A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sport to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features as well, from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre and music.
A newspaper is even more remarkable for the way one reads it: never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraghs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far from one reader is interested in what brings this variety together in. One place is its topicality(时事性), its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it mean also that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than transient(短暂的) value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together out of the pages of that day’s paper, his own selection and sequence, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you modify and apply the techniques of reading.A modern newspaper is remarkable for all the following EXCEPT its ______.
| A．wide coverage | B．uniform style |
| C．speed in reporting news | D．popularity |
According to the passage, the reason why no two people really read the same newspaper is that ______.
| A．people scan for the news they are interested in |
| B．different people prefer different newspapers |
| C．people are not interested in the same kind of news |
| D．people have different views about what a good newspaper is |
It can be concluded from the passage that newspaper readers ______.
| A．apply reading techniques skillfully |
| B．jump from one newspaper to another |
| C．appreciate the variety of a newspaper |
| D．usually read a newspaper selectively |
A good newspaper offers “a variety” to readers because ______.
| A．it tries to serve different readers |
| B．it has to cover things that happen in a certain locality |
| C．readers are difficult to please |
| D．readers like read different newspapers |
Find Your Adventure at the Space and Aviation(航空) Center
If you're looking for a unique adventure, the Space and Aviation Center (SAC) is the place to be. The Center offers programs designed to challenge and inspire with hands-on tasks and lots of fun.
More than 750,000 have graduated from SAC, with many seeking employment in engineering, aviation, education, medicine and a wide variety of other professions. They come to camp, wanting to know what it is like to be an astronaut or a pilot, and they leave with real-world applications for what they're studying in the classroom.
For the trainees, the programs also offer a great way to earn merit badges(荣誉徽章). At Space Camp, trainees can earn their Space Exploration badge as they build and fire model rockets, learn about space tasks and try simulated(模拟) flying to space with the crew from all over the world. The Aviation Challenge program gives trainees the chance to earn their Aviation badge. They learn the principles of flight and test their operating skills in the cockpit(驾驶舱) of a variety of flight simulators. Trainees also get a good start on their Wilderness Survival badge as they learn about water- and land-survival through designed tasks and their search and rescue of ＂downed＂ pilot.
With all the programs, teamwork is key as trainees learn the importance of leadership and being part of a bigger task.
All this fun is available for ages 9 to 18. Families can enjoy the experience together, too, with Family Camp programs for families with children as young as 7.
Stay an hour or stay a week - there is something here for everyone!
For more details, please visit us online at www.oursac.com.
（1）Why do people come to SAC?
| A． |
To experience adventures. |
| B． |
To look for jobs in aviation. |
| C． |
To get a degree in engineering. |
| D． |
To learn more about medicine. |
（2）To earn a Space Exploration badge, a trainee needs to .
| A． |
fly to space |
| B． |
get an Aviation badge first |
| C． |
study the principles of flight |
| D． |
build and fire model rockets |
（3）What is the most important for trainees?
| A． |
Leadership. |
| B． |
Team spirit. |
| C． |
Task planning. |
| D． |
Survival skills. |
My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
（1）A month before the marathon, the author ____________.
| A． |
was well trained |
| B． |
felt scared |
| C． |
made up his mind to run |
| D． |
lost hope |
（2）Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
| A． |
To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B． |
To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C． |
To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D． |
To share a precious memory. |
（3）How was the author's first marathon?
| A． |
He made it. |
| B． |
He quit halfway. |
| C． |
He got the first prize. |
| D． |
He walked to the end. |
（4）What does the story mainly tell us?
| A． |
A man owes his success to his family support. |
| B． |
A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
| C． |
Failure is the mother of success. |
| D． |
One is never too old to learn. |
We've all been there：in a lift，in line at the bank or on an airplane，surrounded by people who are，like us，deeply focused on their smartphones or，worse，struggling with the uncomfortable silence．
What's the problem？ It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence． It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging， or we think it's annoying and unnecessary． But the next time you find yourself among strangers， consider that small talk is worth the trouble． Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits．
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy， but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation． Small talk is the grease （润滑剂） for social communication， says Bernardo Carducci， director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast． "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk，" he explains． "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others， not just communicate with them．"
In a 2014 study， Elizabeth Dunn， associate professor of psychology at UBC， invited people on their way into a coffee shop． One group was asked to seek out an interaction（互动） with its waiter； the other， to speak only when necessary． The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience．"It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband，" says Dunn．"But interactions with peripheral（边缘的） members of our social network matter for our well﹣being also．"
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging， a bond with others． Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk．"Small talk is the basis of good manners，" he says．
（1）What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph？
| A． |
Addiction to smartphones． |
| B． |
Inappropriate behaviours in public places． |
| C． |
Absence of communication between strangers． |
| D． |
Impatience with slow service． |
（2）What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci？
| A． |
Showing good manners． |
| B． |
Relating to other people． |
| C． |
Focusing on a topic． |
| D． |
Making business deals． |
（3）What does the coffee﹣shop study suggest about small talk？
| A． |
It improves family relationships． |
| B． |
It raises people's confidence． |
| C． |
It matters as much as a formal talk． |
| D． |
It makes people feel good． |
（4）What is the best title for the text？
| A． |
Conversation Counts |
| B． |
Ways of Making Small Talk |
| C． |
Benefits of Small Talk |
| D． |
Uncomfortable Silence |
Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun， according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday．
While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers， some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives，and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading．
According to the report's key findings， "the proportion （比例） who say they 'hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13﹣year﹣olds and 9 percent of 17﹣year﹣olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today．"
The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children，ages 2﹣8，remain largely the same．But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined，from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session．
When it comes to technology and reading，the report does little to counsel（建议）parents looking for data about the effect of e﹣readers and tablets on reading．It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading，mainly due to concerns about increased screen time．
The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading．Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently，compared to infrequent readers，have more books in the home，more books purchased for them，parents who read more often，and parents who set aside time for them to read．
As the end of school approaches，and school vacation reading lists loom（逼近）ahead，parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore．
（1）What is the Common Sense Media report probably about？
| A． |
Children's reading habits． |
| B． |
Quality of children's books． |
| C． |
Children's after﹣class activities． |
| D． |
Parent﹣child relationships． |
（2）Where can you find the data that best supports "children are reading a lot less for fun"？
| A． |
In paragraph 2． |
| B． |
In paragraph 3． |
| C． |
In paragraph 4． |
| D． |
In paragraph 5． |
（3）Why do many parents limit electronic reading？
| A． |
E﹣books are of poor quality． |
| B． |
It could be waste of time． |
| C． |
It may harm children's health． |
| D． |
E﹣readers are expensive． |
（4）How should parents encourage their children to read more？
| A． |
Act as role models for them． |
| B． |
Ask them to write book reports． |
| C． |
Set up reading groups for them． |
| D． |
Talk with their reading class teachers． |
Many of us love July because it's the month when nature's berries and stone fruits are in abundance．These colourful and sweet jewels from British Columbia's fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection．
Of the common berries， strawberries are highest in vitamin C， although， because of their seeds， raspberries contain a little more protein （蛋白质）， iron and zinc （not that fruits have much protein）． Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants （抗氧化物质）． The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants． As for cherries （樱桃）， they are so delicious who cares？ However，they are rich in vitamin C．
When combined with berries of slices of other fruits， frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick， cooling fruit shakes and low fat "ice cream"． For this purpose， select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter． Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze． If you like， a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown． Frozen bananas will last several weeks， depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer．
If you have a juicer ，you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit．Out comes a "soft﹣serve" creamy dessert，to be eaten right away． This makes a fun activity for a children's party；they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below．
（1）What does the author seem to like about cherries？
| A． |
They contain protein． |
| B． |
They are high in vitamin A． |
| C． |
They have a pleasant taste． |
| D． |
They are rich in antioxidants． |
（2）Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas？
| A． |
To make them smell better． |
| B． |
To keep their colour． |
| C． |
To speed up their ripening． |
| D． |
To improve their nutrition． |
（3）What is "a juicer" in the last paragraph？
| A． |
A dessert． |
| B． |
A drink． |
| C． |
A container． |
| D． |
A machine． |
（4）From which is the text probably taken？
| A． |
A biology textbook． |
| B． |
A health magazine． |
| C． |
A research paper． |
| D． |
A travel brochure． |