A genetic variant(基因变体) that allows people to feel fully rested with fewer than six hours sleep a night has been found. It is the second such finding in recent months.

Ying-Hui Fu at the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues have been seeking out genetic variants responsible for short sleep and genetically engineering these variants into mice to confirm their effect. In August. the team found a variant in a gene called ADRB1, which allows 12 members of a family to sleep 4.5 hours per night without feeling tired.

Now the team has found a variant in a gene called NPSR1 in another family, in which one sleeps averaged 5.5 hours a night and the other just 4.3 hours, feeling fully rested. Another variant in NPSR1 has previously been linked to people requiring 20 minutes less sleep than average, based on studies of tens of thousands of people.

Generally, long-term lack of sleep can contribute to many disorders, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. As far as Fu’s team has been able to tell, however, people who sleep less with one of these gene variants are healthy and don’t appear to suffer any ill effects. However, to be absolutely sure would require long-term studies involving large numbers of people, which is not feasible(可行的).

It might be possible to develop drugs that mimic the effects of these variants. However, as NPSR1 is also involved in processes such as stress, anxiety and fear, there is a risk of serious side effects.

1.What did Fu’s team do to confirm the variants effect?

A.Observed blood pressure change.

B.Tested genetic variants on mice.

C.Sorted the effects of different genes.

D.Studied those sleeping less than average.

2.What can we learn about Fu’s team?

A.They are researching variants controlling sleep.

B.They study NPRS1 in a family of 12 members.

C.They have developed drugs to test normal people.

D.They will discover more variants in a week.

3.What does the word “mimic”in the last paragraph mean?

A.Reproduce. B.Compare. C.Avoid. D.Reduce.

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A.A news report. B.A health magazine.

C.A research paper. D.A biology textbook.

    A months-long drought affecting most of southern Africa has led to serious food shortage for millions of people.

The United Nations estimates(估计 )that more than 11 million people are facing extreme lack of food. The World Food Program says southern Africa has received normal rainfall in just one of the past five growing seasons.

Among the hardest hit areas is South Africa’s Northern Cape province. There, many farmers are struggling to keep their families and animals alive as they lose money and debt grows. Sheep farmer Louis told the AP he had lost more than 400 sheep over the past two years. He said this drought was the worst during his 45 years of farming. He got emotional while explaining that he now accepted donations of animal feed so he could keep the rest of his animals alive.

It’s estimated that this area will need at least $28 million over the next three months to assist 15, 500 affected farms. So far, South Africa’s government has promised $2 million.

Gertruida from Vosburg told the AP things had gotten so bad that she shared her family’s food with their animals. Small children were hungry, too. At Vosburg’s only school, Delta Primary School, large groups of children lined up for what became both breakfast and lunch. The meal usually included corn meal, vegetables and soup. “It’s very hard for the parents to actually feed their children at home, “one teacher said.

In Kimberley, the capital of Northern Cape, government officials give out money from the $2 million disaster aid program. The job can be difficult because some farmers live in places that are not easy to get to.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about the drought?

A.It has lasted a whole month.

B.It is the worst in Africa’ s history.

C.It has killed 400 sheep altogether.

D.It affects Northern Cape worst.

2.Why were Louis’ feelings out of control?

A.Because his debts grew.

B.Because he got donations.

C.Because he lost more sheep.

D.Because his children went hungry.

3.What’s the text mainly about?

A.Government takes measures to fight the rare drought.

B.People carry out self-rescue after the severe drought.

C.Farmers suffer a loss of animals because of the drought.

D.Deadly drought in Southern Africa leaves millions hungry.

    Eleven-year-old Ruby Kate Chitsey has long been close to older folks. Her mother, Amanda Chitsey, is a nurse who works at nursing homes in Harrison, and Kate often follows her around in the summer.

Last May, Ruby Kate learned a resident( 居民) named Pearl felt so sad for she had to send her dog away. The reason was that the nursing home didn’t allow residents to have dogs and Pearl couldn’t afford to pay anyone to look after hers. She also learned that many nursing home residents were unable to afford even the smallest luxuries (奢侈品). So Kate decided to do something about it.

She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most in the world. Amanda worried that people would ask for cars and other things an 11-year-old wouldn’t be able to provide. Instead, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald’s fries, pants that fit properly, and even just a prayer.

“It broke me as a human, “Amanda says. “We left the nursing home that day and went straight to a store and bought as many items as we could.”

Using their own money, the Chitseys satisfied the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for donations. The good people of Harrison responded enthusiastically, so much so that Amanda set up a GoFundMe page, Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents, hoping to collect $5,000. They hit their goal in only a few days. After GoFundMe promoted Kate’s story internationally this January, Three Wishes raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.

Earlier this year, Three Wishes became a nonprofit and started its first nationwide chapters.

1.Why was Pearl unhappy?

A.Because she became terribly ill.

B.Because she couldn’t afford luxuries.

C.Because keeping dogs was forbidden.

D.Because no one looked after her dog.

2.What do we learn about Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents?

A.It started raising money in nursing homes.

B.It got great support from the people of Harrison.

C.It has developed branches in each state of America.

D.It only received donations of money on the Internet.

3.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text?

A.To popularize the Chitseys’ Three Wishes.

B.To advertise the nursing homes in Harrison.

C.To introduce how the Chitseys helped the residents.

D.To encourage people to donate for Harrison’s residents.

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1.Where does the speaker make art works?

A.At the local market. B.In his studio. C.At local exhibitions.

2.How does the speaker get inspiration for art?

A.By sorting collected rubbish into two piles.

B.By observing art works at local exhibitions.

C.By playing around with different combinations.

3.What works by the speaker are displayed at exhibitions?

A.Vases and lamps. B.Animal sculptures. C.Pencil boxes.

4.How do we describe the speaker?

A.Creative. B.Honest. C.Humorous.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.Why does the woman want to be a repair woman?

A.She likes working on cars.

B.Her boyfriend is a repairman.

C.She is tired of studying nursing.

2.What is James doing now?

A.Working in a garage. B.Studying in a college. C.Serving in the hospital.

3.Which job does the man think fits women?

A.A piano teacher. B.A truck driver. C.A carpenter.

4.Who will examine the man’s car?

A.The woman. B.James. C.Nobody.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What did the man do last Sunday?

A.Visited his professor. B.Went for a picnic. C.Got together with friends.

2.How is the woman’s university life?

A.Busy. B.Difficult. C.Interesting.

3.What’s the relationship between the two speakers?

A.Friends. B.Teacher and student. C.Colleagues.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What’s Tony going to do?

A.To stay in New Zealand for study.

B.To see his grandparents in Sweden.

C.To visit some universities in England.

2.How many family members will visit the man?

A.Three. B.Four. C.Seven.

听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。

1.What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A.Visiting places. B.Taking pictures. C.Seeing a movie.

2.What interests the man most?

A.The red buses. B.British phone booths. C.Some street paintings.

Where does the conversation probably take place?

A.In the hospital. B.In the company. C.In the gym.

What does the man think of War Craft 2?

A.It’s great. B.It’s noisy. C.It’s boring.

When will their lunch probably begin?

A.At 11:30. B.At 12:00. C.At 12:30.

Where does the woman live?

A.In Australia. B.In America. C.In Canada.

What is the man going to do tonight?

A.Go to a live concert. B.Visit his foreign teacher. C.Deliver a speech.

假定你是高中生李华，你班将于中秋节当晚举行户外中秋晚会，请你写函邀请你们的外教Mary参加。要点如下：

1.通知时间和地点；

2.简介中秋节的意义；

3.告知当晚具体活动。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Mary,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

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10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每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：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，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10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

At the beginning of this term, we moved to the new school yard, where lies in the far north of the city. We were all on high spirits. It is much big than the old one. The classrooms are bright and clean. We have a lot of modern lab equipment, making convenient for students to do experiments. Now we can have various after-school activity on the new playground. Our teachers often play the basketball and soccer together with us. As spring approached, the flowers newly planting in the yard are so beautiful. With such many green trees and fragrant flowers around, we feel it less hardly to deal with the pressure of school work in the senior year.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

On Feburary 22, 2018, Wu Dajing became the first Chinese man 1. (win) an Olympic short track gold medal, 2. (claim) China’s first gold medal at the Pyeongchang Games. And on November 11, Wu Dajing, 24, set 3. new world record. It took him just 39.505 seconds to finish the men’s 500-meter race at the 2018 Short Track World Cup, 4. took place in Salt Lake City, US.

Shaoang Liu, who competed against Wu at the World Cup, 5. (shake) his head in disbelief after the race. “It’s 6. (true) lucky to have been in a world record race,” Liu said. “The rest of us are all on a certain level but Wu is just, like, ‘up here’.” Indeed, every time Wu skates, he leaves his 7. (competitor) behind within seconds. Wu is untouchable, not only for dominating his sport, but also for his unusual 8. (high) (182 cm, tall for a short tracker).

Wu owes his success 9. his self-discipline. He started to skate at the age of 10. He gets up at 4 a.m. every day to practice. He never 10. (eat) meat or has carbonated (碳酸的) drinks, even though he loves cola very much. Only once has Wu broken his self-made rule—just after his win at the Winter Olympics.

    Christmas Eve means a lot to almost every family in the US, and mine is of no exception. Every December 24, we used to head to my parents’ house and spend the night, along with my brother’s family, and my sister’s family. We’d eat lots of foods such as candies and my mom’s ______ chocolate cookies.

We’d play a card game for hours until one team proved ______ over all other sides. ______, my sister Martie and I won, and when we beat every other ______, we’d sing and even dance. Yes, we were ______. The kids always put out cookies and milk for Santa, and my dad would sit down and color a picture with his grandchildren to ______ it for Santa Claus. And then we’d ______ every person in the family to open just one ____. After everything settled down, my father would read the story of Christmas, ______ us all of the true meaning of Christmas. Our Christmas Eves are a little ______ now as my parents have moved to heaven and my girls are in college, but December is still ______. Candies and my mom’s favorite chocolate cookies are ____ our favorite foods. Martie and I still like card games, ______ my daughter Ally and her boyfriend, Wesley, actually ______ us easily. We still open one gift that night. And, Martie’s husband, Jan, has ______ the duty to read the Christmas story.

I can hardly wait for the ______ to come! It’s my favorite time of a year because we’re all ____. I’ ll bet your family has wonderful holiday ______, too. Whatever your traditions are, I hope one of them is reading the story of Christmas. Why not teach your children the ______ meaning of Christmas this year? Because that’s the ______ gift you could ever give them!

1.A.special B.homemade C.favorite D.fresh

2.A.helpful B.creative C.strong D.victorious

3.A.Usually B.Recently C.Immediately D.Hurriedly

4.A.sister B.brother C.team D.family

5.A.funny B.happy C.free D.normal

6.A.open B.provide C.leave D.save

7.A.allow B.order C.beg D.force

8.A.box B.window C.case D.gift

9.A.convincing B.informing C.reminding D.warning

10.A.simple B.different C.meaningless D.strange

11.A.wonderful B.reasonable C.comfortable D.powerful

12.A.even B.rather C.already D.still

13.A.and B.or C.though D.as

14.A.find B.reach C.cheat D.beat

15.A.taken over B.thought about C.dealt with D.applied for

16.A.game B.night C.dinner D.day

17.A.alive B.healthy C.around D.together

18.A.traditions B.songs C.foods D.plans

19.A.clear B.only C.true D.hidden

20.A.best B.biggest C.most beautiful D.most expensive

    There are many ways to begin making gratitude a habit in your life. The best way to tell someone that you appreciate their effort is to talk to them directly. 1. Express your gratitude through words that they can treasure for a long time. Even something as small as sincerely showing appreciation and recognition by telling someone they did a good job and saying thank you offers some feelings of appreciation. 2.

If you cannot meet the person because they either live far away or you do not have time to meet them, you can send them your gratitude in the form of a gift. 3. You can wait for a holiday like Thanksgiving to send them.

4. Small gestures can make a person feel appreciated. There may be some people who are older than you and the way to show gratefulness is by respecting and obeying them. Is your father going shopping?

5. Your mother has a lot of work in hand, so you can do your bit to lessen her workload.

A. Express gratitude by sending him a useful gift.

B. Take the job in your hands and shop for your father.

C. Meet the people and tell them that you are grateful to have them in your life.

D. Flowers with a note saying thank you can brighten anybody’s day.

E. You will be able to witness their pleasant expressions when they hear what you say.

F. Gifts and words are not the only way to express gratitude.

G. Gratitude helps us focus on the good things we have, and not on what we lack.

    When you think of batteries, you’ll likely think about them powering up remote controls, cellphones, flashlights and toys. But some people carry a battery around in their body to power a pacemaker (起搏器). It isn’t really pleasant and easy to carry batteries because they need to be replaced so often and they can leak poisonous chemicals. A battery-powered pacemaker may become a thing of the past, thanks to a new technology developed by UCLA researchers: a biological supercapacitor (超级电容器), which is thinner than several hairs.

Teams of researchers at UCLA and the University of Connecticut published a paper in a journal explaining their new invention. The supercapacitor is made from a carbon material, and coated with human-like proteins that act as electrodes (电极). But what makes the device different is that it is powered by an energy harvester that changes body heat and movement in the blood into energy.

Those traditional pacemakers are six to eight millimeters thick. They are much bigger. The new supercapacitor, which, due to its lack of battery, is only one micrometer thick. This “little” feature could benefit the new pacemaker’s energy efficiency, researchers stated. Also, unlike other batteries used in medical treatments, the supercapacitor can bend and twist in the body without suffering damage.

Though they’ve not been widely used in the medical world, supercapacitors have the ability to serve as a safer and more efficient medical device than the traditional battery-operated devices, the researchers believe.

“In order to be effective, battery-free pacemakers must have supercapacitors that can get, store and transport energy. However, commercial supercapacitors are too slow to make them work,” said Maher El-Kady, a UCLA researcher and a co-author of the study. “Our research focused on the custom-designed supercapacitor to capture energy effectively, and finding a way to make it exist together successfully with the human body.”

1.What do we know about traditional pacemakers?

A.They are very popular with users.

B.They can do harm to the users’ bodies.

C.They need to be replaced quite often.

D.They are really convenient to carry around.

2.What is special about the new supercapacitor?

A.It has electrodes on the outside.

B.It is made from a kind of protein material.

C.It can transform the energy from the body.

D.It helps save the carriers’ money and energy.

3.Which of the following makes the new pacemaker energy-efficient?

A.The small size.

B.The small battery.

C.The energy harvester.

D.The bending and twisting characters.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.A New Technology to Downsize Batteries.

B.A New Battery-free Pacemaker.

C.A Smaller Battery-powered Pacemaker.

D.A Great Contribution Made by UCLA Researchers.

    Author Walter Dean Myers died at the age of 76 after a brief illness. Walter Dean Myers was the author of more than 100 books for children and young adults and received many top awards.

The prolific author was loved for his vivid description of the lives of African American children, and for writing books for young people that covered different subjects. “Myers has written about all those subjects with deep understanding and a hard-won, qualified sense of hope,” said Leonard S. Marcus in 2008.

He was born in 1937 and was adopted by Florence Dean and Herbert after his mother died while giving birth to his younger sister. They loved him very much and his mother read to him from a very young age. Reading pushed him to discover worlds beyond his landscape.

He began writing at an early age. He wrote well in high school and an English teacher recognized this and advised him to keep on writing no matter what happened to him. “It’s what you do,” she said.

He dropped out of high school at 17 and joined the army. After finishing his service, he entered a dark period in his life. Myers began writing at night to pull himself through that miserable time.

In an essay published in The New York Times earlier this year, Myers described how a short story by James Arthur Baldwin helped change his course of life. “I didn’t love the story, but I drew inspiration from it,” he wrote, “for it took place in Harlem, and it was a story concerned with black people like those I knew. By humanizing the people who were like me, Baldwin’s story also humanized me. The story gave me a permission that I didn’t know I needed, the permission to write about my own landscape, my own map.”

“I write books for the troubled boy I once was,” he wrote, “and for the boy who lives within me still.”

1.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?

A.How popular Myers was.

B.How Myers became successful.

C.What people think of Myers’ books.

D.What makes Myers’ works popular.

2.What does the underlined word “prolific” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A.Optimistc. B.Unfortunate.

C.Productive. D.Humorous.

3.Who discovered Myers’ writing talent?

A.James Arthur Baldwin. B.His mother.

C.Leonard S. Marcus. D.One of his teachers.

4.Why was the short story by James Arthur Baldwin so important to Myers?

A.It helped him survive the dark period.

B.It inspired him to pursue his writing career.

C.He learned many writing techniques from it.

D.The author of the story permitted him to write.

The Best Places To Watch Fireworks This Fourth Of July

CALIFORNIA: LIGHTS ON THE LAKE (LAKE TAHOE)

Launched from boats on the shore of Lake Tahoe, this show is considered one of the biggest such displays in the West, which means the fireworks are visible all over town. If you’re worried about getting a seat, park your picnic at the El Dorado Beaches before 9:45 p.m. Or you can take the road less traveled and hike to the top of Mount Tallac for an unforgettable and best view of the display. Just remember you’ll have to hike down, so bring a headlight.

DELAWARE: REHOBOTH BEACH

Launched from the beach south of Rehoboth Avenue, these fireworks are visible up and down the boardwalk and beach. So jump on the Jolly Trolley(观光车) early and spend your whole day at the beach. There’s even live music after the fireworks. Note: This year’s fireworks display is scheduled for July 1, 2018.

FLORIDA: SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS (PENSACOLA BAY)

The Gulf Coast knows how to celebrate the Fourth of July. With vendors, arts and crafts, kid-friendly activities and live entertainment, this fun-filled day in Old Seville culminates(达到高潮) with the largest fireworks display in the area. Unfortunately the pony rides and face painting are only for the kids, though.

GEORGIA: DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION

Pack up your lawn chairs, blankets and coolers and head about an hour outside of Atlanta to the University of North Georgia. It’s even pet friendly — just make sure your dog can take the noise. And if you get to town early enough (11 a.m.), there’s a Fourth of July parade that aims to put all other Fourth of July parades to shame.

1.Where is the best spot to watch the fireworks in Lake Tahoe?

A.At the El Dorado Beaches. B.On the top of Mount Tallac.

C.Anywhere all over the town. D.On the shore of Lake Tahoe.

2.Which display is most suitable for children?

A.REHOBOTH BEACH.

B.LIGHTS ON THE LAKE.

C.SERTOMA’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS.

D.DAHLONEGA’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.

3.What do Georgians think of their parade?

A.The best. B.Just so so.

C.Not so bad. D.Very terrible.

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

One day, when I was a first-year student in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kris. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, ''Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd (书呆子).''

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a gang of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His gasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up, and I saw terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his gases, I said, ''They are bad guys! They really should be punished.'' He looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before, but we talked all the way home, and I carried his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid._______________________

We hung out all weekend, and the more I got to know Kris, the more I liked him.___________

假定你是李华。新年期间，你的英国朋友John 将来中国旅游。请给他写信，邀请他到你家乡参观。内容如下：

1,发出邀请；

2.活动安排（参观村庄、品尝美食……）

3.注意事项。

注意：1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chopsticks, or kuaizi in Chinese,1. (be) a pair of small equal- length sticks，usually made of wood,2.( use) for eating Asian food It is believed the first chopsticks3. (develop) over 5,000 years ago in China. The4.(early) evidence of a pair of chopsticks made out of bronze was excavated (出土) from the Ruins of Yin near Anyang, Henan province，dating back to roughly 1,200 BC.

Chopsticks play,5.important role in Chinese food culture. Chinese chopsticks are usually 9 to 10 inches long and rectangular with a blunt (钝的) end. They are round on the eating end6.symbolizes heaven，and the other end is square which symbolizes earth. This is because7.(maintain) an adequate food supply is the greatest concern between heaven and earth.

There is an old Chinese custom making chopsticks part of a girl's dowry, since the 8.(pronounce) of kuaizi is similar to the words for ''quick" and "son".

Chopsticks are9.(frequent) used in daily life. They have become more than a kind of tableware and have established a set of etiquette (礼仪) and customs10.their own.

    Jarrell Little W8s road testing his mountain bike outside of Columbus, Georgia, when his riding partner, Chris Dixon, stopped suddenly. Something in the distance_______among the trees caught her attention. It_______to be a sandy-colored five-month-old Great Dane mix.

He was skinny, and had a lot of road rash and a_______leg. The cyclists fed the friendly pup and_______their water. They were more than seven miles from_______and riding bikes. ''We couldn't_______ him," Little told his partner. He_______picked up his new friend and slipped the dog's hind legs into the back pockets of his cycling jersey. Then he put the dog's_______paws over his shoulders.

The 30-minute ride into town"_______at a bike store, where they got more water and ________ for the dog. That was when Andrea Shaw, a woman from Maine in town on business,________by. The dog made a beeline for her, licking her. Shaw was________and, after learning what had happened, declared her________ : I am keeping this dog.

Shaw called him Columbo ________the town where they'd met and scheduled an operation on his leg. Today, Columbo is living the high________on a farm with a horse, a pony, a six-year-old boy, and two coon dogs to keep him company.

1.A.calling B.moving C.standing D.sleeping

2.A.turned out B.looked C.found out  D.figured

3.A.dirty B.broken C.burnt D.beaten

4.A.shared B.drank C.poured D.finished

5.A.school B.home C.village D.downtown

6.A.take B.carry C.leave D.keep

7.A.quickly B.carefully C.natural D.finally

8.A.front B.other C.hurt D.injured

9.A.turned B.reached C.arrived D.ended

10.A.medicine B.care C.food D.rest

11.A.happened B.made C.stopped D.moved

12.A.excited B.touched C.shocked D.annoyed

13.A.luck B.wish C.intention D.mind

14.A.at B.in C.from D.after

15.A.friendship B.way C.life D.chance

    Maybe you live in places where English is not the main language. When you speak, your speech might be slower than you would like. This is because your mind is still translating things from your first language into English，which can also sound unnatural.1. It is not very difficult, but it does take conscious effort and practice.

Think in single words

Charles Thomas has taught English to Union members, children and teenagers for over 10 years. He tells his students to name the things that they see around them, wherever they are.

2.

Think in sentences

For example, if you are sitting in a park, you can tell yourself things like, ''It' s such a beautiful day" and ''People are playing sports with their friends." 3.

Think in conversation

This is a great way to practice what you might say in a real conversation. For example, let' s say the imaginary person asks you a question like, ''What did you think of the talk show last night?"4. Imagine the conversation and practice it in your head. You can do this out loud or in silence.

5.

''When you're doing it every day, over and over again, little by little, that's the key. Because when you make things a habit, it just pops up into your mind without thinking and then, before you know it, really, you're thinking in English, '' Thomas says.

A. Practice it daily.

B. How would you answer?

C. Speak English with a native speaker.

D. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

E. Start with nouns and then add in verbs, he suggests.

F. Once this becomes easy, move on to more difficult sentences.

G. The good news is that thinking in English will bring you closer to fluency!

    For decades, doctors have warned patients that too much salt can be bad for the heart. Heat attack has long been considered a grown-up problem, but a new research suggests that salt is starting to affect children. Eating too much salty food when you're young can lead to health problems later.

Salt is made up of two elements: sodium and chlorine. Dietary guidelines recommend that adults and kids aged 9 — 13 shouldn't consume more than about a teaspoon of salt daily. The average American eats twice this amount. This worries doctors because too much sodium results in the body producing more blood. To pump the extra blood, the heart has to work harder. This causes a rise in blood pressure a measurement of how stressed the heart is. High blood pressure often leads to heart disease.

A kid with high blood pressure is more likely to become a grown-up with high blood pressure. Reducing salt might also help stop childhood obesity (肥胖). British researchers recently found that kids who eat less salt also drink fewer sugary soft drinks. Drinking fewer fizzy drinks makes kids less likely to gain weight, become obese and develop high blood pressure.

Salt can affect more than just your heart and weight. A recent study found that a growing number of kids in the US are suffering from kidney stones. This painful condition usually affects people aged over 40. Now, kids as young as five are getting it.

Cutting down on salt can be hard, but you can retrain yourself to prefer less salty food. The best way to reduce the amount of sodium you eat is to make changes gradually. Start by adding half as much salt to your dinner as you normally do. Switch to fresh foods instead of canned and bottled versions. And go easy on the condiments (调味品). You might also want to start reading nutrition labels. You may be surprised to learn that there are 1,150 mg of sodium in a double cheeseburger, and over 2 ,000 mg in many frozen meals.

1.What is the author's major concern?

A.Children eat too much salty food. B.Many adults suffer from heart attack.

C.Americans consume too much salt. D.Heart attack is now a youth problem.

2.What does the author refer to as the cause of childhood obesity?

A.Eating more salty food. B.Lack of physical exercise.

C.Drinking many sugary soft drinks. D.Eating the same food as the adults.

3.What is another disease tending to be younger according to Paragraph 4?

A.Obesity. B.Kidney stone.

C.Blood disease. D.Heart attack.

4.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A.The laws of health. B.How to cut down on salt.

C.Healthy diet. D.The amount of salt we need.

    There are around 600,000 vegans (素食者) in the UK. That' s just over 1% of the population — an amount expected to increase to 25% by 2025. And if there's one type of food that Brits love, it is fast food. People in the UK love it so much that there was a 34% increase in the number of fast food outlets from 2010 to 2018. It's no surprise, then, that vegan fast food is also on the rise.

Vegan fast food has become big business. At Just Eat, an online food delivery company, vegan orders more than doubled in 2018. Greggs, a chain of high-street bakeries, named its vegan sausage roll the ''fastest - selling product in six years". And big franchises such as McDonald's and KFC have announced meat-free chicken nuggets (鸡块) to come in the future.

What's. driving this popularity? Katrina Fox, founder of Vegan Business Media, believes it's the result of the breaking down of stereotypes (成见). ''Vegan food is no longer seen as a bit of lettuce and lentils — you can eat pretty much anything".

It's also claimed that there are health benefits. John Marulanda, owner of Mooshies is a vegan burger bar in London — wants to implement “a change to a healthy version of fast food. Something, he claims, that comes as a result of the inherent nutritional value of the ingredients they use.

But, is vegan fast food actually healthy? Azmina Govindji of the British Dietetic Association says ''not to assume" that is the case, ''It' s fine if those products have got vitamin B12, iodine or calcium added to them. but they can still be fried, it can still have lots of creamy, fatty sauces and lots of salt.

Given the current growth in orders, the trend for vegan fast food isn't likely to disappear any time soon, Health — wise, it may not be any more nourishing than regular fast food, but for many， the lack of animal suffering involved in the process is a big plus.

1.What's the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A.Vegans in the UK are increasing.

B.British people love junk food.

C.Eating too much fast food is bad for health.

D.Vegan fast food is becoming popular in Britain.

2.Which might be the reason for the popularity of vegan fast food?

A.Its unique flavors. B.The change of life pace.

C.Its health benefits. D.Its colorful decorations.

3.What is Azmina Govindji's opinion about vegan fast food?

A.It is not so healthy. B.It is more varied.

C.It is more nutritious. D.It will soon disappear.

4.Why do many people tend to vegan fast food according to the last sentence?

A.To keep a balanced diet. B.For religious reasons.

C.Out of the love for animals. D.It's cheaper than regular food.

    Michele Gentile, an Italian bookseller, is offering free books to children in exchange for plastic bottles to recycle.

Michele owns Ex Libris Cafe in Polla，a small town in southern Italy. He said he thought of the recycling program, because he wanted to inspire children in the small town to read and pay attention to the environment.

''My goal is t0 spread the passion and love for books among those people in Italy who do not usually read while at the time helping the environment," Gentile explained.

The idea for the initiative (倡议) came after Gentile collaborated with a nearby middle  school on an aluminum recycling project. Working together, the schoolchildren and Gentile collected enough cans to purchase books for an entire classroom. His new program too off from there and has already spread into northern Italy: Gentile's hopes his work will continue to make headlines and become a worldwide initiative.

The free books come from customers in Gentile's shop who have donated money to purchase a ''suspended" book. The idea comes from a World War II practice in which customers would buy two Coffees: one for themselves and another for the next person in line. Gentile has been using the extra books as part of his recycling initiative,

While Gentile's program is a great way to recycle and get kids to read, it also brings awareness to the growing problem of plastic waste. Single-use plastics make up around 26 percent of all the plastics in the world, only 14 percent of which are recycled. Plastics that end up in landfills take around 500 years to decompose (分解), is a major concern for environmentalists.

Cutting down on plastic waste is important if we want to better the environment for future generations, and recycling programs like Gentile's book giveaway are a great way to meet that goal.

1.What is the purpose of Gentile's book giveaway?

A.To sell more coffee and books. B.To attract more customers.

C.To collect money for a new project. D.To inspire reading and recycling.

2.How did Gentile come up with the idea?

A.Working with a school to recycle cans. B.Seeing school kids don't like reading.

C.Donating books for a local school. D.Buying a “suspended” book for a child.

3.Who pay for the books of the project?

A.The local government. B.Gentile himself.

C.Some publishers. D.His customers.

4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A.An Italian's Reading Initiative B.Recycling Can Get Kids Free Books

C.Michele's Way of Doing Business D.A New Way to Deal with Plastic Waste

The Museum of Eton Life

The Museum of Eton Life brings alive various aspects of the Eton experience across six centuries. It is housed in an undercroft (地窖) below College Hall, a space that was used to store beer for the scholarship boys until the early 20th century. Established as a museum in 1985, it now houses permanent and temporary displays exploring life at Eton College.

In 2016, the museum launched a new permanent display showcasing materials which illustrate the boarding life of boys at the school in the 21st century. There is also an annually changing display exploring new and different stories and presenting rarely seen objects from the collection.

Visitors can discover Eton s history and traditions, famous Old Etonians (from poets to , Prime Ministers) and sports including the Wall Came, as well as find out about what and where pupils learn, eat and live.

Access and Enquiries

Opening hours: Sunday afternoons 2:30 —5 :00 pm.

Please contact the Museum Officer to arrange an appointment to visit the museum outside opening hours or to enquire about this collection.

The museum is located in Brewhouse Yard, accessed from Eton High Street via Baldwin's Shore.

Please check the access page for further details on opening times. The museums may close due to holidays or exceptional circumstances.

Please access the Collections Learning page for more information.

1.When was the museum started?

A.Six centuries ago. B.In 1985.

C.In the early 20th century, D.In 2016.

2.What do you learn about the exhibits?

A.They explore different aspects of Eton Life. B.They are a collection of old objects of Eton.

C.They are changed for new ones every year. D.They are materials about 0ld Etonians.

3.How can a visitor get access outside opening hours?

A.He can go any time on Sundays. B.By walking in via Baldwin's Shore.

C.He'll have to make an appointment. D.By showing Collections Learning page.