Owls(猫头鹰) are some of the world’s greatest hunters. From head to feet, owls’ bodies are built to hunt. Scientists are studying all the things that make owls such great hunters.

Most owls hunt at night. The birds have excellent hearing, which helps them find their next meal in the dark.

Owls have one ear that is larger and set higher than the other. When an owl hears a sound, it listens closely. Is the sound lounder in its right ear or left ear? Does the upper or lower ear detect the sound first? The information helps the owl find the location of its prey without ever seeing it.

Owls don’t depend just on their hearing to hunt. After a sound draws an owl’s attention, it zeroes in with sight.

Many birds have eyes on either side of their heads. But an owl’s eyes face forward, like a person’s. Images from each eye combine to form a 3-D picture, similar to how we see. That helps owls better judge a prey’s size, distance, and speed.

An owl’s eyes are so large that they can gather lots of light. That helps the owl see better when hunting at night. An owl’s eyes are also fixed in their sockets(眼窝). It can’t roll them like we can. Instead, an owl keeps prey in its sight by turning its head.

Owls can move their beads nearly upside down and turn them 270 degrees around. Their necks have 14 vertebrae(椎骨). That’s twice as many neck bones as a person has.

The blood vessels(血管) thread through holes in an owl’s vertebrae. The researchers found that these holes are very large so that the extra space provides an air cushion that protects the vessels.

Detecting prey is only the first step for owls. Next they must catch their meals. An owl can fly inches over your head and you can’t hear anything. The secret to owls’ silent flight is their feathers. Fine “hairs” cover the surface of an owl’s wing feathers. And the feathers’ edges have soft barbs(羽支). Together, they make the sound of air rushing over the owl’s wings quieter and less clear.

1. While hunting at night, owls first get a prey’s information by .

A. seeing the shape B. hearing the sound

C. detecting the smell D. feeling the air move

2.According to text, an owl’s eyes .

A. are small but sharp

B. can function like a person’s

C. are on either side of its head

D. can tell how fast a prey is moving

3.The shortcoming of an owl’s fixed eyes can be made up by its .

A. large head B. strong legs

C. body size D. flexible neck

4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A. How owls find their prey.

B. Why owls can fly noiselessly.

C. The advantages of owls’ hearing

D. The secret of owls’ high-speed flight.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能 填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

TV is not only a convenient and cheap service of entertainment, but also a splendid mass medium of communication. People only have to pay once to buy the TV set, then they can sit at home enjoying the items on TV. 1. TV keeps us well informed about the current events at home and abroad and the latest development in science and technology. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into our room. On TV everything is much more living and much more real. 2. . Some people even say that life without television is not worth living.

3. They think the TV viewers need do nothing. The viewer does not even have to use his legs if he has a remote control. Many people are glued to seats to look at the movements on TV. 4. As a result, TV is taking up too much of a person’s life and making him lazy, not to mention its harmful influence upon him, such as the items of violence and pornography on television in some countries.

On the whole, there are more advantages than disadvantages in the use of TV. 5. But we must realize that television in itself is neither good nor bad. Its value to people and society depends on how we look at it.

A. A large number of TV sets are produced every year.

B. All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind.

C. Some people argue against TV.

D. Yet different people may have different attitude toward TV.

E. They become so dependent on its pictures that it begins to control their lives.

F. As a matter of fact, it has become so much a part of human life that a modern world without television is unimaginable.

G. Most people are couch potatoes.

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

My father was a self-taught mandolin player. He was one of the best string players in our town. He could not read music, but if he heard a a few times, he could play it.

Occasionally, Dad get out his mandolin and play for the family. We three children would often sing along.

Dad loved to play the mandolin for his family. He knew we enjoyed singing and hearing him play. He was like that. If he could give pleasure to others, he would, his family. He was always there, his time and efforts to see that his family had enough in their life. I had to into a man and have children of my own I realized how much he had sacrificed.

I joined the United States Air Force in January of 1962. Whenever I came home leave, I would ask Dad to play the mandolin. Nobody played the mandolin like my father. He could your soul with the tones that came out of that old mandolin. He seemed to when he was playing. You could see his in his ability to play so well for his family.

In August of 1993 my father was with inoperable lung cancer. He chose not to receive chemotherapy treatments so that he could live out the rest of his life in . About a week before his death, we asked Dad if he would play the mandolin for us. He but said "okay”. He knew it would probably be the last time he would play for us. He tuned up the old mandolin and played a few notes. When I looked around, there was not a eye in the family. We saw before us a quiet humble man with a (n) strength that comes from knowing God, and with him in one's life. Dad would never play the mandolin for us again. We felt at the time that he wouldn't have enough strength to play, and that makes the of that day even stronger. Dad was doing he had done all his life, giving. Sick he was, he was still pleasing others. Dad sure could play that Mandolin!

1.A. performance B. instrument C. tool D. tube

2.A. music B. note C. tune D. rhythm

3.A. might B. would C. could D. should

4.A. eventually B. especially C. specifically D. occasionally

5.A. spending B. contributing C. sacrificing D. wasting

6.A. change B. get C. bring D. mature

7.A. until B. after C. before D. while

8.A. off B. for C. at D. on

9.A. touch B. knock C. hit D. grasp

10.A. fade B. wake C. improve D. shine

11.A. pride B. appreciation C. gratitude D. satisfaction

12.A. suspected B. confirmed C. labeled D. diagnosed

13.A. comfort B. relief C. dignity D. peace

14.A. sprang B. rose C. decided D. hesitated

15.A. dry B. bright C. wet D. gloomy

16.A. outer B. inner C. outside D. inside

17.A. working B. contacting C. living D. communicating

18.A. memory B. impression C. phenomenon D. reminder

19.A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing

20.A. although B. as C. when D. while

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不多于3个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Red envelopes 1. (relate) to the Chinese Lunar New Year for long. I myself have had plenty of 2. (experience) both receiving and giving out red envelopes in the past, and generally speaking, it's been fun. I mean, who doesn't love free money?

I'm truly surprised by the extent of people's obsession with virtual red envelopes this year. In fact everyone I know spent at least a day or two 3. (crazy) shaking their smart phones, mostly trying to get as much lucky money as possible. Thanks to messaging app giant WeChat's new feature 4. allows users to send money electronically, grabbing virtual red envelopes has never seemed so easy.

Just in case you are one of the very few people still not on the bandwagon, here's 5. it works. Givers link their WeChat to their bank accounts, and then they can send specified amounts of money to their WeChat contacts through a personal message. They can also put the cash up 6. grabs in chat groups full of friends, and anyone who acts fast enough will get7. share. Later, receivers can transfer the funds from their WeChat back into their own bank accounts.

In theory, this sounds like a fun game. I'm always for some harmless fun in life, so my natural response would be: Why not? Moreover, I've always believed that it's human nature to want free stuff, regardless of whether you actually need it or not. This may not be a good quality, 8. it's not against the law, so I won't get all judgmental here. 9. (consider) these reasons, I really can't fault anyone for their enthusiasm in grabbing virtual red envelopes. I would have done it too, 10. I not thought linking WeChat to my bank accounts was too much trouble.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

1． 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear John,

Last summer, I take a part-time job in the International Camp for children. I have told one more worker will be needed this year and I think you are fit it. How about join us? The camp is at the foot of a small hill closely to a river. It is so a beautiful place! We can hear birds singing happy all around. Everybody sleeps in tents, that is very exciting. We usually work only five

hours a day, so we will have plenty of spare time to visit the area and have a fun. I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. If you have interests in it, reply to me soon.

Yours,

Li Ping

2月28日柴静的一部名叫《穹顶之下》的纪录片在微信朋友圈被疯传，几乎是一瞬间，这部有关雾霾调查的纪录片席卷了整个中国。这部片子从公众健康的角度唤起了大家对雾霾这种大气污染问题的重视。

假如你是李华，BBC记者Bill来信询问你家乡是否有雾霾天气，情况如何。请按下面写一封电子邮件,开头已给出。

介绍情况:

(1)最近发生数次雾霾天气。

(2)通过《穹顶之下》，人们更进一步认识到雾霾天气的危害，正采取各种举措减少其发生。

(3)你自己为此做了什么或打算做什么。

注意：词数100左右

雾霾：smog 穹顶之下：Under the Dome

阅读下列短文 ，从每题所给的四个选项 （A 、B 、C 和 D ）中 ，选出最佳选项 ，并在题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

J.K. Rowling had reused her magic and brought Dumbledore back to life.

A spokesperson for the author confirmed Rowling had sent a letter and a package to a Texas teenager who optimistically found strength in the words of a Harry Potter film after witnessing the murder of her family.

Fifteen-yiear-old Cassidy Stay lost both parent s and four siblings to a gunman in Texas last month. Cassidy was shot in the head and survived the gunshot wound only because she played dead. Authorities had called her survival a miracle.

Cassidy had seen the unimaginable tragedy, but was still thinking about happiness. At the memorial(悼念会 ) for her family, Cassidy gave a speech in front of the media saying she believed her family was “in a much better place.”

Quoting the words of Dumbledore, the wise headmaster of Hogwarts, she said, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

The same day Cassidy gave her speech, a Facebook page called “We want J.K. Rowling to meet Cassidy Stay” formed and quickly draw public attention.

The creator of the page claimed to know a friend of Cassidy’s who “confirmed that J.K. Rowling did write Cassidy a personal letter under the name of ‘Dumbledor’. She also sent a wand, an acceptance letter to Hogwarts with a school supply list, along with the 3rd book with Rowling’s autograph.”

1.Where did Cassidy find strength after the tragedy?

A. In a letter sent to her by J.K Rowling

B. From her friends

C. In the words of a Harry Potter film

D. At the memorial for her family

2.The underlined word “siblings” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by _____?

A. brothers and sisters B. neighbors

C. friends D. classmates

3.Which of the following statements is true?

A. J.K. Rowling brought Dumbledore back to life for a new book.

B. There were seven people in Cassidy’s family before the tragedy.

C. J.K. Rowling met Cassidy when Cassidy gave a speech at the memorial for her family.

D. Cassidy survived the gunshot accidentally.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. J.K. Rowling’s New Book

B. A Smart Teen

C. Cassidy’s Tragedy

D. J.K. Rowling Writes to the Sad Teen

Lines around the eyes mean the aging process in the body. Though aging is considered as one of the most unavoidable occurrence in one’s life, it is not entirely the thing. You just need to know that you can deal with it in your life. For example, if you are willing to spend a considerable amount of money to make yourself look young again, then you can try eye lifts. However, if you are more of the money-conscious type, then you should decide to go for eye creams which bring the same results but with lower prices.

Despite of the advantages of using eye creams, however, there is a disadvantage in trying them. This is due to the hundreds of brands o eye creams being marketed at present. If you do not know how to choose the best eye cream in the countless brands available, then you might fall victim to eye creams that do not really fulfill their promised effects.

What’s good is that looking for the best eye cream does not involve too much effort. You just have to look for eye cream reviews to know how a product performs and if it lives up to its promises. If you have a dermatologist(皮肤科医生), then you can ask for advice. If you have none, however, then you can just browse on the net for the best cream for your needs.

In searching for eye cream reviews, look for those with reviews based on the results of product testing. Doing so can ensure you that you are not basing your decision on fake review sites that are only made to build up an image of a certain product. Follow these tips and guidelines and you are sure to finally spot the best eye cream that can solve your aging problem.

1. To deal with lines around your eyes, you can______________.

A. try your best to stop yourself aging

B. make up by using eye shadow

C. raise your hand to lift your eyes

D. try to use eye creams

2.What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A. None of the eye creams will be benefit you properly.

B. You should buy an eye cream according to your economic power.

C. You will suffer from a wrong eye cream.

D. You can take advantage of any eye creams.

3.The best way to buy an eye cream is by_____________.

A. reading the reviews first

B. comparing the prices of all the products

C. surfing the Internet for the best eye cream

D. trying to visit dermatologists as often as possible

4. When reading reviews if the eye creams, you should_________.

A. be careful of the package of the products

B. notice the function of the products

C. know of the quantity of the products

D. pay attention to the production date of the products

Dear daughter,

As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.

I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. Your academic, artistic, and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years. You have become a talented and accomplished young woman.

College will be the most important years in your life. It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about. You often question "what good is this course". I encourage you to be inquisitive, but I also want to tell you: "Education is what you have left after all that is taught is forgotten." What I mean by that is the materials taught isn't as important as you gaining the ability to learn a new subject, and the ability to analyze a new problem. That is really what learning in college is about – this will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the skills of learning will be something you cherish forever.

Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped in what others think or say. Steve Jobs says when you are in college, your passion will create many dots, and later in your life you will connect them. In his great speech given at Stanford commencement, he gave the great example where he took calligraphy, and a decade later, it became the basis of the beautiful Macintosh fonts, which later ignited desktop publishing, and brought wonderful tools like Microsoft Word to our lives. His expedition into calligraphy was a dot, and the Macintosh became the connecting line. Enjoy picking your dots, and be assured one day you will find your calling, and connect a beautiful curve through the dots of yourself .

Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life, because during college you are closer to them physically than to your family. Also, going through independence and adulthood is a natural bonding experience.

So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, evolve yourself into a bi-cultural talent, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.

When I faced the greatest challenge and opportunity in my life in 2005, you gave me a big hug and said "bonne chance", which means "good luck" and "good courage". Now I do the same for you. Bonne chance, my angel and princess. May Columbia become the happiest four years in your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.

Love,

Dad (& Mom)

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The daughter is a well-rounded college student.

B. The father faced the greatest challenge in 2006.

C. The daughter is a freshman in college.

D. Steve Jobs gave the great example where he took calligraphy at Columbia commencement.

2.The father may agree that _____.

A. you will be well-educated if you forget all is taught

B. there are only master-inspired students in college

C. the daughter will be thinner if she goes on a diet

D. the skills of learning is very important for his daughter’s life

3.The example of Steve Jobs in Paragraph 4 is to show _____.

A. how Steve Jobs invented the basis of the Macintosh fonts

B. it is important for the daughter to follow her passion in college

C. Steve Jobs made great contributions to Microsoft Word

D. the father wishes his daughter to be as successful as Steve Jobs

4.College friends are often the best to you because_____.

A. your family are far away while college friends are around you within an easy reach

B. they are closer to you psychologically than to your family

C. they are better than your family

D. going through independence and adulthood is unusual bonding experience

Most children have heard their parents at one time or another yell “sit up straight!” or “don’t slouch!” In the past, this was usually heard at the dinner table as children ate dinner. But these days, it is also heard around another activity – video games.

Ten-year old Owaish Batliwala, from Mumbai, India, admits he spends three to four hours each day playing games on his tablet computer. His mother Mehzabin became concerned when her son started saying that his neck hurt. She said, "My son started having neck problems around June or July. The pain slowly spread to his hand and his back. He plays for hours on the iPad and mobile phone. This is what has caused the problem."

Sadia Vanjara is a physical therapist. She says the number of young children with chronic pain in their necks, arms and shoulders is on the rise. Dr. Vanjara says the pain is not from aging, accidents or disease. It is from poor posture, or body position, while playing video games.

This is a problem in many parts of the world. But there are more smartphone users in India than anywhere else in the world, except China. Networking equipment company Cisco estimates that the number of smartphone users in India will increase from 140 million today to 651 million by 2020.

19-year old student Nida Jameel says she feels pain in the finger which holds the weight of her smartphone most of the day. She says she uses her smartphone 24/7. This means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or all the time.

Dr. Vanjara says the best treatments for the pain are daily exercises. Experts advise taking breaks from using a computer or other device often. Stand up. Stretch your legs, back, shoulders and arms. And when your work or school work is done, unplug and exercise.

1. What can be the best title of the passage?

A. Too Much Gaming is a Pain in the Neck

B. The Influence of Too Much Gaming on People’s Health

C. How To Avoid the Pain in the Neck

D. How To Be More Fit

2.In paragraph 1, the underlined word “slouch” means _____

A. stopping working

B. bending one’s head or shoulders forward

C. being much too calm about something

D. being enthusiastic about the things that are not related with study

3. In which part of a website can we read the passage?

A. School and Education B. Entertainment

C. Health and Lifestyle D. Food and Recipes