The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉). Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze(凝视) starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?

Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise (同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.

1.The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.

A. sense of hearing B. sense of sight

C. sense of touch D. sense of smell

2.Babies are sensitive to the change in______.

A. the size of cards B. the colour of pictures

C. the shape of patterns D. the number of objects

3.Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?

A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.

B. To see how babies recognize sounds.

C. To carry their experiment further.

D. To keep the babies’ interest.

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A. Science fiction. B. Children’s literature.

C. An advertisement. D. A science report.

It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly (精彩地)written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.

And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s really brilliant.

The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.

Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in–depth!

But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).

1.How did the author find his friend a book liar?

A. By judging his manner of speaking.

B. By looking into his background.

C. By mentioning a famous name.

D. By discussing the book itself.

2.Which of the following is a “guilty secret” according to the World Book Day report?

A. Charles Dickens is very low on the top-ten list.

B. 42% of people pretended to have read 1984.

C. The author admitted having read 9 books

D. Dreams From My Father is hardly read.

3.By lying about reading, a person hopes to .

A. control the conversation

B. appear knowledgeable

C. learn about the book

D. make more friends

4.What is the author’s attitude to 58% of readers?

A. Favorable. B. Uncaring

C. Doubtful D. Friendly

完形填空

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

I went to a group activity, “Sensitivity Sunday”, which was to make us more the problems faced by disabled people. We were asked to “ a disability” for several hours one Sunday. Some members, , chose to use wheelchairs. Others wore sound-blocking earplugs(耳塞)or blindfolds(眼罩).

Just sitting in the wheelchair was a experience. I had never considered before how it would be to use one. As soon as I sat down, my made the chair begin to roll. Its wheels were not . Then I wondered where to put my . It took me quite a while to get the metal footrest into . I took my first uneasy look at what was to be my only means of for several hours. For disabled people, “adopting a wheelchair” is not a temporary(临时的) .

I tried to find a position and thought it might be restful, kind of nice, to be around for a while. Looking around, I I would have to handle the thing myself? My hands started to ache as I the heavy metal wheels. I came to know that controlling the of the wheelchair was not going to be a(n) task.

My wheelchair experiment was soon . It made a deep impression on me. A few hours of “disability” gave me only a taste of the , both physical and mental, that disabled people must overcome.

1.A. curious about B. interested in C. aware of D. careful with

2.A. cure B. prevent C. adopt D. analyze

3.A. instead B. strangely C.as usual D. like me

4.A. learning B. working C. satisfying D. relaxing

5.A. convenient B. awkward C. boring D. exciting

6.A. height B. force C. skill D. weight

7.A. locked B. repaired C. powered D. grasped

8.A. hands B. feet C. keys D. handles

9.A. place B. action C. play D. effect

10.A. operation B. communication C. transportation D. production

11.A. exploration B. education C. experiment D. entertainment

12.A. flexible B. safe C. starting D. comfortable

13.A. yet B. just C. still D. even

14.A. shown B. pushed C. driven D. guided

15.A. realized B. suggested C. agreed D. admitted

16.A. lifted B. turned C. pressed D. seized

17.A. path B. position C. direction D. way

18.A. easy B. heavy C. major D. extra

19.A. forgotten B. repeated C. conducted D. finished

20.A. weaknesses B. challenges C. anxieties D. illnesses

Upon entering college, Yang Yi was uncertain about a lot of things. However, the 19-year-old international economics and trade student was certain about one thing: She wanted to participate in animal welfare efforts.

“I'm .always a nature and animal lover," she said. She joined the environmental protection association at her school. Now being president of a group of 25, she leads its efforts to help stray(流浪)cats and dogs by raising money to buy them food and collecting old clothes to make them homes.

However, sometimes the association raises doubts. Some students have questioned whether helping stray animals breaks the laws of nature. "We tried to resolve the controversy," Yang said. “For wild animals, the best way to protect them is to preserve their environment and their natural habitat, and to let them live their own way. However, for animals that depend heavily on humans, such as dogs and cats, the proper way to treat them is to respect them and take care of them." Besides, if not accommodated properly, stray animals can bring threats to public health, as they are the main cause of rabies(狂犬病)in cities. "Now, many young people in China have agreed upon the need to strike a balance between humans and nature. The only problem is how," said Yang. Yang and her fellow volunteers are cautious about what they do to help. For instance, sometimes people feed stray cats human food such as chocolate. But Yang and her friends point that such food can be dangerous to stray cats.

Yang also cooperates with Non-Governmental Organizations to spread animal protection knowledge. One of their recent exhibits was about animals in the entertainment industry. "We are still figuring out the best way to protect animals, but simple deeds such as saying no to animal performances can prevent wildlife from being captured and tamed. Step by step, we'll eventually reach our goal," she said.

1. Why did Yang Yi join the environmental protection association?

A. She majored in a relevant field.

B. She wanted to protect nature and animals.

C. She was uncertain about her life.

D. She intended to know about animal welfare.

2.What do the group members do for stray animals?

A. They shelter them with old clothes.

B. They feed human food to them.

C. They train them for entertainment.

D.They donate money to the association.

3.In paragraph 3,Yang believes that

A. all animals should live naturally

B. young people have known how to balance human and nature

C. stray animals are bound to spread rabies

D. chocolate is not a proper food for stray cats

4. What does Yang Yi think of her work?

A.Enjoyable. B .Doubtful. C. Hopeful. D. Awful.

Selfies (自拍) have become an increasingly common way to capture memorable moments. When it comes to taking selfies , knowing the following tips can directly affect the quality of your final product. .

The use of light is vital to improving image quality. Lights can help avoid shadows and create soft features on your face, so turn your face toward the main light. source. If you want to be creative, play with light angles by turning your body, but make sure the photo is properly exposed and your face is lit from the front or the side. Besides, avoid taking selfies against the main light source or with overhead lighting. Additionally, natural light possesses a warmth that makes you look like you're glowing.(发光)

When taking selfies, angles also matter a lot. Hold the camera away from your face, and try to take photos both horizontally(水平地) and vertically. If not, your face might look bigger than usual. Ideally, the universal selfie angle is 45 degrees above your head. But you should study your face at different angles because finding your best angle requires you having seen all of them.

One problem with selfies is that most have distracting backgrounds. You can always do more to show others your best side. Try to simplify the background by taking selfies outdoors or in spacious areas. Document yourself engaging in interesting activities-hiking with family members, visiting landmarks, or working out with friends. At least, you can make the photo appealing by getting rid of your outstretched arm or a background that's too busy.

You can also download some photo apps that allow you to adjust the lighting and contrast. Some apps offer useful filters(滤光器), which can change your skin tone and eliminate pimples (粉刺) on your face.

1.To get an image of high quality, you need to _______.

A. be under the light source

B. be against the main light

C. face the main light source

D. have the photo fully exposed

2.How can you find the angle that suits you most?

A. Study your face at different angles.

B. Hold the camera far enough from you.

C. Keep the camera lower than your face.

D. Place the camera 45 degrees above your head.

3.Which of the following should be avoided when taking selfies?

A. The use of natural light.

B. A landmark as a background.

C. Changes of the skin tone.

D. A busy background.

Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK?

-Mariana

A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy (策略). But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption.(假设)

Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK.

You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you.

Regardless of whether you consult(咨询) with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your assignments.

-Professor Byron

1.What problem does Mariana meet?

A. She has trouble learning English grammar.

B. She wonders if her method on writing is suitable.

C. She doesn't get on well with her classmates.

D. She isn't able to express herself in English.

2. According to Pro. Byron, what's the most important in writing a paper?

A. Professional advice.

B. Polishing carefully.

C. Organizing thoughts.

D. Familiar materials.

3.When asking someone for help on your paper, you should ask him ______.

A. to hand in the paper after reading it

B. to write the difficult part for you

C. to make a writing. plan for you

D. to tell you the part to be improved

4.What does the underlined word refer to in the text?

A. Essays. B. Courses

C. Ideas. D. Resources.

Census Bureau (人口普查局) data released Thursday show that 48 of the 50 most populous (人口稠密的) U.S. cities have grown since 2010, compared with only 40 of the top 50 in the first two years after the 2000 Census. Of the top 100, 93 have grown since 2010, compared with just 72 a decade ago.

Many of the biggest, such as New York, Houston, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas, are outpacing the nation’s 1.7% growth rate since 2010.

“Urban America is recovering faster than more remote places,” said Robert Lang, a professor of urban affairs.

Only two big cities - Detroit and Cleveland - lost population between 2010 and 2012.

The urban recovery is led by mid-sized cities including Austin and Fort Worth and Charlotte. Austin grew 6.6% in two years, becoming the USA’s 11th-largest city. In 2000, it was No. 17.

Other trends:

• New York City grew 2%, adding about 161,500 people since 2010. By far it is the USA’s most populous city.

• The population of New Orleans continues to grow. In 2005 a terrible natural disaster happened to the city, causing the population to decrease. Now it has a population of three hundred and sixty-nine thousand. The number has grown by 7.4% since 2010.

• Government budget crunches (紧缩) have put state capitals in difficulty. Half are behind the growth rate of their regions.

Perhaps the biggest exception to the capital crunch is Austin. It has grown more than 26% since 2000. Population expert William Frey says Austin enjoys a number of qualities that make it attractive. It’s a high-tech city with a state university. And it’s in Texas, an attractive place for newcomers. “In some ways it’s a model of what other cities would like to become,” he says.

Frey notes that Charlotte, which grew 5.4% since 2010 has grown into a high-tech and financial center whose industries do business not just with those in other U.S. cities but with the rest of the world.

1.The statistics in Paragraph 1 suggest that _____.

A. there were fewer cities in the USA a decade ago

B. remote areas in the USA have more people now

C. the population in the USA has grown since 2010

D. many big cities in the USA face population problems

2.William Frey thinks Austin’s growth _____.

A. is due to its education

B. is the steadiest in the USA

C. attracts well-educated people

D. deserves the attention of other cities

3.According to the text, Charlotte _____.

A. is a political center

B. has grown slowly since 2010

C. is the USA’s 11th-largest city

D. does business at home and abroad

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