| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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The Cambridge Science Festival Curiosity Challenge Dare to Take the Curiosity Challenge! The Cambridge Science Festival (CSF) is pleased to inform you of the sixth annual Curiosity Challenge. The challenge invites, even dares school students between the ages of 5 and 14 to create artwork or a piece of writing that shows their curiosity and how it inspires them to explore their world. Students are being dared to draw a picture, write an article, take a photo or write a poem that shows what they are curious about. To enter the challenge, all artwork or pieces of writing should be sent to the Cambridge Science Festival, MIT Museum, 265 Mass Avenue. Cambridge 02139 by Friday, February 8th. Students who enter the Curiosity Challenge and are selected as winners will be honored at a special ceremony during the CSF on Sunday, April 21st. Guest speaker will also present prizes to the students. Winning entries will be published in a book. Student entries will be exhibit and prizes will be given. Families of those who take part will be included in the celebration and brunch will be served. Between March 10th and March 15th, each winner will be given the specifics of the closing ceremony and the Curiosity Challenge celebration. The program guidelines and other related information are available at: http://cambridgesciencefestival.org. 1.Who can take in the Curiosity Challenge? A. School students. B. Cambridge locals. C. CSF winners. D. MIT artists. 2.When will the prize-giving ceremony be held? A. On February 8th. B. On March 10th C. On March 15th.. D. On April 21st. 3.What type of writing is this text? A. An exhibition guide. B. An art show review. C. An announcement. D. An official report.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Passenger pigeons（旅鸽）once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers. Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks（群）so large that they darkened the sky for hours. It was calculated that when its population reach its highest point, there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons – a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States, making it perhaps the most abundant birds in the world. Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller, a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles (about 515 kilometers) long was seen near Cincinnati. Sadly, the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their undoing. Where the birds were abundant, people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands. Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain, waited until pigeons had settled to feed, then threw large nets over them, taking hundreds at a time. The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants. By the closing decades of the 19th century, the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Americans’ need for wood, which scattered（驱散）the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north, where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline. Soon the great flocks were gone, never to be seen again. In 1897, the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons, but by then, no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years. The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900. For a time, a few birds survived under human care. The last of them, known affectionately as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden in September 1, 1914. 1.In the 18th and early 19th centuries, passenger pigeons _______. A. were the biggest bird in the world B. lived mainly in the south of America C. did great harm to the natural environment D. Were the largest population in the US 2.The underlined word “undoing” probably refers to the pigeons’ _______. A. escape B. ruin C. liberation D. evolution 3.What was the main reason for people to kill passenger pigeons? A. To seek pleasure. B. To save other birds. C. To make money. D. To protect crops. 4.What can we infer about the law passed in Michigan? A. It was ignored by the public. B. It was declared too late. C. It was unfair. D. It was strict.
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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A typical lion tamer (驯兽师) in people’s mind is an entertainer holding a whip (鞭子)and a chair .The whip get all of the attention , but it’s mostly for show .In reality , it’s the chair that does the important work .When a lion tamer holds a chair in front of the lion’s face , the lion tries to focus on all four legs of the chair at the same time .With its focus divided , the lion becomes confused and is unsure about what to do next .When faced with so many options , the lion chooses to freeze and wait instead of attacking the man holding the chair. How often do you find yourself in the same position as the lion ? How often do you have something you want to achiever (e,g. lose weight , start a business , travel more ) –only to end up confused by all of the options in front of you and never make progress ? This upsets me to no end because while all the experts are busy debating about which option is best , the people who want to improve their lives are left confused by all of the conflicting information .The end result is that we feel like we can’t focus or that we’re focused on the wrong things , and so we take less action , make less progress , and stay the same when we could be improving . It doesn’t have to be that way .Anytime you find the world waving a chair in your face , remember this :All you need to do is focus on one thing .You just need to get started .Starting before you feel ready is one of the habits of successful people .If you have somewhere you want to go , something you want to accomplish , someone you want to become ….take immediate action .If you’re clear about where you want to go , the rest of the world will either help you get there or get out the way . 1.Why does the lion tamer use a chair? A. To trick the lion. B. To show off his skill . C. To get ready for a fight. D. To entertain the audience. 2.In what sense are people similar to a lion facing a chair? A. They feel puzzled over choices. B. They hold on to the wrong things. C. They find it hard to make changes. D. They have to do something for show. 3.What is the author’s attitude towards the experts mentioned in paragraph 3? A. Tolerant B. Doubtful C. Respectful D. Supportive 4. When the world is “waving a chair in your face”, you’re advised to_____. A. wait for a better chance B. break your old habits C. make a quick decision D. ask for clear guidance
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| 4. 难度：中等 | |
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As more and more people speak the global languages of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will likely die out by the next century, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations- UNESCO and National Geographic among them –have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect. Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi with an Ethnolinguistic Introduction to the Speakers and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, looking and raising a family in a village in Nepal. Documenting the Tangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayans reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record. At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials- including photographs, films, tap recordings, and field notes- which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection. Now, through the two organizations that he has founded-the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project- Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to scholars but to the youngers. Generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected.Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet. Turin notes,the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities. 1.Many scholars are making efforts to _____. A. promote global languages B. rescue the disappearing languages C. search for language communities D. set up languages research organizations. 2.What does “that tradition” in Paragraph 3 refer to? A. Having first records of the languages B. Writing books on language searching C. Telling stories about language users D. Linking with the native speakers 3.What is Turin’s book based on? A. The cultural statics in India. B. The documents available at Yale. C. His language research in Britain. D. His personal experience in Nepal. 4.Which of the following best describe Turin’s Work? A. Write sell and donate. B. Record,repeat and reward. C. Collect,protect and reconnect. D. Design, experiment and report.
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| 5. 难度：中等 | |
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根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。 The jobs of the future have not been invented, 1.By helping them develop classic skills that will serve them well no matter what the future holds. 1. Curiosity Your children need to be deeply curious. 2.Ask kids, “What ingredients (配料) can we add to make these pancakes even better next time” and then try them out. Did those ingredients make the pancakes better? What could we try next time? 2. Creativity True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it. 3.There are a dozen different things you can do with them. Experimenting with materials to create something new can go a long way in helping them develop their Creativity. 3. Interpersonal Skills Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what is going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions. 4.“Why do you think she is crying?” “Can you tell how that man is feeling by looking at his face?” “If someone were to do that to you, how would you feel?” 4. Self Expression 5.There are many ways to express thoughts and ideas ¡ª music, acting, drawing, building, photography. You may find that your child is attracted by one more than another. A. Encourage kids to cook with you. B. And we can’t forget science education. C. We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways. D. So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist? E. Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill. F. We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories. G. Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill.
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| 6. 难度：困难 | |
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阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A, B, C, D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 As a general rule, all forms of activity lead to boredom when they are performed on a routine basis. As a matter of fact, we can see this ________at work in people of all _________. For example, on Christmas morning, children are excited about _______with their new toys. But their ________soon wear off and by January those_________toys can be found put away in the basement. The world is full of_________stamp albums and unfinished models, each standing as a monument to someone’s _________interest. When parents bring home a pet, their child________bathes it and brushes its fur. Within a short time, however, the_______of caring the animal is handed over to the parents. Adolescent enter high school with great_______but soon looking forward to________. The same is true of the young adults going to the college. And then, how many_________, who complain about the long drives to work, _________drove for hours at a time when they first_________ their drivers licenses? Before people retire, they usually _______to do a lot of_____things, which never had _____while working. But ________after retirement, the golfing, the fishing , the reading and all of the other pastimes become as boring as the jobs they _______. And, like the child in January, they go searching for new_________. 1.A.principle B.habit C.way D.power 2.A.parties B.races C.countries D.ages 3.A.working B.living C.playing D.going 4.A.confidence B.interest C.anxiety D.sorrow 5.A.same B.extra C.funny D.expensive 6.A.well-organized B.colorfully-printed C.newly-collected D.half-filled 7.A.broad B.passing C.different D.main 8.A.silently B.impatiently C.gladly D.worriedly 9.A.promise B.burden C.right D.game 10.A.courage B.calmness C.confusion D.excitement 11.A.graduation B.independence C.responsibility D.success 12.A.children B.students C.adults D.retirees 13.A.carefully B.eagerly C. nervously D.bravely 14.A.required B.obtained C.noticed D.discovered 15.A.need B.learn C.start D.plan 16.A.great B.strange C.difficult D.correct 17.A.time B.money C.skills D.knowledge 18.A.only B.well C.even D.soon 19.A.lost B.choose C.left D.quit 20.A.pets B.toys C.friends D.colleagues
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| 7. 难度：中等 | |
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阅读下面材料，用不多于3个单词的正确形式填空 Are you facing a situation that looking impossible to fix? In 1969, the pollution is terrible along the Cuyahoga River near Cleveland, Ohio. It ______1.(be)imaginable that it could be ever be cleaned up. The rive was so polluted that it ______2.(actual) caught fire and burned. Now year late,this rive is one of_______3.most outstanding examples of environmental cleanup. But river wasn’t changed in a few days_____4.even a few months. It took years of work _______5.(reduce) industrial pollution and clean the water. Finally, that hard work paid off and now the water in the river is______6.(clean) than ever. Maybe you are facing an impossible situation. Maybe you have a habit _____7.is driving your family crazy. Possibly you drink too much or don’t know how to control your credit card use. When you face such impossible situation, don’t you want a quick fix and something to change immediately. While there are_______8.(amaze) stories of instant transformation, for most of us the _______9.(change) are gradual and require a lot of effort and work, like cleaning up a polluted river. Just be_______10.(patience)
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| 8. 难度：中等 | |
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Nearly five years before, and with the help by our father, my sister and I planted Some cherry tomatoes(圣女果)in our back garden. Since then for all these year we had been allowing tomatoes to self-seed where they please. As result, the plants are growing somewhere. The fruits are small in size, but juicy and taste. There are so much that we often share them with our neighbors. Although we allow tomato plants to grow in the same place year after year, but we have never had any disease or insect attack problems. We are growing wonderfully tomatoes at no cost!
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| 9. 难度：中等 | |
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假如你是李华，计划暑假期间去英国学习英语为期六周。下面的广告引起了你的注意。请给该校写一封信，询问有关情况。（箭头所指内容）
注意：1.词数100左右 2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。 参考词汇：住宿—accommodation
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