Thousands of people in the world are a hundred years old － or more and certain parts of the world are famous for the long lives of their inhabitants: the Vilacamba Valley in Ecuador, and the home of the Hunzas in the Himalayas.
Why do so many people live to a healthy old age in certain parts of the world? What is the secret of their long lives? Three things seem to be very important: fresh air, fresh food and a simple way of life. People work near their homes in the clean mountain air instead of traveling long distances to work by bus, car or train. They do not sit all day in busy offices or factories, but work hard outdoors in the fields. They take more exercise and eat less food than people in the cities of the West. For years the Hunzas of the Himalayas did not need policemen, lawyers or doctors. There was no crime, no divorce and not much illness in their society. They were a happy, peaceful people, famous all over India for their long, healthy lives.
Do you want to live to a hundred years old? Here are some rules for success. First, live in the right place. Second, choose the right kind of job. Doctors, dentists and bus－drivers die young. Farmers, priests and orchestral conductors live much longer. If you are in the wrong kind of job, you can still improve your way of life.
An old man in the Caucasus was talking about his past life. “I was young then，” he said, as he described his 87th year. His secret was: “Think young and stay young.” An old woman from Missouri, the USA, gave this advice, “Drink a little whisky and some warm beer every day.” An English lady just said, “Take a cold bath every morning.” The shortest, simplest piece of advice came from Mr Jim Chapman, aged 103. “Just keep breathing，” he told reporters.Who is most likely to live a long life?
| A．A doctor. | B．A bus－driver. | C．A dentist. | D．An orchestral conductor. |
We can see from the passage that long－lived people avoid ______.
| A．working hard | B．drinking | C．eating too much | D．taking cold baths |
The passage indicates that we can change our ______ to live a long life.
| A．jobs | B．places of living | C．ways of living | D．ways of thinking |
What is mainly talked about in the last paragraph?
| A．Whose advice is the best. |
| B．Who is the most long－lived person in the world. |
| C．Lifestyles of long－lived people. |
| D．How long－lived people think of their life. |
At least once each winter I manage to get a good flight in the middle of a snowstorm. Last Sunday was that flight. My gliding(滑翔的) partners had looked at the weather reports of showers and decided to stay at home. People say that you shouldn’t fly by yourself, but on that day I felt the urge to go flying and so headed for my favorite gliding site.
I had the mountain ridge to myself. After a smooth lift-off, I floated stably in the breeze, feeling at peace with myself and the world. I looked across the valley to Bedford and a moment later saw the town disappear in a band of snow that was moving towards me.
The breeze remained strong enough for flying and I knew that as long as the visibility was good, it was OK for me to stay in the air. The snow moved in and swirled around me. It was a light dry snow. The day was already very quiet but, somehow, the light snow made it even more silent. I felt like a snowflake.
Two bald eagles joined me. They didn’t pay me any attention and spent a few minutes flying around the ridge before disappearing. I flew through another band of snow. I had been flying for about 45 minutes when I next looked across the valley. I could see there were more bands of snow to come and the breeze was dying too.
It was time to go home, get in a hot bath and warm up. I couldn’t wait to tell my gliding partners that they had missed out on a perfect flight.Why did the author’s gliding partners refuse to fly on that day?
| A．They preferred to fly alone |
| B．The weather did not permit |
| C．They did not like winter flights |
| D．The equipment was not adequate |
Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “” in Paragraph 3?
| A．Weather |
| B．Skill |
| C．Possibility |
| D．View |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The bald eagle can cause damage to the author’s flight |
| B．The author will land and go home after the snow stops |
| C．Brand of snow will be a great threat to the author’s flight |
| D．The author will hesitate to share his experience with his partners |
What could be the best title for the article?
| A．The First Flight Alone |
| B．A Narrow-Escape Flight |
| C．One Never-Again Flight |
| D．An Impressive Winter Flight |
Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, testing or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers (低头族).
Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie in front of a car accident siteand a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.
Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real. Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. “The neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.For what purpose does the author give the example of a cartoon in Para. 2?
| A．To inform people of the bad effects of phubbing. |
| B．To advertise the cartoon made by students. |
| C．To indicate the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers. |
| D．To warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients. |
Which of the following is NOT a risk a phubber may have?
| A．His social skills could be affected. |
| B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed. |
| C．He will cause the destruction of the world. |
| D．He might get separated from his friends and family. |
Which of the following may be the author’s attitude towards phubbing?
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Objective. |
What may the passage talk about next?
| A．Advice on how to use a cell phone. |
| B．People addicted to phubbing. |
| C．Measures to reduce the risks of phubbing. |
| D．Consequences of phubbing. |
If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn’t hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.
Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn’t be surprised if the police have the last laugh. One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA—TV.
People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. “There’s no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call,” said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.
The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:“ When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help.” Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family.How does the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By giving examples. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By listing figures. | D．By making a comparison. |
According to the text, prank calls are usually________.
| A．meant to be helpful | B．dealt with in time |
| C．thought highly of | D．made to play tricks |
What does the underlined phrase “have the last laugh” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．win at last. | B．never find them. |
| C．laugh at them. | D．know nothing. |
What does the author intend to suggest in the text?
| A．Prank calls are usually easy to identify. |
| B．Operators feel annoyed by strange callers. |
| C．Prank calls may cause serious results. |
| D．Prank callers should be punished by law. |
Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed.”
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
● Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
● “Quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.
● Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”
● Over-politeness
“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.
| A．Britons are particular about foods |
| B．Britons are not good at complaining |
| C．Americans usually complain directly |
| D．Americans complain more than Britons |
Which of the following might Margolis agree with?
| A．Britons enjoy talking about their feelings. |
| B．Americans introduce themselves at parties. |
| C．Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties. |
| D．Britons feel happy if treated like close friends. |
The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.
| A．differs greatly from | B．increases the quality of |
| C．reduces the strength of | D．draws attention away from |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to get on well with westerners. |
| B．How to start conversations with Britons. |
| C．Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior. |
| D．Some American habits that annoy Britons. |
China is a land of bicycles．At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country．Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle．Millions of them，all black．Cars were rare．Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true．There are millions of cars．However, people still use their bicycles to get around．For many, it's the easiest and cheapest way to travel today．Bicycles also come in different colors—silver, green, red, blue，yellow, whatever you want．
It’s fun people biking．They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic，and ride even on sidewalks．Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide．
Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture，I decided to buy a bicycle．Great weather accompanied my great buy．I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home．
My first ride home was orderly．To be safe, I stayed with a“pack”of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times．I didn't want to get hit．So I took the ride carefully．
Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States．The streets here were wide，so crossing took time，skill and a little bit of luck．
I finally made it home．The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful．I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people．Biking made me feel alive．According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?
| A．Because they are traditional and safe． |
| B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive． |
| C．Because they are colorful and available． |
| D．Because they are fast and environment friendly． |
How did the author feel about his street crossing?
| A．It was boring． | B．It was difficult． |
| C．It was lively． | D．It was wonderful． |
Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience?
| A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills． |
| B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding． |
| C．The author was praised by the other bikers． |
| D．The author took great pleasure in biking． |