It encouraged us to visit Quora.com, the online question and answer community, to find out how users get the most out of every tank of gas.

Light makes right

Alex Elderfield noted that excess weight prevents an engine from burning fuel efficiently. "Only carry what is essential in your car, clean out any junk or necessary items otherwise you are paying for the fuel to cart these from place to place," he wrote.

Driving smoothly — that is, not mashing the gas and then slamming the brakes later down the road — was a fixture of many responses. Quora user Clint Law agreed on that advice, who wrote, "Every little bit of kinetic energy that your brakes lose, your engine burned in fuel to build up." Overbraking should consequently be viewed as wasted acceleration. "That's really what kills your fuel economy," he argued.

Keep the pressure up

Keeping the recommended tire pressure for your car was another mantra among Quora users. Marlyn Rosent said she checked her tire pressure every time she filled up her SUV. Quora user Doug Dingus checks his tire pressure every weekend. “Less tire contact means reduced rubbing, requiring less fuel,” he said.

Air conditioning or windows

Though the summer heat get many drivers to roll up the windows and turn on the air conditioning, some people argued that running the A/C wastes too much gas. In between were many shades of grey.

Achilleas Vortselas said it would depend largely on a car’s speed. He wrote that as a general rule, people should drive with the windows down around the city and turn the air conditioning on when hitting the highway, where a car’s aerodynamic(空气动力的) characteristics would be influenced by opened windows.

More seriously minded people, however, said to travel as much as possible with windows up and the A/C off. Eddie Xue gets by with just a wisp of outside air. “Use the fan and open your windows every now and then at lower speeds," he wrote.

1.What can we learn from what Clint Law wrote?

A. Overbraking is a waste of gas.

B. Carry what we need in the car.

C. Build up energy to drive smoothly.

D. Stepping on the gas freely can keep a balance.

2.What do we know from Doug Dingus’ words?

A. Checking tire pressure will require less fuel.

B. Filling up the SUV leads to reduced rubbing.

C. Keeping the recommended tire pressure is necessary.

D. Braking fiercely can keep wasting acceleration.

3.The author says “In between were many shades of grey” to indicate that ________.

A. rolling up the windows and turning on the air conditioning waste too much gas

B. people should try their best to travel with windows up and the A/C off

C. when a car approaches higher speeds, the A/C should come on

D. there’s balance between the air conditioning and windows usage

4.Which is the suitable title of the passage?

A. Fuel efficiency, straight from source

B. Driving with the windows down and using the A/C

C. How to save at the pump this summer

D. Reducing the weight and increasing the vehicle’s fuel economy

China has the highest adoption rate in the world for technology-enabled payment systems, according to a report released on Wednesday. The report, from the market research firm Nielsen, is based on a survey of 13,000 respondents in 26 countries.

The survey showed that 86 percent of Chinese respondents said they paid for online purchases during the past six months via digital payment systems compared with a global average of just 43 percent.

"Chinese consumers have more payment choices for products and services than ever while digital payments will continue to win over more Chinese consumers due to its convenient nature," said Kiki Fan, managing director of Nielsen China.

The increasingly popular payment method is part of the rapidly evolving purchasing behavior of Chinese consumers. About 98 percent of the respondents in China, the world's largest e-commerce market, said they had made purchases online.

The majority of them still make online purchases via computers, but the number of those who use mobile devices to make purchases is growing fast and is significantly higher than the average in other surveyed countries.

At 71 percent, food-related businesses topped the list of purchases made via smart phones while event ticket purchases stood at 51 percent.

The rising use of digital payments has attracted numerous players to the Chinese market.

Apple Inc launched its contactless payment system Apple Pay in the Chinese mainland last month. It allows users of the iPhone 6 or more advanced versions, certain iPads and Apple Watches to pay by their devices in bricks-and-mortar stores.

Apple's rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd is expected to bring its own mobile payment service to China in mid-March—Sam-sung Pay.

China's Internet giants Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd have already taken about 90 percent of the mobile payment market, but industry observers said the competition is just about to start.

1.What do the first and second paragraphs mainly tell us?

A. China has the most digital payment users.

B. A digital report is released on Wednesday.

C. Chinese consumers have more payment choices.

D. People in 26 countries paid for online purchases.

2.Where do most of the Chinese make online purchases according to the passage?

A. On smart phones. B. On computers.

C. On iPads. D. In bricks-and-mortar stores.

3.What will probably take place in China according to the passage?

A. More and more businesses will enter the Chinese market.

B. Chinese consumes will have more payment choices.

C. Food-related companies will top the list of purchases.

D. The iPhone 6 or more advanced versions will appear.

4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A. Apple pay will become the most convenient payment system.

B. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has already brought its own mobile payment service to China.

C. The competition concerning the digital payment will began soon.

D. Alibaba group and Tencent cover the mobile payment market.

If you’re encouraged by the tiny house movement and think 160 square feet is just enough for your needs, you may want to contact the Academy of Construction and Design (ACAD) at IDEA Public Charter School in northeast Washington.

Students in the program built a micro house with a kitchen, a bathroom, a sleeping loft with space for a queen-size bed and a storage loft, all set on a trailer for mobility. The exterior of the house was part of a continuous living exhibit in 2015 and was moved to the IDEA campus so students could work with builders to complete the interior earlier this year.

McMahon said the D. C. government’s approval to push companies to hire District residents was at odds with the school system not preparing students for careers in construction, exploring or electrical work. McMahon gathered industry and community leaders to establish ACAD in 2005, and he said 100 percent of the companies he contacted responded positively to the idea, including major firms such as JBG, Clark Construction, Hines Construction and Boston Properties.

“When students make the connection between what they are learning a potential career, their academics improve dramatically,” said Carol Randolph, chief operating officer of the D. C. Students Construction Trades Foundation. “Some of them who didn’t think college was an option now have a better chance because their classes have become relevant to a job.”

“We teach them life skills and explain that even if you start as a laborer, there are opportunities to move up quickly,” he said. “We rewrite the story for them and explain that they can work for a few years, make good money, get promoted, and start their own business or go to school with less debts.”

“Parents and school advisor can be the biggest obstacles because of the negative idea of construction as a blue-collar career,” Karriem said. “I get middle-school advisor on board to talk about the opportunities this education provides. These kids are learning lifelong skills that can help them in other fields, provide them with income and allow them to take care of their homes.”

1.What might be the main purpose of the first paragraph?

A. To advise the students to build houses.

B. To show IDEA Public Charter School.

C. To introduce the tiny house movement.

D. To get in touch with the ACAD organization.

2.What is the program of building a micro house aimed at?

A. Experiencing living in the tiny house.

B. Improving cooperating with related companies.

C. Learning lifelong skills from college classes.

D. Providing the opportunities to get a job.

3.What does the underlined part “at odds with” mean in the 3rd paragraph?

A. Inconsistent B. Favorable

C. Unusual D. Satisfactory

4.What can we infer from the words of Karriem?

A. Students tend to choose the blue-collar career.

B. It’s hard to make the micro house movement popular.

C. Education should provide more job opportunities

D. Life skills help improve students’ academics greatly

It’s always important to use the right tools for any job. Success in school is no different. If you need to vary your time management tool box, consider these less traditional tools. 1..

Daily Task List

A daily task list is nothing more than a notepad that you use to list your daily goals. 2.. Cross them off as you finish them. At the end of each day, simply carry over any job that you didn’t finish to the next day’s list. It works wonders!

Big Well Calendar

Simply place the big wall calendar in a prominent place near your regular study space. Then come up with a color code for your classes(like green for math and yellow for history). When you have a big due date or a test date, place the appropriate colored sticker on that date. 3., so it works as a constant reminder. This trick is simple, cheap, and so effective!

Sticky Note Flags

4., whether you’re putting together a big research project or you’re simply reading a book. Whenever you need to remember to take a certain object or assignment to school, place a sticky flag on the door knob, bathroom mirror, or the cereal box the night before. It works like an alarm!

Bedside Notepad

You can keep a notepad beside your bed to write down any items or tasks you have to remember for the next day. As you settle in for the night, take a few moments to think about the things you need to do tomorrow. Then write them down and tear off the sheet in the morning. 5.!

A. Remember to pack it in your schoolbag.

B. Keep your homework and your life in order

C. Two heads are better than one when it comes to projecting due dates

D. You could also use the calendar feature to alert you when projects are due

E. These little paper banners are lifesavers when it comes to getting organized

F. Carry a small pad around and write down every task you need to complete

G. The sticker will be something you can see every time you enter the room.

One night many years ago I was on the bridge of a ship passing one of our large cities on a quiet night. I saw its lights_______in the sky and heard the city’s noises.

I have spent twenty-five years on boats. Now I am a _______. My job is to bring in the large luxury_________and stay with them until they are safely stopped in their ports.

I felt very _______the first time I ever docked a big liner. She came_______up the harbor on a flood tide and towered high over the short little boat. As we drew alongside, a doorway opened_______at water level and two smartly dressed sailors helped me aboard.

I was escorted to the bridge where I _______from the captain. I realized I was in _______of a great ship worth millions of dollars. Having docked several of the large liners, I realized I was not important, _________simply the quarterback who called the signals.

In spite of ________we read in the newspapers, I have great faith in this country, praying that a peaceful understanding will come to this__________world, so that my children can grow up in a world full of happiness. I believe this will come ________.

I remember the understanding and ________ that took over this country, back in 1949, when a little girl named Kathy Fiskus ________into an old well in California. Engineers and sandhogs and people in all walks of life worked almost three days, and when they got her out she was dead.

People sent in thousands of dollars in________funds, but those who did the work and ________the equipment wouldn’t take the money. They worked for bigger things. I talked to captains of foreign ________that came into New York Harbor, and they were just as________as we Americans over the tragedy.

I believe some__________will be found to work together for world peace with the same sympathy and understanding that people worked to rescue little Kathy Fiskus. I believe God will ________bring this about.

1.A. decorated B. reflected C. included D. occupied

2.A. cook B. designer C. pilot D. swimmer

3.A. liners B. shops C. hotels D. offices

4.A. interesting B. smart C. lucky D. proud

5.A. drawing B. riding C. walking D. running

6.A. often B. never C. almost D. hardly

7.A. took over B. picked up C. got out D. brought in

8.A. place B. need C. search D. control

9.A. so B. but C. and D. or

10.A. how B. where C. which D. what

11.A. undiscovered B. unsettled C. unplanned D. unexpected

12.A. in B. from C. about D. on

13.A. favor B. pity C. belief D. sense

14.A. fell B. waved C. threw D. hid

15.A. school B. business C. rescue D. loan

16.A. produced B. transported C. furnished D. supposed

17.A. buses B. planes C. ships D. trains

18.A. worried B. satisfied C. amazed D. concerned

19.A. time B. road C. money D. way

20.A. someday B. forever C. nowhere D. therefore

Tins of cooling ointment (清凉油) have become a currency for Chinese traveling in Egypt.

1.(visit)the complex of ancient temples at Karnak, Chinese tourist Mr. Ye lost his way among the stone churches and pillars.

An Egyptian guide gave him directions. To show his 2.(appreciate), Mr. Ye handed him a small red tin the size of a large coin. Inside 3.(be) a cooling ointment that has the function of refreshing mind and preventing pain. Mr. Ye brought 50 tins with him on his six-day tour to hand out as tips.

"Before I came to Egypt, the tourism agency told me 4.(repeat) to bring cooling balm as a gift to make the trip 5.(easy)," said Mr. Ye, a 25-year-old 6.family sells Chinese medicine online. Egyptians, he said, are very nice to Chinese tourists, 7.they love this little gift."

Egyptians sometimes demand the balm by running a thumb across their foreheads. Li Xiaodong, an Egyptologist at China's Northeast Normal University, believes Chinese travelers initially brought cooling balm for 8.(person) use because it's very hot in Egypt, then 9.(discover) Egyptians liked it.

Some Chinese tourists said giving gifts feels better than handing over money. "If you give essential balm, 10.is more like you're giving it to friends," said one Chinese tourist.

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短文。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：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），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；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Challenges of life are of great importance in our grow. It reminds me my days when I joined in the military training after I entered senior high school. It was the first time I have lived away from my home, so I found it difficultly to fit in. And the training officer was strict with myself. I once thought I couldn’t be stick to the end. But anyway, I made it. The trials made it easy for me to adapt to my future life, but the difficulties I came across have now become the precious memory in my life.

In short, learning to regard the challenges of life as a stepping stone to future success and make the best of them.

假如你是李华，今年将要参加高考。你的老师和父母对你大学专业的选择提出异议，为此你很苦恼。请你根据提示，用英语给你的美国笔友Bob写一封邮件，谈谈你的想法，并征求笔友的建议。

1.父母的建议：法律专业（就业前景好）；

2.老师的建议：外语（充分发挥自己的语言天赋）；

3.你的想法：……

2．注意：1）词数100左右；

2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3）信的开头和结尾已经给出，但不计入总词数。

Dear Bob,

I am at a loss nowadays. ________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

I am looking forward to your advice.

Yours,

Li Hua

Moochie the Soochie Visits the Peace People

By Quinton Crawford

Price:$3.00 Words:2,800

Language: English

This is a two-story children’s book. Story 1:Moochie visits children on every continent to learn a little of their languages. Story 2:Moochie travels through human history to find people in times of peace. Kids can learn greetings in over nine languages from around the world in the book.

Jokes Series 4(Fruits)

By BodhaGuru Learing

Price: Free Words:21,320

Language: English

This is a book on funny jokes for children and is a colorful picture book. It has many jokes on fruit. Fruit keeps us healthy and now it has come to make us laugh. Let us laugh with funny jokes on fruit.

Three Wolves

By Chris Sheerin

Price:$4.99 Words:50,440

Language: British English

Two officers secretly enter Yellowstone National Park and steal a female wolf from her den(兽穴）.Little do those men realize, however, that the female wolf is highly valued by her pack(一群）,and that they will do anything to find her.

Three Wolves is told not through the eyes of man, but through wolves. It is a story of hope and courage, of dreams and superstitions(迷信）,in which you might at last be persuaded that wolves know more about nature than man.

The Officer’s Whistle

By Matthew Howorth

Price:$3.20 Words:24,540

Language: English

Simon is in his last year at prep school(预科学校）and always seems to be in trouble. He finds a feeling of comfort in history lessons .When doing a homework task,he finds an old box dug out by his father.It holds secrets of a relative who fought in World War I . Looking through it, Simon discovers the story of Tom Beal, who applied to fight in 1914 and finds an old whistle. What story does it hold?

1.What makes the book Joke Series 4(Fruits)different from the other three?

A. It’s written in a different language.

B. Readers don’t have to pay to get it.

C. Its main characters are not humans.

D. It’s the only book written for children.

2.What can we learn through Three Wolves?

A. Wildlife protection

B. The beauty of nature

C. Nature through wolves’ eyes

D. Basic facts about Yellowstone.

3.What can we know about Simon in The Officer’s whistle?

A. He learns about Tom Beal from his father.

B. He has a great interest in history lessons.

C. He does homework with the help of his father.

D. He discovers the whistle mystery with Tom Beal.

4.In which book can readers learn foreign language?

A. Three Wolves.

B. Joke Series 4(Fruits).

C. The Officer’s Whistle.

D. Moocie the Soochie Visits the Peace People.

“Go to get help, quick!”I ordered my six-year-old brother Nicholas. Nicholas ran away, when I slipped onto the ice.

I moved towards the hole where the three boys fell. I reached my hand in but felt nothing. I put my face in to see if I could see anything, but I saw nothing .So I decided to go in.”Ah!”I screamed as I fell in the cold water. I saw Conner face down in the water. I caught him by the arm and pushed him to the surface. He lost his consciousness. I went down again with two hockey sticks(曲棍球球棍）this time, I saw Wilson searching for something to hold. I quickly swam to him, and he caught hold of my hand. When we finally came to the surface, Wilson became unconscious too. Morgan was left. I didn’t see him. I was about to give up when I saw him about fifteen feet away. I caught him, but his foot was caught in some weed. I managed to pull his leg free. I grabbed the hockey stick, but I was out of breath. I hit the ice with the stick with all my strength. Finally, it broke. I never thought I’d see the sun again! I brought Morgan to the surface, where firefighters had already saved Wilson and Conner.

The next thing I knew was that I was in hospital.“Hi, my boy, you could have died,” cried my mom.“Hi, mom,” I said.“They were going to die if I didn’t help them, and the nearest help was about a mile away. How are the boys?” “Everyone is OK. You are our hero,” said my father.

I won the Hero prize from my town for saving the boys. Now we are all best friends.

1.What did the author’s father think of his son?

A. Terrible. B. Normal.

C. Respectable. D. Creative.

2.What did the author do when he couldn’t see the boys from the hole?

A. He asked Nicholas to ask for help.

B. He called firefighters at once.

C. He struck the ice with hockey sticks.

D. He jumped into the water without hesitation.

3.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. An admirable hero.

B. Look before you leap.

C. Handling emergencies calmly.

D. How to save drowning people.