高中英语阅读理解

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。

D

Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you'll have no trouble answering these questions.

Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child's day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.

The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they'd felt cold water at first.

Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.

The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what's around them. I asked them what they'd seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.

Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.

（1）According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ____________.

A．	anxious to do wonders
B．	sensitive to others' feelings
C．	likely to develop unpleasant habits
D．	eager to explore the world around them

（2）What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?

A．	To avoid jumping to conclusions.
B．	To stop complaining all the time.
C．	To follow the teacher's advice.
D．	To admit mistakes honestly.

（3）The bird watchers' behavior shows that they __________.

A．	are very patient in their observation
B．	are really fascinated by nature
C．	care only about the names of birds
D．	question the accuracy of the field guides

（4）Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?

A．	The natural beauty isn't attractive to them.
B．	They focus on arriving at the camp in time.
C．	The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.
D．	They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.

（5）In the passage, the author intends to tell us we should __________.

A．	fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world
B．	get rid of some bad habits in our daily life
C．	open our mind to new things and ideas
D．	try our best to protect nature

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。

C

There's a new frontier in 3D printing that's beginning to come into focus: food. Recent development has made possible machines that print, cook, and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn't stopping there.

Food production

With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and beautiful pieces for decoration on a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that - it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to "re-create forms and pieces" of food that are "exactly the same," freeing cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and desserts it serves are 3D-printed, rather than farm to table.

Sustainability(可持续性）

The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and some analysts estimate that food production will need to be raised by 50 percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity. 3D food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe printers could use hydrocolloids(水解胶体) from plentiful renewables like algae(藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients(烹饪原料). 3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions. Grocery stores of the future might stock "food" that lasts years on end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.

Nutrition

Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia University, said, "Food printing could allow consumers to print food with customized nutritional content, like vitamins. So instead of eating a piece of yesterday's bread from the supermarket, you'd eat something baked just for you on demand."

Challenges

Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many challenges to overcome. Currently, most ingredients must be changed to a paste(糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing process is quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other in very complex ways. On top of that, most of the 3D food printers now are restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go bad. Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are better suited for fast food restaurants than homes and high-end restaurants.

（1）What benefit does 3D printing bring to food production?

A．	It helps cooks to create new dishes.
B．	It saves time and effort in cooking.
C．	It improves the cooking conditions.
D．	It contributes to restaurant decorations.

（2）What can we learn about 3D food printing from Paragraphs 3?

A．	It solves food shortages easily.
B．	It quickens the transportation of food.
C．	It needs no space for the storage of food.
D．	It uses renewable materials as sources of food.

（3）According to Paragraph 4, 3D-printed food _____________.

A．	is more available to consumers
B．	can meet individual nutritional needs
C．	is more tasty than food in supermarkets
D．	can keep all the nutrition in raw materials

（4）What is the main factor that prevents 3D food printing from spreading widely?

A．	The printing process is complicated.
B．	3D food printers are too expensive.
C．	Food materials have to be dry.
D．	Some experts doubt 3D food printing.

（5）What could be the best title of the passage?

A．	3D Food Printing: Delicious New Technology
B．	A New Way to Improve 3D Food Printing
C．	The Challenges for 3D Food Production
D．	3D Food Printing: From Farm to Table

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。

B

When I was 17, I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She had requested the community to tum it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum. She asked, "Do you have the address? ""No, but I'll recognize it, there was a picture in the magazine. "

"Oh, stop. There it is!"

The museum was free. We entered, excited. A group of people sitting in the hall stopped talking and stared at us.

"May I help you?" a man asked. "No," I said. "We're fine." Tour guides got on my nerves. What if they talked a long time about a painting you weren't that interested in? Sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very nosy(爱窥探的), keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? I saw some nice sculptures in one room. Suddenly I sensed a man standing behind me. "Where do you think you are?" he asked. I turned sharply. "The McNay Art Museum!" He smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, the McNay is on New Braunfels Street." "What's this place?" I asked, still confused. "Well, it's our home." My heart jolted(震颤). I raced to the staircase and called out, "Sally! Come down immediately! "

"There's some really good stuff(艺术作品）up there."She stepped down, looking confused. I pushed her toward the front door, waving at the family, saying, "Sorry, please forgive us, you have a really nice place." Outside, when I told Sally what happened, she covered her mouth, laughing. She couldn't believe how long they let us look around without saying anything.

The real McNay was splendid, but we felt nervous the whole time we were there. Van Gogh, Picasso. This time, we stayed together, in case anything else unusual happened.

Thirty years later, a woman approached me in a public place. "Excuse me, did you ever enter a residence, long ago, thinking it was the McNay Museum?"

"Yes. But how do you know? We never told anyone. "

"That was my home. I was a teenager sitting in the hall. Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before. You thought it was a museum. My feelings about my home changed after that. I've always wanted to thank you."

（1）What do we know about Marian McNay?

A．	She was a painter.
B．	She was a community leader.
C．	She was a museum director.
D．	She was a journalist.

（2）Why did the author refuse the help from the man in the house?

A．	She disliked people who were nosy.
B．	She felt nervous when talking to strangers.
C．	She knew more about art than the man.
D．	She mistook him for a tour guide.

（3）How did the author feel about being stared at by the people in the hall?

A．	Puzzled.
B．	Concerned.
C．	Frightened.
D．	Delighted.

（4）Why did the author describe the real McNay museum in just a few words?

A．	The real museum lacked enough artwork to interest her.
B．	She was too upset to spend much time at the real museum.
C．	The McNay was disappointing compared with the house.
D．	The event happening in the house was more significant.

（5）What could we learn from the last paragraph?

A．	People should have good taste to enjoy life.
B．	People should spend more time with their family.
C．	People tend to be blind to the beauty around them.
D．	People tend to educate teenagers at a museum.

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。

A

Fire Prevention Information

The University of Adelaide employs a full-time staff of fire prevention professionals. They inspect all campus buildings and test and maintain all sprinkler(喷水灭火装置）systems, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers (灭火器). They also provide educational programs or fire safety in the residence hall. Whenever you move to a new area, you should locate the fire alarm pull stations and the two exits nearest your room.

Fire Alarms

The floors of all campus buildings are equipped with manual(手动的）fire alarm systems which include fire alarm pull stations and pipes. Most are also equipped with automatic fire alarm systems consisting of heat detectors, smoke detectors and sprinklers. For your safety, never tamper with(胡乱摆弄）these systems. False fire alarms are illegal and may lead to imprisonment.

Fire Drills

A fire drill will be conducted in your residence hall every semester. During a fire drill, please do the following:

•Take your room key and ID, close and lock the door to your room.

•Exit immediately from the nearest emergency exit do not use a lift.

•Meet outside of your residence hall and wait for further instructions.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are located on each floor and in each apartment. Use a fire extinguisher only if you have been trained to do so. Irresponsible use of a fire extinguisher can create a dangerous situation for other residents and could result in damage to personal property. Misuse of a fire extinguisher will result in fines.

Smoke Detector

A smoke detector is on the ceiling in your room. Some buildings also have heat detectors on the ceilings. Do the following to ensure the safe operation of your smoke detector:

•If your smoke detector is working properly, the red light should be on. If the red light is not blinking（闪动），contact residence hall staff immediately.

•Do not cover or block your smoke detector in any way.

•If a smoke detector sets off an alarm and there is no fire or smoke, inform your hall staff.

（1）What is the main duty of the fire prevention professionals?

A．	To provide part-time jobs for students.
B．	To lead the students to the nearest exits.
C．	To check and maintain fire prevention equipment.
D．	To train teachers to be fire prevention professionals.

（2）What do the automatic fire alarm systems include?

A．	Pipes and smoke detectors.
B．	Smoke detectors and sprinklers.
C．	Fire alarm pull stations and pipes.
D．	Sprinklers and fire alarm pull stations.

（3）In a fire drill, the students should.

A．	rush quickly to a lift
B．	gather at the nearest exit
C．	shut the door and leave at once
D．	wait for instructions in the hall

（4）What do we know about the use of fire extinguishers?

A．	Using them wrongly results in punishment.
B．	Irresponsible use of them can damage them.
C．	Improper use of them can destroy the apartment.
D．	Using them without a trainer present is forbidden.

（5）To ensure the safe operation of the smoke detector, one should_________.

A．	contact the hall staff regularly
B．	cover the things that burn easily
C．	start the smoke detector in a fire
D．	make certain the red light is working

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。

By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world's oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms (海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean's appearance.

Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerableto the ocean's warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.

Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT's Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. "Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing." she said, "but the type of phytoplankton is changing."

（1）What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?

A．	The various patterns at the ocean surface.
B．	The cause of the changes in ocean colour.
C．	The way light reflects off marine organisms.
D．	The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton.

（2）What does the underlined word "vulnerable" in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．	Sensitive
B．	Beneficial
C．	Significant
D．	Unnoticeable

（3）What can we learn from the passage?

A．	Phytoplankton play a declining role in the marine ecosystem.
B．	Dutkiewicz's model aims to project phytoplankton changes
C．	Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate
D．	Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear greener.

（4）What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．	To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes
B．	To analyse the composition of the ocean food chain
C．	To explain the effects of climate change on oceans
D．	To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton

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。

The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don't know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams (欺诈).We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it's too little, too late. By the time these "solutions" (解决方案) become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it's not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you're hearing is actually real.

That's because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation (处理) and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use .At this year's I/O Conference ,a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.

These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision A decade of data breaches (数据侵入) of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother's name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they're able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller's, ricking you into "confirming" your address, mother's name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.

We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications-using apps like Face Time or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.

Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to harder from here on out.

（1）How does the author feel about the solutions to problem of robocalls?

A．	Panicked
B．	Confused
C．	Embarrassed
D．	Disappointed

（2）taking advantage of the new technologies, scammer can ________.

A．	aim at victims precisely
B．	damage databases easily
C．	start campaigns rapidly
D．	spread information widely

（3）What does the passage imply?

A．	Honesty is the best policy.
B．	Technologies can be double-edited.
C．	There are more solutions than problems.
D．	Credibility holds the key to development.

（4）Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．	Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted
B．	Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls
C．	Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous
D．	How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology

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: [e-mail]

（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.

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。

In the 1960s, while studying the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park, Bob Christiansen became puzzled about something that, oddly, had not troubled anyone before: he couldn't find the park's volcano. It had been known for a long time that Yellowstone was volcanic in nature-that's what accounted for all its hot springs and other steamy features. But Christiansen couldn't find the Yellowstone volcano anywhere.

Most of us, when we talk about volcanoes, think of the classic cone (圆锥体) shapes of a Fuji or Kilimanjaro, which are created when erupting magma (岩浆) piles up. These can form remarkably quickly. In 1943, a Mexican farmer was surprised to see smoke rising from a small part of his land. In one week he was the confused owner of a cone five hundred feet high. Within two years it had topped out at almost fourteen hundred feet and was more than half a mile across. Altogether there are some ten thousand of these volcanoes on Earth, all but a few hundred of them extinct. There is, however, a second les known type of volcano that doesn't involve mountain building. These are volcanoes so explosive that they burst open in a single big crack, leaving behind a vast hole, the caldera. Yellowstone obviously was of this second type, but Christiansen couldn't find the caldera anywhere.

Just at this time NASA decided to test some new high-altitude cameras by taking photographs of Yellowstone. A thoughtful official passed on some of the copies to the park authorities on the assumption that they might make a nice blow-up for one of the visitors' centers. As soon as Christiansen saw the photos, he realized why he had failed to spot the caldera; almost the whole park-2.2 million acres-was caldera. The explosion had left a hole more than forty miles across-much too huge to be seen from anywhere at ground level. At some time in the past Yellowstone must have blown up with a violence far beyond the scale of anything known to humans.

（1）What puzzled Christiansen when he was studying Yellowstone?

A．	Its complicated geographical features.
B．	Its ever-lasting influence on tourism.
C．	The mysterious history of the park.
D．	The exact location of the volcano.

（2）What does the second-paragraph mainly talk about?

A．	The shapes of volcanoes.
B．	The impacts of volcanoes.
C．	The activities of volcanoes.
D．	The heights of volcanoes.

（3）What does the underlined word "blow-up" in the last paragraph most probably mean?

A．	Hot-air balloon.
B．	Digital camera.
C．	Big photograph.
D．	Bird's view.

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。

Whatever your age or interests, Buxton has something to see or do to make your visit truly memorable. High energy If you desire physical activities, you can choose activities from swimming to horse riding. Explore the heights with Go Ape, the high wire forest adventure course, or journey beneath the earth at Poole's Cavern. And don't forget: we are surrounded by a natural playground just perfect for walking, caving, climbing and cycling. High minded Buxton is justifiably proud of its cultural life and you'll find much to suit all tastes with art, music, opera and the performing arts at Buxton Opera House & Pavilion Arts Centre and Green Man Gallery. There are plenty of opportunities for the creative person to become involved, including workshops and events. Keeping the kids happy Children love the small train and playgrounds in the Pavilion Gardens and there's plenty more to explore at the Buxton Museum. There's a new indoor play centre, plus the special events and workshops, and others during school holiday periods

（1）If you want to take an undergounld journey, which place is the best choice?

A．	Pole's Caven.
B．	Pavilion Gardens.
C．	Buxton Museum.
D．	Green Man Gallery.

（2）Buxton Open House & Pavilion Arts Centre is special because it offers ________.

A．	rides in small trains
B．	courses in modcm arts
C．	artistic and cultural activities
D．	basic courses in horse riding

阅读短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

Haze Mabry, who has worked as a school keeper for thirteen years, walks into the school building every day and empties garbage cans, wipes down bathrooms and mops wet messes in the hallways.

Last Friday, after he arrived at the school, instead of finding garbage to clean up, he found almost 800 students lining the hallways with handmade cards, blowing noisemakers and singing a full-throated happy birthday to him. It was his 80th. As he walked the long hallway, some popped out of lime to hug him. They handed him so many cards that they filled several large boxes. Touched by their enthusiastic expression of affection. Mabry thanked them all. "They're like my children," Mabry said.

On a regular day, students at the school sometimes come up to him to say they're not feeling well or other times to tell him about something that happened at break. He knows most of the kids at the school, but can't name each one. Some of them make him know them. Like Faith, who often forgets her backpack in the cafeteria, and Lucy, who just wants a hug.

"He won't brag（夸耀）on himself, but it doesn't matter what he's doing or where he is, he will always stop what he's doing to take care of a child if that child is having a bad day. If a child approaches him, he will pause to give that child his undivided attention. He's the most loved one in this building," said Lori Gilreath, a reading teacher.

Mabry works circles around all the students, cleaning up messes others don't want to touch. He doesn't expect a lot. Mabry said he hadn't planned to do much for his milestone birthday, so he was happy the students had prepared the surprise celebration.

Over the weekend, he worked through the piles of handmade cards at his house. One card from a student stood out to him. It read: "Mr. Haze, you are my sunshine."

（1）What is Mabry's daily work as a school keeper？（no more than 5 words）

（2）How did the students celebrate Mabry's birthday？（no more than 15 words）

（3）What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 probably mean？（1 word）

（4）Why is Mabry's presence at the school important？（no more than 10 words）

（5）Who is the "sunshine" in your life？Please explain. （no more than 20 words）

Would you BET on the future of this man？He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning, and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives, he determines to write a book.

The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes, and the book was Don Quixote（《堂吉诃德》）. And the story poses an interesting question: why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days, while others go to seed long before？

We've all known people who run out of steambefore they reach life's halfway mark. I'm not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can't all get there. I'm talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.

Most of us, in fact, progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But, if we are willing to learn, the opportunities are everywhere.

The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can't change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please, some people are never going to love us-an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.

With high motivation and enthusiasm, we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However, we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos（自我）, whether to loved ones, to fellow humans, to work, or to some moral concept.

Many of us equate（视……等同于）"commitment" with such "caring" occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence whether they are driving a truck, or running a store-make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They've learned life's most valuable lesson.

（1）The passage starts with the story of Cervantes to show that_________.

A．	loss of freedom stimulates one's creativity
B．	age is not a barrier to achieving one's goal
C．	misery inspires a man to fight against his fate
D．	disability cannot stop a man's pursuit of success

（2）What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean？

A．	End one's struggle for liberty.
B．	Waste one's energy taking risks.
C．	Miss the opportunity to succeed.
D．	Lose the interest to continue learning.

（3）What could be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．	Those who dare to try often get themselves trapped.
B．	Those who tend to think back can hardly go ahead.
C．	Opportunity favors those with a curious mind.
D．	Opportunity awaits those with a cautious mind.

（4）What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 5?

A．	A tough man can tolerate suffering.
B．	A wise man can live without self-pity.
C．	A man should try to satisfy people around him.
D．	A man should learn suitable ways to deal with life.

（5）What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A．	To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.
B．	To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.
C．	To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.
D．	To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.