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Task 1

题材：人类与狗 体裁：说明文 难度：★★★

词数：328+143 建议用时：7′ 来源：http://www.i21st.cn

As saying goes,“Dogs are man’s best friend.” This sums up the attitude toward dogs that many people around the world share.It means that dogs are loyal,and will stay with their ownersthrough thick and thin.

The Year of the Dog began on Feb 16,according to the Chinese lunar calendar.Although they are seen as companions and part of the family today,China and western countries have different cultural beliefs about dogs.In Chinese,some words concerning dogs have bad meaning,such as “No ivory can come out of a dog’s mouth.” But in English,the situation is different.People use “every dog has his day”to describe a period of good fortune and“work like a dog” to describe a hard worker.

The dog-human relationship goes right back to the beginning of western civilization.Perhaps the most moving example is from the 8thcentury BC,in Greek poet Homer’s The Odyssey.When Greek hero Odysseus finally returned home after 20 years away at war,he’s in disguise乔装打扮.Only one person-sorry animal recognizes him:his dog,Argos.Argos was an old and ill dog,and was about to die,but he was overjoyed to see his master again after so many years.In later centuries,the friendship between humans and dogs was a common subject for artists.

In fact,people were close to dogs in a way that they weren’t close to cows,pigs or even horses.Farmers worked closely with dogs.But even after science came to agriculture and dogs lost their traditional roles,the relationship between man and dogs remained.

Nowadays in the west,millions of people keep dogs as pets.People feed them,take them on holidays and look after them.In return,dogs are loyal in a way that friends sometimes aren’t.As the US musician Don Van Vliet once said,“You can tell by the kindness of a dog how a human should be.”

1.What does the underlined phrase “through thick and thin” in paragraph 1 mean?

A.With strong belief. B.At home and abroad.

C.Without any hesitation. D.In spite of any difficulties.

2.When someone says to you“every dog has his day”， he means that____________.

A.you are very lucky B.he loves dogs very much

C.he wants you to work like a dog D.he likes you as much as his dog

3.Before science came to agriculture,dogs usually ____________.

A.worked less than cows,pigs and horses B.were a common subject for artists

C.had their traditional roles D.watched doors carefully

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Dog and Humans B.Dog—a Loyal Symbol

C.Best Friend for a Lifetime D.Dogs’Different Roles in History

Task 2

题材：个人经历 体裁：记叙文 难度：★★★

词数：294+112 建议用时：6′ 来源：www.reddit.com

When I was younger,I was the kid who kept the training wheels on my bike as long as possible.Even my younger sister had got rid of them much earlier than me.But as I began to grow older,this changed.

Bike Safety Day is supposed to be a fun day at school where you bring your bike and the school provides you and your classmates the opportunity to ride outside and learn proper bike safety.Sounds like fun,right?No.In fact,it caused me to panic.What was I going to say when my friends asked me about my training wheels?

With the pressure of everyone seeing my training wheels,I needed to let them go.This was the first big change I’d ever made on my own.

I went to my parents and told them all about my dilemma.They were more than happy to help.We went outside and got my bike.Instead of running away and hiding behind the first thing I could find,I stood in front of my bike and took great pride in my decision as my dad removed the training wheels.

I got on and steadied myself.My heart raced but my feet and hands were calm.My dad started to push before my feet even moved and suddenly I was off.The fear faded away and a relaxed mind came into its place.It was crazy to think how quickly I learned something that took so long for me to even try!

My confidencesoared.This was going to be the start of a brand-new world for me.My accomplishment would carry me forth to new goals and wins.I realized that if I set my mind to something,I could achieve it.

1.What do students usually do on Bike Safety Day?

A.Ride to school and home.

B.Process proper bike safety in class.

C.Learn bike safety skills in practice.

D.Have their bikes checked by the school.

2.Who inspired the author to get rid of the training wheels?

A.The author herself.

B.The author’s friends.

C.The author’s parents.

D.The author’s younger sister.

3.How did the author feel when her father removed the training wheels?

A.Comfortable. B.Anxious.

C.Scared. D.Proud.

4.The underlined word “soared”in the last paragraph probably means ____________.

A.increased quickly

B.changed carefully

C.faded slowly

D.hid secretly

Task 3

Disneyland Special Events October 27

题材：假期活动 体裁：信息性文本 难度：★★★

词数：231+89 建议用时：6.5′ 来源：www.psychologytoday

◆Storytelling—Fantasyland

Hours:10:45 AM,1:15 PM,4:15 PM(22 minutes per period)

The Royal Theatre presents performances you’ll never forget!Under an openair tent,crowds from all corners of the kingdom are gathering for live shows that recreate Disney stories.Beauty and the BeastandTangledare on the list.

◆The Dapper Dans—Main Street,USA

Hours:11:55 AM,1:05 PM,3:15 PM(20 minutes per period)

Gather around when the Dapper Dans come to town!Wearing their colorful suits,straw hats and taps,this 4-man group sings an amusing selection of Disney tunes includingYankee Doodle Dandy,Mr SandmanandIf You’re Happy and You Know It.

◆Disney Junior Dance Party—Hollywood Land

Hours:10:30 AM,12:30 PM,2:15 PM(18 minutes per period)

You’ll sing,dance,catch bubbles泡泡and see Doc McStuffins and Timon in person!The DJ plays songs you know from classic Disney Junior shows.The stars ofMickey and the Roadster Racers—Mickey and Minnie Mouse—will be driving in from Hot Dog Hills.

◆Mickey’s Parade—Mickey’s Toontown

Hours:11:30 AM,3:30 PM(36 minutes)

Watch as music from classic Disney movies come alive.Mickey strikes up the band and leads the way.Joining Mickey are Minnie,Goofy,Pluto and Pals from popular Disney films.Best of all,you’re encouraged to join the celebration!

1.Which Disney classic can we enjoy at the Royal Theatre?

A.Mr Sandman. B.Beauty and the Beast.

C.Yankee Doodle Dandy. D.Mickey and the Roadster Racers.

2.What can we do in Disneyland at 3:15 PM?

A.Ride with Minnie Mouse. B.Dance with Pluto and Pals.

C.WatchTangledunder an open-air tent. D.Enjoy the Dapper Dans’performances.

3.Where should you go if you want to meet Doc McStuffins in person?

A.Mickey’s Toontown. B.Main Street,USA.

C.Hollywood Land. D.Fantasyland.

Task 4

题材：文化 体裁：议论文 难度：★★★

词数：313+119 建议用时：7′ 来源：BBC

Usually,if you want to ask a stranger for the time,you would start by saying “Sorry to bother you.Do you know what time it is?”.If you’re five minutes late for an appointment,you would generally greet the person by saying “Sorry,I’m late!”.

We Brits pride ourselves on our polite manners towards one another in public.We use the word “sorry” in so many different situations that the meaning of the word has slightly changed over time.The two main dictionary definitions of“sorry”are as follows.

1）Feeling sad for someone else because of their problems or misfortunes.

2） Feeling regretful because you’ve done something wrong.

Now,think about this.Normally,when you want to ask a stranger a question,you start with “sorry to disturb you”.In this situation,we aren’t saying sorry because we neither feel sad for that person nor feel regretful.

So what does “sorry” really mean?And why do Brits use it so much?Well,in the British culture,saying“sorry”,or apologizing in general,is a way to be polite,especially to people who you don’t know very well.It’s also a very clever way to get what you want.In a recent experiment,an actor approached different strangers on a rainy day to ask if he could use their mobile phone in order to make a call.When he approached one group of strangers and asked them without apologizing first,he was only 9 percent successful in borrowing their phone.However,when he apologized to another group of strangers about the bad weather before asking if he could use their mobile phone,he was 47 percent successful.So maybe saying “sorry” is also a good method to get what you want!

1.In the whole text,paragraph 1 serves as a(n)____________.

A.explanation B.comment

C.background D.introduction

2.How does the author make his argument believable in the text?

A.By giving examples. B.By describing details.

C.By referring to books. D.By explaining the causes.

3.How can you ask for help according to the text?

A.By apologizing first. B.By asking straightly.

C.By stopping them rudely. D.By making friends with them.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.Brits’ pride on apologizing. B.Meaning it when saying “sorry”.

C.The evolution of“sorry” in Britain. D.Different situations of saying“sorry”.

Task 5

题材：无人驾驶 体裁：记叙文 难度：★★★

词数：299+138 建议用时：7′ 来源：self-growth.com

Of all my dreams,my least favorite is the one where I’m in a car.It always begins with me driving,but eventually I realize that for some reason I’m sitting in the back seat.I can’t keep the car under control,rushing toward the roadside until,screaming,I wake up.

This is like the passenger experience in Waymo’s self-driving cars.You sit in the back seat of a vehicle and watch as the wheel turns itself above an entirely empty driving seat.

“We made you live your nightmare噩梦,” a Waymo staff member joked after I exited one of the company’s fully self-driving car,following a quick drive inside its secret testing site.Waymo,a self-driving car company,arranged these rides for 40 journalists at this site.

There were also some demonstrations演示.We watched as a Waymo car was cut off by a speeding vehicle.Then the employees created a situation in which a pile of moving boxes fell into the street just as another car passed in the opposite direction.Throughout the day,the cars performed impressively,driving with the level of care you might take if you had a wedding cake in the back seat.

During these demonstrations,Waymo gave information about what it was planning to do with these vehicles.The company has laid out four ways that its technology could be made available to the public.But Waymo’s CEO,John Krafcik,wouldn’t show which of these was likely to come to market first,or on what kind of timeline.

I can’t help but admire that Waymo is succeeding in developing this technology.There are countless possibilities at play on the road.The task of programming software to react to all those situations is unimaginably complex.What a great breakthrough!

1.How did the author feel about her self-driving experience?

A.It was puzzling. B.It was inspiring.

C.It was amusing. D.It was terrifying.

2.What does the author probably do?

A.She’s a reporter. B.She’s a professional driver.

C.She’s a software developer. D.She’s a Waymo staff member.

3.What did the author intend to prove by mentioning the wedding cake?

A.The employees performed well.

B.The self-driving cars worked well.

C.The self-driving cars ran at a steady speed.

D.People could depend on the cars in emergencies.

4.What did the author learn from the experience?

A.Programming used in Waymo’s self-driving technology.

B.Future improvement on Waymo’s self-driving technology.

C.How to put Waymo’s self-driving technology on the market.

D.When to put Waymo’s self-driving technology on the market.

Task 6

题材：电子产品 体裁：说明文 难度：★★★★

词数：325+151 建议用时：7.5′ 来源：BBC

What was the last thing you did before going to bed last night?You were probably on a device设备:reading e-mails,surfing the web or checking social media.

You’re not alone.A study by the National Sleep Foundation says 48%of American adults use devices such as tablets or laptops in bed.

Unlike reading and TV,modern devices are interactive互动的rather than passive.Their connectivity to the outside world enters the bedroom.

It appears there is a marked difference between staying up late with a good book or watching television in bed and using smartphones,tablets and laptops.The way we use electronic devices allows them to eat into far more of the time we should be asleep,according to researchers.

“These devices are causing sleep procrastination拖延,”says Matthew Walker,a professor at the University of California.

“Sending a text message,posting something onFacebookor checking your e-mail means you are waiting for a response andrevs upyour emotional nervous system.”

Ben Carter,a professor at King’s College London,conducted a review of 20 studies into the impact of technology on children’s sleep patterns,finding even those who did not use phones or other devices before bed but had them in their bedrooms slept less deeply than those who left their devices in another room.“Just the presence of the device in their bedrooms was affecting their sleep,”says Carter.

“It is perhaps the biggest unaddressed public health issue of our time,”says Colin Espie,a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Oxford.“Sleep is essential for a wide range of functions that serve our health and well-being.”

Yet surprisingly,Walker says technology itself may hold the answer to improve our sleep.There are already many gadgets on the market that claim to monitor and aid sleep.And Walker hopes to use machine-learning technology to produce new ways to help those who are not sleeping properly.

1.What do we know about smartphones and laptops compared with TV?

A.They consume less of our time. B.They have more positive effects.

C.They do less harm to our health. D.They work in a more interactive way.

2.What does the underlined phrase “revs up” in paragraph 6 probably mean?

A.Makes something work constantly.

B.Makes something function normally.

C.Makes something operate more actively.

D.Makes something develop more steadily.

3.What would Ben Carter most probably advise us to do with our mobile phones at night?

A.Just turn it off. B.Put it in the bedroom.

C.Keep it in silent mode. D.Leave it in another room.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A.Why Do You Love Social Media? B.Where Can We Have a Sound Sleep?

C.Are You a Sleep Procrastinator? D.Are You Addicted to Sleep?

Task 7

题材：参观活动 体裁：信息性文本 难度：★★★

词数：268+121 建议用时：7′ 来源：www.getsurrey.co.uk

Things to Do in Atlanta

Need a run-down of the top things to do this weekend?Here is what’s going on in Atlanta.

In the Mood

Date:May 22 through May 26,2018

Time:2:00 pm～5:30 pm

Phone:770-916-2800

If you love the music of the 1940s,then here’s what you need to do this Sunday.Go to a 1940s musical show at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.The music of Glenn Miller has a distinctive sound.No need to ask me twice.Are you “In the Mood”?

Callanwolde Arts Festival

Date:May 21 to May 22,2018

Time:10:30 am～5:30 pm

Phone:404-872-5338

Located at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center,this event is a festival for artists,by artists,letting them have a voice in the creation and operations of the festival.If you are of the artistic persuasion or enjoy a creative scene,don’t miss out.

Party With the Penguins

Date:May 20 through May 25,2018

Time:11:00 am～2:00 pm

Phone:404-581-4000

Celebrate Penguin Awareness Day at Georgia Aquarium’s annual Party With the Penguins.The party will feature fun activities,including the chance to see an African penguin up close and learn how to help protect this endangered species.

Foolio’s Hoodilly Storytime

Date:May 21 through May 27,2018

Time:1:00 pm～4:30 pm

Phone:404-523-3141

We make up a brand-new story every week.Come and enjoy a new story each time at Dad’s Garage Theatre.Little ones will get to help provide key parts of the story and even add in their own jokes.Interactive and out-of-the-ordinary fun for kids and parents!

1.Where should you go in order to enjoy Glenn Miller’s works?

A.Georgia Aquarium. B.Dad’s Garage Theatre.

C.Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. D.Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

2.Which of the following has the shortest business hours per day?

A.In the Mood. B.Party With the Penguins.

C.Callanwolde Arts Festival. D.Foolio’s Hoodilly Storytime.

3.Which number should a family dial if they want to enjoy a good laugh together?

A.404-872-5338. B.404-523-3141.

C.404-581-4000. D.770-916-2800.

4.What do we know about Callanwolde Arts Festival?

A.It is an annual event.

B.It lasts for a whole week.

C.It gets participants involved in its operations.

D.It is organized by some world-famous artists.

Task 8

题材：科技发明 体裁：说明文 难度：★★★★

词数：334+182 建议用时：8′ 来源：VOA

These days,shopping often involves an Internet connection and a laptop or smartphone.However,businesses are now trying to use new technology,such as 3D printing and augmented reality,to bring customers back into stores.

At the recent National Retail Federation show in New York City,many companies demonstrated these new technologies.One,the computer company Intel,is experimenting with 3D printing.It is using the Mach 2XS commercial printer.Instead of printing words on paper,the Mach 2XS prints clothes.

Ryan Parker is the general manager of Responsive Retail at Intel.He says the 3D printers print out clothing,made just for the individual in size and style,in about 45 minutes.

More and more consumers shop online.But young people still seem to like going to physical stores.A recent study shows that 67 percent of people between ages 13 to 21 shop in physical stores most of the time.

A London-based company,Ads Reality,is trying to use augmented reality,or AR technology in stores.Augmented reality is a technology that creates computer-generated im ages and projects them in a way that they look real.

The company’s latest product is an “AR Window”.It superimposes使叠映life-sized augmented-reality characters on big screens in store windows.

“It looks like those characters are actually inside the store...it stops people outside the store because they’re amazed to see these characters...and then it drives them inside the store because they want to have their photograph taken with these characters,”Corps said.

Customer service robots might also become a common store experience.The New York company Autonomous is experimenting with customer service robots.These wheeled devices include a Wi-Fi connection to a real person who can be seen on the robot’s screen.

Robots in a hardware store,for example,could be operated from anywhere by experts in different fields,like electrical wiring.

Autonomous’s chief Duy Huynh says the robots can make the shopping experience personal.

1.What is businesses’purpose of using new technology?

A.To bring customers back into stores. B.To show the features of goods better.

C.To sell more clothes to customers. D.To make the shopping experience personal.

2.What is special about the Mach 2XS commercial printer used in Intel?

A.It prints clothes. B.It prints special words.

C.It is invented by Ryan Parker. D.It uses little time to make a coat.

3.Why can the AR Window attract customers?

A.Because they want to look carefully at the goods in store.

B.Because they want to know what is shown on the “AR Window”.

C.Because they hope to look at the characters inside the store in person.

D.Because they want to be taken photos with the characters shown on the“AR Window”.

4.What can we infer from the text?

A.3D printing is becoming popular. B.AR Window is being used widely.

C.Customer service robots can sell goods more. D.Young people prefer going to physical stores.

Task 9

题材：气候科幻小说 体裁：说明文 难度：★★★

词数：340+135 建议用时：7.5′ 来源：BBC

Cli-fi refers to climate fiction.These are fictional books that bring real climate change science to readers.What is really interesting is that cli-fi books often present real science in a reliable way.They become fun teaching tools.

What makes a cli-fi novel good?First,it has to have some real science in it,and it has to get the science right.Second,it has to be fun to read.When done correctly,cli-fi can connect people to their world.It can help us understand what future climate may be like or what current climate effects are.

It’s hard to imagine what life is like in a devastating毁灭性的disaster.Another thing that is hard to imagine is the future.What will the world be like decades from now when Earth temperatures have continued to rise?What will coastal communities be like?Cli-fi stories are vehicles that can help us imagine.The authors get us to think about these what-ifs.Cli-fi novels can make experiences far more real than endless graphs or explanations.And that’s the most important contribution cli-fi can make to the discussion of climate change.

One recent example of cli-fi literature isSouth Pole Stationby Ashley Shelby.In this book we follow an artist,Cooper Gosling,who is traveling to a research location on Antarctica to create paintings.Yes,an artist is sent to live with researchers.Ashley writes the book in such a way that you actually feel you’re in the cold with her,working among scientists.Ashley weaved in threads of real and accurate science.And this,perhaps,is what makes cli-fi so important.We can unintentionally learn real science.

A British-Indian novelist recently said,“In the present day the world is filled with fantasy surrounding the truth.It might require cli-fi writers to plainly lay out what is reality.” Ashley’s book fitsthat.

So take a look at this new form of literature,particularly if you want a break from the usual genres体裁.

1.What should a good cli-fi novel be like?

A.Logical and optimistic. B.Creative and convincing.

C.Educational and interesting. D.Objective and representative.

2.Why does the author mention Ashley Shelby’s new novel?

A.To recommend it to readers. B.To explain how to write cli-fi.

C.To introduce the birth of cli-fi. D.To further explain what cli-fi is.

3.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A.Escaping from reality. B.Presenting real science.

C.Living in a fantasy world. D.Laying out the story formally.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.A New Way to Talk About Climate Change

B.Excellent Works of Recent Climate Fiction

C.Climate Change Attracts Novelists’Attention

D.Fictional Books Encourage Environmental Protection

1.What should a good cli-fi novel be like?

A.Logical and optimistic. B.Creative and convincing.

C.Educational and interesting. D.Objective and representative.

2.Why does the author mention Ashley Shelby’s new novel?

A.To recommend it to readers. B.To explain how to write cli-fi.

C.To introduce the birth of cli-fi. D.To further explain what cli-fi is.

3.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A.Escaping from reality. B.Presenting real science.

C.Living in a fantasy world. D.Laying out the story formally.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.A New Way to Talk About Climate Change

B.Excellent Works of Recent Climate Fiction

C.Climate Change Attracts Novelists’Attention

D.Fictional Books Encourage Environmental Protection

Task 10

题材：健康 体裁：说明文 难度：★★★

词数：307+153 建议用时：8′ 来源：www.nimh.nih.gov

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder强迫症,or OCD,is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages and walks of life.

For someone with OCD,just getting out of the house for work in the morning can become anordeal.On the way outside the door,you pause to wipe the kitchen counter with a rag.You look at your watch and know you should leave,but you’re pretty sure you should wipe the counter just once more to make sure you didn’t miss any dirt.So you do seven more times,and it’s precisely what you do every morning.You know it doesn’t make sense,and yet you can’t help but do it.

There may be hope for this condition:A new study suggests that brain inflammation炎症may be at the root of OCD.

The researchers used a type of brain imaging known as PET to observe the brains of 40 physically healthy,nonsmoking and medication-free volunteers,20 with OCD,and 20 who didn’t.Inflammation in areas of the brain linked to OCD was,on average,32 percent higher in people with the condition than in non-OCD volunteers.

“The inflammation worsened when OCD volunteers tried to resist their compulsions强迫行为.Inflammation is the body’s response to infection or injury, ” Dr Meyer explained in a CAMH press release about the study.Although this response is intended to help the body heal,in some cases,it can be harmful.

“Medications developed to target brain inflammation in other disorders could be useful in treating OCD,”says Dr Meyer.“Work needs to be done to uncover the specific factors that contribute to brain inflammation,but finding a way to reduce inflammation’s harmful effects and increase its helpful effects could enable us to develop a new treatment much more quickly.”

1.The underlined word “ordeal” in paragraph 2 probably refers to__________.

A.a strange feeling B.a painful experience

C.a boring feeling D.a funny experience

2.Why does the author give the example of wiping the kitchen counter?

A.To tell us the secret of OCD.

B.To tell us how to avoid OCD.

C.To show why some people have OCD.

D.To show what a person with OCD is like.

3.What do we know about brain inflammation according to the text?

A.It does no good to our body.

B.It does no harm to our body.

C.Resisting compulsions helps to ease it.

D.Resisting compulsions makes it worse.

4.What should researchers do about brain inflammation according to Dr Meyer?

A.To get rid of it. B.To put up with it.

C.To make better use of it. D.To bring it under control.

威廉·莎士比亚（William Shakespeare，1564～1616)，华人社会常尊称他为“莎翁”，是英国文学史上最杰出的戏剧家，也是欧洲文艺复兴时期最重要、最伟大的作家，全世界最卓越的文学家之一。

他流传下来近40部戏剧（也有统计是39部）。莎士比亚的四大悲剧为《哈姆雷特》《奥赛罗》《李尔王》和《麦克白》,四大喜剧为《威尼斯商人》《仲夏夜之梦》《皆大欢喜》和《第十二夜》。现代英语由中古英语演变发展而来，莎士比亚作为使用早期现代英语的代表，在传承中古英语、促进早期现代英语的形成和发展、丰富现代英语等方面做出了不可磨灭的贡献。