阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was to catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the frogs and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading (传播) diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers __________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．were poor but satisfied |
| C．dreamed of having a better life |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．The frogs made too much noise. |
| B．They needed money to buy medicine. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs were easy money. |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．There were too many insects. |
| B．The crops didn’t do well. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．There were too many frogs. |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony (和谐) between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old day will never be forgotten. |
Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people your age could live to be 150,so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging(抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age !
You say to your shirt , “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change clothes’color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen . You pick up the milk ,but a voice says , “ You shouldn't drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk , and it knows the milk is old . In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip .
It’s time to go to work . In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way , you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve . Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist Andrew Zolli , “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example --- what will be the next?We can learn from the text that in the future__________.
| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| B．More drinks will be available for sale. |
| C．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
| D．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
Which of the following is mentioned in the text?
| A．Fridges will know what people need. |
| B．Jacket sleeves can be used as a guide. |
| C．Cars will be able to drive automatically. |
| D．Nothing can replace the Internet. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Future technology in everyday life. |
| B．Food and clothing in 2035. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．The reason for the success of new technology. |
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease.On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because .
| A．they lived healthily in a dirty environment. |
| B．they believed disease could be spread in public baths |
| C．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in |
| D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease |
Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
| A．Approving. | B．Afraid.. |
| C．Curious | D．Uninterested. |
How does the passage mainly develop?
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By following the order of importance. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To stress the role of dirt. |
| B．To introduce the history of dirt. |
| C．To call attention to the danger of dirt. |
| D．To present the change of views on dirt. |
BEIJING - A research team led by Chinese scientists have discovered dietary modulation of gut microbiota（膳食干预肠道菌群）can alleviate both genetic and simple obesity in children.
The findings of the team, led by Zhao Liping with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yin Aihua with the Guangdong province children's hospital, and Tang Huiru with Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been published on EBioMedicine, a renowned medical journal co-sponsored by Cell and The Lancet in July.
The team identified bacterial genomes specifically for producing obesity-related metabolites（代谢物）, and said an improved gut microbiota can significantly help to treat genetic obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
Beginning in childhood, PWS affected kids develop an insatiable appetite, leading to chronic overeating and obesity.
The scientists used a diet therapy with beneficial gut bacteria on trial patients and found considerable diminished appetite, weight loss and improved health conditions on the patients.
The paper concluded dysbiosis（失调）of gut microbiota is highly related with both genetic and simple obesity in children, implicating dietary modulation of gut microbiota a potentially effective treatment method.Which of the following factors contributes to child obesity ?
| A．dietary modulation of gut microbiota |
| B．beneficial gut bacteria |
| C．an improved gut microbiota |
| D．dysbiosis of gut microbiota |
Which can replace the underlined word “diminished”？
| A．unsatisfied | B．increased |
| C．decreased | D．good |
Where is the passage extracted?
| A．Medicine book | B．Science book |
| C．Doctor’s instructions | D．News report |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Chinese scientists discover treatment to child obesity. |
| B．The reasons for genetic obesity in children has been found. |
| C．Obesity-related research has been done by Chinese scientists. |
| D．An effective treatment to obesity has been found. |
Visitors worry that London is an expensive city but there really are so many free things to do here. The following ideas should get you started.
All of London's major museums are free, but most offer some special exhibitions for a fee. My favorite is the Museum of Londonwhere you can learn the history of London from Roman times to today. And I love theGeffrye Museumwhich shows English domestic interiors and helps bring to life what it was really like to live in London.
I regularly hear people tell me theQueen Mary's Rose Gardens in Regent's Parkis their favorite spot in London, and who am I to argue? I would also recommend St. James's Park as it offers one of the best views ofBuckingham Palace. Hyde Park is enormous and Kensington Gardens nearby includes the ever popular Diana Memorial Playgroundand thePeter Pan Statue.
No visit to London is complete without seeing this military tradition. The Queen's Guard in London changes in the Forecourt inside the gates ofBuckingham Palaceat 11.30am every day in the summer and every other day in the winter. Get there early and view the spectacle from outside the front gates.
Trafalgar Square is one of Britain's greatest visitor attractions and was designed by John Nash in the 1820s and constructed in the 1830s. This iconic square has many sights to see including Nelson's Columnand theNational Gallery. It is both a tourist attraction and the main focus for political demonstrations. Every December, Norway donates a marvelous Christmas tree, to thank Britain for liberation from the Nazis.Where can visitors find thePeter Pan Statue?
| A．in Regent's Park. | B．in St. James's Park. |
| C．in Hyde Park. | D．in Kensington Gardens. |
Which of the following desrciptions is True ?
| A．In theGeffrye Museumvisitors can learn the history of London from Roman times to today. |
| B．The Queen Mary's Rose Gardens is in Buckingham Palace. |
| C．There is the Queen's Guard change inside the gates ofBuckingham Palaceat 11.30 am every day all year around. |
| D．Trafalgar Square is both a tourist attraction and a place for political demonstrations. |
The writer wrote the passage to ________.
| A．compare some free places in London. |
| B．advertise some free places in London. |
| C．recommend some free places in London. |
| D．expose some free places in London. |
In 1977, Irene Pepperberg of Harvard University began studying what was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. Her first experiments began with Alex. Alex was a one-year-old African grey parrot and Irene taught him to produce the sounds of the English language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he sees the world.”
At the time, most scientists didn’t believe animals had any thoughts. They thought animals were more like robots but didn’t have the ability to think or feel. Of course, if you own a pet, you probably disagree. But it is the job of a scientist to prove this and nowadays more scientists accept that animals can think for themselves.
“That’s why I started my studies with Alex,” Irene said, “Some people actually called me crazy for trying this.”
Nowadays, we have more and more evidence that animals have all sorts of mental abilities. Sheep can recognize faces. Chimpanzees (黑猩猩) use a variety of tools and even use weapons to hunt. And Alex, the parrot became a very good talker.
Thirty years after, the Alex studies began. Irene was still giving him English lessons until his recent death. For example, if Alex was hungry, he could say “want grape”. Alex could count to six and was learning the sounds for seven and eight. “He has to hear the words over and over before he can correctly say them.” Irene said, after pronouncing “seven” for Alex a few times in a row. Alex could also tell the difference between colors, shapes, sizes, and materials (e.g.wood and metal). Before he finally died, Alex managed to say “seven”.
Another famous pet that proved some animals have greater mental skills was a dog called Rico. He appeared on a German TV game show in 2011. Rico knew the names of 200 different toys and easily learned the names of new ones. When Rico became famous, many other dog owners wanted to show how clever their pets were. Another dog called Betsy could understand 300 words.
One theory for dogs’ ability to learn a language is that they have been close companions to humans for many centuries and so their ability to understand us is constantly evolving (进化). While animals can’t do what humans do yet, some scientists believe that examples like Alex and Rico prove that evolution develops intelligence, as well as physical appearance. Irene wanted to find out __________.
| A．what a parrot thinks | B．why a parrot can speak |
| C．how parrots make sounds | D．if parrots speak English |
Alex learnt new words by __________.
| A．singing them | B．reading them |
| C．writing them | D．rehearing them |
The two dogs mentioned in the article could _______.
| A．understand some words |
| B．recognize strange voices |
| C．copy human gestures |
| D．tell different colors |
The article concludes that ___________.
| A．our pets understand what we say |
| B．dogs may speak to humans one day |
| C．humans are related to chimpanzees |
| D．mental ability can evolve in animals |