Taxi-sharing could have a good effect on car numbers.

Taxi-sharing services could reduce the number of cars on the road by 75%,a study has suggested.The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found that a number of 3,000 four-passenger taxis could take the place of the present number of 13,000 yellow taxis in New York City.But it would mean that people would have to travel with strangers.The study was based on data from 3 million taxi rides.

Most experts who are looking at our city future agree that there is a real need to do something about the heavy traffic.Studies suggest that around the world people waste 7 billion hours each year sitting in traffic.And the effects on the environment are also severe-with cars in traffic burning 3 billion more gallons of gas.

Prof Daniela Rus from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab writes,"Instead of taking one person at a time,drivers could transport two to four people at once,leading to fewer trips in less time to make the same amount of money."The team developed a math method that could arrange cars based on real-time requests."A system like this could allow drivers to work shorter time,while also creating less traffic,cleaner air and less stressful rush hour,"said Prof Rus.Such a system would be particularly suitable for smart cars controlled by computer systems, she added.

1.What's the shortcoming of sharing a taxi?

A. Passengers have to wait longer.

B. Passengers have to face strangers.

C. Passengers have to talk more.

D. Passengers have to pay more.

2.What is the main cause that leads to taxi-sharing?

A. The busy people. B. The serious pollution.

C. The heavy traffic. D. The gas shortage.

3.According to Prof Daniela Rus,who can also benefit from taxi-sharing?

A. The gas companies. B. The math experts.

C. The car producers. D. The taxi drivers.

4.The taxi-sharing trips had better to be carried out by .

A. cars controlled by computer systems

B. cars driven by the latest robots

C. the Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab

D. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

I was headed out the door the other day with my two sons.We were going to drive to the local grocery store to pick up a few odds and ends that we had run out of during the week.I shut the door quickly because my dogs were already barking at being left behind in the house.We headed down the hill but when I reached into my pocket for the car keys,they weren't there.Shaking my head,I walked back up the hill and saw my keys still dangling from the hook（挂钩）where I always hang them.

This,of course,isn't the only time I have forgotten something recently.In fact,it seems to be happening more and more.There isn't a week that goes by that I don't forget something and then remember it later in the day or misplace something and have to go looking for it.The medical professionals all reassure（使……安心）me that this is a normal part of getting older.They say not to worry about it and to take it with a smile.I am doing my best to do so.

I think I will be alright with my forgetful mind too as long as I can keep remembering the important things in life.I don't mind misplacing my keys as long as I can remember that God loves me.I don't mind forgetting what I came into a room for as long as I can remember what I am in this life for.I don't mind being a bit absent-minded as long as I am being loving-hearted.

May you always remember the important things in life: You were created in love.You were created to love.You are called to kindness and made for joy.You can make a difference in this world with every choice you make.

1.What do the underlined words refer to ?

A. Small household items. B. Food for dogs.

C. The car keys. D. Clothes for children.

2.What can we learn about the author?

A. He has accepted the doctors' advice.

B. He seldom forgets to put things in place.

C. He doesn't like to be troubled by his dogs.

D. He is sure to recover from his forgetful mind.

3.If the author misplaced his keys again,he .

A. would get mad

B. would turn to God

C. wouldn't care about it

D. wouldn't forget to smile

4.The author's purpose of writing this passage is .

A. to tell us it is normal to get old

B. to describe an unforgettable story

C. to encourage us to love and help others

D. to remind us to value the important things

Tips to Be an Expert at Managing Your Time

Do you have too much to do and too little time?Of course!Actually it's the biggest problem facing most people today.The key to becoming more efficient（高效的）is the ability to set priorities（优先顺序）and focus on one task at a time.1.

Learn from the experts.

If you want to be a big success in any area,find out what other successful people in that area are doing.2.And do the same things until you get the same results.

Be open to new ideas.

The most foolish person of all is either the person who feels he has no time to learn about time management or, the person,who feels that he already knows all that's needed to know on the subject.3.

Develop a plan.

Successful men and women are both effective and efficient（高效的）.4.Develop a plan,then decide what is the most important thing to do and how to do it.

5.

Start with your top tasks.Focusing on your highest-value tasks is the starting point of getting your time under control.Although small things are easier and are often more fun than the big,important things.

A.Focus on the key tasks.

B.Start from small things.

C.They do the right things in the right way.

D.But never forget to learn from their failures.

E.However,the truth is that we have much to learn.

F.Study the interviews,speeches,biographies of them.

G.Here are several ways to get organized and get started.

One summer,when I was little,my dad built me a lemonade stand（柠檬水摊位）.On sunny days I'd____the stand outside the local car wash with a cooler and my little black safe（保险箱）.I didn't get many customers____I always had fun.

One____I did have was an elderly gentlemen who____across the street from the car wash.He would come every day and____a glass of lemonade for his wife.Even though I only____25 cents,he always paid____with a $1 Sacagawea coin.So I built up quite a collection by the end of that____!

Now,as a college student,I make it a____to stop at as____lemonade stands as I can,always paying____than the kids charge me.This has been going on for____three years now.But this week,I didn't have any____with me when I stopped at a little girl's stand.I____around in my car frantically（疯狂地）and finally opened up one of my boxes.I opened it up and sure enough,there were my Sacagawea coins.I almost shut the lid（盖子）again because they____so much to me,but then I realized that that was____why I had to pay with the coin.When I gave that____girl the shiny gold coin,I said "You should keep this one,they don't make them anymore!".And her____lit up.As I drove away,I saw her running to her sister to show her the____and I knew that I had made her just as____as I was when I was a little girl.

1.A. set up B. look at C. put down D. hunt for

2.A. and B. so C. but D. if

3.A. relative B. friend C. classmate D. customer

4.A. watched B. lived C. went D. stood

5.A. make B. buy C. command D. collect

6.A. charged B. wanted C. spent D. used

7.A. them B. himself C. us D. me

8.A. vocation B. term C. summer D. month

9.A. story B. habit C. success D. pleasure

10.A. many B. cheap C. popular D. reliable

11.A. less B. more C. higher D. lower

12.A. only B. even C. almost D. still

13.A. box B. lemonade C. money D. drink

14.A. ran B. walked C. turned D. dug

15.A. brought B. devoted C. cost D. meant

16.A. exactly B. normally C. traditionally D. personally

17.A. beautiful B. young C. generous D. grateful

18.A. face B. smile C. heart D. joy

19.A. gold B. coin C. car D. gift

20.A. rich B. dependent C. happy D. powerful

Every year,the income of famous stars will1.(report) by the media.The number always surprises the public, because for ordinary people,they will never earn so much money in2.(they) life time.So far,the new list3. (come) out and the female singer Taylor Swift is on the top.She earned more than 100 million dollars in a year.When we look at the second income in the list,it is much4.(low) than Taylor.The world is shocked by Taylor's great income,5.they have to admit that they admire her.Taylor Swift became very popular these years.As she became famous and wealthy,there came the unfriendly6.(comment).Some people blamed her for her love affair,7. (think) that she used it to sell her songs.Some people said that she was not kind to her fans.The fact is that Taylor has a gift8.singing and she always works so hard that she had little time to relax and react to people.But her songs are 9.(true) loved by fans and they support her all10.time.

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。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误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（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。

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仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Last Saturday,Mr.Wang is invited to dinner by his friends.He was so glad and he drank a lot of beers.As the result,he got drunk.After the meal,his friends persuaded him not drive,but he insisted on drive home.Fortunately,the car he drove ran into a tall tree a few minute later.Worse still,he was badly injurying.Soon the police came to the scene and sent her to the hospital.Now he has stayed in hospital for several days and is waiting for being fined by the police.How Mr.Wang regrets what he did it!

假如你是天水市某一中学高一学生李华，一直和你在美国留学的姐姐李花（英文名Flora）练习用英语通信。请用英语写一封电子邮件告诉她近况，内容包括：

1.询问姐姐近况

2.告诉姐姐你的生活、学习状况以及父母健康状况。

注意：1.词数100左右

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3.开头语和结束语已为你写好。

Dear Flora,

How are you?I am writing to you again because_________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Looking forward to your reply.Best wishes!

Yours,

Li Hua

When Regina Spektor moved to the Bronx from Russia as a young child of 9, she could speak no English and her family was so poor that they could afford nothing. Yet she carried with her a love of the piano and music.

"For me, the thing that I loved the most was playing the piano, so when we left Russia I was so afraid I would forget how to play and I would just find a little table and play my pieces," she told "When you spend your life doing something like playing the piano and then you take that away, it's so surreal."(离奇的)

Her father, Ilya Spektor, said that, little by little, the family saved enough money to afford their first apartment.

"I was a photographer and, in six weeks, I found my first job in a big photo lab in Manhattan," he said. On the subway one day, Ilya Spektor spotted a man carrying a violin case. The man also seemed to have an Eastern European accent. A conversation led to a visit and, eventually, Regina Spektor was introduced to Sonia Vargas, a piano teacher. She was a well-known professor who taught piano, took Spektor under her wing and trained her for years, at no cost. "I remember talking to Sonia," Spektor said. "She said that when a student is ready, a teacher appears. So she said that I must have been ready to study piano, and so that's why she came into my life."

"Immediately, how she played," Vargas said. "You can tell the sound. The sound tell you whether the person loves the instrument, loves the music."

Much later, while playing her own music and selling a CD that she'd created, Regina Spektor caught the attention of a music producer. The rest is history, complete with concerts around the world and performance in front of the Obamas at the White House.

Regina Spektor greatly appreciated her parents, piano teachers and friends for helping her become the musician she is. “I love the idea that if you’re walking toward the world, the world will take some steps towards you,” she said.

1.When Regina Spektor was in Russia, she _________.

A. spoke English very fluently B. could afford a new piano

C. learned how to play the piano D. was directed by a famous teacher

2.Why could Ilya Spektor make the acquaintance of Sonia Vargas?

A. Sonia Vargas was very famous. B. They were all Russians.

C. They had a common friend. D. Ilya Spektor was a good talker.

3.What does the author mainly want to tell us?

A. The world welcomes any musician.

B. Life is filled with struggles more than love.

C. Regina Spektor deserves to perform at the White House.

D. The world doesn’t ignore those who fight for their dreams.

The answer to protecting and saving marine(海洋) wildlife can start with cutting back on something Americans use every day—plastic drinking straws. Actor Adrien Grenier, best known for playing Vincent Chase in 2015 movie Entourage, has launched a campaign to reduce the amount of single-use plastic usage in this country in order to protect and save marine wildlife and the environment. Plastic drinking straws are among many single-use plastic products contributing to the shocking loss of marine life, but they’re a great place to start because they’re something Americans are using by the hundreds of millions without any awareness that they’re so damaging.

According to Ecocycle, an international environmental organization, Americans use more than 500 million straws daily, which are enough to fill 127 school buses each day, and they can’t be recycled. They means plastic straws end up in landfills or oceans, where fish and other marine wildlife mistake the small bits for food and swallow them. After seeing a photo of a whale beached on the shore with a belly full of plastic, Grenier felt the inspiration to launch the Lonely Whale Foundation, hoping to inspire and educate others on the challenges facing marine life.

Along with stopping the use of straws, Grenier hopes to educate consumers on the dangers of other single-use plastic items such as grocery bags and water bottles. While many Americans use these plastic products in their daily life, there are more sustainable alternatives that can help protect the environment. Ecocycle recommends the use of straws made from stainless steel, glass, and even bamboo instead of plastic. You can buy a number of these environmentally friendly straws online and in stores.

1.What initially contributed to the start of Grenier’s campaign?

A. Plastic straws in landfills.

B. A picture of a dead whale.

C. The severe damage done to the sea.

D. The disappearance of some species under the sea.

2.What is the primary purpose of the Lonely Whale Foundation?

A. To advocate a green lifestyle.

B. To promote Grenier’s latest movie.

C. To save precious natural resources.

D. To encourage people to protect ocean life.

3.Ecocycle advises people to use straws that are ________.

A. easy to recycle

B. convenient to use

C. special to marine life

D. harmless to the environment

There is plenty of complaints about how social media-texting in particular—may be harming children’s social development. But a new study suggests that constant instant messaging(IM’ing) and texting among teens may also provide benefits, particularly for those who are introverted(内向的).

British researchers studied instant messages exchanged by 231 teens. The researchers analyzed 150 conversations in the study. In 100 of these chats, the study participant began IM’ing while in a negative emotional state such as sadness or anger. The rest were conversations begun when the participant was feeling good or neutral(中立的). After the chat, participants reported about a 20% reduction in their distress—not enough to completely eliminate it, but enough to leave them feeling better than they had before reaching out.

"Our findings suggest that IM’ing between distressed adolescents and their peers may provide emotional relief and consequently contribute to their well-being," the authors write, noting that previous research has shown that people assigned to talk to a stranger either in real life or online improved their mood in both settings, but even more with IM. And people who talk with their real-life friends online also report feeling closer to them than those who just communicate face-to-face, implying a strengthening of their bond.

Why would digital communication trump human contact? The reasons may have something to do with the fact that users can control expression of sadness and other emotions via IM without revealing emotional elements like tears that some may consider as embarrassing. Studies also show that the anonymity(匿名) of writing on a device blankets the users in a sense of safety. Previous research has shown that expressive writing itself can "vent" emotions and provide a sense of relief—and doing so, knowing that your words are reaching a sympathetic friend, may provide even more comfort and potentially be helpful. This is what the Internet offers: the change to connect—but in measured doses(剂量) and from behind a screen.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Teens are more likely to send instant messages when feeling upset.

B. Instant messaging can help completely remove teens’ negative emotions.

C. Chat via instant messaging services makes participants feel happy.

D. Constant instant messaging can help teens value their negative emotions.

2.The underlined word “vent” in paragraph 4 most probably means ________.

A. develop B. maintain

C. release D. hide

3.What does the digital communication enable users to do?

A. Find more sympathetic friends.

B. Share and discuss more information.

C. Produce more expressive writings.

D. Avoid embarrassment and discomfort.

4.What can be concluded from the new study by British researchers?

A. American teens are extensive instant messaging users.

B. Instant messaging will prevent children’s social development.

C. Introverted teens may benefit from constant instant messaging.

D. Teens feeling bad often feel closer to real-life friends than to the net friends.