Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物降解的) material inspired by insects' hard outer shells. The material's inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp ('虾) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic's toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and '60s. Decades later, however, plastic's very durability (耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer(肥料), and so will enrich the soil.
Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so they're exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They're also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They're even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.Paragraph I of the passage is mainly about shritk's_____.
| A．remarkable design | B．interesting name |
| C．major features | D．basic elements |
What has become a concern about plastic?
| A．Using it properly. |
| B．Producing it cheaply. |
| C．Developing its properties quickly. |
| D．Evaluating its contributions fairly. |
According to the inventors, shrilk has great potential partly because_____.
| A．it can help plastic degrade |
| B．it can be found in living things |
| C．its mass production has been realized |
| D．its raw materials are abundant in mature |
What are the inventors doing in the lab?
| A．Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk. |
| B．Testing ahrilk's use in wet conditions. |
| C．Making shrilk out of used household goods. |
| D．Improving shrilk's flexibility for medical purposes. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Recent Progress in Environmental Protection |
| B．Benefits of Insects in Scientific Research |
| C．The Harm of One-time Products |
| D．A Possible Alternative to Plastic |
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
( ) 46. We can infer from the first paragraph that ________.
learning better at school shows power in your job
the better you are at school subjects, the more helpful they are in your career.
learning each subject well is an ability in many jobs.
we should think about how to find our career
( ) 47. From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he
will _____.
A. have no hope in his future work
B. be hopeful to find a suitable job
C. regret not having worked harder at school
D. have an opportunity of a new beginning in his future work
( )48. All the subjects may have direct value for job hunting except _________.
A. mathematics B. English C. history D. technical drawing
( )49. The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “_________”.
A. heavy- handed B. the best C. important D. skilled
( )50. The passage mainly discusses ___________.
A. The relationship between school performance and career
B. how to get a job
C. How to show strengths in your work
D. working experience and knowledge at school
第三部分：阅读 (共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。
“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
41. The story is about ________.
A. why people love magic B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician
C. how fashionable magic is D. what magic tricks are
42. People love to watch magic because ________.
A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
B. it arouses their curiosity
C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic
D. it is a centuries – old art
43. Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A. He was interested in magic when he was little.
B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
44. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
A. experienced B. freshman C. amateur D. unskillful
45. Liu Qian improved his performing skills by ______.
A. learning from David Copperfield.
B. learning magic in a university
C. performing in public on streets
D. joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest
It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.
51．What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragrha 2 mean in the passage?
A．cheating B．problems of the InternetC．learning pressure D．coursework
52．Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
A．With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework.
B．There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation.
C．The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism.
D．Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework.
53．It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____.
A．blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web
B．worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web
C．be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him
D．have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years
54．Who should be blamed for online plagiarism?
A．Barclay Littlewood. B．Sir Tim Berners Lee. C．Derec Stockley. D．Nobody.
55．The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____.
A．the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood
B．different people’s opinions on plagiarism
C．how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood
D．Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website
Like all animal species, plant species must spread their offspring to suitable areas where they can grow and pass on their parents’ genes. Young animals generally spread by walking or flying. Because plants don’t have that ability, they must somehow hitchhike(搭车). Some plant seeds scatter by blowing in the wind or floating on water. Many other plant species, though, trick an animal into carrying their seeds. How do they do this? They enclose the seeds within a tasty fruit and advertise the fruit’s ripeness by its colour or smell. The hungry animal collects and swallows the fruit, walks or flies off, and later spits out the seeds somewhere far from its parent tree. Seeds can thereby be carried for thousands of miles. It may surprise you to learn that plant seeds can resist digestion. In fact, some seeds actually require passage through an animal’s body before they can grow.
Wild strawberries offer a good example of hitchhiking tactics. When strawberry seeds are still young and not yet ready to be planted, the surrounding fruit is green, sour and hard. When the seeds finally mature, the berries turn red, sweet, and tender. The change in the berries’ colour serves as a signal to birds which then eat the strawberries, fly off, and eventually spit out the seeds.
Naturally, strawberry plants didn’t set out with a conscious intention of attracting birds only when their seeds were ready to be dispersed. Nor did birds set out with the intent of planting strawberries. Rather, strawberry plants evolved through natural selection. The sweeter and redder the final strawberry, the more birds spread its ripe seeds; the greener and more sour the young strawberry, the fewer birds destroyed the seeds by eating berries before the seeds were ready.
46．What does the underlined word “dispersed” in the third paragraph mean?
A．spreadB．eaten
C．born D．planted
47．For plants, which of the following is NOT a way of spreading their offspring to suitable areas?
A．Hitchhiking. B．Blowing in the wind.
C．Floating on water.D．Tracking an animal.
48．Which strategy does the example of wild strawberries describe?
A．The conscious intent of attracting birds. B．Spreading by walking.
C．Spreading by flying.D．The strategy of taking a lift.
49．Why does the author describe how strawberry seeds are spread?
A．To show plants are good at adapting to the environment. .
B．To show strawberry’s special way.
C．To show the plant has different ways of spreading seeds.
D．To show the mystery of plant.
50．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．How animals disperse offspring.B．How plants disperse their offspring.
C．Plant evolution.D．Plants’ hitchhiking on animals.
Ⅲ阅读（共两节，满分30分）
第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Like other student athletes, Ray Ray McElrathbey deals with schoolwork, practice and games. But after a long day of studying and working out on the football field, the Clemson University player can’t relax with friends. Ray Ray has to make sure his 11-year-old brother, Fahmarr, gets a good dinner, does his homework and goes to bed.
Since taking responsibility for Fahmarr this August, “I’ve aged dramatically, ” said Ray Ray. “I can’t be running around at all hours, making 19-year-old decisions.” Ray Ray has temporary custody (监护权) of Fahamrr. Their mother struggles with drug addiction, and they are not in touch with their dad. Ray Ray didn’t want to see his brother go into foster care(收养), where both of them have spent time. The brothers now live together in an apartment near the campus in Clemson, South Carolina.
Clemson Tigers fans aren’t the only people rooting for Ray Ray. Sports Illustrated, ESPN and ABC News have featured the story of the brothers. They have received praise and many offers of help, but Ray Ray attends the university and arrange their life on a scholarship. Under the rules, he can’t accept money or gifts. Coaches’ family members can’t even give Fahmarr a ride home from school.
This changed a few weeks ago, when the National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed Clemson to set up a trust fund for Fahmarr. It will help provide for his basic needs, including food and clothing. However, the brothers can give each other something that all the money in the world can’t buy. Ray Ray says he hopes to instill in Fahmarr qualities of “strength and intelligence”. He says having his brother around is “a great thing, knowing he will grow up right.”
41．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Ray Ray McElrathbey Works Hard at College
B．Ray Ray McElrathbey Loves His Brother
C．Parents Fail to Raise Their Children
D．College Football Player Plays Parents’ Role
42．Ray Ray and his brother mainly live on_____.
A．foster careB．money or gifts from others
C．a scholarship D．his coaches’ families
43．The underlined phrase “rooting for ”in Paragraph 3 can be best explained as _______.
A．supporting B．praising C．admiring D．exciting
44．It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A．Ray Ray must be the best player on his team
B．like his brother, Ray Ray has had little care from their parents
C．Clemson University will raise money for Ray Ray and his brother
D．Ray Ray’s brother do well at school
45．Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A．Ray Ray has few friends to relax with.
B．Ray Ray knows where his father is.
C．Ray Ray’s mother suffered from cancer and depends on drugs.
D．Ray Ray is proud to support his brother.