcome you to explore them all.

Ravinia gifts

There are two locations for your shopping convenience! Visit our Main Store in the Dining Pavilion. There you will find different CDs, jewelry, games and more. Or fill your more immediate needs at the shop located behind the Martin Theatre.

How to Buy Tickets

Online

Tickets for the 2018 season begin to go on sale online on Tuesday April 25. Ravinia Festival’s online ticketing makes ordering tickets for your favorite performances easier than ever before.It is available 24 hours a day at www.ravinia.org.

Click on the date of your choice to select an event, select your seats and add it to your ticket order. Once you have selected all the events you wish to attend, simply enter your payment information and submit your order.

By Phone

Phone sales for the 2018 season start on Monday May 22.

Order tickets by phone by calling 847-266-5100.

Monday- Friday: 10: 00 am-5: 00 pm

Saturday/Sunday: Closed

1.It can be inferred that Ravinia Festival is ____________.

A. an annual music festival    B. a celebration of old folk music

C. a big food party with music performances    D. a traditional holiday with music and food

2.What does the underlined word “stars”in the first paragraph refer to?

A. Big movie stars    B. Famous cooks or bands

C. Guests at an evening party.    D. Famous musicians or singers

3.If you buy tickets online for the festival, you can _________.

A. choose where to sit    B. get some discount

C. decide the time of any performance    D. change the date of an event after payment

4.If you want to experience Ravinia Festival, you can_________.

A. go to Chicago in April    B. make a call at weekends

C. go to Chicago in the summer    D. visit www.ravinia.org before April

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1.What happened to the Cuyahoga River in 1969?

A. It was cleaned up.

B. It was seriously polluted.

C. It became the most outstanding river.

2.How long did it take for the river to become clean?

A. A few months.    B. Several years.    C. A few days.

3.What can make the river clean according to the speaker?

A. Hard work.

B. Something imaginable.

C. The control of using your credit card.

4.What shall we do when facing an impossible situation?

A. Wait for something to change.

B. Imagine something outstanding.

C. Just be patient and do something.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What does the man want to do?

A. To reserve a car.    B. To book a room.    C. To rent a car.

2.What size of the car does the man intend to hire?

A. Large.    B. Middle.    C. Small.

3.How much need the man pay for the rented car for the weekend?

A. $80.    B. $89.    C. $120.

4.Where can the man find his rented car?

A. In the Hotel.    B. On Peter Street.    C. In the parking lot.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Where does the conversation take place?

A. In an office.    B. In a restaurant.    C. In a hotel.

2.What kind of steak will the man have?

A. Rare.    B. Well-done.    C. Medium.

3.What does the man start his meal with?

A. A cream and onion soup.

B. Some baked potatoes.

C. An iced tea with a lemon.