The bristlecone pine is the longest-living thing on the earth. These trees, with their strangely-shaped, wind-beaten limbs(枝干), can live up to 5,000 years. But experts worry that a warming climate in some areas may threaten its future.

Researchers say warmer weather is permitting a similar kind of tree, the limber pine, to take over good growing places from the ancient bristlecone. They say the tree is being crowded out of mountainous areas where it grows.

“The bristlecone pine is the oldest individually growing organism,” researchers say. They grow in high mountain forests in eastern California, Nevada and Utah. In those mountains, the trees face high winds and extreme temperatures, which leave them with twisted limbs and shapes. “Even in such tough conditions,” Brian Smithers, a researcher at the University of California, said, “the limber pine is taking all the good spots.”

The limber pine is the bristlecone’s distant relative and competitor. It can also live a long time——up to 2,000 years. And it is usually found at lower altitudes, where temperatures are warmer. However, according to a three-year study which centered on trees that have started growing in the last 50 years in California’s White Mountains, most of the trees growing at higher altitudes were limber pines.

Scientists compared the competing species to two o1d men in a very slow race up a mountainside. This race between such slow-growing trees takes thousands of years. They say climate change is causing the competition.

Smithers said the bristlecone pines are not in danger of disappearing. But he assumes they could be crowded out of some places where they have grown for thousands of years.

The researchers say the findings show how climate change can affect the two kinds of trees. The information, they say, can help scientists understand more complex forests.

1.What’s the function of Paragraph 1?

A. To introduce a topic.    B. To summarize the whole passage.

C. To describe the appearance of a tree.    D. To praise the hard work of the experts.

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. There will be older trees sent out of those mountains.

B. There will be more places covered with bristlecone pines.

C. There will be better limber pines replacing the ancient ones.

D. There will be fewer bristlecone pines growing in those areas.

3.According to the passage, the reason why limber pines can grow at higher altitudes is_________.

A. the high winds    B. the difficult conditions

C. the changing climate    D. the extreme temperatures

4.What is the researchers’ attitude towards the future of the bristlecone pine?

A. Positive.    B. Concerned.

C. Enthusiastic.    D. Indifferent.

“An Uber self-driving car hit and killed a woman crossing the street in Arizona，U．S．，”police said on Monday，marking the first death caused by an autonomous vehicle and a potential blow to the technology expected to transform transportation．

The ride services company said it was delaying North American tests of its self-driving vehicles，which are currently going on in Arizona，Pittsburgh and Toronto．

So-called robot cars，when fully developed by companies including Uber，are expected to thoroughly cut down on motor vehicle deaths and create billion-dollar businesses．But Monday’s accident highlighted (凸显)the possible challenges ahead for the promising technology as the cars face real-world situations involving real people．

“This catastrophic accident highlights why we need to be exceptionally cautious when testing and applying autonomous vehicle technologies to public roads，”said Edward Markey，  a member of the transportation committee，in a statement．

“Elaine Herzberg，49，was walking her bicycle outside the crosswalk on a four-lane road in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe at about 10 p．m．  MST Sunday when she was struck by the Uber vehicle traveling at about 65 kilometers per hour，”police said．The car was in autonomous mode with an operator behind the wheel．U．S．  federal safety officials were sending teams to investigate the crash．Canada’s transportation ministry in Ontario，where Uber conducts testing，also said it was reviewing the accident．

“Uber and Waymo on Friday urged Congress to pass a law to speed the introduction of self-driving cars into the united states．However，some congressional(国会的)representatives have blocked the legislation over safety concerns，and Monday’s death could hamper passage of the bill，”congressional assistants said Monday．

1.According to the passage，which is the effect of the accident of the woman’s being killed?

A. People will be cautious while crossing a road．

B. The woman’s family will obtain a billion dollars．

C. The process of transforming transportation will be affected．

D. Self-driving vehicles will cut down on motor vehicles deaths．

2.The underlined word“hamper”in Paragraph 6 most probably mean_________．

A. make    B. prevent

C. start    D. accelerate

3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To arouse the public concerns over a self-driving safety．

B. To remind car producers to be more careful when testing vehicles technology．

C. To advise the Congress to pass a law to speed self-driving cars test in the U．S．

D. To urge the U．S．federal safety regulators to take measures to look into the accident．

Madison Williams was studying in her bedroom when the door burst open．It was her mother，Leigh williams，with a frightening and incredible story，“A little boy fell into a septic tank(化粪池)，and no one can reach him．”Then she made this request of her 13-year-o1d daughter，“Can you help?”

Madison and Leigh ran to a neighbor’s yard，where they found the boy’s anxious mother and other adults surrounding a septic tank opening．The opening was only slightly wider than a basketball．The boy，who was only two years o1d，had slipped in and was drowning in four feet of waste water inside the tank．

Madison quickly surveyed the situation．She was the only one who could fit through the small ho1e．Without hesitation，she got on her stomach next to the opening，placed her arms out in front of her，and told the adults，“Lower me in．”

Leigh and others held her waist and legs．“I wiggled(扭动)my arms and shoulders until I got through the opening，”Madison said．Inside，the tank was dark，and the air disgusting．Madison jammed her left wrist against a pole，injuring the muscles in her wrist and arm so severely that the hand seemed useless．Madison shot her good hand out and grasped the boy’s foot tightly．“Pull me up!”she shouted to the others above．

As they were pulled to the surface，the boy’s free foot got stuck under the inside lip of the opening．“Lower me down!”she yelled．“I had to wiggle his foot until it was free，”she told Reader’s Digest．Then，ten minutes after Madison had entered the tank，she and the boy were lifted out．

“Madison’s a hero，”Holley，one of her neighbors said “What other teenage girl is going to voluntarily go into a septic tank?”

1.Madison was asked to help the boy because________．

A. she was brave enough to help the boy

B. she knew how to survey the situation

C. she could fit through the small hole to get the boy

D. she was willing to help others in trouble

2.According to the text，we can learn that__________．

A. the boy’s mother was too scared to rescue her son

B. a boy was trapped when reaching for his basketball

C. Madison Williams was choked in the disgusting air

D. the two kids got out of danger with the aid of the adults

3.Which might be the main idea of the passage?

A. A boy fell into a septic tank．

B. A mother requested her daughter to save a boy．

C. A neighbor helped a girl out of trouble．

D. A girl rescued a little boy from a septic tank．

临近年底，很多人因为忙不完工作而被迫进入循环加班模式。请根据你对下面这幅图的理解，以"Should people get paid for their overtime work？"为题，用英语写一篇作文。

你的作文应包括以下内容：

1、简要描述这幅漫画的内容；

2、你觉得老板和员工会各自持怎样的观点；

3、阐述你对 "Should people get paid for their overtime work？"这个问题的看法。

注意：

1、可参照图片适当发挥；

2、作文词数150左右；

3、作文中不得提及有关考生个人身份的任何信息，如校名、人名等。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

单词拼写

1.He stood on the stage to give a speech， r_____ to his notes now and then．

2.There were over 500 athletes p_____ in the marathon last month．

3.A good laugh can drive away n_____ feelings like depression， nervousness， anxiety and disappointment．

4.Much to our surprise， the witness's a_____ of the traffic accident differed from the official version in several aspects．

5.Parents should take the responsibility to educate their kids how to b_____ themselves in some formal occasions．

6.I am living with my parents， but it is only _____(临时的) because next month I will go abroad．

7.In the future I'll be more _____(成熟) and be able to make my own decisions and do things by myself．

8.The boy tried his best to study hard to live up to his parents' _____(期望)．

9.You're actually already in _____(拥有) of one of your most important gifts： time．

10.A large sum of money has been _____(分配) for buying new books for the school．

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词．注意：每个空格只填1个单词．请将答案写在答题纸上相应题号的横线上．

Mastering Storytelling Fundamentals

Whether you're telling a joke， telling a fairy tale， or trying to persuade someone with a little empirical evidence， telling a story well is an important skill． While it comes naturally to some， for others this skill is a learned one． Never fear． Just get started with the steps below．

1.Engage your audience．

Interact （互动） with your audience or do something to grab their attention． Ask them a question， even if it's just rhetorical， that relates to the conclusion， twist， or context for the story you’re going to tell． Alternatively you can make a grabbing statement that catches their attention （setting your hook， the equivalent of a click﹣bait headline）． This forces their attention to focus on the idea of your story and makes them want to hear more．

2.Build the scene．

Throughout your storytelling， you want to create an immersive experience． You want to tell your audience the story in a way that makes them feel like they're there． Start by giving them context when you start your story． Continue to create the scene by using details which help them picture the action and feel the things you felt． You'll also want to carefully tailor your language: use words which create very strong， very specific emotions．

3.Build tension and release tension．

Of course， the entire arc of a story should be building tension and releasing tension， until the climactic point in the story and the falling action of the conclusion． But what you need to remember is that a release of tension should come between the tension points． Without this release of tension， a story can feel rushed or too list﹣like． Real life includes moments between the things that happen to us． Stories should too． This release can be a description of the scene， and quick filling in of semi﹣relevant details， or a joke if the story is meant to be a bit funny．

4.Focus on what's important．

When telling a story， it is important to include details， to create that sense of immersion． However， you don't want the story to take on a "rambling" feel． This is why it's very important to focus on what's important． Cut the details that aren't important for the story， leave the ones that make the story．

5.Keep the flow logical．

This is where knowing your story and practicing become important． You know that person that tells a story and they get partway in and then they're like， "Oh， I forgot to mention…"？ Yeah， don't be that guy． Don't stop to back up． This breaks the listener's experience of the story． Tell the story in a way that is logical and flows smoothly．

6.Make it feel conclusive．

It's awkward when an audience isn't sure if you're done or not so make the conclusion of your story feel conclusive． There are a number of ways to do this， for example：

Ask a question and give an answer． "How crazy is that？ I know I'm sure not going to try that again．"

Mastering Storytelling Fundamentals

There has long been a notion (观念) that money buys happiness. However, although “we really, really tried that for a couple of generations, it didn’t work,” said Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life.

Thanks to a travel-inspired revelation (启发), Jay has been happily living a simpler life for 12 years. “I always packed as lightly as possible, and found it exciting to get by with just a small carry-on bag,” she told CNN. “I thought if it feels this great to travel lightly, how amazing would it be to live this way? I wanted to have that same feeling of freedom in my everyday life.”

Jay decided to get rid of all her excess (额外的) possessions and live with just the essentials (必需品). “I wanted to spend my time and energy on experiences, rather than things.”

Jay is a follower of a movement called “minimalism (极简主义)”. Growing numbers of people have been attracted to this lifestyle all over the world. They share the same feeling of disappointment with modern life and a desire to live more simply. Minimalists are typically progressive and concerned about the environment, Leah Watkins, a lead researcher at Otago University in New Zealand, told Stuff magazine in March.

But many simply experienced unhappiness caused by owning too many possessions. Depression with the materialism of our world isn’t new. English romantic poet William Wordsworth summed up how dispiriting (令人 消沉的) this was back in 1802, at the beginning of the industrial age, when he wrote: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. His preference was to go back to nature. Closer to our own times, the hippies (嬉皮士) of the 1960s also sought to ‘‘drop out” of modern life.

And for many minimalists, their key is to unload. Without objects, they “believe people are forced more and more into the present moment and that’s where life happens,” wrote Stuff.

But does simplicity ever feel like a sacrifice (牺牲)?

“It’s eliminating the excess—unused items, unnecessary purchases—from your life. Well, I may have fewer possessions, but I have more space … Minimalism is making room for what matters most,” said Jay.

And “the real questions”, according to Duane Elgin, US social scientist, are “what do you care about?” and “What do you value?”

He told CNN: “It’s important for people to realize minimalism isn’t simply the amount of stuff we consume. It’s about our families, our work, our connection with the larger world, our spiritual dimension. It’s about how we touch the whole world. It’s a way of life.”

1.What was the author’s main purpose in writing the text?

A. To explore the trend of minimalism.

B. To give tips on how to lead a happy life.

C. To argue whether money buys happiness.

D. To recommend one of Francine Jay’s books.

2.What inspired Francine Jay to live a simple life?

A. A book she came across.

B. Her desire to keep up with modern life.

C. The pleasure she enjoyed from traveling lightly.

D. A follower of minimalism she met on a trip.

3.According to Leah Watkins, a typical minimalist tends to       .

a. be fed up with materialism

b. like saving and visiting nature often

c. be angry about his or her current life

d. be environmentally friendly and live with fewer things

A. a, b    B. a, d

C. a, b, c    D. b, c, d

4.The underlined word “eliminating” in Paragraph 8 probably means       .

A. removing    B. distinguishing

C. accepting    D. improving

5.Which of the following would Duane Elgin probably agree with?

A. Minimalism is a healthy lifestyle that is in conflict with modem life.

B. Minimalism limits people’s freedom to enjoy their lives to the fullest.

C. Minimalism enables people to reflect on what truly counts in their lives.

D. Minimalism means people have to sacrifice some pleasure to live simply.

Chance at new start

Mike Miles hadn't had a stable job in years． He bounced around from agency to agency， never sure when his last day would be． Sometimes， he lost a job with less than a day's notice． This was not due to a poor work ethic （职业道德）﹣from arriving early to staying late， Miles says he did everything he could to leave good impressions on employers in Lancaster， Pennsylvania， in the US． But because Miles had a criminal record， he was always cut loose when it came time to let staff go．

"It was like walking on eggshells． You just never knew when you'd be gone，" he said．

After his release from prison in 2007， Miles struggled to find stability （稳定）﹣both mentally and financially． During this time， he lived in his mother's house and she helped him raise his daughter． When his mom passed away two years later， Miles says he became more determined than ever to create a healthy environment for his family．

"I'm all she has， and she's all I have，" he said． "I had to build a whole new relationship with my daughter， while building a whole new life for myself．"

It wasn't until October 2015， nearly a decade after he got out of prison， that a cousin told Miles about a food company that hires people who have difficulty finding jobs．

Hoping this would clear up what felt like a thick cloud of uncertainty over his future， Miles submitted an application． He got an interview and soon after that， began his new job． His work involves everything from food production to maintenance （保存）， not to mention it pays a livable wage of $15 an hour． He says it's the best job he's ever had．

Miles' story is rare in Lancaster， where the poverty rate is around 30 percent﹣about double the national average． This figure annoyed Charlie Crystle， the co﹣founder and CEO of the company that gave Miles his job．

Crystle says he wants to inspire other companies and entrepreneurs （企业家） to rethink their current practices and ignite （引发） conversations about minimum wage and employment opportunities for everyone， including ex﹣offenders （前罪犯）．

Beyond providing employment and livable wages， the company also helps employees deal with the many challenges of reentry into society． This means anything from helping them find housing and health benefits to changing their schedules so they can make court dates．

Miles is now saving for a house．"It doesn't have to be a big house，" he said． "I just want to be stable．"

1.Why did Miles change his occupation frequently？

A. He liked to try new things．

B. He could not find a job he likes all the time．

C. He was an unstable person who didn't have persistence．

D. He was never asked to stay at jobs long as he had been in jail．

2.What encouraged Miles to find a stable job？

A. He wanted to move into a better house．

B. He faced heavy social pressure from other people．

C. He wanted to make living conditions better for his family．

D. He couldn't stand living with his mother at such an old age．

3.From the article，we can learn that Crystal ________．

A. criticizes other companies for their low wages

B. longs to be famous and gain more respect

C. encourage other companies to think their current practices again

D. pushes other companies to help ex﹣offenders with reentry into society

4.What can we infer from the last three paragraphs？

A. Miles is content with his current situation．

B. Miles is going to buy a big house in the future．

C. The local government will help everyone find jobs．

D. The minimum wage level will surely increase in Lancaster．

When you pull the headset over your eyes and the game begins， you are transported to a tiny room with white walls．Your task is to break out of the room， but you cannot use your hands， joystick or game pad．You must use your thoughts．

You turn toward a ball on the floor， and your brain sends a command to pick it up．With another thought，you send the ball crashing into a mirror， breaking the glass and revealing a few numbers scribbled on a wall．You mentally type those numbers into a large keypad by the door．And you are out．

Designed by Neurable，a small startup founded by Ramses Alcaide，an electrical engineer and neuroscientist （神经科学家），the game offers a way of selecting items in a virtual world with your thoughts．

Having a headset with virtual reality goggles （眼镜） and sensors （传感器） that can read your brain waves，it will be a few years before this device comes into the market． And it is limited in what it can do．But it works．I recently played the game，titled Awakening，when Alcaide and two Neurable employees passed through San Francisco， so did a few hundred others this month at the Siggraph computer graphics conference in Los Angeles．

Driven by recent investments from the US government， many startups and bigger companies are working on ways to mentally control machines， looking for smoother ways to use virtual reality technology．

"Neurotechnology has become cool，" said Ed Boyden， a professor at the MIT Media Lab who advises one of those startups．

At Neurable， Alcaide and his team are pushing the limits of EEG （脑电图） headsets． Although sensors can read electrical brain activity from outside the skull， it is very difficult to separate the signal from the noise． Using computer algorithms （算法） based on Alcaide's research， Neurable works to read activity with a speed and accuracy that's not usually possible．

The algorithms learn from your behavior．Before playing the game，you train them to recognize when you are focusing your attention on an object．A pulse of light bounces around the virtual room，and each time it hits a small colored ball in front of you，you think about the ball．At that moment，when you focus on the light and it stimulates your brain，the system reads the specific signals of your brain activity．

1.How can you break out of the room in the game？

A. Open the door with the joystick．

B. Type the numbers you have got into the keypad in mind．

C. Send a ball crashing into the door．

D. Use your hands to open the door．

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4 and Paragraph 5？

A. Many people in San Francisco have played this game except the author．

B. The US government didn't invest money in the virtual reality technology．

C. The device having a headset with virtual reality goggle has come into market．

D. A lot of startups and companies are doing research into mentally control machines．

3.Which is the best title of the passage？

A. A game you can control with your mind

B. The limits of EEG headsets

C. Sensors that read brain signals

D. Recent investments on virtual reality technology

Enjoy relaxing， spa﹣quality facials at home with this NanoSteamer， a perfect skin care tool to fully moisturize your skin and thoroughly cleanse your face．

One simple push produces nano﹣sized （纳米） steam particles （颗粒） to go deep into skin and moisturize your face． A relaxing stream of hot mist quickly removes makeup，dirt and other impurities from skin． You can steam before skincare routine to help absorb cream better； steam in the morning to soften your skin for easier makeup application and longer lasting results．

The multifunctional 3﹣in﹣l device can also be set to humidify （使潮湿） a room and has an extra chamber （室） to warm towels for refreshment.

A larger 200ml water tank allows for 30 minutes of working time with a completely silent operation．

Benefits of Nano Steaming include up to 10 times improved blood circulation， improved cell vitality （活力） and oxygen absorption through skin for a healthier younger looking face and significantly improved absorption of your beauty creams for increased effectiveness.

Why Is NanoSteamer Better？

• NanoSteamer is a 3﹣in﹣l device that doubles as a powerful humidifier and has a built﹣in towel warming chamber．

• Larger water tank capacity for up to 30 minutes of steaming time﹣compare that to other steamers with only 8﹣10 minutes of running time．

• A Bonus 5﹣piece stainless steel skin kit is included﹣These are the same tools skincare specialists use to remove skin impurities and it is ideally suited to use after facial steaming and before applying beauty products．

Attention

1. Before steaming at face for the first time， please let the steamer run through a full cycle with a few drops of lemon juice added into water to remove smell．

2. Please do not add essential oil to the water tank since this may shorten the steamer lifespan．

3. When finished， please wait 10 minutes for the steamer to cool down before pouring out remaining water．

Suggested steaming distance： 8 inches from the steam nozzle

Steam temperature： 104T

Suggested water to fill in the steamer： distilled （蒸馏的） or purified water to avoid the mineral residue （残留） of regular water building up

1.NanoSteamer is mainly used for ________.

A. increasing water tank capacity

B. removing blackheads and marks

C. moisturizing the skin and cleansing the face

D. purifying air in a room

2.We can learn from the passage that NanoStreamer ________.

A. takes three minutes to cool down

B. has 3 water tanks and longer steaming time

C. can only be used after applying makeup products

D. includes a free 5﹣piece stainless steel skin kit as a bonus

3.When using NanoSteamer, you’d better ________.

A. get as close as possible to the steam nozzle

B. not add essential oil to the water tank

C. pour out the remaining water the moment you are finished

D. add a few drops of lemon juice every time to remove smell