Have you ever wanted to grow your own food inside your home? Scientists in Finland have developed a device(设备) that may do just that.

Unlike a usual vegetable garden, it doesn’t need soil. But, the small device, called the Cell Pod, grows plant cells which are safe to eat in the home.

Lauri Reuter, a biologist, says that instead of using the complete plant as food, scientists take only a small part of it–cells–and grow them in a bio-reactor(生物反应器). These plants have much of the same nutritional(营养的) value that a real plant has. The plant cells which are safe to eat, once fully grown, do not look very good. The Finnish researchers say they also need to improve the taste. However, the Cell Pod can provide important things that help your body to be healthy.

Lauri Reuter adds that the new technology will not be instead of fields for growing fruits and vegetables. However, the device could help save natural resources. All you would need to do is add the seed culture(培养物) to the device, give it water, sit back and then wait. The machine does the rest of the work.

The researchers hope to have a form of the Cell Pod on the market in the next ten years.

1.If you want to grow vegetables inside your home, you need __________.

A. real plants and water B. the seed culture and the Cell Pod

C. the cells and the soil D. the complete plant and the device

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The plant cells are more delicious than the real plants.

B. People will not grow fruit and vegetables in the fields.

C. The plant cells are not only healthy but good-looking.

D. People may buy the Cell Pod on the market in the future.

3.What does the writer think of the Cell Pod?

A. It is a usual vegetable garden at home.

B. It is a new useful device for growing food.

C. It is a difficult way of growing plants.

D. It can provide all the nutrition for our body.

March 16 is International Sleep Day. And we should all celebrate the act of sleeping. Researchers say sleep is probably the best tool we have for memory and learning. But what about getting rest during the middle of the day?

A recent study on napping(小睡) says short periods of sleep may help our brains work better. Past studies have shown that napping can help babies and young children learn better. And napping can help brain performance in older adults. Taking a nap may also help this group of people fight off memory loss because of the increase in their age.

Many Americans do nap. But one-third of all adults in the United States are also chronically(长期的) tired, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It found that 50 million to 70 million Americans have chronic sleep disorders. However, they seem to be unwilling to tell people that they take a nap. They may think that napping shows they are weak or they don’t have enough energy. It is not an uncommon opinion that only children, the very old, sick or lazy people nap. In fact, Americans sometimes do a very strange thing. Some people brag about how few hours of sleep they need each night to show that they are somehow stronger than the average human–superhuman, if you will. However, that may be changing. Many offices now offer napping rooms and napping cafes(咖啡馆) are appearing in many U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.

Remember that an hour long nap may be too long for young, healthy adults. It is recommended that 30 minutes is enough to remove the pressure(压力) to sleep and will help people feel more awake. If people nap longer, they will get trapped into deep sleep, which can be hard to get out of. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, limit your daytime nap to under 45 minutes. Also nap before 3 p.m.

1.Who are this group of people in Paragraph 2?

A. The babies. B. The children.

C. The older adults. D. The young people.

2.The underlined word brag in Paragraph 3 means __________.

A. chat sadly B. talk proudly

C. whisper secretly D. speak politely

3.What may Americans think of napping in the future?

A. Healthy adults needn’t take a nap.

B. They won’t tell others about their nap.

C. It may be common for Americans to take a nap.

D. Only the old, the sick and children need a nap.

4.For a young man with sleep problems, it is good to __________.

A. take a 40-minute-long noon nap

B. take a nap whenever he feels sleepy

C. take an one-hour-long nap after dinner

D. take a 30-minute-long nap in the evening

(An excerpt of After Twenty Years)

There was now a cold rain falling and the wind was stronger. The few people walking along that street were hurrying, trying to keep warm. At the door of the shop stood the man who had come a thousand miles to meet a friend, Jimmy Wells. Twenty years ago, they agreed to meet here tonight. Such a meeting could not be certain. But he waited.

About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long coat came hurrying across the street. He went directly to the waiting man.

“Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.

“Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried Bob.

The new man took Bob’s hands in his. “It’s Bob! It surely is. I was certain I would find you here if you were still alive. Twenty years is a long time. The old restaurant is gone, Bob. I wish it were here, so that we could have another dinner in it. Has the West been good to you?”

“It gave me everything I asked for. You’ve changed, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall.”

“Oh, I grew a little after I was twenty.”

“Are you doing well in New York, Jimmy?”

“Well enough. I work for the city. Come on, Bob. We’ll go to a place I know, and have a good long talk about old times.”

The two men started along the street, arm in arm. Bob, the man from the West, was beginning to tell the story of his life. The other, with his coat up to his ears, listened with interest.

At the corner stood a shop bright with electric lights. When they came near, each turned to look at the other’s face.

The man from the West stopped suddenly and pulled his arm away. “You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he said. “Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change the shape of a man’s nose.”

“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man. “You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, Bob. Chicago policemen thought you might be coming to New York. They told us to watch for you. Are you coming with me quietly? That’s wise. But first here is something I was asked to give you. You may read it here at the window. It’s from a policeman named Wells.”

1.Where did the story happen?

A. In New York. B. In Chicago. C. In the West. D. In a restaurant.

2.How did Bob find out that the new man wasn’t his real friend?

A. From his height and his voice. B. From the shape of his nose.

C. From their talking about old times. D. From their meeting place.

3.In which order did the following events take place?

a. Bob found out his new man wasn’t his friend.

b. The tall man gave Bob a note from Wells.

c. Bob waited at the door of a shop.

d. They had a talk about Bob’s life in the West.

e. The new man came to meet him.

A. c-e-d-a-b. B. e-b-c-a-d. C. c-d-a-e-b. D. e-c-a-b-d.

4.According to the passage, we know ____________.

A. the tall man was Bob’s old friend

B. the two men had dinner in a restaurant

C. Jimmy came to Chicago to meet Bob

D. Bob was a criminal wanted in Chicago

5.What can we infer(推断) from the story?

A. Time may change a good man into a bad one.

B. The police would make some notes on Bob.

C. Bob came from the far West to meet his friend.

D. They promised to meet each other 20 years ago.

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中第56-65小题的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案填写在答题卡标号为56-65的相应横线上。

Wind is a powerful force(力量) in nature. Wind energy is one of the causes of great waves in the world’s oceans. Winds can help create powerful storms, but wind is a force you can’t see but can surely feel. Its power can be used to create electricity for cities and the countryside.

Wind can also power many expressions in American English. Let’s start with a simple one. If you run like the wind, you are a very fast runner. After running, sometimes you can feel full of energy. The runner gets what we call a second wind. We use this expression when we are tired, but then get more energy to finish something. For example, sometimes I feel tired after work. But after a short rest and a cup of tea, I get my second wind. I’m ready to do something fun with my friends and family.

If you are doing something difficult, it is good to have the wind at your back. In this way, it is easier to go forward. It’s always more difficult to do something in a strong wind–unless you are sailing.

Knowing the direction of the wind is the most important part of sailing. When wind fills a sail, it makes the boat go faster. If you take the wind out of someone’s sails, you prevent them from reaching their goals. You create a barrier(障碍) or stop them in some way. In life, it’s lucky to have friends who want to fill your sails with wind and not take it out.

Let’s turn from sailing to music. Many songwriters use the image(形象) of wind in their songs. If something such as an idea is blowing in the wind, it is being discussed but has yet to be decided. When a singer sings “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” he means that you don’t need someone in power to confirm something for you. Just trust yourself. You can find it out on your own. So, when you know which way the wind blows, you know what is going on.

Now you know which way the wind blows. Then how can you use these expressions properly? First, read them aloud and keep them in mind. Then, practice using them and test yourself. You know, practice makes perfect.

请根据短文内容及首字母提示，填写所缺单词，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为66-75的相应位置上。

Small talk and chitchat(闲谈) are the short conversations we have at parties, while we wait in line at the store, at family events or work.

Sometimes we make small talk with people we already know but not w1.. Often we have to make small talk with complete strangers.

Many people find these small conversations about unplanned subjects difficult. Some people say they hate it. Others say small talk is a w2. of time. They may even call it useless chitchat or useless chatter, meaning it doesn’t do anything. They c3. small talk not important.

However, small talk is important. These exchanges can open doors that may lead to l4., more meaningful conversations. When you first meet someone or talk to someone you don’t know well, it would be awkward(尴尬的) to b5. a conversation about a really deep subject such as war, politics or the meaning of life.

Small talk also gives you the c6. to decide if you want to get to know that person better–or not. Let’s say you make small talk with someone at a party. But they only want to talk about cats. You may not want to build a friendship with them u7. you really, really love cats.

Chitchat can also increase your feeling of understanding toward people you know but not well. Chatting with a workmate about their child may help you to understand more of their life outside the o8.. This could help build healthy work relationships.

Researchers at the University of Chicago find that those who make small talk with strangers are happier than those who sit a9.. Also, another similar study showed that people who talked with a cashier(收银员) in a coffee shop felt happier t10. those who simply went in, ordered and left.

Small talk may make us happier.

书面表达

某英语教育网站正在举办有关分享的主题征文活动，请你根据图示内容，结合自己的经历写一篇题为“Sharing”的英语短文。

注意：

1.短文需包括图示内容，并适当发挥。

2.词数80左右，短文的开头已经给出，不计入总词数。

3. 文中不得提及有关考生个人身份的任何信息，如校名、人名等。

Sharing

It’s very important for us to learn to share with each other.

Tom _________my new classmate.

A. are B. is

C. am D. be

Is your brother good ________ Chinese?

A. at B. in

C. for D. of

My name Jane.

A. are B. am C. is D. be

—Welcome to our school.

— .

A. Yes, I am B. Oh, good

C. Thank you D. No, I’m not