For some people, the prospect of starting college, especially going away to school, is scary. It’s probably the first time that you’ll be totally responsible for your own schedule. What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet-for whatever reason-and you don’t want to take on a full-time job after graduation? You might want to take a year off to pause and regroup. This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gapyear”.
Taking time off doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of applying to college. In fact, you may want to consider making your college plans before you become involved in other things, especially if you’ll be travelling. Apply to schools and make your choice, then ask for a deferred admission. Rachel took a year off and worked in New York City between college and medical school. She says that she had to be extremely well organized about planning for medical school so she didn’t miss any of her deadlines. “Not only did I have to apply to schools and make plans to take my MCAT exams, I also had to make all my living arrangements and other plans for my year off!”
Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience. If you take a year off you will learn some great life skills-like living on a tight budget! If you take a year off you’ll pay your way while you are traveling or doing volunteer work.What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Taking Time Off |
| B．Disadvantages of a “Gap Year” |
| C．Plans after Graduation |
| D．How to Apply to College |
Going on a “gap year” means _____.
| A．asking for a year’s leave to rest at home |
| B．taking a year off to pause and regroup |
| C．ignoring the idea of applying to college |
| D．travelling around the world before going to college |
The author takes Rachel for example in the second paragraph in order to show _____.
| A．it’s not easy to take a year off |
| B．it’s interesting to take a “gap year” |
| C．what taking time off is like |
| D．how to apply to schools |
Which of the following is NOT the benefit of taking a year off?
| A．You’ll learn some great life skills. |
| B．You’ll make full preparation for starting college. |
| C．You’ll earn much money by taking on a full-time job. |
| D．You’ll gain a wonderful learning experience by joining in a volunteer organization. |
I'm a pig，and my son is a rabbit. I have snakes for daughters，and my wife，believe it or not，is a dragon！Do I live in a zoo？No，of course not！I am talking about Chinese zodiac signs(十二生肖)．Depending on the year of your birth，each person has an animal for a sign. That's why I am a pig and my wife is a dragon. If you，like me，were born in the year of the pig，then you are brave，thoughtful and loyal. The year of the pig is filled with good fortune.
Now let's take a closer look at this interesting animal.
Pigs were first raised by man about 9,000 years ago，and are still a very common farm animal in many parts of the world. We don't just use pigs for their meat—almost every part of the animal is used. The hair is used for artists' brushes. The fat is used to make floor wax，rubber and plastics.
Pigs have also been important in the world of entertainment. In 1995 the film Babe starred a loveable talking pig as its main character. The film won an Oscar and was nominated(提名)for 6 more. In England you can even go to watch pig racing. A farmer，Rob Shepherd，has been raising money for charity by holding pig races on his farm. The events have been very successful. People don't just want to eat pigs，it seems!
Pigs also play an important role in the English language. For example，if someone says that he will travel to the sun one day，you can say “Pigs_might_fly！” to him. Hungry？Well then，you can “pig out” and eat lots of food. And what if someone rescues you？Well，you can say that they “saved your bacon”．The writer wrote the first paragraph in a ________ tone.
| A．sad | B．confused |
| C．serious | D．humorous |
According to Paragraph One，his wife was born in the year of the ________.
| A．dragon | B．snake | C．rabbit | D．pig |
We may know from the passage that ________.
| A．people in England like pigs more than other animals |
| B．pigs are more useful than ordinary people imagine |
| C．pigs are the first animals raised by man |
| D．more people don't want to eat pigs now |
Which diagram shows the structure(结构)of the passage?
One day when the famous American scientist Edison was on his way home, a young man stopped him and required to have a word with him. Edison accepted his request.
The young man asked, “How can you invent so many things and achieve your fame(名声, 名望)? ”
The scientist said, “It seems that you have been thinking of becoming famous every day. ”The young man nodded, “Yes. I have been dreaming of being a person as notable(著名的)as you. Every minute I am thinking of how to become reputable. I don’ t know when I can achieve my fame. ”
Edison told him, “Don’ t worry, young man. If you want to be a famous man this way, you will have to wait until you die! ”
“Why should I? ”the young man was puzzled.
Edison said, “What you dream is actually a high building. You never think of how to build it with bricks(砖块). Thus the building will never come into reality(现实). However, your story can serve as a mirror. People will remember you because of your illness and laziness. They will often speak of your name while they give warnings to their children. Aren’ t you a notorious(声名狼藉)person by then? ”
The man asked Edison to tell him .
| A．how to invent new things | B．how to become famous |
| C．how he became a nobleman | D．how to become a scientist |
After hearing Edison’ s talk, the young man was puzzled because Edison told him .
| A．he would die before he was famous |
| B．he would be famous before he died |
| C．he would die after he was famous |
| D．he would never be famous |
The man didn’ t achieve his fame because________.
| A．his wish was too high |
| B．he was too stupid |
| C．he didn’ t learn from others |
| D．he was short of hard-working spirit |
The story mainly tells us .
| A．a person needs high spirit |
| B．one shouldn’ t dream of becoming famous |
| C．only by hard work can one’ s wish come into reality |
| D．one person shouldn’ t be idle and lazy |
Ladybirds (瓢虫) didn't have black spots on their backs at first. Then a storm broke out, and their famous guide, Caius Insectus, disappeared into the flood (洪水), and the few ladybirds who survived had to choose a new leader to guide them out of trouble. They decided that their new leader would be the first ladybird to successfully travel south to the Great Lake and return to describe it.
Many young ladybirds moved off immediately into this adventure. One by one they returned and told of how beautiful the southern lake was at that time of year, with its clear waters and flowers. However, the last of the ladybirds was late in getting back. He hadn't managed to reach the lake. Everyone criticized (批评) him, and they prepared to continue their journey the next day.
Following their new guide, they spent a morning walking northwards until they reached some tall thick grassland, where they stopped. There were no clear waters or flowers in front of them. The heavy rain had turned the place into a huge green puddle (水坑). Everyone understood what had happened. When the ladybirds had gone out looking for the lake, they had gone in the wrong direction. Now they could see that, except that one late ladybird, they had lied in order to get what they wanted.
And so, the late little ladybird was made the Great Guide. They also decided that every time one of them was discovered lying they would paint a black spot on that ladybird's back. From then on, when a ladybird looks at another's back, it can tell whether that ladybird can be trusted.Why did the ladybirds decide to choose a new guide?
| A．They lost their way in the storm. |
| B．They weren't satisfied with Caius Insectus. |
| C．They needed someone to lead them out of danger. |
| D．They needed someone to help prepare for the storm. |
Many young ladybirds lied because they ________.
| A．didn't want to be in danger |
| B．wanted to be the new guide |
| C．wanted to make others happy |
| D．didn't want to get spots on their backs |
How did the ladybirds probably feel when they stopped at the tall thick grassland?
| A．Nervous. | B．Afraid. |
| C．Excited. | D．Angry. |
What's the main idea of the text?
| A．Why ladybirds have black spots on their backs. |
| B．How ladybirds choose their leaders and guides. |
| C．What the black spots on ladybirds' backs mean. |
| D．Why ladybirds lie to each other. |
It’s the dieting fashion that is sweeping the world, and encourages fasting (禁食) for two days of the week. But does it work?
People are starving themselves to lose weight, with a dieting trend known as the “fast diet” growing in popularity.
The method is also known as the 5:2 diet, and consists of eating normally for five days of a week and cutting calories to about 25 percent of normal intake during other two days. Men consume just 600 calories on the two fast days, while women are limited to 500 calories.
Notably, the two fasting days should not be back-to-back. The dieter should have at least one normal eating day in between.
In the best-selling book The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent (断断续续的) Fasting by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer, the two authors claim that the 5:2 diet not only promotes weight loss, but also benefits health, offering protection from disease, improved cognitive (认知的) function and increased lifespan.
The diet originated in the United Kingdom and became popular in the United States. Now, it is gaining popularity among the Chinese middle-class.
Zhong Minghui, who is 178 cm tall and used to weigh 100 kilograms, finds fasting effective in weight control. He works in the sales department of a trade company and used to drink and eat a lot after work. After sticking to the fasting diet for five months, he managed to lose about 20 kilograms.
“Actually I did not exactly rely on the 5:2 diet to lose weight. My fasting was more extreme. I almost completely cut off my supper every day and only ate some fruit. I also used an app to calculate the calories in the food I ate and was cautious of not eating any high-calorie food. I did about an hour’s aerobic exercise (有氧运动) every day. Fasting is definitely effective, but I think sports also help,” he says.
“I do not really believe that fasting is the magical cure-all (灵丹妙药), but my high blood sugar has improved,” he adds.
The US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that although there is evidence that intermittent fasting diets may help prevent chronic disease, more research is needed.
Han Ting, a clinic nutritionist of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, says that people who suffer diabetes (糖尿病) or eating disorders, pregnant women, kids, teens and frail seniors should not try fasting. She recommends a regular low-calorie diet, which is safer and less risky for health. When on a fasting diet, on the weekly fasting days, Han recommends low-fat, low-sugar, and low-protein food, such as vegetables, yogurt, non-fat milk, shellfish and fruits with high dietary fiber (食用纤维).What does the underlined word “back-to-back” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Continuous. | B．Different. |
| C．Vegetarian. | D．Fatty. |
What can we infer from what Zhong Minghui said in paragraph 8?
| A．He strictly relied on the 5:2 diet to lose weight. |
| B．He used an app to calculate how much sport he played. |
| C．Fasting and sports helped him a lot when he lost weight. |
| D．In order to lose weight he used to do gymnastic exercise. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Han thinks people who suffer diabetes should try a fasting diet. |
| B．A clinic nutritionist says that it’s safer to have a low-calorie diet. |
| C．Han Ting recommends that everyone should have a fasting diet. |
| D．Hang Ting says only a fasting diet can help people keep healthy. |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Fast diet | B．How to stay thin |
| C．Eating to stay healthy | D．The magical cure-all |
More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed across the globe each day, and it’s likely that many taste bitter.
Now, a new study suggests that coffee fans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply changing the colour of their cups.
Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs, which are popular in some coffee shops, can reduce coffee’s bitterness, without any need for sugar, and that coffee drunk from white cups tastes the bitterest.
To prove their claims, the researchers invited 36 volunteers and used three different colored cups -- blue, white and transparent glass -- to do an experiment.
In the experiment, coffee consumed from the white cup was found to taste less sweet when compared to the other two colored cups, while the blue cup made the coffee taste the sweetest.
The scientists believe that the colour brown may be associated with coffee’s bitterness because coffee in a white cup appears the brownest and tastes the bitterest.
“Our study clearly shows that the colour of a coffee cup does influence the perceived (感受到的) taste and flavor of coffee,” said Dr George Doorn of Federation University Australia, “but the potential effects may be different between a one-time purchase and a return customer.”
“Anyhow, the effect of the colour of the cup on the flavor of the coffee suggests that café owners, baristas (咖啡师), as well as coffee cup manufacturers should carefully consider the colour of their cups, ” he added.
However, the idea that colour can alter the taste of food and drink is not new.
A study published last year revealed that red, strawberry-flavored mousse (慕斯蛋糕) served on a white plate was rated as 10 percent sweeter and 15 percent more flavorous than the same food presented on a black plate.
What color of the cup can best reduce coffee’s bitterness without adding sugar?
| A．Blue. | B．Brown. |
| C．White. | D．Transparent. |
The scientists used ________ to do the experiment to prove their claims.
① different brands of coffee
② different colored coffee cups
③ several volunteers
④ several manufactures
| A．① ② | B．② ③ | C．② ④ | D．③ ④ |
Why does coffee in white cups taste the least sweet?
| A．Because white cups are not as beautiful as other cups. |
| B．Because white cups are better used to serve cakes. |
| C．Because white cups reduce the sugar in them. |
| D．Because white cups make coffee appear the brownest. |
According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Black plates increase the sweetness of food and drink. |
| B．Strawberry-flavored mousse is 10 percent sweeter than coffee. |
| C．People consume more than 2.5 billion cups of coffee across the globe every year. |
| D．People can make coffee taste sweeter by changing the color of their coffee cups. |
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