From Mozart to Metallica, tons of people enjoy listening to various types of music while they paint, write, or draw. Many believe that music helps improve creativity, but an international study conducted by English and Swedish researchers and published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology is challenging that notion. Psychologists from Lancaster University, the University of Gavle, and the University of Central Lancashire say that their findings indicate music actually prevents creativity.

To come to their conclusions, researchers had participants complete verbal problems designed to inspire creativity while sitting in a quiet room, and then again while music played in the background. They found that background music obviously weakened the participants’ ability to complete tasks associated with verbal creativity. The research team also tested background music such as those commonly heard in a library, but found that such music had no impact on participants’ creativity.

The tasks were simple word game. For example, participants were given three words, such as dress, dial, and flower. Then, they were asked to find a single word associated with all three that could be combined to form a common phrase or word. The single word in this case, would be “sun” (sundress, sunflower, etc.). Participants completed the tasks in either a quiet room, or while exposed to three different types of music: music with unfamiliar lyrics (歌词), instrumental music, or music with familiar lyrics.

“We found strong evidence of imperfect performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions,” said co-author Dr. Neil McLatchie. Dr. McLatchie and his colleagues conclude that music even familiar music with well-known lyrics disturbs the participants’ focus, preventing creativity. Also, as for the library background music having seemingly no effect, the study’s authors believe that was the case because library music creates a “steady state” environment that doesn’t affect concentration.

1.What does the underlines word “notion” in Paragraph mean?

A.suggestion B.opinion C.principle D.theory

2.Except the library background music, how many background conditions were created for the participants?

A.3. B.4. C.5. D.6.

3.What’s the purpose of the study about music?

A.To prove that music is beneficial to people’s health.

B.To make it known that music can improve people’s memory.

C.To test whether music is beneficial for creativity or not.

D.To indicate why background music in library is popular.

4.Which of the following is actually disturbed by background music?

A.Patience. B.Hearing ability. C.Environment. D.Concentration.

    Many healthy women in their late 70s tie up their walking shoelaces (鞋带) or hiking boots to stay active. But not Suzelle Poole. Six days week, the willowy (苗条的) 78-year-old Dallas ballet instructor laces up her dance shoes and teaches classical ballet, as she’s done for decades.

Madame Poole, as her students call her, also regularly performs ballet throughout the Dallas area as a guest artist with local dance companies. And she dances at the assisted-living centers along with her students. “People in care centers can relate to me because I’m about the same age.” Poole said, “I hope to get them interested in exercise. Plus, I enjoy showing them that it is never too late to do something you love.”

Ballet has always seemed as natural to her as breathing, she said, beginning with the first day when she took lessons at age 7 in London, where she was born. “I loved it from the start,” she said. “and when my parents took me to watch the well-known Margot Fonteyn in a ballet, I just knew it was something wanted to be a part of forever.”

Because 30 is the average age for most dancers to retire, Poole said, she thought she would be lucky to continue performing into her late 20s. Nobody was more surprised than she was when she continued to dance into her 40s, 50s and beyond. “I didn’t set out to be dancing ballet in my 70s,” she said, “but I’m certainly happy that it turned out that way. I have strong feet, strong knees and very strong back.” she added.

1.How is Suzelle Poole different from those of her age?

A.She often goes for walk. B.She starts learning ballet late.

C.She keeps fit through dancing. D.She loves collecting hiking boots.

2.Why does Suzelle Poole dance in care centers?

A.To meet dance companies’ requirement. B.To motivate people there to stay active.

C.To support her students’ volunteer work. D.To make friends with some people there.

3.According to the text, we know that Margot Fonteyn ________.

A.informed Suzelle Pooles’ parents about her talent

B.continued dancing ballet with Suzelle Poole on stage

C.taught Suzelle Poole to dance ballet for several years

D.inspired Suzelle Poole to devote her whole life to ballet

4.What can we say about Suzelle Poole’s dancing ballet in her 70s?

A.It is out of her expectation. B.It is her original dream.

C.It earns her nothing but reputation. D.It has little to do with her health.

Pet Therapy Program

Our program involves trained volunteers and their dogs who visit the children at CHOP. This program gives the children the opportunity to interact safely with the dogs and receive their unconditional love and acceptance in the hope of making the hospital environment more comfortable and less stressful and helping them recover.

For the safety of our patients and their families, we ask all possible volunteers to meet the following requirements:

● Age. You must be 188 years or older, and your dog must be at least one year old.

● Certification. We require all therapy dogs and handlers have a current therapy certification through Delta Society or Therapy Dogs International.

● Time commitment. We ask pet therapy volunteers to commit to a minimum of one two-hour shift (轮班) per month.

● Health. All volunteers and their dogs are required to be healthy. Volunteers have to receive the seasonal flu vaccine (疫苗), which is provided free of charge at CHOP. Dogs cannot be on a raw food diet at any time during their participation in the program. Dogs must be washed within 24 hours of the visit and dry upon entering the hospital.

● Restrictions. Volunteers must obey all patient confidentiality (隐私) guidelines and hospital policies. Dogs must be on leash (皮带). For identification purposes, your dog must wear a piece of colored cloth at all times while in the hospital.

If you’re interested in our program, please call 215-590-2001 or e-mail PPPTP@email. chop. edu.

1.What is CHOP?

A.A pet hospital. B.A medical school.

C.A children’s hospital. D.A volunteer organization.

2.What is the main purpose of the program?

A.To reduce patients’ pain caused by their diseases.

B.To train therapy dogs well enough to serve the patients.

C.To make child patients feel comfortable and recover soon.

D.To do some research on dogs’ contribution to medical science.

3.What can we learn about the dogs that work for the program?

A.They must be on a diet.

B.They must be kept clean and dry.

C.They are allowed to walk around freely in the hospital.

D.They must wear colored clothes to attract people’s attention.

最近央视节目《朗读者》掀起了一股全民读书潮，假定你是李华，你和你的朋友在学校创办了一个英文读书俱乐部（English Reading Club）。请你在社团艺术节上做一个演讲，介绍一下俱乐部的一些情况并招募会员。内容包括：1.创办目的；2.活动安排；3.会员条件。

注意：1.词数100左右，文章开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Hello, boys and girls!

I’m Lihua, a senior two student.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you!

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有5处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词；

删除:把多余的词用(\)划掉；

修改:在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意:

1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改5处，多者(从第6处起)不计分

Tommy is four years old, an age that children usually have a lot of questions. Every time when he goes out with parents, he asks a million questions. Some are embarrassed. Last week he asked a middle-aged woman, “How old are you?” She didn’t answer. Maybe when he grew up, he won’t ask so many questions.

    Last summer vacation, I was invited to be an instructor at a high school ____ camp. On the first day, I ____ a boy under the tree. He was small and seemed ____. I walked toward him and said, “Come and join us, Tom?” He quietly replied, “No, that’s really not my ____.”

The next day I found myself leading camp songs. The campers eagerly ____. Again I saw the boy from under the tree, sitting alone. From that day on, I spent time with him ____ I could.

___ I knew it, it was the final night of camp. ____ , I saw him, who was now a shirtless dancing wonder. I watched as he shared meaningful time with people at whom he couldn’t even ____ just days earlier.

Three months passed, I got a late-night phone call. A soft-spoken ____ voice asked politely, “Is Kevin there?”

“You are talking to him. Who’s this?”

“This is Tom’s mother. Do you remember him from leadership camp?” A long pause followed. “My Tommy was walking home from school yesterday when a car hit him.” she continued.

___, I offered my condolences(慰问).

“Tommy ____ you so many times. I wanted you to know that he went back to school this fall with ____. Thank you for making a difference.”

In that instant, I realized how ____ it is to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each ____ may mean to someone else.

1.A.singing B.leadership C.drama D.teamwork

2.A.watched B.recognized C.spotted D.met

3.A.shy B.excited C.frightened D.sad

4.A.career B.business C.choice D.thing

5.A.followed B.participated C.attended D.replied

6.A.whatever B.however C.wherever D.whenever

7.A.As B.Before C.Since D.Until

8.A.Fortunately B.Exactly C.Suddenly D.Absolutely

9.A.speak B.laugh C.introduce D.look

10.A.unfamiliar B.weak C.uncertain D.unhappy

11.A.Shocked B.Depressed C.Confused D.Inspired

12.A.discussed B.commented C.mentioned D.criticized

13.A.knowledge B.satisfaction C.confidence D.pride

14.A.easy B.disappointing C.challenging D.useless

15.A.camp B.gesture C.word D.instructor

    The world has a water problem which is simple to understand but not to solve. The amount of water in the world is limited. Water usage in the world has increased during the past 10 years. Usages will continue to increase as the population grows and uses more water. A third of the world’s population lives in countries that have too little water. 1.

It’s strange to think that there is more than enough water available for everyone’s basic needs. 2. Some countries are much drier than others, for example Sudan in Africa. The UN says that people need a minimum of 50 litres of water a day for drinking, washing, cooking and sanitation(卫生). In 1990, over a billion people did not have even that . 3. Water shortages can mean long walks to get water, high prices to buy it, food insecurity and disease from drinking dirty water.

Governments that try to improve water supplies need to think carefully about how to do this. Dams and other large projects now affect 60 percent of world’s largest rivers and provide millions with water. 4.

5. New technology can help, especially by cleaning up pollution and so making more water usable, and in agriculture, where water use can be made far more efficient. For millions of people around the world, solving the problem is a matter of life and death.

A.So what can help?

B.The rest along major rivers in the world have no worry about water.

C.Unfortunately, it’s poor people who suffer most.

D.By 2025, scientists expect this to increase to two-thirds.

E.It’s just not spread evenly throughout the world.

F.Meanwhile, electricity from these dams can provide people with clean energy.

G.But in many cases, homes and the environment are destroyed as a result.

    There is a Website called the “World Database of Happiness”. It combines and analyzes the results of hundreds of surveys from around the world that have been conducted on life satisfaction. Most of the findings are predictable, but a few are surprising.

The database makes it clear that there is not a strong connection between material wealth and general satisfaction. It is a cliche to say that money can’t buy happiness, but the old saying seems to be supported by research. Many people still believe that gaining riches will be the answer to all their problems, yet they are probably mistaken.

Studies have been carried out on people who got sudden wealth, such as lottery winners. In most cases, after the initial joy had worn off, people were not left with a sense of lasting happiness. In fact, they tended to go back to the way they felt before they became rich.

If material wealth does not bring happiness, then what does? Perhaps happiness has something to do with where you live. The authorities at the World Database on Happiness have surveyed levels of happiness in different countries. Obviously, people in America, Canada, and Singapore are very happy; people living in India and Russia, not surprisingly, are not happy.

Other surveys consistently point to the importance of relationships. Family relationships in particular seem to be the key to long-term happiness. The website suggests that falling in love and having children are two of the situations that bring the greatest happiness.

Nowadays people look to technology as another source of satisfaction. People increasingly spend more time alone watching TV or surfing the Internet rather than spending time with family. Can technology truly make people happy? It is too difficult to tell, but one thing is sure: If the website’s research is right, time spent with your family is a better investment than time spent making money.

1.The Website World Database of Happiness is designed to______.

A.share stories of happiness B.find out the reason for happiness

C.conduct surveys around the world D.tell interviewees how to be happy

2.What does the word cliche(Para.2)mean?

A.Traditional custom. B.Proved theory.

C.Famous report. D.Popular belief.

3.Who is the happiest according to the passage?

A.An unhappy man who has won a lottery in Singapore.

B.A student who has three high-income part-time jobs in India.

C.A mother who stays with her family everyday in America.

D.A Russian falling in love with a soulmate recently.

4.What seems to be the author’s advice about happiness?

A.Levels of happiness vary from country to country.

B.Making money is not the only way to happiness.

C.It is uncertain whether technology make people happy.

D.A good family relationship is the key to lasting happiness.

5.What’s the author’s attitude to technology?

A.Neutral. B.Dissatisfied. C.Supportive. D.Doubtful.

    Have you ever been to hospital? Did you notice that it was very clean? Were you looked after by a nurse?

Hospitals have not always been clean, quiet places. Long ago they were dirty and overcrowded. Nurses were never taught how to look after their patients and many people died. Thanks to Florence Nightingale, who changed all this.

Florence was born in 1820. She spent a lot of time playing with her dolls. She would pretend that the dolls were sick and she was their nurse. People would bring sick or hurt animals to her to look after. She even mended a dog’s broken leg when she was a young girl. She often went with her mother to visit the poor people. They took food and medicine to the sick. It was these visits that first gave her the idea of becoming a nurse.

Florence really wanted to be a doctor but she couldn’t because in those days only men were allowed to become doctors. She decided that she wanted to become a nurse. Her parents were very angry; the daughters of rich people did not work at all and they certainly did not become nurses. But Florence had made up her mind.

Her chance came in 1854 when Britain went to war with Russia in a place called the Crimea. Florence was asked to take a group of nurses to look after the sick and wounded soldiers. The hospitals were dirty, and there was not enough medicine. There were not enough beds, so some people were just lying on rags in the mud. There was so much sickness that the doctors could not treat all the soldiers.

Florence and her team cleaned the hospital rooms and beds. They made sure that the bandages were clean and that the soldiers get enough medicine. The army was unhappy because there were women so close to the fighting. They gave the nurses a lot of trouble. Florence and her team worked hard. Consequently, Florence became famous as “The Lady of the Lamp”.

After the war, Florence returned to London a national hero. A great welcome was prepared for her, but she slipped into the country unnoticed. She opened a school to teach nurses how to look after their patients properly. She never really got better from the illness that she had in the Crimea and she died in 1910.

1.What’s the purpose of Para.1?

A.To arouse readers’interest. B.To tell the history of hospitals.

C.To ask some questions to readers. D.To recall our memories as patients.

2.Florence had the idea of becoming a nurse when______.

A.she played with her dolls

B.she visited the poor people

C.she mended a dog’s broken leg

D.she looked after sick or hurt animals

3.What can you infer from the passage?

A.Women were not willing to become doctors at that time.

B.Florence received professional training before the war.

C.Hospitals were dirty and had no patients before.

D.Florence was brought up in a wealthy family.

4.How did the army react to the presence of women nurses?

A.Satisfied. B.Angry. C.Disappointed. D.Worried.

5.What kind of woman do you think Florence Nightingale is?

A.Wealthy and outgoing. B.Beautiful and creative.

C.Determined and modest. D.Clever and considerate.

    Extreme sports are any sport that involves great speed, height and danger. You need to be very fit to take part in these sports. It can be quite expensive because a lot of special equipment is needed. This type of sport is not usually a team sport like football or rugby. It is what is known as an individual sport because you are alone most of the time.

BASE JUMPING: This is the sport of using a parachute(降落伞) to jump from fixed objects like skyscrapers, high towers, bridges, domes, statues and steep, high mountains. Base jumping can be very dangerous as you compete to be the quickest to reach solid ground.

SKY DIVING: This sport also uses a parachute. Divers are taken up to a certain height in an aeroplane. They have parachutes strapped to their backs. They then jump out of the plane and freefall before opening their parachute at the correct moment. The parachute is to stop them from hitting the ground at a great speed, which would be very dangerous. The most important thing about this sport is knowing when exactly to open the parachute.

ROCK CLIMBING: This is the activity of climbing up and down very steep rock formations. This sport needs special equipment to keep the climbers safe. A climber has to have great strength of body and mind. It is better to climb in small groups, so that there is someone to help in the case of an emergency.

ICE CLIMBING: This is almost the same as rock climbing. The difference is that the climbers are climbing up and down steep walls of ice, such as frozen waterfalls. Special equipment is needed to keep climbers safe. Ice climbing is quite dangerous because ice changes as it melts or freezes. It is really difficult to know exactly how hard or how soft ice will be. Ice breaks easily so climbers need to concentrate very hard when they are climbing.

These are the sports on offer at Shanghai School of Extreme Sports. Now you have to decide which one you would like to do.

1.The text is meant to______.

A.offer a job description B.introduce extreme sports

C.advertise a school D.compare extreme sports

2.Extreme sports can cost a lot because______.

A.it is mostly individual sports

B.it needs a lot of special equipment

C.some of them can be very dangerous

D.they need lots of professional training

3.Why is base jumping dangerous sometimes?

A.You may hit the ground head-first.

B.You have to jump from a high place.

C.You must bear the weight of a parachute

D.You may reach the ground at a great speed.

4.In sky diving,the most important thing is to______.

A.open the parachute at the right time B.be brave enough to jump out

C.wear the parachute in the right way D.jump out at a certain height

5.The difference between rock climbing and ice climbing is that______.

A.rock climbing needs special equipment

B.ice changes easily when temperature changes

C.rock climbing should be done in small groups

D.a rock climber has to have great strength of body and mind

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

The Magic Necklace

Josie went to her grandmother’s house for summer holidays. One day, when grandma was making lunch, Josie felt bored and wanted to do something interesting. She saw an old and dusty box in her room. She was digging through her grandmother’s things in the box when she found a necklace with a big purple stone in it. The stone, shining with inner light, was so beautiful that she loved it so much. She sat down on the floor, stared at the stone and became lost in the necklace, trying to see what was within the stone.

However, she did not notice the world around her became foggy and began to fade. The lines between worlds began to be unclear, and when she finally shook her head and tried to wake up, she found that she was in another world! She was surprised and excited, because things had become so different in this world.

The sky looked strange, because it was purple. The grass was blue, and the trees around her were tall. Bugs of bright colors and different shapes flew around her, and the light came from a pair of suns in the sky. Nearby, pink water flowed at a black sand beach. Everything was so different and interesting.

She walked around for a time, amazed by what she saw. She walked along the beach, feeling the black sand between her toes. She drank some pink water, which was sweet, like sugar water, and then she ran through the forest, where trees smiled at her when she passed. It was all so strange and beautiful.

After several hours traveling in this magic land, Josie began to feel hungry and tired. Suddenly she realized that she didn't know how to get home. She was frightened and worried about what to do. After thinking for a few moments, she realized that the necklace must be the key to the world she belonged.

注意：

1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

假定你是李华。你校交换生John打算暑假外出旅游，发邮件请你推荐一座中国历史文化 名城。请给他回复邮件，要点如下：

1.你推荐的城市以及推荐理由；

2.提醒和建议。

注意：

1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

    Lisa Meeks was in medical school at Harvard. However, she _______ a rare muscle disease and the _______ thing she expected was to be stopped from her goal. Unfortunately, then came the sad news that her _______ in the field was zero and she had no right to go into medicine. Lisa _______ from medical school but didn't end up becoming a practicing doctor. This was before the Disabilities Act passed in 1990, so she just didn't have the _______ to do so.

Doctors are often _______ as super humans who can create miracles of all kinds.

They're seen as fearless _______, not the ones who are also in need of care. However, an online campaign is now starting to _______ that view. “We believe it is _______ to respect medical professionals with disabilities and protect their right", says Lisa Meeks, the ________ of this project. “The ________ has successfully helped many doctors stand up____________,” she says.

Meeks had this thought earlier this year: “ If doctors with disabilities saw more people like themselves, would they be more confident and talk more____________ about their challenges?"  ______________, she decided to start an online movement called Docs With Disabilities. The goal was to find 20 disabled doctors who were ____________ to share their stories. Her mailbox was soon____________with personal stories from doctors with disabilities. And now another campaign, Nurses With Disabilities, has ______________, too.

“ I felt this was a really ____________ opportunity to introduce doctors with disabilities to the ____________，” she says. “To let more people know that there is not only one or two doctors with disabilities, but that there are a number of them and they never____________in their career.”

1.A.developed B.noticed C.produced D.cured

2.A.last B.best C.only D.next

3.A.account B.number C.chance D.outcome

4.A.resigned B.graduated C.escaped D.suffered

5.A.wish B.patience C.ability D.right

6.A.appointed B.elected C.considered D.employed

7.A.directors B.members C.pirates D.heroes

8.A.support B.express C.challenge D.spread

9.A.common B.important C.awkward D.convenient

10.A.founder B.operator C.doctor D.nurse

11.A.medicine B.campaign C.miracle D.operation

12.A.once B.still C.again D.only

13.A.humorously B.openly C.cautiously D.quickly

14.A.However B.Besides C.Instead D.Therefore

15.A.willing B.modest C.calm D.free

16.A.flooded B.equipped C.divided D.accompanied

17.A.given up B.stepped aside C.won back D.joined in

18.A.private B.simple C.traditional D.great

19.A.community B.hospital C.public D.academy

20.A.argue B.stop C.betray D.rest

Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conference is a golden chance for parents to know their kids, school life and what is really going on at school. But only if they use the opportunity wisely.

 1.     .

●Do Your Homework

Parents need to speak with a number of teachers in a short period of time, making it difficult for them to get everything straight.  2. . Cyndy McDonald, a guidance consultant in California, suggests parents make good plans in mind, such as who they would like to meet, and what issue they need to address.

● 3. 

Parents may only have a few minutes with your child's teacher to find out how things are going at school. McDonald suggests having a few questions ready, and she recommends asking these questions : Is my child raising his/her hand and participating in class? How is my child getting along with their classmates? Do you see any problems I should be aware of? What can I do as a parent to provide support at home?

●Be on the same team

Cyndy McDonald stresses, “ The most important thing is to go in with the attitude that we're all on the same team.  4. . ” If your child is missing homework, for example, be sure to talk with your child's teachers to find out. Tell them what works in other classes for your child and let them try this in their class.

With enough preparations, parents may get their problems solved more easily. “ 5. ," she says.

A.Help children in trouble

B.Prepare questions to ask

C.Here's how to make the most of this precious opportunity

D.Sometimes this approach doesn't lead to a positive result

E.Without a plan in advance, the time can pass quickly without getting anything

F.Teachers want to hear that parents will support them in educating the children

G.If a parent comes to me with good preparations, my job will be so much easier

    Ice volcanoes erupted on the shores of Lake Michigan last weekend, and an employee from National Weather Service ( NWS) caught sight of an astonishing scene on the spot. “You never know what you'll find at the lake until you go out there," the employee said, "Today it were volcanoes. ”

Despite their nickname, ice volcanoes aren't really volcanoes at all. They form at the edges of lakes, where thin sheets of ice form, and water shoots through holes in the ice, Water flows beneath the ice sheet and builds up enough pressure to push water to the surface. If the air above is cold enough, the released water freezes over the surrounding ground, forming a mini volcano of sorts.

Ice volcanoes can be very dangerous to climb on because they are empty inside and built over that hole in the ice. Although some frozen volcanoes were discovered a few years ago, it is still rare to witness one.

Ice volcanoes typically form near large bodies of water where freezing temperatures below allow an ice shelf to form over the water’s surface along the coastline. Meanwhile, waves beneath the shelf must be strong enough to crack the ice and push water out. For this reason, ice volcanoes tend to form along shorelines where winds blow up waves constantly.

For example, when the Oval Beach volcanoes were spotted, the wind was almost due west, which was perfect for pushing waves right into the shoreline at this location. Due to their superior size, the Great Lakes may be more likely to form ice volcanoes along their shores than smaller lakes.

So if you want to see an ice volcano in person, the Great Lakes may be your best choice—but be cautious where you step!

1.What did the NWS employee discover in Paragraph 1?

A.The eruption of ice volcanoes. B.Volcanoes erupting on the mountain.

C.Frozen shores of Lake Michigan. D.An ordinary scene of Lake Michigan.

2.What can we learn about ice volcanoes according to the passage?

A.They appear whenever it is freezing. B.They are real volcanoes in the ocean.

C.It is uncommon to see their eruptions. D.It takes years to form an ice volcano.

3.Where do the ice volcanoes usually form?

A.Shorelines with suitable weather conditions.

B.Smaller lakes where wind direction is perfect.

C.Along shorelines where waves are not powerful.

D.In the center of the ocean or large bodies of water.

4.What is this passage mainly about?

A.Dangers of ice volcanoes. B.Ice volcanoes and their formation.

C.Different kinds of volcanoes. D.The Great Lakes and ice volcanoes.

    Will doing housework save you a trip to the gym? If you think so, you need to think again. A new study finds that people who do housework as their weekly exercise tend to be heavier than those who get their exercise by doing sports.

In fact, the more time people spend on performing housework as exercise, the heavier they tend to be. The finding is shocking, because people thought more physical activities — no matter what the form — would always lead to a lower weight.

Richard Cotton, an exercise physiologist, agreed that it is hard to lose weight only by doing housework. You’ll get the most reward for your time if you add some traditional physical activities, he said. For example, 30 minutes of sweeping floors bums about 130 calories, while 30 minutes of riding a bike bums 400 calories. But some housework does give you exercise. For example, 30 minutes of washing the clothes by hand bums 215 calories, close to what you would bum in 30 minutes of combined jogging and walking.

The study collected information from more than 4 ,600 people who were interviewed about their weekly physical activity. About 42 percent of them had 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Of those people, nearly two-thirds said that at least 10 minutes of their weekly activity was spent doing housework. Women and older people tended to report more time spent in doing housework as part of their physical activity. In other words, if the researchers didn’t count housework as a type of physical activity, just

20 percent of women had enough physical exercise.

Therefore, it is possible that people who said they exercised by doing housework were not really honest about the time or length of the activity, researchers said. "After all, the combination of different physical activities is the best choice," Cotton said.

1.Why does the author raise a question at the beginning of the passage?

A.To invite some readers to answer it. B.To draw readers' attention to the topic.

C.To test readers' knowledge about sports. D.To show the importance of going to the gym.

2.Which of the following belongs to “traditional physical exercise"?

A.Sweeping floors. B.Riding a bike.

C.Washing the clothes. D.Cleaning the garage.

3.What can we learn about losing weight according to the passage?

A.We should do various physical activities.

B.We should exercise by doing housework.

C.Jogging and walking are the best kinds of sports.

D.The more housework we do, the heavier we'll be.

    That two bicycle salesmen were the first people to fly is as surprising today as it was over a century ago. In 1903 , the Wright brothers flew above the crowd at a public exhibition in the United States. For a long period, the whole world was still in shock.

The Wrights’ success is worth reviewing today because it challenges the 21st century's belief that, for young engineers, courses in arts and humanities are not as important as math and science. In fact, however, neither of the Wright brothers went to college or had any formal technical training.

To see what we can learn from the Wright brothers today, we must consider what made them different then. The Wright brothers grew up in a family where there was always encouragement on curiosity. The bookshelves in their home were filled with novels, poetry, and ancient history. The Wrights’parents had great curiosity for learning. They encouraged their children to read widely and find out the truth on their own. In their late 20s , the Wrights began reading books on the movement of bird wings , which led to their original air-control system.

The Wright brothers often compared themselves to artists because their invention had a lot to do with arts. For example, the art of flying was actually a complicated dance between man, machine and air, which required thousands of hours of practice to perfect. Technical skills and math were certainly necessary to build the machine, but much of the challenge lay in the art of flying in order to have beautiful lines during flight and landing.

If today’s schools hope to have more extraordinary engineers, they should broaden the limited academic requirements and encourage students to be curious about different subjects as the Wright brothers did.

1.What was peopled attitude to the Wright brothers, flight in Paragraph 1?

A.They were eager to fly. B.They wondered its safety.

C.They were shocked at it. D.They doubted if it was true.

2.Which of the following led to the brothers, success according to the passage?

A.Formal technical training. B.Research on birds' movement.

C.Math and science in college. D.Curiosity about finding the truth.

3.What does the passage encourage today's schools to do?

A.To abandon academic requirements on learning.

B.To encourage students to be artists and engineers.

C.To broaden students’ knowledge about the Wright brothers.

D.To be supportive to students' curiosity on different courses.

阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。

'Usual boring day!' This would be the answer from Roman if somebody asked him how his day was. These days he found everything boring, nothing excited him.

One day he was lying in his room as usual. Suddenly light went off. His room was rather hot without an air conditioner. Though he did not want to leave his room, he had to. Unwillingly, he left his room and came to living room. Living room was slightly cool as it had two huge windows.

His young brother was playing with his friend. They were rolling on the floor. He was looking out for the TV remote, but couldn't find. He got up and searched it everywhere, but remote was nowhere. He looked at his brother who was still lying on the floor playing.

He asked him, "Where is the remote?"

"Under the Sofa," his brother yelled.

He tried to look through, but it was dark. He put his hand under the sofa. He touched something, grabbed it and took his hand out. OMG! It was a snake in his hand!

After seeing that his brother started to yell, “ Snake, snake!” Mom came as soon as she heard their shouting. She too was horrified to see a snake. She was so scared that she even couldn’t speak a word. Two kids were trying to hide into each other's back. “What an old trick!” Roman thought and threw it over kids.

As the snake landed on the floor near to the kids, it started moving from left side to the right. Only then did Roman realize that the snake was real, not a toy. He threw the snake over kids because he thought it was a fake snake and kids were playing some tricks.

This time mom almost got heart attack. Now he was scared too. The snake was only 10 meters away from kids and was staring at kids. They even couldn’t call a rescue team. There might be some deadly damage before their arrival. There was not much time to think. It was the time for a quick action.

Paragraph 1：

As Roman was farther from the snake, he jumped to the window and grabbed the curtain.

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Paragraph 2：

After the rescue team caught and took the snake away, everyone went inside the home.

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假如你是李华，你的英国笔友Jean来信了解中国青少年的上网喜好。请你予以回复，并以自己为例，谈谈你最喜欢的网站或APP及理由。

注意：1. 词数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    When I was a kid, my family didn’t live a rich life. As a result, we couldn’t ______ to eat out in a restaurant.  My mother ______ cooked in the evening after she returned home from work.

One day, my mother had a very_____ day in the office and was exhausted. After work,she went into the kitchen and started preparing supper for us. When she was frying some eggs, she ______ to concentrate on her cooking and the eggs burned . She wanted to throw them away, but eggs were ______ for a family like mine back then. So she placed them in a plate and______to eat them herself.

After the eggs were put on the table, my father looked at them for a while. But he said ______. He just smiled at my mom and then asked me how my ______ was at school. Then he started eating the eggs. He finished them ______ so that my mother and I wouldn’t have to eat them.

Later that night, I heard my mom ______ to my dad for burning the eggs. And I’ll never ____ what he said, “Honey, I love burned eggs.”

The next day, I asked Dad ______ he really liked burned eggs. He held me in his arms and said, “Your mom had a ______ day at work yesterday and she was really tired. I didn’t want to ____ her. Besides, a little bit burned egg won’t hurt anyone.”

My father was a very ______ man, and I learned to be such a man from him.

1.A.agree B.afford C.promise D.prepare

2.A.seldom B.even C.always D.simply

3.A.tiring B.boring C.exciting D.relaxing

4.A.tried B.failed C.refused D.managed

5.A.rare B.fresh C.cheap D.delicious

6.A.struggled B.started C.hoped D.decided

7.A.something B.nothing C.everything D.anything

8.A.plan B.day C.status D.reputation

9.A.easily B.calmly C.carefully D.completely

10.A.lie B.complain C.apologize D.shout

11.A.forget B.catch C.accept D.understand

12.A.whether B.how C.why D.when

13.A.sad B.hard C.romantic D.comfortable

14.A.cheat B.lose C.upset D.disturb

15.A.modest B.hospitable C.optimistic D.understanding

    There are numerous “secrets” out there on attaining success. The vast majority of these so called secrets all have one thing in common – Attitude.

 1.

The key to developing a successful attitude is to decide that there are certain things in life that you need, rather than merely want. For example, do you want a luxury house? 2. Do you want fame and fortune in your career?

Sure, everyone wants these things. 3. That is because it’s never enough to merely want something. You have to be the type of individual who feels that they need these things in order to survive. This gives you the motivation to work towards your dream and do whatever it takes – except, of course, for breaking laws or hurting people – to get there. And all this must be done with the “fuel” of a positive attitude.

How do you begin to change your attitude?

It is always useful to connect with useful resources outside us in changing our attitude for the better. 4. Try to pay closer attention to your inner thoughts.

Realizing where negative thoughts come from can help us get to the point where we are able to erase them. Once they are erased, it is vital to replace them with more positive thoughts. 5.

Perhaps your friends and loved ones will not understand the new you. But you can become a role model for them — and it begins by developing a positive attitude!

A.What do you need?

B.Do you want a lot of money?

C.What is the secret to Success?

D.Do you find yourself constantly in doubt?

E.However, the change will always begin inside you.

F.Problem is, very few people are able to attain them.

G.This is how we begin to make an attitude adjustment.

    Rosie, a first-year university student in Beijing, entered a classroom for her oral English exam and slid her topic across the table to Joe, a foreign teacher. My Story, it read. “In middle school, my classmates laughed at me for having deaf-mute parents,” she began softly. “From that moment on, I decided not to tell anybody. But today…”

It’s widely considered taboo(忌讳) in Chinese to discuss the details of an unhappy family life with anyone other than very close friends. However, as Joe has noticed, many Chinese students appear surprisingly comfortable discussing emotional moments from their lives when they speak with foreign teachers in a language different from their own.

“Speaking English,” one of his Chinese students told him, “I feel like another person.” When speaking Chinese, he is kind of reserved; in English class, he is more open. English, to the Chinese speaker, may be like a mask, creating a buffer(缓冲物)between speaking the truth and the listener’s reaction. Students focus on how to speak rather than what is being said. If there’s a misunderstanding, English can take the blame.

Another reason why Chinese students are more comfortable sharing their secrets during English class may be the distinct approach to teaching used by their foreign teachers. “I always try to come to each student, make eye contact, have a 20-second conversation and see how they are doing,” Joe said. Classes taught by Chinese teachers, in contrast, are more formal. Many students said they had never been asked their opinion in class.

Rosie’s English vocabulary is now extensive, but she still can’t find the words to describe her feelings towards the English language. “English makes me feel I am different,” she said. “English is beautiful.”

1.Which might be the best title of this passage?

A.Sharing Secrets in English. B.English Is a Beautiful Language.

C.Learning with Foreign Teachers. D.Which Is More Popular, Chinese or English?

2.What can we infer from paragraph1?

A.Rosie and Joe are good friends. B.Rosie will mention her personal affairs.

C.Rosie looks down upon the disabled. D.Rosie lacks confidence in the oral exam.

3.The underlined word “reserved” can best be replaced by ________.

A.shy B.curious

C.terrified D.distinctive

4.What is the main idea of paragraph 3 and 4?

A.How students feel when speaking English.

B.What Joe’s approach to teaching English is.

C.How Chinese acts as a mask while communicating.

D.Why students prefer to share emotional stories in English.

    The Kendama World Cup

Old-fashioned fun is making a comeback!

Many kids are putting down their electronic devices and picking up an ancient toy. It is called a kendama, and it possibly dates back to the 16th century.

The kendama is a small wooden hammer with three cup-shaped ends and a spike on top. A wooden ball with a center hole is attached by string to the hammer. The goal is to make the ball land in a cup or on the spike. It sounds simple, but there are over 1,000 kendama techniques and tricks to master.

The game’s popularity began to grow after the Japan Kendama Association was started in 1975. Today all ages participate in various competitions, including the Kendama World Cup(KWC).

The two-year-old event, which opens in Hatsukaichi, attracts people from all over the world. Players choose 10 different tricks from an approved list. They are then awarded points corresponding to the level of each trick.

A new Kendama World Cup winner will be named tomorrow in this popular sporting event.

1.What does “old-fashioned fun” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A.An old cup. B.An ancient game.

C.A clever trick. D.An electronic device.

2.What does a Kendama look like?

A. B.

C. D.

3.What does the last but one paragraph imply?

A.Every KWC lasts two years. B.The KWC is held every two years.

C.Players can choose tricks freely. D.Different tricks get different points.

4.What do we know from the last paragraph?

A.A new KWC is being on. B.The winner of this KWC is very popular.

C.The Kendama is newly-born. D.KWC will be named after the new winner.

    Jack Horner is co-author of the book How to Build a Dinosaur. However, he is most famous for his role as consultant(顾问) on all four Jurassic Park films, including the new film Jurassic World.

The original film Jurassic Park tells the story of a theme park where dinosaurs live. In that movie, scientists used DNA collected by ancient mosquitoes that had been trapped in amber shortly after they drank dinosaur blood. The scientists used this dinosaur DNA to create baby dinosaurs. The scientists in Jurassic Park created various types of dinosaurs, but in the real world there is one big problem with the story. It turns out that DNA could not possibly survive the 65 million years since the death of the dinosaurs.

The new movie creates the Indominus Rex. This idea of creating a hybrid species is something Horner has explored before. In 2011, he gave a speech in which he discussed producing a dinosaur by working with the genes of a bird. Modern birds are the closest living relative of dinosaurs.

The concept of using the genes of different animals to create new animals is called transgenic science. And this type of science has already produced some interesting results — goats that produce spider silk in their milk, cows that produce proteins for medicines that can treat diseases, and a pig that produces less-polluting waste thanks to a bit of mouse DNA. However, none of these examples are close to the dinosaurs in Jurassic World. And for a good reason — genetics is a very complex science. Producing a new species is not as simple as just exchanging a few genes around.

In the end, Jurassic World is all about fun.

1.What do we know from Paragraph 2?

A.A theme park is built to protect dinosaurs.

B.Mosquito DNA is used to create dinosaurs.

C.DNA can be well kept for millions of years.

D.Creation of dinosaurs in the film isn’t scientific.

2.What might “the Indominus Rex” be?

A.A modern bird. B.A goat producing silk.

C.A hybrid dinosaur. D.A cow producing protein.

3.What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?

A.Jurassic World proves a big success. B.Many extinct species will be brought back.

C.Hybridizing dinosaurs is no easy job. D.Transgenic science proves a complete failure.

4.What do we know about Jack Horner?

A.He has starred in Jurassic World.

B.He has explored a lot about dinosaurs.

C.He has directed four Jurassic Park films.

D.He has written How to Build a Dinosaur alone.

    Narayana Peesapaty was sitting on a flight when he noticed a passenger trying to reach food with a biscuit after breaking his spoon. At that moment, the researcher’s mind gave birth to a simple yet revolutionary concept — edible spoons.

How do you like your spoon?

Peesapaty’s company, Bakeys, makes edible spoons mainly out of sorghum(高粱）though rice, wheat and water are also ingredients. They combine to form a dry eating tool that remains hard even when used in moist or hot foods. Bakeys also makes ginger and garlic flavored(风味) spoons to meet specific requests. All spoons are completely natural and acceptable for nearly all diets.

A rice replacement

An environmentally-minded water researcher, Peesapaty, designed his spoons to be eco-friendly in several ways. Sorghum was chosen as the main ingredient of the spoons instead of rice, which requires 60 times as much water. Sorghum was also chosen for the strength it would lend eating tool, and the grain requires little water, low energy and no chemicals to grow.

In place of plastic

The goal that Peesapaty hopes to attain through Bakeys is to prevent plastic from any contact with food. Plastic products can contain cancer-causing substances that come into food, and average plastic bottles take 450 years to break down. In contrast, a Bakeys’ spoon is nutritious and break down in 10 days or less if thrown away. Peesapaty admits that using plastic is cheaper, but he also says that his spoons will be equally inexpensive when mass-produced.

1.Why is “the edible spoon” called a revolutionary concept?

A.It is natural and eatable. B.It remains hard in hot foods.

C.It offers various flavors. D.It meets all customers’ requests.

2.What’s Peesapaty’s main concern when choosing sorghum as main ingredient?

A.Being delicious. B.Being strong.

C.Being nutritious. D.Being eco-friendly.

3.What’s the main advantage of edible spoons over plastic ones?

A.Cheaper. B.Breaking down easily.

C.Tougher. D.Contacting food directly.

阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。

It was time to go home.“Remember to work on your class speeches for homework, ”Miss Walker called, as everyone started talking and packing their school bags. Jenny felt sick. She hated having to read aloud in class. She was sure everyone got really bored listening to her. Once, when Jenny was reading out her holiday diary, Lee was even looking at his watch, a silver and blue one which seemed just magical.

Jenny watched Lee walk ahead of her as they left school. He seemed so clever, and he had a certain sort of shining confidence. He was just one of those people who were good at everything. Jenny sighed. As she turned the corner, she saw Lee’s watch lying right in the middle of the path.

Jenny knew she should just pick it up and return it to him, but she didn’t want to run after him. Jenny bent down quickly, picked up the watch and ran home. On arriving home, Jenny put it on almost without thinking. She was surprised it fitted so well. She walked to the mirror and started practicing her speech. Words just flooded out of her.“I’m going to talk about swimming. I have been lucky. I’ve won lots of competitions. But when I’m in a race, I’m not really thinking about winning. I’m just loving the feeling of being in the water...”Jenny laughed with excitement. She walked across the room. She suddenly seemed to have a certain sort of confidence. Turning back to the mirror, Jenny saw a flash of light from the watch in the glass. The flashes of silver seemed almost magical. So maybe Lee’s watch really DID have something magic.

The next day, as the lesson began, Miss Walker asked who was going to be brave and go first. No-body moved. Jenny slowly raised her arm. Before Miss Walker could say anything, there was a shout from behind. “She’s stolen my watch!” Lee said angrily,“ It went missing at school yesterday.”

注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；             

2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；

Paragraph 1: Everybody was fixing their eyes on Jenny, waiting for an explanation.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: At that moment, Miss Walker smiled and asked the class to listen to Jenny’s speech first.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

假如你是李华Li Hua，你的英国朋友Peter给你发来微信，想了解一下你的家乡自“十九大(the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China)”以来所发生的变化，请你用英文给他回复。

内容如下：1.精准扶贫(targeted poverty reduction)，效果良好；

2.环境保护得到了明显改善。

注意：1.词数100 左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    When I was a boy, every holiday that I had seemed wonderful. My parents took me by train or by car to a hotel by the _______ . All day, I seem to remember, I played on the sands with strange_______children. We made houses and gardens, and watched the tide destroy them. When the tide went out, we _______over the rocks and looked down at the fish in the rock-pools.

In those days the _______ seemed to shine always brightly and the water was always warm. Sometimes we left beach and walked in the country, exploring ruined houses and dark woods and climbing trees. There were _______ in one’s pockets or good places where one could _______ ice creams. Each day seemed a life-time.

Although I am now thirty-five years old, my idea of a good _______ is much the same as it was. I_______ like the sun and warm sand and the sound of _______ beating the rocks. I no longer wish to ________ any sand house or sand garden, and I dislike sweets. ________ , I love the sea and often feel sand running through my fingers.

Sometimes I ________what my ideal holiday will be like when I am ________. All I want to do then, perhaps, will be to lie in bed, reading books about ________ who make houses and gardens with sands, who watch the incoming tide, who make themselves ________ on too many ices creams.

1.A.sea B.lake C.mountain D.river

2.A.moving B.exciting C.anxious D.nervous

3.A.collected B.jumped C.turned D.crawled

4.A.light B.sun C.moon D.lamp

5.A.sweets B.sand C.ice-creams D.money

6.A.make B.sell C.purchase D.offer

7.A.house B.holiday C.garden D.tide

8.A.hardly B.almost C.still D.perhaps

9.A.waves B.tides C.hands D.feet

10.A.destroy B.fix C.use D.construct

11.A.But B.However C.Otherwise D.Furthermore

12.A.wonder B.feel C.understand D.believe

13.A.strong B.weak C.young D.old

14.A.children B.boys C.girls D.grown-ups

15.A.happy B.tired C.sad D.sick

    Work days are long enough without having to deal with afternoon laziness. Many times when 2 or 3 pm rolls around, We are yawning and considering taking a short nap to help wake us up. 1.There are several tricks that you can do to improve your energy level.

Put on some music. Sometimes all you need is a little motivation to help you feel a little more energized. Put on some of your favorite upbeat music.

2.

If you are able, listen to your music a little loudly. This can help drive away your midday fog. If you are not able, try listening to the music throughout headphones, so you don't bother your co-workers.

Grab an afternoon snack. A small afternoon snack can provide your body with a little nutrition and energy. Just make sure you pick the right type of snack to keep your energy up. 3. It contains caffeine and can improve focus. Avoid high-sugar snacks like candies. These cause your blood sugar to rise and then cause additional laziness.

Pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee. 4. Caffeine is a stimulant that can help you feel more awake and focused. Use very minimal sugar, a natural Calorie-free sugar or none at all.

5. Wash the day's stress from your mind by splashing cold water onto your face and neck. Some studies have shown that the cold water can help you wake up and feel more focused. When you are starting to feel a little sleepy, take a walk to the bathroom and make use of cold water.

A.A faster beat can help you feel a little more energetic.

B.Splash your face with cold water.

C.You can stretch yourself and make some deep breath to refresh yourself.

D.Enjoy some-high sugar snacks.

E.Try a piece of dark chocolate.

F.But most offices don't allow midday napping.

G.Small amounts of caffeine can help you beat afternoon laziness as well.

    Apples are packed with amazing health benefits: weight loss, heart protection, lowering your risk of illnesses, and many more. Not only are they good for you, but they taste delicious too! The only problem is that the pieces we pack for lunch are always an unpleasant brown by the time we dig them out of the fridge. That’s because polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in the fruit experiences a chemical change with oxygen (氧气) in the air.

Luckily, there is an apple you can pick up at the store that won’t turn brown for a while―the Opal apple. Opal apples are naturally low in PPO, which means they’ll stay fresh and white long after you cut them. It has been tested that after sitting out unpacked for more than six hours, the apple had hardly any browning.

You may be wondering if genetic modification (转基因) plays a role in avoiding the fruit’s browning. In fact, you may even ask if Opal apples are safe to eat because they can do something most apples can’t. But according to the Opal website, they’re the first apples to be checked by the Non-GMO Project, the gold standard for certification (证明). “We understand that some people are concerned about genetically modified organism (GMO) products and felt it was important to make it clear that the natural nonbrowning characteristic is just that―natural,” said Keith Mathews, CEO of First Fruits Marketing.

The Opal apple is actually a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz apple, and it has a sweet flavor. Plus, it still has all the health benefits every other apple has. Although FirstFruits Marketing does not show nutrition (营养) facts for the Opal apples, their nutrition value should be similar, if not the same, to every other apple. If you don’t like eating brown apples, you can consider going to the supermarket for some Opal apples.

1.How is the Opal apple different from other apples?

A.It has less PPO.

B.It helps lose weight.

C.It has the attractive smell.

D.It has few spots on its skin.

2.Why is the Non-GMO Project mentioned?

A.To show the popularity of Opal apples.

B.To show Opal apples meet the safety standard.

C.To show Opal apples have a special characteristic.

D.To show the concern for GMO foods.

3.What is the author’s attitude to the Opal apple?

A.Doubtful. B.Uncaring. C.Positive. D.Careful.

4.What is the best title of the text?

A.Opal Apples―with More Nutrition?

B.Opal Apples―on the Way to Be Popular?

C.Opal Apples―A New GMO Food?

D.Opal Apples Never Brown―But Are They Safe to Eat?