A few years ago, I felt like a true failure．I was doing Weight Watchers for the third time in order to lose weight but not making progress．
At that time, I spent hours every day working out to my videos and was still overweight．I decided that there was no point in fighting it．I thought I was meant to be fat forever．I needed a change of heart and mind．That change came in the most unexpected way．It came with running．
After dinner on Thanksgiving, I went out for a walk with my family．I had turned my little MP3 player on and was enjoying the music when my favorite song came on．I felt like dancing, but that was out of the question （I had two teenagers with me）．So I caught the speed a bit and started to run slowly．I was quite pleased with my burst of activity．
What was more surprising was that I got up the next morning and went out again．After running, I felt strong and calm at the same time．I recalled the good feelings I felt when I used to run 20 years ago and decided that I wanted more of that．I signed up for a spring race and practiced hard for it．
Even though my weight is still heavier than what I would like, I no longer care about it．I try to stay more focused on my life．Most importantly, my workouts are less than an hour per day and I take Sundays off completely．My goal is to keep exercising in my life but not let it take over my life．After all, I am so much more than my weight．
What was troubling the author according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．That she was considered to be a failure by others． |
| B．That she had too little time to work out． |
| C．That she couldn't enjoy the food she liked． |
| D．That she failed to lose weight． |
According to Paragraph 3, the author started running instead of dancing because .
| A．she thought running would help her more． |
| B．she didn't want to dance at that moment． |
| C．it was inconvenient for her to dance at that moment． |
| D．she considered it useless to dance． |
In Paragraph 4 the author mainly wants to tell us that ____．
| A．she was a good runner 20 years ago |
| B．she had strong will-power |
| C．she often surprised others |
| D．she really liked running |
What was the author's biggest change after she started running?
| A．That she changed her attitude towards losing weight． |
| B．That she no longer wanted to lose weight． |
| C．That she spent more time in working out． |
| D．That she lost more weight than expected． |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Alice Moore is a teenager entrepreneur (创业者), who in May 2015 set up her business AilieCandy. By the time she was 13, her company was worth millions of dollars with the invention of a super-sweet treat that could save kids' teeth, instead of destroying them.
It all began when Moore visited a bank with her dad. On the outing, she was offered a candy bar. However, her dad reminded her that sugary treats were bad for her teeth. But Moore was sick of missing out on candies. So she desired to get round the warning, "Why can't I make a healthy candy that's good for my teeth so that my parents can't say no to it?" With that in mind, Moore asked her dad if she could start her own candy company. He recommended that she do some research and talk to dentists about what a healthier candy would contain.
With her dad's permission, she spent the next two years researching online and conducting trials to get a recipe that was both tasty and tooth-friendly. She also approached dentists to learn more about teeth cleaning. Consequently, she succeeded in making a kind of candy only using natural sweeteners, which can reduce oral bacteria.
Moore then used her savings to get her business of the ground. Afterwards, she and her father secured their first business meeting with a supermarket owner, who finally agreed to sell Moore's product-Cancandy.
As CanCandy's success grows, so does Moore's credibility as a young entrepreneur. Moore is enthusiastic about the candy she created, and she's also positive about what the future might bring. She hopes that every kid can have a clean mouth and a broad smile.
Meanwhile, with her parents' help, Moore is generally able to live a normal teenage life. Although she founded her company early on in life, she wasn't driven primarily by profit. Moore wants to use her unique talent to help others find their smiles. She donates 10% of AilicCandy's profits to Big Smiles. With her talent and determination, it appears that the sky could be the limit for Alice Moore.
（1）How did Moore react to her dad's warning?
| A． |
She argued with him. |
| B． |
She tried to find a way out. |
| C． |
She paid no attention. |
| D． |
She chose to consult dentists. |
（2）What is special about CanCandy?
| A． |
It is beneficial to dental health. |
| B． |
It is free of sweeteners. |
| C． |
It is sweeter than other candies. |
| D． |
It is produced to a dentists' recipe. |
（3）What does Moore expect from her business?
| A． |
To earn more money. |
| B． |
To help others find smiles. |
| C． |
To make herself stand out. |
| D． |
To beat other candy companies. |
（4）What can we learn from Alice Moore's story?
| A． |
Fame is a great thirst of the young. |
| B． |
A youth is to be regarded with respect. |
| C． |
Positive thinking and action result in success. |
| D． |
Success means getting personal desires satisfied. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Want to explore new cultures, meet new people and do something worthwhile at the same time? You can do all the three with Global Development Association (GDA).Whatever stage of life you're at, wherever you go and whatever project you do in GDA, you'll create positive changes in a poor and remote community (社区).
We work with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Most of our volunteers are aged 17-24. Now we need volunteer managers aged 25-75.They are extremely important in the safe and effective running of our programmes. We have such roles as project managers, mountain leaders, and communication officers.
Depending on which role you choose, you could help to increase a community's access to safe drinking water, or help to protect valuable local cultures. You might also design an adventure challenge to train young volunteers.
Not only will you help our young volunteers to develop personally, you'll also learn new skills and increase your cultural awareness. You may have chances to meet new people who'll become your lifelong friends.
This summer we have both 4-week and 7-week programmes:
| Country |
Schedule |
|
| 4-week programmes |
7-week programmes |
|
| Algeria |
5 Jul.- 1Aug. |
20Jun. -7Aug. |
| Egypt |
24 Jul-20 Aug. |
19Jun.-6 Aug. |
| Kenya |
20 Jul.-16Aug. |
18 Jun.-5 Aug. |
| South Africa |
2Aug.-29 Aug. |
15 Jun.-2Aug. |
GDA ensures that volunteers work with community members and local project partners where our help is needed. All our projects aim to promote the development of poor and remote communities.
There is no other chance like a GDA programme. Join us as a volunteer manager to develop your own skills while bringing benefits to the communities.
Find out more about joining a GDA programme:
Website: www.glodeve.org
Email: humanresources@glodeve.org
（1）What is the main responsibility of volunteer managers?
| A． |
To seek local partners |
| B． |
To take in young volunteers |
| C． |
To carry out programmes |
| D． |
To foster cultural awareness |
（2）The programme beginning in August will operate in ________.
| A． |
Egypt |
| B． |
Algeria |
| C． |
Kenya |
| D． |
South Afria |
（3）The shared goal of GDA's projects to ________.
| A． |
explore new cultures |
| B． |
protect the environment |
| C． |
gain corporate benefit |
| D． |
help communities in need |
请认真阅读下面短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
The Cost of Thinking
Despite their many differences, all human beings share several defining characteristics, such as large brains and the ability to walk upright on two legs.
The first unique human characteristic is that humans have extraordinarily large brains compared with other animals. It seems obvious that evolution should select for larger brains. Mammals (哺乳动物) weighing sixty kilograms have an average brain size of 200 cm 2. Modern man has a brain averaging 1200-1400 cm 2. We are so fond of our high intelligence that we assume that when it comes to brain power, more must be better. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
The fact is that a huge brain is a huge drain-consumption of energy-on the body. I's not easy to carry around, especially when boxed inside a massive skull (倾骨). It's even harder to provides energy. In modern man, the brain accounts for about 2-3%of total body weight but it consumes 25% of the body's energy when the body is at rest. By comparison, the brains of apes (类人猿) require only 8%of rest-time energy. Early humans pad for their large brains in two ways. Firstly, they spent more time in search food. Secondly, their muscles grew smaller and weaker. It's hardly an obvious conclusion that this is a good way to survive. A chimpanzee (黑猩猩) can't win an argument with a modern man, but it can tear the man apart like a rag doll.
Another unique human characteristic is that we walk upright. Standing up, it's easier to find food or enemies. In addition, their arms that are unnecessary for moving around are freed for other purposes, like throwing stones or signaling. As a result, humans can perform very complex tasks with their hands.
Yet walking upright has its disadvantage. The bone structure of our ancestors developed for millions of years to support a creature that walked on all fours and has a relatively small head. Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge, especially when the bones had to support an extra-large skull. Humankind paid for its broad vision and skillful hands backaches and painful necks.
We assume that a large brain makes huge advantages. It seems obvious that these have made humankind the most powerful animal on earth. But humans enjoyed all of these advantages for a full 2 million years during which they remained weak and marginal creature. Thus humans who lived a million years ago, despite their big brains and sharp stone tools, lived in constant fear of meat-eating animals.
| The Cost of Thinking |
|
| Introduction |
•Large brains for their bodies and the ability to walk upright are two ________ of human beings. |
| The ________ of large human brains |
•The larger brains may not be better because of the cost. •The big brains make it harder for the body to move around and consume more energy. •The animal brain requires less ________when the body is at rest. •Large human brains consume more food, and weaken muscles. |
| The ________ of walking upright |
•Walking upright makes it easy to find food or ________against enemies. •Freed hands can serve some ________ purpose and perform complex tasks. |
| •Walking upright challenges the human bone structure, and ________ the size of brains. •Walking upright results in ________ sufferings. |
|
| Conclusion |
•With a large brain, human beings ________ other beings in terms of intelligence. •Weak and marginal, human beings remained ________ of meat-eating animals. |
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer's (阿尔楚海默症). He was losing his memory.
A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.
Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep catch night when she was young. She thought about hiring a professional pianist to work with her father.
Naomi, Melissa's best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.
"Why do this?" Steve wondered.
"Because she cares." Melissa said.
Steve nodded, tears in eye.
Naomi drove to the Goodwin home. She told Steve she'd love to hear him play. Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
Naomi put a small recorder near the piano, Starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.
"It was beautiful." Naomi said after listening to the recording. "The music was worth saving."
Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was sill in Steve Goodwin. It was bidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.
Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He'd move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she'd take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.
Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn't play it.
Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it "Melancholy Flower".
Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him "honey" and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.
Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve's favorite, and most personal songs. With Naomi's help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve's songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn't.
In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: "Melancholy Flower"
She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve's permission. He considered it an honor.
After the concert, Naomi told the family that Steve's music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.
The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.
By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.
Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.
（1）Why did Melissa want to save her father's music?
| A． |
His music could stop his disease from worsening. |
| B． |
She wanted to please her dying old father. |
| C． |
His music deserved to be preserved in the family. |
| D． |
She wanted to make her father a professional. |
（2）After hearing Steve's playing, Naomi ________.
| A． |
refused to make a comment on it |
| B． |
was deeply impressed by his music |
| C． |
decided to free Steve from suffering |
| D． |
regretted offering help to her friend |
（3）How can the process of Steve's recording be described?
| A． |
It was slow but productive. |
| B． |
It was beneficial to his health. |
| C． |
It was tiresome for Naomi. |
| D． |
It was vital for Naomi's career. |
（4）Before Steve finished "Melancholy Flower," his wife Joni ________.
| A． |
thought the music talent of Steve was exhausted |
| B． |
didn't expect the damage the disease brought about |
| C． |
didn't fully realize the value of her husband's music |
| D． |
brought her husband's music career to perfection |
（5）How did Steve feel at the concert held in downtown Portland?
| A． |
He felt concerned about his illness. |
| B． |
He sensed a responsibility for music. |
| C． |
He regained his faith in music. |
| D． |
He got into a state of quiet. |
（6）What can be a suitable title for the passage?
| A． |
The Kindness of Friends |
| B． |
The Power of Music |
| C． |
The Making of a Musician |
| D． |
The Value of Determination |
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Who cares if people think wrongly that the Internet has had more important influences than the washing machine? Why does it matter that people are more impressed by the most recent changes?
It would not matter if these misjudgments were just a matter of people's opinions. However, they have real impacts, as they result in misguided use of scarce resources.
The fascination with the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) revolution, represented by the Internet, has made some rich countries wrongly conclude that making things is so "yesterday" that they should try to live on ideas. This belief in "post-industrial society" has led those countries to neglect their manufacturing sector (制造业) with negative consequences for their economies.
Even more worryingly, the fascination with the Internet by people in rich countries has moved the international community to worry about the "digital divide" between the rich countries and the poor countries. This has led companies and individuals to donate money to developing countries to buy computer equipment and Internet facilities. The question, however, is whether this is what the developing countries need the most. Perhaps giving money for those less fashionable things such as digging wells, extending electricity networks and making more affordable washing machines would have improved people's lives more than giving every child a laptop computer or setting up Internet centres in rural villages, I am not saying that those things are necessarily more important, but many donators have rushed into fancy programmes without carefully assessing the relative long-term costs and benefits of alternative uses of their money.
In yet another example, a fascination with the new has led people to believe that the recent changes in the technologies of communications and transportation are so revolutionary that now we live in a "borderless world". As a result, in the last twenty years or so, many people have come to believe that whatever change is happening today is the result of great technological progress, going against which will be like trying to turn the clock back. Believing in such a world, many governments have put an end to some of the very necessary regulations on cross-border flows of capital, labour and goods, with poor results.
Understanding technological trends is very important for correctly designing economic policies, both at the national and the international levels, and for making the right career choices at the individual level. However, our fascination with the latest, and our under valuation of what has already become common, can, and has, led us in all sorts of wrong directions.
（1）Misjudgments on the influences of new technology can lead to ________.
| A． |
a lack of confidence in technology |
| B． |
a slow progress in technology |
| C． |
a conflict of public opinions |
| D． |
a waste of limited resources |
（2）The example in Paragraph 4 suggests that donators should ________.
| A． |
take people's essential needs into account |
| B． |
make their programmes attractive to people |
| C． |
ensure that each child gets financial support |
| D． |
provide more affordable internet facilities |
（3）What has led many governments to remove necessary regulations?
| A． |
Neglecting the impacts of technological advances. |
| B． |
Believing that the world has become borderless. |
| C． |
Ignoring the power of economic development. |
| D． |
Over-emphasizing the role of international communication. |
（4）What can we learn from the passage?
| A． |
People should be encouraged to make more donations. |
| B． |
Traditional technology still has a place nowadays. |
| C． |
Making right career choices is crucial to personal success. |
| D． |
Economic policies should follow technological trends. |
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