C
Things similar continuously happened in Haiti and Chile．Thousands of people were
buried in the earthquake and lost their fives．What if we could have warned them? People are always trying hard to find a way of preventing building collapsing(坍塌)．Better materials and technology help，but are not a solution．Just like humans，a building has its own life circle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out before it falls．
Now, scientists at the University of Illinois ha、，e developed a material that turns red before it breaks．The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes，or bridge supports．The secret behind the color-changing material is a type of molecule(分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds(化学键)．Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands．Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule．If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color．The research team put the molecule into a soft material．When the researchers stretched(拉长) the material：it turned bright red a few seconds before it broke into two pieces．
When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red．
The major problem is，light can get rid of the red color．When the team shone a bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared．If bright fight keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless．Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecule can be used outside the lab．
49.The passage is mainly about______________
A．a way of preventing building from breaking down
B．a series'-of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile
C．a way of warning before buildings collapse
D．a newly—discovered structure of a molecule
50.According to the passage，we call conclude that____________
A．there are problems to solve before putting the new material to use
B．scientists have found the life circle of buildings from “birth” to “death”
C．bright fight makes the red color visible to human eyes
D．the new material is unlikely to be used in building bridges
51.The color-changing molecule can___________
A．make building materials much stronger
B．help building materials get stretched if necessary
C．prevent the earthquake from killing people
D．remind people to leave buildings before they fall
52．The warning system is based on the fact that____________
A．red color won’t show up when it meets bright fight
B．a material with a certain type of molecule Can turn red when setched
C．a building has its own life circle of “birth”to“death”
D．the broken bond will fix itself when a molecule meets bright fight
Sometimes, kindness is a simple answer in a difficult and challenging world.
When my granddaughter, Skylar, was young, one day we went out and had a contest called “Who can make the most people smile. “ And we continue it today. When shopping, we were walking in the supermarket and noticed someone walking down the aisle with her head down. Skylar walked up to her and gave her a big smile. I watched her walk down the aisle, turned around and smiled at Skylar again or perhaps smiled at someone else.
Kindness is a chain that pulls us all together. Every single act of kindness has a ripple effect(连锁反应). In 2002, my dad had a series of strokes and other illness. My dad had been doing nice things for all sorts of people for years, from the street crossing guard, to the waitress in a restaurant, to a friend’s mother. That same day, I made cookies for the janitor（门卫） at the post office. When I gave him the cookies he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Why, Linda?” he asked. “Because I appreciate you!” I answered. “When I get here at 6 am and it is still dark out and it is a little scary, I know you are inside and I feel safe. And when I first moved here and my post office box was always empty, you always cheered me on. And you always keep this place clean.”
That evening his wife called me and said that he was overwhelmed(受宠若惊的). “No one even knows his name, let alone bakes him cookies!” she said. （278 words）
What was the author’s attitude to the contest in the supermarket?
| A．positive | B．negative |
| C．neutral | D．curious |
From the text, what can we know about the janitor?
| A．He led a very poor life at that time. |
| B．He always went to work after six o’clock. |
| C．He was fond of baking cookies. |
| D．He was kind and grateful. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Kindness can always be passed on. |
| B．An experience in a supermarket. |
| C．The importance of having a kind dad. |
| D．Smile makes your life meaningful. |
Since around the later part of the 1950s, society started to realize that tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. As research progressed along with increasing numbers of people that developed lung cancer, emphysema, and other smoking related illnesses, cigarette smoking has become less accepted and popular. Unfortunately, the nicotine contained in cigarettes is one of the most addictive substances on the planet and makes quitting smoking one of the hardest things to do. In 2003, Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette as a safer, and cleaner way to breathe in nicotine after his father, a heavy smoker, passed away from lung cancer attributed to smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette in 2003 and afterwards introduced e-cigs to the Chinese market in the following year through his employer, Golden Dragon Holdings. Golden Dragon Holdings later changed the company’s name to “Ruyan” in order to better match the company’s name(Ruyan means “almost like smoke”)to the new product. Since the renaming, the Ruyan company has continued e-cigarette development and grown to be one of the largest global e-cig manufactures.
Dr.Sam Han, CEO of Cixi E-CIG Technology, Inc, Ltd. also has a number of e-cig related inventions, including four patents in the United States and two in China that are electronic cigarette and e-liquid technology related. Similar to Hon Lik’s father. Dr. Han was a heavy smoker for more than 40 years before beginning to work on electronic cigarette technologies in order to help himself and others make the shift to vapor smoking. Dr.Han continues to market and conduct R&D in e-cig related techonologies to this date.
After the successful deployment of Ruyan and Cixi E-CIG electronic cigarettes in China and Asia, the products started to be sold in significant quantities on the Internet.How many years is it since the electronic cigarette was first invented according to the passage?
| A．About 5 years. | B．About 11 years. |
| C．About15 years. | D．About 20 years. |
What’s the direct reason why Hon Lik invented the electronic cigarette according to the passage ?
| A．Tobacco cigarettes caused health problems. |
| B．Tobacco cigarettes were too expensive for customers to buy. |
| C．Quitting smoking became one of the hardest things to do. |
| D．His father died from lung cancer due to smoking tobacco cigarettes. |
Since when have Chinese smokers have been able to buy Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes according to the passage?
| A．2000. | B．2003. | C．2004. | D．2005. |
What’s the correct order of the following events according to the passage?
① Hon Lik applied for his first patent on the electronic cigarette.
② Hon Lik’s father died from lung cancer because of smoking tobacco cigarettes.
③ Hon Lik’s electronic cigarettes were introduced to the Chinese market.
④ The name of the company Golden Dragon Holdings was changed to “Ruyan”.
| A．①③②④ | B．①④②③ |
| C．②④①③ | D．②①③④ |
You may have heard of the American Dream, an ideal that has powered the hopes of Americans for generations.
It began as a belief that the US was a land of opportunity, and that anyone could achieve success through hard work. At times, the dream has referred to home ownership, a good job, retirement security or each generation doing better than the last.
Yet today, this concept seems to have greatly changed. As Time magazine pointed out, quite different from the older generation, many Millennials (the generation born after 1980) redefine(重新定义) the American Dream as “day-to-day control of your life”. They “prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than typing, and the ability to travel”, said the magazine.
Home ownership, once the cornerstone of the American Dream, is becoming a smaller priority for this generation. Meanwhile, nearly 40% of them choose travel as part of their dream. And entrepreneurship(创业) is a rising favorite, as nearly 26% of Millennials consider self-employment as part of their dream.
So what has led to this huge change?
Many point fingers at the poor economy. “Modern young Americans seem bound to face a world stamped by ever narrowing opportunity and social stagnation(停滞),”noted The Daily Beast.
“The rate of 16-to 24-year-olds out of school and out of work is unusually high at 15%. Many college graduates have taken jobs that don’t require a degree,” Time reported.
The magazine worries that these difficulties may lead to a lost generation who are “unable to ever truly find their feet on the corporation’s ladder”.
Dan Kadlec, a reporter of Time, sees Millennials as resetting their expectations.”This situation is different for young adults today,” he wrote. “A true American dream has to feel attainable, and many Millennias are feeling they can only attain a day-today lifestyle that suits them.”
The underlined word “cornerstone” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．growth | B．balance | C．basis | D．purpose |
What has changed Millennials’ view of the American Dream according to the passage?
| A．A lack of confidence in themselves |
| B．Fierce competition in the job market |
| C．Their dissatisfaction with the government |
| D．The discouraging economy and unemployment |
Dan Kadlec thinks Millennials’ new definition of the American Dream is ______.
| A．beautiful | B．understandable |
| C．worrying | D．positive |
What can be the best title for this passage?
| A．Redefinition of American Dream |
| B．Meaning of American Dream |
| C．Value of Achieving American Dream |
| D．History of Changing American Dream |
Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are concerned with their own appearance and actions too much. Negative thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: What kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably. A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people, who have low respect, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need faith that they are doing "the right thing". Shy people are very sensitive to criticism. It makes them feel inferior（自卑）.They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise. A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one: "You're just saying that to make me feel good, I know it's not true.” It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely got rid of, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self respect. It is important for people to accept their weakness as well as their strengths. Each one of us has his or her own characteristics. We are interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and successful life.The first paragraph is mainly about______.
| A．the cause of shyness |
| B．the effect of shyness on people |
| C．the feelings of shy people |
| D．the questions in the minds of shy people |
According to the writer, self-awareness is______.
| A．harmful to people |
| B．a weak point of shy people |
| C．the cause of unhappiness |
| D．a good characteristic |
What is the shy people's reaction to praise?
| A．They are pleased by it. |
| B．They feel it is not true. |
| C．They are very sensitive to it. |
| D．They feel they are worthy of it. |
We can learn from the passage that shyness can ______.
| A．block our chances for a successful life |
| B．help us to live up to our full development |
| C．enable us to understand ourselves better |
| D．have nothing to do with lack of self respect |
Roughly half of college students will have some degree of depression at some point during their time in school. Even more startling, 6.2 percent of college students surveyed in 2012 considered suicide and 1.3 percent attempted it, according to an American College Health Association study released this spring. If you’re feeling depressed on campus, you may find the following tips helpful.
Exercise: Physical activity releases endorphins – chemicals that produce an overall positive feeling within the body, which fight depression naturally. Mental health experts claim that exercise is a solution to those feeling mild or moderate depression. However, for those severely depressed, simply doing sports is not enough.
Use school counseling services: Campuses don’t employ mental health experts simply to throw thousands of dollars down the drain. Their job is to help students, so experts recommend you use them. Most students, however, are hesitant to take a trip to their college’s counseling center, fearing being laughed at by peers. As a result, some schools like Texas Christian University, are testing students for mental health problems when they get sick and visit the campus health clinic.
Take advantage of technology: Staying in touch with family members and friends from childhood and high school has become easier than ever with the coming of Facebook and video chat services like Skype. While mental health experts insist that it’s important to make friends in your new environment and be involved in the college community, it’s also significant to keep in touch with the people you knew before college.
Go to sleep: Following a fairly regular sleep pattern can defend you against depression. In college, many students’ sleep patterns are irregular thanks to late-night studying and partying, which is harmful to their mental health. Research strongly suggests that sleep is the key to learning and memory formation.According to the passage, physical activity __________ .
| A．is regarded as the best way to fight depression |
| B．contributes to the release of endorphins |
| C．can’t help the seriously depressed students |
| D．improve people’s ability to learn and memorize |
It can be inferred from the 3rd paragraph that __________ .
| A．employing mental health experts on campus is a waste of money |
| B．students with mental health problems can’t get on well with others |
| C．going to college’s counseling center for help requires a lot of courage |
| D．sick students in Texas Christian University must take psychological tests |
Taking advantage of technology is encouraged because it ____
| A．enables students to get involved in college life |
| B．helps students stay in contact with others |
| C．offers students a way to make new friends |
| D．provides a way to avoid getting bored |
which of the following can NOT help one reduce depression?
| A．Taking exercise regularly every week |
| B．Chatting with old friends with Skype |
| C．Turning to mental health experts for advice |
| D．Holding parties deep into the night to relax |
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