Stockholm’s street magazine sellers no longer only take cash — they now take cards too.

“More and more sellers were telling us that people wanted our magazine but weren’t carrying cash,” says Pia Stolt, the magazine’s publisher. “So with the help of a local computer company, we came up with a way to accept payment electronically.

“We didn’t know how it would turn out, or whether people would be unwilling to give the credit card information to a stranger on the street,” says Stolt, “but the results have been great—sales are up 59%.” “Swedes are pretty trusting and we’re used to taking up new technology so this was the perfect solution,” adds Stolt. “The cashless society campaign we’re seeing in Sweden is definitely a good move as far as we are concerned—it’s unstoppable.”

Banks and stores invested heavily in card payment systems in the 1990s and now local consumers are using them in huge numbers. Today, four out of five purchases are made electronically in Sweden and going totally cash-free is the next step.

Sweden’s public transport system has already been cashless for several years, after local public transport workers complained that handling cash had become dangerous. “Bus drivers were getting attacked for their money so Sweden banned cash on public transport,” says Arn Arvidsson, the president of Cashless, an organization supporting the move to a cash-free society. “There were also a number of bank robberies, so four years ago, the banks began to move away from cash. Now, all of Sweden’s big banks operate cash free wherever possible, and the number of bank robberies is at a 30-year low.”

There is, however, concern about how well Sweden’s 1.8 million pensioners—out of a total population of 10 million—will adapt. “A lot of elderly people feel excluded,” says Johanna Hallen of the Swedish National Pensioners’ Organization. “Only 50% of older people use cash cards regularly and 7% never use cash cards. So we want the government to take things slowly.”

The digital payment revolution is also a challenge for tourists, who need pre-paid tickets or a Swedish mobile to catch a bus in the capital. “There’s a worry about crime and theft as well,” says Arvidsson. “Figures show that computer-related credit card crime has almost doubled in the last decade.”

1.The demand for a cashless public transport system first came from _______.

A. transport companies to reduce their costs

B. banks so they could increase their profits

C. transport workers to protect their safety

D. the government to improve transport times

2.Which of the following about Sweden is true according to the passage?

A. No new banknotes will be produced in the future

B. There has been a huge reduction in bank robberies.

C. Local people don’t feel comfortable carrying cash.

D. It is the first country to have cash-free buses.

3.Why does Johanna Hallen think the cashless society should be introduced slowly?

A. She worries that computer-related crime will increase.

B. She is concerned about the inconvenience to foreign travellers.

C. She believes that it’s not easy for older people to get used to it.

D. She feels it is everyone’s right to be able to use cash if they wish.

4.What information is most likely to follow the last paragraph?

A. Some possible solutions to the problems of a cashless society.

B. The reasons for the change in customers’ attitudes to cards.

C. Some benefits a cashless society will bring to banks

D. The difficulties people face in a cashless society.

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。

Lost in the Post

How would you feel if the letter you penned carefully and posted to your favorite star ended up in the recycling bin? That's where unopened fan mail sent to singer Taylor Swift was found in Nashville. ___1.___

Swift’s management said it was an accident, but dealing with piles of letters is a burden for most public figures. According to the BBC reporter Jon Kelly, at the height of his fame, Johnny Depp was said to receive up to 10,000 letters a week. ___2.___

The dawn of the digital age in which public figures with a Twitter account can be messaged directly has made the process easier. The White House says it deals with 20,000 messages addressed to President Barack Obama each day.

Some celebrities don’t want letters. In 2008, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said that he would throw them out because he was too busy. ___3._ Robert Pattinson, star of the Twilight films, claims that he reads tonnes and tonnes of letters from fans, which takes up almost all his free time.

Many artists, however, outsource(外包) the task of opening, reading and replying. Sylvia “Spanky” Taylor, 58, has run a service in California that does just that since 1987. __4.__ Most letters are simply declarations of affection and admiration, she says. A few ask for money. A small number contain threats which require her to contact the celebrity’s security team and law enforcement.

The biggest problem for Taylor is working out how to deal with the correspondence(通信). Presents such as soft toys are sent to local hospitals, and most of the letters just get shredded and recycled.

__5.___ For some, this is enough, according to Lynn Zubernis, an expert at West Chester University. She says that the relationship between fan and celebrity may exist only in the mind of the former but it comes from a deeply-rooted human need for community.

A. This incident has caused a wide public concern about how the public figures deal with the letters or mails from the fans.

B. She and her staff deal with up to 20,000 items of mail a month on behalf of 26 celebrities

C. Accordingly, the correspondence problem has been difficult for the computer to automate.

D. Typically, correspondence is acknowledged by a photo with a printed “signature”.

E. How could he have enough time to skim through these letters one by one?

F. In fact, there is no alternative to deal with the problem.

G. Others do attempt to get through it themselves.

完形填空

阅读下面的短文，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。

Many sports players have not only accomplished incredible acts of athleticism(运动能力), but also unbelievable acts of sportsmanship. There were some ________ examples in 2014, and I have ________ two that inspired me.

One example of sportsmanship took place in the Sochi Olympics. Russian Anton Gafarov was hobbling(蹒跚而行) along the track, far ________ the rest of the skiers. One of his skis(滑雪板) was broken. He had tried to ________ with the damaged equipment. Canadian ski coach Justin Wadsworth was the only one who had an extra. Wadsworth didn’t want Gafarov to finish slowly, hobbling across the line. He wanted him to finish with ________. The Canadian skiers were already out of the race, giving Wadsworth two ________: Leave Gafarov to hobble across the line on one ski, ________ give him the spare one. Wadsworth gave him the extra ski, ________ Gafarov to get second place in the quarter-finals. ________, he came in sixth in the semi-finals. ________ was Wadsworth who helped Gafarov complete his Olympic dream.

The other example took place in the 2014 World Cup quarter-final match between Brazil and Colombia. The game had just ended. Brazil had won, 2-1. Brazil was ________ on the sidelines, cheering and having a good time. Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez had just had his World Cup dream tore apart ________ scoring a record-breaking six goals in the competition. Brazil defender David Luiz walked over to him, pointed at him, and ________ the crowd to acknowledge him. He then declared his ________ for a game well played and ________ him for his wonderful World Cup performance. It made both the crowd and Rodriquez ________.

As an athlete, I know it’s easy to get caught up in the ________ of a game. But I also know that ________ is just as important as losing and winning.

Always remember to ________ your opposing team. Play hard, but play fair. And always be nice. It’s the right thing to do and it always ________.

1.A. amusingB. interestingC. amazingD. embarrassing

2.A. collectedB. pickedC. madeD. created

3.A. behindB. offC. fromD. back

4.A. walkB. goC. workD. continue

5.A. determinationB. kindnessC. loveD. pride

6.A. questionsB. chancesC. choicesD. problems

7.A. orB. andC. butD. nor

8.A. advisingB. allowingC. instructingD. wanting

9.A. GraduallyB. SpecificallyC. ParticularlyD. Finally

10.A. HeB. ThatC. ItD. This

11.A. imaginingB. reviewingC. celebratingD. training

12.A. despiteB. asC. thoughD. while

13.A. urgedB. forcedC. expectedD. warned

14.A. surpriseB. doubtC. curiosityD. appreciation

15.A. preparedB. recognizedC. challengedD. interviewed

16.A. shyB. happyC. crazyD. tired

17.A. funB. advantage

C. meaningD. competitiveness

18.A. sportsmanshipB. championship

C. leadershipD. friendship

19.A. respond toB. fight against

C. shake hands withD. keep up with

20.A. pays outB. pays off

C. pays backD. pays for

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Just as I began a new job in New York, I had 1. important job: father. I was a businessman. At the office I had three new projects and at home I had a young son who was growing fast and needed me. I was 2. (puzzle) and didn’t know how to deal with the relationship between job and family until one day, during my business trip in Chicago, I came 3. an old family friend Dan, 4. was once a patient of my father. He told me something about my father. It was my father who 5. (help) him go through the cancer. When Dan knew he got cancer, he was very upset and wanted to give up, but my father, his doctor, encouraged him 6. (go) on fighting against the cancer. My father said to him, “You have 7. wonderful life and three fine children. Take some time with them. It is family that we live for—not just ourselves. Think of that 8. you will know life’s worth the fight.” His words touched me, and I 9. (sudden) realized that family is the most important in the world. I should spend more time 10. (stay) with them.

短文改错

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，每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：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，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限一词。

2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Childhood is a time when there are little duties. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after, and loved no matter when he may do. It's impossible for him to be given such much again in his later life. But a child is not so free to do as he wishes it. He is continually being told not to do this, not to do that, or being punished for what he had done wrong. When he starts to make their own living, he becomes free from the rules of school and parents. Therefore, he can no longer expect others to pay his food, his clothes, and his room. He has to work hard to live comfortable. If so, he can have the great happiness of build up his own position in society.

假如你是李华，南昌二中的一名学生，得知可向国际儿童基金会(Foundation)申请一个经费为2000元的扶贫项目(poverty-relief program)，帮助贫困地区的儿童。你感兴趣，准备申请。请根据以下要点写一篇文章：

1）个人的基本情况和申请理由；

2）你对申请项目的具体设想和项目经费的使用计划；

3）你的愿望。联系方式：2016hope@icf.org

注意：1. 词数100左右;

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

3. 开头语和结尾语已为你写好。

Dear Sir or Madam,

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

The booking notes of the play “the Age of Innocence”:

Price: ＄10

BOOKING: There are four easy ways to book seats for performance:

★in person

The Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10 a. m. -8 p. m.

★by telephone

Ring 01324976 to reserve your tickets or to pay by credit card（Visa, MasterCard and Amex accepted）

★by post

Simply complete the booking form and return it to Global Theatre Box Office.

★on line

Complete the on-line booking form at www. Satanfied theatre.com

DISCOUNTS:

Saver: ＄2 off any seat booked any time in advance for performances from Monday to Thursday. Savers are available for children up to 16 years old, and full-time students.

Supersaver: half-price seats are available for people with disabilities and one companion. It is advisable to book in advance. There is a maximum of eight wheelchair spaces available and one wheelchair space will be held until an hour before the show.

Standby: best available seats are on sale for ＄6 from one hour before the performance for people eligible（suitable）for Saver and Supersaver discounts and thirty minutes before for all other customers.

Group Bookings: there is a ten per cent discount for parties of twelve or more.

School: school parties of ten or more can book ＄6 standby tickets in advance and will get every tenth ticket free.

Please note: we are unable to exchange tickets or refund money unless a performance is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.

1.If you want to book a ticket, you CANNOT ________.

A．go to the Box Office on Sundays

B．ring the booking number and pay for the tickets by credit card

C．use the Internet

D．complete a booking form and post it to the Box Office

2.According to the notes, who can get ＄2 off?

A．The people who book the tickets on Fridays.

B．An 18-year-old teenager.

C．A 55-year-old woman.

D．A 20-year-old full-time college student.

3.If you make a group booking for a group of 14 adults, how much should you pay?

A．＄120B．＄126C．＄140D．＄150

Nobody likes an old poop（傻子）. Developing a sense of humor is part of becoming a mature, emotionally healthy individual. Laughter is good for the soul, builds friendships and relieves stress. It serves as the glue for social situations and as an ice-breaker for sadness and boredom. If you’ve ever been told to “lighten up” or “chill out”, you should save the blue attitude for serious situations and develop your sense of humor.

Forgive the accidental. A sudden fall is humorous not because we like to see people fall, but because it surprises. From a spilled（溢出）water glass in a meeting to Aunt Rae’s teeth coming off in the Thanksgiving turkey, the embarrassment of accidents can be relieved by humor and a helping hand. After making sure that nobody’s hurt, forgive accidents with a chuckle（咯咯地笑）rather than a scolding.

Look for the unexpected. The kid who used to look at you with his eyes closed during a test had the idea. Parents who serve green eggs and ham to their children on graduation day get the idea. Unexpected actions lighten an atmosphere and relax people.

Learn to laugh with your kids. Most of what children say and do is funny. Help them learn that accidents are sometimes funny and sometimes occasions for joining in and helping another human being. By sharing laughs and attempting to explain humor, you develop your sense of humor, as well as help kids develop their own sense of humor.

1.If you’ve ever been told to “lighten up” or “chill out”, it means ________.

A. you lack humorB. you are blue

C. you are humorousD. you are funny

2.According to Paragraph 2, when your friend falls, you can ________.

A. laugh at himB. feel embarrassed

C. scold himD. chuckle

3.In the author’s opinion, if your mother serves green eggs and ham to you on your graduation day, she is ________.

A. humorousB. seriousC. considerateD. boring

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A. Ways to Become a Healthy Individual

B. How to Develop a Sense of Humor

C. The Function of Humor

D. Proper Attitudes Toward Humor

What's the most important thing in life?

People's answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child. "Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.

Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology—more commonly known as "test-tube (试管) baby" technology—passed away on April 10, 2013 at the age of 87.

"Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice (高兴) in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, a professor at King's College London. "He leaves the world a much better place."

Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as "scary", according to Mark Sauer, a professor at Columbia University, US.

Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists. "People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.

"But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer. Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.

The first test-tube baby was born on July 25, 1978. Her name was Is Louise Brown. Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.

"IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.

Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging (拥向) to Edwards' clinic. Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other "test-tube" children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted (封为爵士) by Queen Elizabeth in the following year.

Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise. "He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

He is a granddad to millions, in fact.

1.What’s the article mainly about?

A. The first test-tube baby.

B. A new era in medicine.

C. The inventor of IVF technology.

D. The changes IVF technology has brought.

2.The writer mentioned Peter Braude to ________.

A. show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work

B. describe what kind of person Edwards was

C. explain why he is loved by all children

D. comment on his achievement

3.The underlined word "opposition" in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to "________"

A. attackB. supportC. testD. influence

4.What is the correct order of events in Edwards' life?

a. He received a Nobel Prize.

b. He struggled to raise funds.

c. The first test-tube baby was born.

d. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

e. He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside body.

f. He started his experiments on IVF technology.

A. f-e-b-c-a- d B. f-b-e-c-d-a

C. f-b-e-c-a-d D. f-e-d-a-c-b

If you look at the night sky, you’ll often see stars moving very quickly. In fact, they move much more quickly than they should according to their size and the laws of physics.

Scientists do not completely understand why the speed of these stars is so high. But many believe the reason is that much of the universe is made of something called “dark matter”. Groups of stars called galaxies, such as the Milky Way, might even be made up of 90 percent dark matter.

How much something weighs depends on where it is. The same object weighs only half as much on Mars as it does on Earth and almost three times as much on Jupiter. So scientists prefer to talk about the mass (质量) of something rather than how much it weighs, because mass does not change. They can work out the mass of galaxies by measuring the distance between them and the speed they move at.

Recently, Jorge Pe?arrubia, a senior academic at Edinburgh University, UK, and his team discovered something interesting: The mass of the Milky Way is only half as much as the mass of another nearby galaxy, Andromeda. This seems strange, and dark matter may explain why.

Finding out more about dark matter could help us understand how the universe began, but this is not easy. Lots of scientists with different types of expert knowledge are working on the problem.

We can’t see dark matter, it’s very difficult to measure and we can’t find out its mass. Unlike stars, dark matter doesn’t produce or reflect light. But we can make a good guess that it is there because of the way things move and the way light bends. Experts now think dark matter may be very different from the matter that we find on Earth. There may also be five times as much dark matter in the universe as ordinary matter.

1.Something that weighs 15kg on Earth weighs about ________ on Mars and ________ on Jupiter.

A. 7.5 kg, 45 kgB. 30 kg, 45 kgC. 45 kg, 7.5 kgD. 5 kg, 30 kg

2.The author mentions the masses of the Milky Way and Andromeda mainly to ________.

A. explain why the same object has a different weight on different stars

B. compare the distance between the Milky Way and Andromeda

C. show that studying dark matter could help to answer some scientific questions

D. support the idea that scientists prefer to talk about mass instead of weight

3.Dark matter is difficult to investigate because ________.

A. it travels at a very fast speed

B. we can’t see where it is or measure its mass

C. it’s hard to measure the light it produces and reflects

D. it is much bigger than ordinary matter in size

4.According to the text, dark matter ________.

A. could accelerate the speed of stars

B. could lessen the mass of objects in galaxies

C. makes up the entire universe and its stars

D. may help us identify the origins of the universe