After four silent years, British singer Adele Adkins finally introduced herself to the world again with Hello, the opening song from her third album 25, which came out on Nov. 20, 2015.

Although Adele is a very successful singer now, music wasn’t always what she saw herself doing. At age 10, when she saw her grandmother’s pain over the death of Adele’s grandfather, she pictured herself as a heart surgeon.

“I wanted to fix people’s hearts,” she told the UK music website i-D, remembering the childhood interest she’d had in biology classes until she found out that her real talent was for singing.

“Adele didn’t go to medical school, but many would agree that she still has healing (治愈)powers. Her songs find the kind of memory every listener holds somewhere in their heart. This kind of feeling is what people have always liked in Adele,” said The Telegraph. “She writes a pop diary, sharing the simple secrets of her heart.”

Most successful pop stars make albums at a fast pace, but not Adele. After her second album 21 won the 2012 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, she made it clear with her label that she would spend “four or five years” making her next album. She told magazine. “I won’t come out with new music until it’s better than 21.”

Instead of seeking fame, Adele remained silent and moved to the countryside. In her free time, she loved to watch TV series Teen Mom, American Horror Story, and The Walking Dead.

Living life as normally as possible is important to the singer’s art. “Nobody wants to listen to a record from someone who’ s not living in the real world,” Adele told i-D.“So I live a low-key life for my fans.”

1.What does die text mainly tell us?

A. The popularity of Adele’s album 25

B. The healing powers of Adele’s music

C. The secrets of Adele’s success in music

D. TV reason Adele’s becoming a singer

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. Adele wasn’t interested in music

B. Adele wasn’t good at music at first

C. Music wasn’t very important in Adele’s life

D. Music wasn’t all Adele wanted to be devoted to

3.Why doesn’t Adele want to make albums at a fast pace?

A. To live a low-key life

B. To win the Grammy Award

C. To guarantee the quality of her music

D. To share the secrets of her heart as a musician

4.What can we know about Adele?

A. Her album Hello will come out on Nov. 20

B. She has kept a diary since childhood

C. She moved to the countryside before 2012

D. Her works are based on real life

Many managers believe that overworking is an evidence of devotion from their employees’ side. Still few others regard this custom as a threat to the worked work-life balance, which may negatively influence the level of productivity and efficiency.

Employees at Amsterdam design studio Heldergroen won’t be putting in much overtime. Not in the office, at any rate, because every day at 6:00 pm, their desks, tables and other work surfaces, with their computers attached, are lifted to the ceiling by steel cables (绳索) normally used to move heavy props (道具) in theatrical productions. If you leave a half-eaten sandwich on your desk, you’ve out of luck.

“Once the chairs and other workplace paraphernalia are cleared away, the space is free for evening and weekend use as a dance floor, yoga studio... or anything else you can think of—the floor is actually yours,” director Sander Veenendaal said.

In a way, the office space itself is working overtime for Heldergroen, bringing about lots of publicity and carrying an enlightened (有启发的) message of career-life balance far and wide. “We think that doing activities like this makes it easier for people to work here,” says Veenendaal. “You know when it is time to relax or do something else that inspires you.”

That sounds awesome. There’s just one catch. In the morning, the desks reappear and everybody has to go back to work.

1.What can we learn about the employees at Heldergroen?

A. They are unwilling to work late.

B. They are persuaded to leave the office earlier.

C. They believe overworking is an evidence of devotion.

D. They are to put away their computers after work.

2.What does the underlined word “paraphernalia” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Props. B. Food.

C. Equipment. D. Cables.

3.What does the author think of the Heldergroen’s office design?

A. Creative. B. Inconvenient.

C. Ordinary. D. Strange.

As we know, DNA testing is very useful for crime fighting. But now crime fighters could have a new tool at hand. Researchers have developed a cutting-edge (前沿的) technique to identify human hair. Their test is quicker than DNA analysis techniques currently used by the police.

DNA testing is commonly used for identification because DNA is unique to each individual. However, environmental and chemical processes can degrade(降解) DNA, limiting its usefulness over time. Protein (蛋白质) in hair, on the other hand, is more stable than DNA but can also have variations (变异体) that may be unique to the individual.

“Our analysis process can be used universally, ”says Ms. Huang, “One of our samples even included dyed hair and the test was 100 per cent accurate. The test was able to distinguish East Asians, Caucasians and South Asians.”

Dr. Beauchemin says she has got in touch with law enforcement agencies about using the new technology. She is also planning to collect more hair samples and continue her research with a goal of finding where exactly in the world hair sample is from, to look for more races and determine specific age.

“We are in a very similar place with protein-based identification to where DNA testing was during the early days of development,” said chemist Brad Hart. “This method will be a game-changer, and while we’ve made a lot of progress toward improving it, there are steps to go before this new technique is able to reach its full potential.”

1.What’s the main purpose of the text?

A. To analyze crime scenes.

B. To distinguish different races.

C. To show the usefulness of DNA testing.

D. To introduce a new identification method.

2.Which will be the most useful in identifying a person according to Brad Hart?

A. Chemical materials. B. Protein in hair.

C. DNA variations. D. Blood sample.

3.What’s the advantage of the protein-based identification over DNA testing?

A. Stability. B. Popularity.

C. Security. D. Convenience.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph of the text?

A. DNA testing will soon reach its full potential.

B. Protein-based identification remains to be improved.

C. Protein-based identification has replaced DNA testing.

D. DNA testing develops as rapidly as protein-based identification.

The English have a difficult and, generally speaking, dysfunctional (不协调的) relationship with clothes. Their main problem is dial they have a desperate need for rules, and are unable to get along without them. Tins helps to explain why they have an international reputation for dressing in general very badly, but with specific areas of excellence, such as high-class men’s suits, ceremonial costume, and innovative (革新的) street fashion. In other words, we English dress best when we are “in uniform”.

You may be surprised that I am including “innovative street fashion” in the category of uniform. Surely the parrot-haired punks (朋克摇滚乐迷) or the Victorian vampire Goths are being original, not following rules? It’s true that they all look different and eccentric(奇特的) but in fact they all look eccentric in exactly the same way. They are wearing a uniform. The only truly eccentric dresser in this country is the Queen, who pays no attention to fashion and continues to wear what she likes, a kind of 1950s fashion, with no regard for anyone else’s opinion. However, it is true that the styles invented by young English people are much more eccentric than any other nation’s street fashion. We may not be individually eccentric, apart from the Queen, but we have a sort of collective eccentricity, and we appreciate originality in dress even if we do not individually have it.

Another “rule” of behavior I had discovered was that it is very important for the English not to take themselves too seriously, to be able to laugh at themselves. However, it is well known that most teenagers tend to take themselves a bit too seriously.

The Goths, in their scaring black costumes, certainly look as if they are taking themselves seriously. But when I got into conversation with them, I discovered that they too had a sense of humor. I was once chatting to a Goth in the full vampire costume—with a white face, deep purple lipstick, and black parrot-hair. I saw he was also wearing a T-shirt with “Goth”. “Why are you wearing that?” I asked. “It’s in case you don’t realize I’m a Goth,” he answered, pretending to be serious. We both burst out laughing.

1.What can we know about the English people?

A. They need rules to dress well. B. They are in need of uniforms.

C. They are creative in general. D. They lead the world trend.

2.Who is individually eccentric in dressing?

A. A high-class man. B. A parrot-haired punk.

C. The Queen. D. The fashion innovator.

3.Which of the following can best describe the Goths?

A. They dress badly.

B. They dress in an amusing way.

C. They are unable to laugh at the way they dress.

D. They are less fashionable than the other English people.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A. How the English Dress

B. How the English Admire Fashion

C. Why the English Like Uniforms

D. Why the English Are Eccentric in Dress

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。

Although people value intelligence—understanding, reasoning, the ability to learn—they also respect wisdom, or the knowledge and experience that they gain over a lifetime. In some ways, wisdom is like beauty: we value it, we desire it, we know it when we see it, but it is nearly impossible to pin down such a nice quality. 1.

1. Working at being social.

Studies show that people who stay connected to others show higher levels of wisdom than those who remain alone. 2. Next time you’re at a party or gathering, single out someone who’s standing alone; and strike up a conversation.

2. 3.

Wisdom involves being able to understand all sides of an issue without letting personal feelings gel in the way. Owning your mind means realizing that everyone has a life story that influences their actions. During the course of every day, make a note of the issues that annoy you, and take a moment to see them from the other side.

3. Learning how to say “I could be wrong”.

A wise person understands that it is impossible to know everything and that life is likely to take unexpected turns. 4. Admitting that there are times when you could be mistaken will go a long way in strengthening your fame.

4. Reading the news.

5. If you don’t already read a daily paper or news online, start by going through a single front-page article from a major respected news source.

Almost everyone has the potential to become wiser, particularly if you strengthen these habits.

A. Practicing being open-minded.

B. Sharing good news with your friends.

C. But researchers have tried and here’s what they’ve found.

D. Recognizing your errors can lead only to even greater wisdom.

E. Make an effort to join a new club, or invite an old friend for coffee.

F. You do not have to admit your mistakes if you are really unwilling to.

G. You cannot make balanced choices unless you understand world circumstances.

I was first officer at an airline. One Christmas Eve, I was checking instruments in _______ for my last flight of the day _______ I heard a noise behind me. I looked _______ my shoulder. Just outside the cockpit(驾驶舱) doorway was a boy of about nine _______ at the cockpit. At my glance he started to _______“Come on in here,” I called. The boy stepped _______ into the cockpit. “My name’s Chad.” I said, slicking out my hand. With a shy smile he put his hand in _______, “I’m Sam.”

The captain would be in any minute. Sam looked so _______ that I didn’t want to cut short his fun. I told Sam the _______ of each button. Finally Captain Jim came aboard. I ________ Sam to Jim, who gave him a broad smile. “You ever ________ an airplane before, Sam?” Jim asked. Eyes wide, Sam ________his head. Following my ________, he carefully pressed a button as big as his hand to start the ________, which hummed (发出嗡嗡声) to life.

Sam looked like he was about to cry with ________. We started up the other engine, ________, and arrived in Macon about 40 minutes later.

Early Christmas morning, Sam’s mother came by and ________ a tin of cookies with a note of thanks. Jim looked at it, ________, and read it aloud, “Thank you for what you’ve done. Sam has been dreaming about becoming a pilot. ________, he’s got cancer…”

A small ________ deed that one does can make a big difference to someone else’s life.

1.A. time B. return C. preparation D. exchange

2.A. after B. when C. as if D. even though

3.A. over B. around C. above D. from

4.A. glaring B. aiming C. shouting D. staring

5.A. get in B. turn away C. run out D. set off

6.A. cautiously B. unexpectedly C. desperately D. deliberately

7.A. his B. him C. me D. mine

8.A. thrilled B. worried C. afraid D. confident

9.A. type B. function C. problem D. regulation

10.A. carried B. reported C. introduced D. directed

11.A. saw B. boarded C. started D. visited

12.A. raised B. bowed C. nodded D. shook

13.A. signals B. instructions C. example D. schedule

14.A. flight B. journey C. button D. engine

15.A. happiness B. anxiety C. sympathy D. fright

16.A. gave up B. pulled over C. took off D. went out

17.A. took B. made C. bought D. left

18.A. sighed B. sobbed C. breathed D. relieved

19.A. Strangely B. Eventually C. Carelessly D. Unfortunately

20.A. heroic B. risky C. kind D. honest

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