【题目】For this part, please write a short essay entitled Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will by commenting on the humorous saying, "Quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I've done it hundreds of times." You should write about 120 words.

Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong Will

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

【题目】_____ breaks the law will be punished.

A. who B. Whoever

C. Anyone D. no matter who

【题目】C

Penguins can taste only sour and salty food, scientists have discovered. A genetic study suggests the flightless birds lost three of the five basic tastes long ago in evolution.

Taste is critical for survival in most animals, but may not matter in the penguin, which swallows fish whole, say researchers in China and the US.

Many other birds are unable to taste sweet things, but they do have receptors (感受器) for detecting bitter and umami (or meaty) flavours. The discovery was made when researchers decoding penguin genomes found some of the taste genes were missing. A closer look at the DNA of penguins revealed that all species lack functioning genes for the receptors of sweet, umami, and bitter tastes.

“Based on genetic data, penguins are believed to have sour and salty tastes, but have lost sweet, umami, and bitter tastes,” lead researcher Prof Jianzhi Zhang, of the University of Michigan, US, and Wuhan University, China, told the reporter.

The umami taste gives food the strong, savoury (咸味的) flavour associated with meat. Lacking this sense is surprising for a carnivorous (食肉的) animal, but does not matter that much in the penguin, which swallows fish without chewing. “Their behaviour of swallowing food whole, and their tongue structure and function, suggest that penguins need no taste perception,” said Prof Zhang. “Although it is unclear whether these traits (特点) are a cause or a consequence of their major taste loss.” The findings, published in Current Biology journal, were a puzzle, he added.

One clue comes from the bird’s evolution on the frozen ice sheets of Antarctica. Sending signals from sweet, umami, and bitter (but not sour or salty) taste receptors to the brain does not work at very low temperatures. This may have led to the penguin gradually losing its sense of taste, say the researchers.

Intriguingly(有趣的是), the sweet taste is missing in almost all birds. The hummingbird, which feeds on sweet nectar, is an exception.

【1】What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Penguins lost ability to taste fish

B. The life of penguins

C. The findings of researchers in China and USA

D. Penguins living on Antarctica

【2】Which of the following animals can taste sweet flavour according to the passage?

A. The penguin. B. The hummingbird.

C. The polar bear. D. The fish.

【3】What was the discovery made by the researchers when decoding penguin genomes?

A. Some of the taste genes were missing.

B. Penguins are believed to have sweet and salty tastes.

C. The bird’s evolution on the frozen ice sheets of Antarctica.

D. Taste is critical for survival in most animals.

【4】Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A. Penguins swallow fish without chewing.

B. The findings were published in Current Biology journal.

C. Sending signals from sweet, umami, and bitter taste receptors to the brain does not work at very low temperatures.

D. Prof Jianzhi Zhang was the lead researcher of a university in UK, and Wuhan University, China.

【题目】____ their small cottage in the countryside, they also have a big apartment in the city.

A. Apart from B. Rather than

C. Because of D. Except for

【题目】At the beginning of every year we promise ourselves we will live a healthier life, and exercise more. The year tarts with the best of intentions, but many times we are unable to keep up with very high goals. Good news is that a healthy lifestyle is achievable and it's all about making small changes that make a difference.

News on healthy lifestyles says that the key is moderation and consistency. There are so many health and well-being products out there in the market promising many things. And although many may be true, select carefully.

The basics of a healthy lifestyle is maintaining a balanced diet and doing regular exercise. By eating well, it means really to make sure you include plenty of vegetables and fruit preferably in season in your diet, avoid fried and junk foods and foods high in sugar as well as processed foods. Eating fresh homemade meals rather than ready-made meals which are high in salt and sugar is always the better option. Reducing alcohol intake, drinking plenty of water and supplementing your diet with healthy snacks like nuts and seeds.

For external care choose natural skin care products and hair care oil. Natural beauty care involves using natural moisturizers like Argan oil, Coconut oil and Sweet Almond oil. These nourish the skin far more than counter creams full of chemicals. Skin reflects what we put inside of us, so a healthy diet with plenty of greens and healthy protein will make your skin brighter.

Of course exercise is essential but the key is regular and consistent exercise. So walking three times a week for 45 minutes is much more beneficial than a binge workout once a week.

【1】Why can't we keep up with our goals according to the passage?

A. The goals are too high to achieve.

B. We have a large amount of work to do.

C. We are naturally lazy and never do exercise.

D. The reason isn't given in the passage.

【2】It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A. we should think twice before choosing heath products

B. the key to a healthy lifestyle is getting enough sleep

C. food high in salt and sugar is the best choice for us

D. we should walk once a day for a healthy lifestyle

【3】What can we learn from the passage?

A. We can not form a healthy lifestyle if we are busy.

B. We can eat some junk food in order to save money.

C. Our skin shows whether we have a healthy diet.

D. Health products are not good for our health.

【4】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. How to achieve our goals.

B. The best way to take exercise.

C. How to make a difference in life.

D. Suggestions for a healthy lifestyle.

【题目】D

A developer edition of Sony’s augmented reality smart glasses will go on sale in ten countries next month, the tech giant has announced.

Pre-orders for the SmartEyeglass, costing $840 (620), are now being taken in the UK and Germany, with Japan and the US to follow shortly. The black-framed glasses are compatible (兼容的) with recent Android operating systems. Last month Google announced that it was withdrawing its smart glasses for redevelopment. Sony’s initial model will come with a software development kit to encourage people to design apps for it, the company said.

The glasses, which weigh 77g, contain an accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, image and brightness sensors, 3-megapixel camera and a microphone. They also come with a controller, designed to be attached to clothing, which contains a speaker, touch sensor and the device’s battery. Text is displayed in front of the wearer in monochrome green.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has been open about his dislike of glasses as a wearable device. “We always thought that glasses were not a smart move, from a point of view that people would not really want to wear them,” he told the New Yorker. “They were intrusive (闯入的), instead of pushing technology to the background, as we’ve always believed.”

Stuart Miles, founder of tech site Pocket-lint, said: “I think [Sony is] wasting their time, energy and effort.”

“Google Glass obviously needed a complete rethink... I can’t see how something thick-rimmed and more invasive-looking than Google Glass is going to catch on.

“People are keen on wearables fitness bands and watches, but they care about their faces. Wearing something on your head is a lot stronger than wearing something on your arm,” he added. “The industry keeps pushing it but consumers just don’t want it.”

【1】In which countries people can get the SmartEyeglass first?

A. The US and Japan. B. The US and the UK.

C. The UK and Japan. D. Germany and the UK.

【2】The purpose of this passage is to __________.

A. introduce an accelerometer developed by the Google company

B. tell the people that the SmartEyeglass will go on sale

C. people like the glasses very much

D. the SmartEyeglass is less than 840 yuan

【3】What can be inferred from what Stuart Miles said?

A. He supports Sony’s efforts to develop the SmartEyeglass.

B. He cares more about his clothes and face.

C. He dislikes the SmartEyeglass.

D. He really wants to wear them.

【4】Choose the true statements according to the passage.

A. The glasses, which weigh more than 77g.

B. Tim Cook has been open about his dislike of glasses as a wearable device.

C. Last month Google announced that it was withdrawing its smart glasses for development.

D. Sony’s later model will come with a software development kit to encourage people to design apps for it.

【题目】Although ____ many times, she still made the same mistake.

A. told B. she told C. was told D. telling

【题目】The computer system____ suddenly while he was searching for information on the Internet.

A. broke out B. broke in

C. broke up D. broke down

【题目】A

In a new picture book, a 66-year-old Beijinger recaptures the capital’s Lunar New Year traditions for children.

In the Chinese lunar calendar, the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, which falls on Feb 11 this year, is the “Little Chinese New Year”. Traditionally, people will set off firecrackers to bid farewell to the Kitchen God who returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor.

However, such customs have lessened with time in the city and might seem unfamiliar to children nowadays.

In order to preserve traditions for the next generation, Yu Dawu, a 66-year-old painter, recently published a picture book, Spring Festival in Beijing, for children to see how people used to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Based on an essay by Lao She (1899-1966), one of the most significant writers in modern Chinese literature, the picture book starts from the first holiday, La Ba, the eighth day of the 12th lunar month of the past year, when tradition says people should eat congee made of eight ingredients to bring good fortune in the coming year. It concludes with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month of the new year, which marks the end of the Spring Festival.

In the book, Yu creates a local family of four who live in an ordinary quadrangle courtyard, and readers follow the family as it celebrates the festival traditions.

“I am an old Beijinger, so when I was drawing and painting for this book, the memories of childhood rushed into my mind,” recalls Yu at a book-sharing party earlier this week.

【1】What’s the name of the new picture book that recaptures the capital’s Lunar New Year traditions for children?

A. Celebrating the Lantern Festival

B. Spring Festival in Beijing

C. the Chinese New Year

D. Little Chinese New Year

【2】What made the painter create such a picture book for children?

A. Reporting the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor.

B. Following the family as it celebrates the festival traditions.

C. Drawing and painting for the book.

D. Preserving traditions for the next generation.

【3】Which day means the end of the Spring Festival?

A. La Ba. B. the Lantern Festival

C. Little Chinese New Year D. The first lunar day.

【4】What does the underlined word “congee” mean in the fifth paragraph?

A. a gift presented by the author.

B. something given by Kitchen God.

C. a kind of porridge.

D. a red envelope

【题目】As we know, fresh air and proper amounts of exercise can____ good health.

A. link to B. contribute to

C. depend on D. concentrate on