高中英语阅读理解

In the 1760s， Mathurin Roze opened a series of shops that boasted（享有）a special meat soup called consommé． Although the main attraction was the soup， Roze's chain shops also set a new standard for dining out， which helped to establish Roze as the inventor of the modern restaurant．

   Today， scholars have generated large amounts of instructive research about restaurants． Take visual hints that influence what we eat： diners served themselves about 20 percent more pasta（意大利面食）when their plates matched their food． When a dark﹣colored cake was served on a black plate rather than a white one， customers recognized it as sweeter and more tasty．

   Lighting matters， too． When Berlin restaurant customers ate in darkness， they couldn't tell how much they'd had： those given extra﹣large shares ate more than everyone else， but were none the wiser﹣they didn't feel fuller， and they were just as ready for dessert．

   Time is money， but that principle means different things for different types of restaurants． Unlike fast﹣food places． fine dining shops prefer customers to stay longer and spend． One way to encourage customers to stay and order that extra round： put on some Mozart（莫扎特）．When classical， rather than pop， music was playing， diners spent more． Fast music hurried diners out．

   Particular scents also have an effect： diners who got the scent of lavender（薰衣草）stayed longer and spent more than those who smelled lemon， or no scent．

   Meanwhile， things that you might expect to discourage spending﹣"bad" tables， crowding．high prices﹣don't necessarily． Diners at bad tables﹣next to the kitchen door， say﹣spent nearly as much as others but soon fled． It can be concluded that restaurant keepers need not "be overly concerned about 'bad' tables，" given that they're profitable． As for crowds， a Hong Kong study found that they increased a restaurant's reputation， suggesting great food at fair prices． And doubling a buffet's price led customers to say that its pizza was 11 percent tastier．

（1）The underlined phrase "none the wiser" in paragraph 3 most probably implies that the customers were 　 　．

A．	not aware of eating more than usual
B．	not willing to share food with others
C．	not conscious of the food quality
D．	not fond of the food provided

（2）How could a fine dining shop make more profit？ 　 　

A．	playing classical music．
B．	Introducing lemon scent．
C．	Making the light brighter．
D．	Using plates of larger size．

（3）What does the last paragraph talk about？ 　 　

A．	Tips to attract more customers．
B．	Problems restaurants are faced with．
C．	Ways to improve restaurants' reputation．
D．	Common misunderstandings about restaurants．

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue New York， NY 10028

211﹣535﹣7710 www ． metmuseum ． org

Entrances

Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street

Hours

Open 7 days a week．

Sunday﹣Thursday 10：00﹣17：30

Friday and Saturday 10：00﹣21：00

ClosedThanksgiving Day， December 25，January 1，and the first Monday in May

Admission

﹩25.00 recommended for adults， ﹩12.00 recommended for students， includes the Main Building and The Cloisters（回廊）on the same day； free for children under 12 with an adult．

Free with Admission

All special exhibitions，as well as films，lectures，guided tours， concerts， gallery talks， and family/children's programs are free with admission．

Ask about today's activities at the Great Hall Information Desk．

The Cloisters Museum and Gardens

The Cloisters museum and gardens is a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art devoted to the art and architecture of Europe in the Middle Ages． The extensive collection consists of masterworks in sculpture， colored glass， and precious objects from Europe dating from about the 9th to the 15th century．

Hours： Open 7 days a week．

March﹣October 10：00﹣17：15

November﹣February 10：00﹣16：45

ClosedThanksgiving Day， December 25，and January 1．

（1）How much may they pay if an 11﹣year﹣old girl and her working parents visit the museum？ 　 　

A．	﹩12．
B．	﹩ 37．
C．	﹩ 50．
D．	﹩ 62．

（2）The attraction of the Cloisters museum and gardens lies in the fact that 　 　．

A．	it opens all the year round
B．	its collections date from the Middle Ages
C．	it has a modern European﹣style garden
D．	it sells excellent European glass collections

Composite image of Europe and North Africa at night， 2016． Credit： NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens， using Suomi NPP VIIRS data from Miguel Roman， NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center． Artificial light is often seen as a sign of progress： the march of civilization shines a light in the dark； it takes back the night； it illuminates． But a chorus of scientists and advocates argues that unnaturally bright nights are bad not just for astronomers but also for nocturnal （夜间活动的） animals and even for human health．

   Now research shows the night is getting even brighter． From 2012 to 2016 the earth's artificially lit area expanded by an estimated 2.2 percent a year （map）， according to a study published last November in Science Advances． Even that increase may understate the problem， however． The measurement excludes light from most of the energy﹣efficient LED lamps that have been replacing sodium﹣vapor technology in cities all over the world， says lead study author Christopher Kyb， a postdoctoral researcher at the German Research Center for Geosciences in Potsdam．

   The new data came from a NASA satellite instrument called the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite （VIIRS）． It can measure long﹣wavelengths of light， such as those produced by traditional yellow﹣and﹣orange sodium﹣vapor street lamps． But VIRS cannot see the short﹣wavelength blue light produced by white LEDs． This light has been shown to disrupt human sleep cycles and nocturnal animals' behavior．

   Credit： Mapping Specialists： Source： "Artificially Lit Surface of Earth at Night Increasing in Radiance and Extent．" by Christopher C． M． Kyba et al． in Science Advances， Vol． 3． No 11， Article No， E1701528； November 22， 2017．

   The team believes the ongoing switch to LEDs caused already bright countries such as Italy， the Netherlands， Spain and the U． S． to register as having stable levels of illumination in the VIIRS data． In contrast， most nations in South America， Africa and Asia brightened， suggesting increases in the use of traditional lighting． Australia actually appeared to lose lit area    but the researchers say that is because wildfires skewed the data．

   "The fact that VIIRS finds an increase （in many countries）， despite its blindness in the part of the spectrum that increased more， is very sad，" says Fabiofalchi， a researcher at Italy's Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute， who did not participate in the study． In 2016 Falchi， along with Kyba and several other members of his research team， published a global atlas of artificial lighting that showed one third of the world's population currently lives under skies too bright to see the Milky Way at night．

   The data also cast doubt on the idea that the LED lighting revolution will lead to energy cost savings． Between 2012 and 2016 the median nation pumped out 15 percent more long﹣wavelength light as its GDP increased by 13 percent． And overall， countries' total light production correlated with their GDP． In other words， Kyba says， "we buy as much light as we are willing to spend money on．"

（1）Which is not true about the spread of lit areas？ 　 　

A．	Lit area expanded by an estimated 2.2 percent a year．
B．	Artificial light is often seen as a sign of progress．
C．	The increase in GDP is due to the increase in light．
D．	It is bad for nocturnal animals and even for human health．

（2）Which of the following about VIIRS is NOT true according to the passage？ 　 　

A．	It is a kind of NASA satellite device．
B．	It can record and analyze long﹣wavelength light．
C．	The blue light generated by white LEDs can disrupt human sleep cycles．
D．	VIIRS has found an increase of traditional lighting in lots of nations．

（3）According to the article， what we can know about the LEDs？ 　 　

A．	Artificial LED lights at nights are harmful to people's health．
B．	It is a sign of civilization in modern society．
C．	The blue light disrupts human and animals' life cycles．
D．	Artificially lit surface of Earth increasing because of LEDs．

（4）The author writes this article to 　 　．

A．	show the VIIRS data from NASA
B．	demonstrate the significance of VIIRS for its measurement of wavelengths
C．	reveal the relationship between wavelength light and GDP
D．	arouse people's awareness of light pollution

Geographers are interested in the spatial patterns observed on earth． Bridging the natural and social sciences， Geography is the interdisciplinary study of environments and how people interact with the environment． It is important to study geography because many of the world's problems require understanding the interdependence between human activities and the environment． Geography is therefore a beneficial major for students because its theories and methods provide them with analytical skills relevant to occupations focused on solving social and environmental problems． The Department of Geography offers eight majors that help students tailor their focus of study．

   The Geography﹣globalization and Development major will provide students with a sophisticated understanding of contemporary global issues and a geographical framework for analyzing key issues involved in national and international development． Reflecting the discipline of geography as a whole， this major emphasizes an integrated approach to studying the relationship of global change to individual and community well﹣being by combining the benefits of area studies with theoretical and topical investigations in the curriculum．

   Our department is committed to excellence in both teaching and advising． Several of our faculty members have received teaching awards， and we are known across campus for the quality of our advising． As a geography major， you will meet one﹣on﹣one with your faculty advisor every semester during advising week， and you are always welcome to talk with your advisor at any time throughout the semester whenever questions may arise． In addition to advising our students about their academic programs， we provide timely information about internships， nationally competitive awards， and other opportunities as they arise． Many of our students complete internships and several of our students over the last few years have received nationally competitive awards．

   For more information about our program， please visit our website， or contact our Undergraduate Chair， whose information is listed above．

   Admissions Information

   Freshmen/First﹣year Admission

   No requirements beyond University admission requirements．

   Change of Program Policy

   No selective or limited admission requirements．

   External Transfer Admission

   No requirements beyond University admission requirements．

   Opportunities Upon Graduation

   With a liberal arts degree in Geography globalization and Development， students are prepared for employment in a variety of fields， including non﹣profit and government work， particularly in the areas of community and international development． This degree will also prepare students well to work in the private sector in an international context． Graduates from this program will also be well situated to continue on to graduate school or law school， with research and professional interest in academic fields， including， but not limited to， geography， public affairs and policy， development studies， and community and regional planning．

   Browse through dozens of internship opportunities and full﹣time job postings for Ohio University students and alumni on Handshake， OHIO's key resource for researching jobs， employers， workshops， and professional development events．

（1）Who can be selected as the target of the geography course in the passage？ 　 　

A．	A freshman who has studied in a university．
B．	A college student majoring in geography．
C．	A senior high school graduate interested in geography．
D．	A high school graduate who wants to find a job

（2）What are the advantages of choosing the geography major in this university in terms of employment？ 　 　

A．	Acquiring skills to solve social and environmental problems．
B．	Understanding contemporary global issues．
C．	Getting one﹣on﹣one information on geography teaching．
D．	Achieving more international opportunities．

（3）Where is the most likely place to read this passage？ 　 　

A．	In a magazine．
B．	On the university website．
C．	In a geographic journal．
D．	On the enrollment information network．

All I had to do for the two dollars was clean her house for a few hours after school． It was a beautiful house， too， with a plastic﹣covered sofa and chairs， wall﹣to﹣wall blue﹣and﹣white carpeting， a white enamel stove， a washing machine and a dryer things that were common in her neighborhood， absent in mine． In the middle of the war， she had butter， sugar， steaks， and seam﹣up﹣the﹣back stockings．

   I knew how to scrub floors on my knees and how to wash clothes in our zinc tub， but I had never seen a Hoover vacuum cleaner or an iron that wasn't heated by fire．

   Part of my pride in working for her was earning money I could squander （浪费）： on movies， candy， paddleball， jacks， ice﹣cream cones． But a larger part of my pride was based on the fact that I gave half my wages to my mother， which meant that some of my earnings were used for real things an insurance﹣policy payment or what was owed to the milkman or the iceman． The pleasure of being necessary to my parents was profound． I was not like the children in folktales： burdensome mouths to feed， nuisances to be corrected， problems so severe that they were abandoned to the forest． I had a status that doing routine chores in my house did not provide and it earned me a slow smile， an approving nod from an adult． Confirmations that I was adultlike， not childlike．

   In those days， the forties， children were not just loved or liked； they were needed． They could earn money； they could care for children younger than themselves； they could work the farm， take care of the herd， run errands （差事）， and much more． I suspect that children aren't needed in that way now． They are loved， doted on， protected， and helped． Fine， and yet…

   Little by little， I got better at cleaning her house good enough to be given more to do， much more． I was ordered to carry bookcases upstairs and， once， to move a piano from one side of a room to the other． I fell carrying the bookcases． And after pushing the piano my arms and legs hurt so badly． I wanted to refuse， or at least to complain， but I was afraid she would fire me， and I would lose the freedom the dollar gave me， as well as the standing I had at home although both were slowly being eroded． She began to offer me her clothes， for a price． Impressed by these worn things， which looked simply gorgeous to a little girl who had only two dresses to wear to school， I bought a few． Until my mother asked me if I really wanted to work for castoffs． So I learned to say "No， thank you" to a faded sweater offered for a quarter of a week's pay．

   Still， I had trouble summoning （鼓起） the courage to discuss or object to the increasing demands she made． And I knew that if I told my mother how unhappy I was she would tell me to quit． Then one day， alone in the kitchen with my father， I let drop a few whines about the job． I gave him details， examples of what troubled me， yet although he listened intently， I saw no sympathy in his eyes． No "Oh， you poor little thing．" Perhaps he understood that what I wanted was a solution to the job， not an escape from it． In any case， he put down his cup of coffee and said， "Listen． You don't live there． You live here． With your people． Go to work． Get your money． And come on home．"

   That was what he said． This was what I heard：

   Whatever the work is， do it well    not for the boss but for yourself．

   You make the job： it doesn't make you．

   Your real life is with us， your family．

   You are not the work you do： you are the person you are．

   I have worked for all sorts of people since then， geniuses and morons， quick﹣witted and dull， big﹣hearted and narrow． I've had many kinds of jobs， but since that conversation with my father I have never considered the level of labor to be the measure of myself， and I have never placed the security of a job above the value of home．

（1）What is the "pleasure" of the author from the sentence "The pleasure of being necessary to my parents was profound．（paragraph 3）"？ 　 　

A．	She was proud as she could earn money for her mother．
B．	Her own value of being needed．
C．	She is distinctive from those children in folktales．
D．	She enjoyed a status of being an adult in her family．

（2）According to the article， which of the following is true about children in the 1940s and now？ 　 　

A．	Children become needed， loved and liked when they are at forty．
B．	Children in modern times are less likely to be spoiled by parents．
C．	Children in 1940s are capable as they can handle various daily routine．
D．	Children in modern times aren't needed to do daily works any more．

（3）What did the author's father make her understand？ 　 　

A．	Don't escape from difficulties at work．
B．	Whatever decision she made， her father would support her．
C．	Convey her dissatisfaction with her work．
D．	Make a distinction between work and life．

（4）Which of the following corresponds to the author's views in the passage？ 　 　

A．	Don't regard work achievement as a criterion for evaluating oneself．
B．	Hard work is a struggle for a better future in your limited life．
C．	Parents are the best teachers of children．
D．	Job security is less valuable when compared with family．

California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor（因素）.

The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.

Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick Mclntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources（资源）.

But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, Mclntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.

The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt（融雪）.

Since the 1930s, Mclntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.

（1）What is the second paragraph mainly about?            

A．	The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B．	The increasing variety of California big trees.
C．	The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D．	The influence of farming on big trees in California.

（2）Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees?            

A．	Ecological studies of forests.
B．	Banning woodcutting.
C．	Limiting housing development.
D．	Fire control measures.

（3）What is a major cause of the water shortage according to Mclntyre?            

A．	Inadequate snowmelt.
B．	A longer dry season.
C．	A warmer climate.
D．	Dampness of the air.

（4）What can be a suitable title for the text?            

A．	California's Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone?
B．	Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon
C．	Why Are the Big Trees Important to California Forests?
D．	Patrick Mclntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California

Money with no strings attached.It's not something you see every day. But at Union Station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read, "Give What You Can, Take What You Need."

People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. "People of all ages, races, and socio-economic（社会经济的）backgrounds gave and took, "said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. "We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars." Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip（片段）shows one man who had found a ＄ 20 bill pinning it to the board.

"What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles," Bridges said. "There's a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most." Most people who took dollars took only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.

While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy. He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.

"After all, everyone has bad days and good days," he said. "Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand."

（1）What does the expression "money with no strings attached" in paragraph 1 mean?

A．	Money spent without hesitation.
B．	Money not legally made.
C．	Money offered without conditions.
D．	Money not tied together.

（2）What did Bridges want to show by mentioning the bride?            

A．	Women tended to be more sociable.
B．	The activity attracted various people.
C．	Economic problems were getting worse.
D．	Young couples needed financial assistance.

（3）Why did Bridges carry out the project?            

A．	To do a test on people's morals.
B．	To raise money for his company.
C．	To earn himself a good reputation.
D．	To promote kindness and sympathy.

Zachariah Fike has an unusual hobby. He finds old military（军队的）medals for sale in antique stores and on the Internet. But unlike most collectors, Zac tracks down the medals' rightful owners, and returns them.

His effort to reunite families with lost medals began with a Christmas gift from his mother, a Purple Heart with the name Corrado A. G. Piccoli, found in an antique shop. Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart-he earned one himself in a war as a soldier. So when his mother gave him the medal, he knew right away what he had to do.

Through the Internet, Zac tracked down Corrado's sister Adeline Rockko. But when he finally reached her, the woman flooded him with questions: "Who are you？2What antique shop?" However, when she hung up, she regretted the way she had handled the call. So she called Zac back and apologized. Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown, N.Y. "At that point, I knew she meant business," Zac says. "To drive eight hours to come to see me."

The Piccolis grew up the children of Italian immigrants in Watertown. Corrado, a translator for the Army during WWII, was killed in action in Europe.

Before hearing from Zac, Adeline hadn't realized the medal was missing. Like many military medals, the one Zac's mother had found was a family treasure." This medal was very precious to my parents. Only on special occasions（场合）would they take it out and let us hold it in our hands," Adeline says.

As a child, Adeline couldn't understand why the medal was so significant. "But as I grew older," Adeline says, "and missed my brother more and more, I realized that was the only thing we had left." Corrado Piccoli's Purple Heart medal now hangs at the Italian American Civic Association in Watertown.

Zac recently returned another lost medal to a family in Alabama. Since he first reunited Corrado's medal, Zac says his record is now 5 for 5.

（1）Where did Zac get a Purple Heart medal for himself？            

A．	In the army.
B．	In an antique shop.
C．	From his mother.
D．	From Adeline Rockko.

（2）What did Zac realize when Adeline drove to meet him？            

A．	She was very impolite.
B．	She was serious about the medal.
C．	She suspected his honesty.
D．	She came from a wealthy family.

（3）What made Adeline treasure the Purple Heart?            

A．	Her parents' advice.
B．	Her knowledge of antiques.
C．	Her childhood dream.
D．	Her memory of her brother.

Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms（微生物） from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It's turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It depending on NASA HUNCH high school class, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.

HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon's students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they're close to a solution（解决方案）. "We don't give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers," says Florence Gold, a project manager.

"There are no tests," Gordon says. "There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than 'Are you working towards your goal?' Basically, it's 'I've got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.' Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and…it's not a very nice thing at time. It's a hard business review of your product."

Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact（影响） on college admissions and practical life skills. "These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don't teach." And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.

（1）What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?            

A．	They are hard to get rid of.
B．	They lead to air pollution.
C．	They appear different forms.
D．	They damage the instruments.

（2）What is the purpose of the HUNCH program?            

A．	To strengthen teacher-student relationships.
B．	To sharpen students' communication skills.
C．	To allow students to experience zero gravity.
D．	To link space technology with school education

（3）What do the NASA engineers do for the students in the program?            

A．	Check their product.
B．	Guide project designs
C．	Adjust work schedules.
D．	Grade their homework.

（4）What is the best title for the text?            

A. NASA: The Home of Astronauts.

B. Space: The Final Homework Frontier.

C. Nature: An Outdoor Classroom.

D. HUNCH:A College Admission Reform.

Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach's Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel's "me" time. And like more Americans, she's not alone.

A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half（53 percent）have breakfast alone and nearly half（46 percent）have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.

"I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know？" Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. "Today, I just wanted some time to myself, "she said.

Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction（交流）. "I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week," he said. "It's a chance for self-reflection, You return to work recharged and with a plan."

That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. "It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before al the advances in technology," said Laurie Demerit, whose company provided the statistics for the report.

（1）What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?            

A．	Food variety.
B．	Eating habits.
C．	Table manners.
D．	Restaurant service.

（2）Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?            

A．	To meet with her coworkers.
B．	To catch up with her work.
C．	To have some time on her own.
D．	To collect data for her report.

（3）What do we know about Mazoleny?            

A．	He makes videos for the bar.
B．	He's fond of the food at the bar.
C．	He interviews customers at the bar.
D．	He's familiar with the barkeeper.

（4）What is the text mainly about?            

A．	The trend of having meals alone.
B．	The importance of self-reflection.
C．	The stress from working overtime.
D．	The advantage of wireless technology.

"You can use me as a last resort（选择）, and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it." This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids lacrosse（长曲棍球）club.

I guess that there's probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren't even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up, "Alright. Yes, I'll do it."

I'm secretly relieved because I know there's real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.

Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community（社区）as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.

In that sense, I'm pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I'd freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?

（1）What can we infer about the parent from her reply in paragraph 1?            

A．	She knows little about the club.
B．	She isn't good at sports.
C．	She just doesn't want to volunteer.
D．	She's unable to meet her schedule.

（2）What does the underlined phrase "tug at the heartstrings" in paragraph 2 mean?            

A．	Encourage team work .
B．	Appeal to feeling.
C．	Promote good deeds.
D．	Provide advice.

（3）What can we learn about the parent from paragraph 3?            

A．	She gets interested in lacrosse.
B．	She is proud of her kids.
C．	She'll work for another season.
D．	She becomes a good helper.

（4）Why does the author like doing volunteer work?            

A．	It gives her a sense of duty.
B．	It makes her very happy.
C．	It enables her to work hard.
D．	It brings her material rewards.

My Favourite Books

Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series（系列）of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.

Matilda

Roald Dahl

I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl's writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda's battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they're also aspirational.

After Dark

Haruki Murakami

It's about two sisters-Eri, a model who either won't or can't stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister. Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse "night people" who are hiding secrets.

Gone Girl

Gillian Fynn

There was a bit of me that didn't want to love this when everyone else on the planet did but the horror story is brilliant. There's tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It's a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what's going on is horribly enjoyable

The Stand

Stephen King

This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world's population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those let. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.

（1）Who does "I" refer to in the text?            

A．	Stephen King.
B．	Gillian Flynn.
C．	Jo Usmar.
D．	Roald Dahl

（2）Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?            

A．	Cosmopolitan.
B．	Matilda.
C．	After Dark.
D．	The Stand.

（3）What kind of book is G one Girl?            

A．	A folk tale.
B．	A biography.
C．	A love story.
D．	A horror story.

We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices (装置) well after they go out of style. That's bad news for the environment - and our wallets - as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.

To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life - from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation. Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.

As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones." The Living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kid's room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house," said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We're not just keeping these old devices-we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's team, old desktop monitors and box TV's with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions(排放) more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.

So what's the solution(解决方案)? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tables instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.

32.What does the author think of new devices?            

A．	They are environment-friendly.
B．	They are no better than the old.
C．	They cost more to use at home.
D．	They go out of style quickly.

33.Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?            

A．	To reduce the cost of minerals.
B．	To test the life cycle of a product.
C．	To update consumers on new technology.
D．	To find out electricity consumption of the devices.

34.Which of the following uses the least energy?            

A．	The box-set TV.
B．	The tablet.
C．	The LCD TV.
D．	The desktop computer.

35.What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?            

A．	Stop using them.
B．	Take them apart.
C．	Upgrade them.
D．	Recycle them.

Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.

Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalization and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominantlanguages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.

At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1,000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number （中位数）of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.

Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.

28.What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?            

A．	They developed very fast.
B．	They were large in number.
C．	They had similar patterns.
D．	They were closely connected.

29.Which of the following best explains "dominant" underlined in paragraph 2?            

A．	Complex.
B．	Advanced
C．	Powerful.
D．	Modern.

30.How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present?            

A．	About 6,800.
B．	About 3,400.
C．	About 2,400.
D．	About 1,200.

31.What is the main idea of the text?            

A．	New languages will be created.
B．	People's lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C．	Human development results in fewer languages.
D．	Geography determines language evolution.

Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid is used to grilling guests on the sofa every morning, but she is cooking up a storm in her latest role-showing families how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals on a tight budget.

In Save Money: Good Food, she visits a different home each week and with the help of chef Matt Tebbutt offers top tips on how to reduce food waste, while preparing recipes for under £5 per family a day. And the Good Morning Britain presenter says she's been able to put a lot of what she's learnt into practice in her own home, preparing meals for sons, Sam, 14, Finn, 13, and Jack, 11.

"We love Mexican churros, so I buy them on my phone from my local Mexican takeaway restaurant," she explains. "I pay £5 for a portion(一份),but Matt makes them for 26p a portion, because they are flour, water, sugar and oil. Everybody can buy takeaway food, but sometimes we're not aware how cheaply we can make this food ourselves."

The eight-part series(系列节目),Save Money: Good Food, follows in the footsteps of ITV's Save Money: Good Health, which gave viewers advice on how to get value from the vast range of health products on the market.

With food our biggest weekly household expense, Susanna and Matt spend time with a different family each week. In tonight's Easter special they come to the aid of a family in need of some delicious inspiration on a budget. The team transforms the family's long weekend of celebration with less expensive but still tasty recipes.

24.What do we know about Susanna Reid?            

A．	She enjoys embarrassing her guests.
B．	She has started a new programme.
C．	She dislikes working early in the morning.
D．	She has had a tight budget for her family.

25.How does Matt Tebbutt help Susanna?            

A．	He buys cooking materials for her.
B．	He prepares food for her kids.
C．	He assists her in cooking matters.
D．	He invites guest families for her.

26.What does the author intend to do in paragraph 4?            

A．	Summarize the previous paragraphs.
B．	Provide some advice for the readers.
C．	Add some background information.
D．	Introduce a new topic for discussion.

27.What can be a suitable title for the text?            

A．	Keeping Fit by Eating Smart
B．	Balancing Our Daily Diet
C．	Making Yourself a Perfect Chef
D．	Cooking Well for Less