As prices and building costs keep rising, the do-it-yourself'(DIY) trend（趋势） in the U.S. continues to grow.

“We needed furniture（家具）for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn't have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.

Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $420. “I was deeply upset (焦虑)about it. Now I've finished a car repair course（课程）, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”

John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourselfer”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don't have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.

1.We can learn from the text that many newly married people_______.

A. find it hard to pay for what they need

B. have to learn to make their own furniture

C. take DIY courses run by the government

D. seldom go to a department store to buy things

2.John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to______.

A. run a DIY shop B. make or repair things

C. save time and money D. improve the quality of life

3.When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim___.

A. makes shoes in his home B. does extra work at night

C. does his own car and home repairs D. keeps house and looks after his children

4.Jim Hatfield decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when_______.

A. his car repairs cost too much B. the car repair class was not helpful

C. he could not possibly do two jobs D. he had to raise the children all by himself

5.What would be the best title for the text?

A. The Joy of DIY B. You Can Do It Too!

C. Welcome to Our DIY Course! D. Ross and Hatfield: Believers in DIY

A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its delicious chocolate, showed those who ate the same amount of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death.

The researchers say, however, it’s too early to conclude that it was the chocolate that led to better health. The men who ate more cocoa products could have eaten other food that made them healthier. Experts also point out that eating too much chocolate can make you fat — a risk for both heart disease and high blood pressure.

“It’s why too early to make recommendations about whether people should eat more cocoa or chocolate,” said Brian Buijsse, an expert for nutrition at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, who co-authored the study.

Still, the Dutch Study, supported by grants (拨款) from the Netherlands Prevention Foundation, appears to be the largest so far to document a health effect for cocoa beans. And it confirms findings of smaller, shorter-term studies that also linked chocolate with lower blood pressure.

Researchers examined the eating habits of 470 healthy men who were not taking blood pressure medicine. The men who ate the most products made from cocoa beans — including cocoa drinks, chocolate bars and chocolate pudding — had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death.

“This is a very important article providing epidemiological support for what many researchers have been observing is experimental models,” said Cesar Fraga of the University of California Davis, who does similar research but was not involved in the new study.

Could the study results apply to women?

“Our study consisted of elderly inch,” Buijsse said. “If you look at the other studies, you will see the same effects in men and women, younger people and older people. The findings may be generalizable to women, but you never know.”

1.We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A. It has been concluded that the findings are generalizable to women.

B. It needs confirming whether women can share the same effects.

C. The study results cannot apply to women.

D. The findings are applicable to both men and women.

2.Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined word “generalizable?”

A. useful B. popular

C. attractive D. important

3.What is the main purpose of the text?

A. To encourage us to eat as much chocolate as possible.

B. To prove to us that eating chocolate can reduce blood pressure.

C. To inform us of a study about the health benefits of chocolate.

D. To warn us not to eat cocoa products because they can make you fat.

The National Park Service in the United States will mark its one hundredth anniversary in 2016. As it nears its second century, the Park Service plans to increase its educational programs for students and teachers.

The plans include transportation support for one hundred thousand students each year to visit national parks to learn about nature and history. Yellowstone is believed to have been the world’s first national park when it was established in 1872. Other students will get a chance to see parks in faraway places through Skype and other online programs.

The National Park Service also works with partners to provide education. One of its partners is a nonprofit organization called NatureBridge. NatureBridge is celebrating its fortieth anniversary and says one million young people have taken part in its programs. The organization works with students from kindergarten through twelfth grade and uses national parks as its classrooms. It provides field science programs at Yosemite National Park and four other locations in California and the northwestern state of Washington.

Now, NatureBridge is launching an East Coast center with a four?million?dollar grant from Google. The program will begin in April at the Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Students stay for three to five days in NatureBridge programs. The activities are aimed at developing their science skills. For example, they learn about different soils and study water quality under a microscope.

Jason Morris is executive vice president of NatureBridge. He says when they are not sleeping, eating or in a laboratory, the students spend their time outdoors. Julia Washburn is associate director of education and interpretation for the National Park Service. She says in a time of budget cuts, the agency has to find ways to still meet its goals. Ms. Washburn says one of the most important services that the Park Service provides every day is nature interpretation. Park rangers (公园管理员) try to make visiting the outdoors more meaningful. Interpretation is a form of informal education. Essentially, it is a word that we use for the people in parks that explain the park or help orient (确定方向) you. So park rangers are interpreters. They orient you to the place you are in and help you make connections, emotional and intellectual connections, with the place.

1.What’s the general idea of the passage?

A. National parks are used as outdoor classrooms for students.

B. Students are called on to be members of NatureBridge.

C. Some famous national parks in US are attractive to students.

D. Park rangers make visiting parks much more interesting.

2.Which of the following is the correct structure of the whole passage? (Para.＝Paragraph)

A. B.

C. D.

为庆祝6月5日“世界环境保护日”，某英文报社将举行一次英文作文竞赛，呼吁人们保护环境，提出有效的保护措施。请以下面的内容为参考，写一篇文章投稿。

1．回收利用有用物质，掩埋有害物质。

2．废水、废气要净化；

3．植树造林，保护环境；4．保护海洋，禁止过度捕鱼；5．充分利用自然资源。

注意：1．词数：120左右；

2．可适当发挥，但不要逐句翻译

重点词汇词组：garbage environment take some measures

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What’s going on under Liverpool?

A Rainy Day in Liverpool

Dark clouds appear over the River Mersey and a cold wind is blowing. A few rain drops are beginning to fall. We’re in the famous city of Liverpool and we’re going to spend this rainy day in the Williamson Tunnels.

An Interesting Life Story

Joseph Williamson was born into a poor family in 1769，but left home and went to work for a tobacco company aged 11. He began at the bottom, and finally became head of the business.

An Unsolved Mystery

Nobody knows why Williamson dug tunnels under most of Liverpool, but many think it was to create jobs. Perhaps half of Liverpool’s population worked for him. The industry of war had made enormous amounts of money, but now Liverpool was in a terrible financial situation.

The King of Edge Hill

I went on a guided tour starting close to where his empire began in Edge Hill. In the tunnels, the steps leading from rooms below ground to those buildings, which no longer exist, seem particularly ghostly.

Incredible Engineering

We go into the Double Tunnel. It’s just been discovered that it’s actually a triple tunnel - but nobody knows why the three tunnels were built on top of each other.

We finish the tour and decide we’ll have a coffee in the Williamson Tunnels Cafe Bar. There, I notice lots of flyers for bands and theater groups that are coming to play there.

Why Liverpool?

Apart from the obvious attractions like the football clubs, or anything to do with the Beatles, Liverpool has a lot to offer. Princes Park and Croxteth Park were royal hunting grounds and the trees are 200 years old. Renshaw Street displays are an unusual mix of architecture styles. The nightlife is exciting. If you want to experience a part of the British Isles with a character entirely different from London, you should definitely come to Liverpool.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about Joseph Williamson?

A. He was born in the early 1700s.

B. He left home when he turned 18.

C. He worked for a tobacco company when he was young.

D. He started his business by himself but ended up broke.

2.Where did Williamson start his business?

A. Princes Park. B. Edge Hill.

C. Croxteth Park. D. Renshaw Street.

3.What can you do in Liverpool?

a. Join football clubs.

b. Enjoy Beatles music.

c. Visit famous tourist spots.

d. Enjoy the beautiful beach.

A. abd B. bcd

C. acd D. abc

In January, 2016, Harry Styles made a bold decision. He left the popular boy band One Direction and went solo (单飞). Now he is making his own voice heard. The 23-year-old British singer released his first solo single called Sign of the Times. His self-titled album (个人同名专辑) is coming out on May 12.

Going solo is a journey for him to find his identity (身份). Though at the time, he was uncertain about his future, he kept a word in his mind - “honesty”. “I didn’t want to write ‘stories’,” he told Rolling Stone. “I wanted to write my stories, things that happened to me. The number-one thing was I wanted to be honest. I hadn’t done that before.”

He is indeed full of stories since beginning his solo career. Last fall, he spent two months recording on a remote island in Jamaica (牙买加).Along with some musicians, he filled a two-floor house with instruments. They hung out at the bar that looked like a tree house. Many mornings began with a swim in the river down the hill. They watched many romantic comedies. Styles always held a black notebook and looked like a college student who was studying, Rolling Stone reported.

His coming album is about rock music. In fact, he grew up with it. His father Desmond was a rock music fan. When Styles was very young, he danced to The Dark Side of the Moon, a classic song by British rock band Pink Floyd. “I couldn’t really get it. But I just remember (thinking that) this is really cool.”

Harry said, “At the very beginning, all I wanted was to be the granddad with the best stories.” Surely, now he is on the right track (轨道).

1.Why did Styles go solo?

A. He wanted to travel with his friends.

B. He was certain that he would succeed.

C. He wanted to be independent from the hand.

D. He wanted to do the things that he hadn’t done before.

2.From the article, which of the followings is true?

A. Styles，next album is about his father.

B. Styles wanted to be a man with “stories”.

C. He left the band because of its dishonesty.

D. Styles couldn’t find his identity after going solo.

3.What Styles did on the island in Jamaica didn’t include .

A. making a record B. hanging out at the bar

C. swimming in the river D. studying like a college student.

4.What is the article mainly about?

A. Styles’ “stories” about his solo career. B. Styles’ favoriate sports

C. The band One Direction D. Styles’ achievements in music.

French writer Frantz Fanon once said: “To speak a language is to take on a world, a culture.” Since the world changes every day, so does our language.

More than 300 new words and phrases have recently made it into the online Oxford Dictionary, and in one way or another they are all reflections of today’s changing world.

After a year that was politically unstable, it’s not hard to understand the fact that people’s political views are one of the main drives of our expanding vocabulary. One example is “clicktivism”, a compound of “click” and “activism”. It refers to “armchair activists” — people who support a political or social cause, but only show their support from behind a computer or smartphone. And “otherize” is a verb for “other” that means to alienate (使疏远) people who are different from ourselves — whether that be different skin color, religious belief or sexuality.

Lifestyle is also changing our language. For example, “fitspiration” — a compound of fit and inspiration — refers to a person or thing that encourages one to exercise and stay fit and healthy.

The phrase “climate refugee” — someone who is forced to leave their home due to climate change — reflects people’s concern for the environment.

According to Stevenson, social media was the main source for the new expressions. “People feel much freer to coin their own words these days,” he said.

But still, not all newly-invented words get the chance to make their way into a mainstream (主流的) dictionary. If you want to create your own hit words, Angus Stevenson, Oxford Dictionaries head of content development, suggests that you should not only make sure that they are expressive (有表现力的) and meaningful, but also have an attractive sound so that people will enjoy saying them out loud.

1.What is the article mainly about?

A. Some new word that got included into the online Oxford Dictionary.

B. The application of new words and phrases.

C. How a language mirrors the changing world.

D. The impact of social media on our language.

2.The underlined word “coin” in the second-to-last paragraph probably means ________.

A. use B. record

C. change D. create

3.How is the article mainly developed?

A. By giving examples. B. By making comparisons.

C. By following a timeline. D. By presenting research findings.

4.According to Stevenson, to make the words you invent popular, they should ________.

A. be easy to remember B. have unique meanings

C. reflect the changing world D. be meaningful, expressive and catchy

Being seen in a fancy sports car or enjoying a beach holiday in a five-star hotel were once signs of having ‘‘made it”.

But a new study suggested that having people think of you as constantly busy and overworked is now a far better way to show social status.

According to Harvard University in the US, people are increasingly leaning toward the phenomenon of “humblebragging (谦虚自夸)”. This is when people make a seemingly modest statement that actually draws attention to something they want to brag (吹嘘) about.

Phrases such as “I have no life” and “I desperately need a holiday” are now used to imply social standing, while ordering food and shopping online is the perfect way to prove to neighbors that you are simply too busy and important to go to the supermarket.

“Movies, magazines, and popular TV shows often highlight (强调) the abundance (富足) of money and leisure time among the wealthy,” said Neeru Paharia, an assistant professor at Harvard University.

“In recent years, featuring wealthy people relaxing by the pool or on a yacht (游艇), playing tennis or skiing and hunting are being replaced with advertisements featuring busy individuals who work long hours and have very limited leisure time,” he said. “Displaying (how busy you are at work) and a lack of leisure time operates as a visible signal of status in the eyes of others.”

The researchers pointed out that the Wall Street Journal’s 2016 advert campaign featured celebrities (名人) complaining about their busy lives, with the slogan (标语). “People who don’t have time, make time to read the Wall Street Journal.”

The report, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research, also found that brands that marketed themselves as timesaving were becoming increasingly high-status, because of the people who used them.

According to the authors, this trend of humblebragging is due to people’s shit of focus-they now value “the preciousness und scarcity (稀缺) of individuals" more than “the preciousness and scarcity of goods”.

“Busy individuals possess desirable characteristics, leading them to be viewed as scarce and in demand,” the authors concluded.

1.The main idea of this article is about ?

A. the trend of “humblebragging”.

B. characteristics of people who lead a busy life.

C. why people today are becoming increasingly busy.

D. why some people like to brag about their social status.

2.People today prefer to to display their social status

A. share their passion for tennis or skiing

B. show how fast-paced their work life is

C. tell people about the wonderful holidays they take

D. show off their abundance of money and leisure time

3.The Wall Street Journal’s 2016 advert campaign implies that .

A. busy people always have a better life than others

B. it’s important to read newspapers however busy you are

C. busy individuals should learn to manage their time better

D. a lack of time is a typical characteristic of people of high social status

4.From the article we can conclude that America people today .

A. all brag about themselives.

B. value individuals, the preciousness and scarcity

C. order food and shop online to show they are rich

D. work long hours and don’t have enough leisure time.

Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact, a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.

Body image is a person’s opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. 1. You appreciate your body for its capabilities and accept its imperfections.

2. Here are some ideas.

Recognize your strengths. Different body types are good for different things. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, strength, or coordination makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball, table tennis, mountain hiking, dancing, or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting. 3..

Exercise regularly. Exercise can help you look well and feel about yourself. Good physiques (体形) don’t just happed. 4. A healthy habit can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to I Hour three days a week. Working out can also lift your spirits.

Respect your body. Practicing good habits-regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, and so on—can help you build a positive body image.

5. Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy a quick wit (智慧), and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.

A. Be yourself.

B. Just explore talents that you feel good about.

C. They take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet.

D. So, what can you do to develop a positive body image?

E. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you’re good at.

F. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

G Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look.

One day after school I was just finishing up some math homework. My dad came back from work and sat right beside me, ______ over my homework with me. We made corrections _____. After that we _______ and my dad said,” I will always _______ every moment spending time talking with you”.

I remember my Dad telling me his stories of when he was ______. My dad didn't have a father ____. He was always moving from place to place with my ______. My dad wasn't the easiest kid to_____. He would _______ with kids at school, which made my grandma worried. He’d act out to release the anger he had from not having his father present in his ________ and teenage years.

At high school, things got a little ________. He made a football team, he did well and didn’t get into as much _______ as before. He also made many friends. ______ those friends was my uncle. My Dad and Uncle were friends all throughout high school. It was through my uncle _______my Mom and Dad met _________. Later, they got married. After I was born, my dad felt that becoming a _______ was an honor and that he would not be ______ in my life.

I suddenly looked up to see my Dad ______ at me. I could see in my Dad’s eyes how he longed for a _______ like this. I continued to do my math homework and _______ my Dad say,” I love you, always”.

1.A. taking B. looking C. getting D. handing

2.A. equally B. instead C. together D. hardly

3.A. thought B. planned C. listened D. talked

4.A. waste B. organize C. treasure D. choose

5.A. young B. old C. tired D. poor

6.A. growing up B. turning up C. settling down D. breaking away

7.A. mom B. uncle C. grandpa D. grandma

8.A. connect B. handle C. change D. recognize

9.A. fight B. dance C. compete D. study

10.A. struggling B. travelling C. childhood D. adulthood

11.A. harder B. easier C. worse D. larger

12.A. trouble B. debt C. sadness D. anxiety

13.A. Between B. Apart from C. Among D. As for

14.A. who B. when C. how D. that

15.A. practically B. officially C. especially D. entirely

16.A. father B. mother C. fighter D. student

17.A. present B. different C. absent D. strict

18.A. glaring B. pointing C. aiming D. smiling

19.A. appearance B. relationship C. background D. behavior

20.A. felt B. found C. heard D. made