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Task 1

題材：伟人品质 文章词数：400 难度：★★★★ 建议用时：7分钟

After years of observing human nature， I have decided that two qualities make the difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance curiosity and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both. The two belong together.

Together， these deep human urges （驱策力） count for much more than ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo， all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent， “Why？ Why？ Why？”

Fortunately， curiosity and discontent dont have to be learned. We are born with them and need only recapture them.

“The great man，” said Mencius （孟子）， “is he who does not lose his childs heart.” Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average. It encourages us to occupy our own little corner， to avoid foolish leaps into the dark， to be satisfied.

Most of us meet new people， and new ideas， with hesitation. But once having met and liked them， we think how terrible it would have been， had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.

How should you start？ Modestly， so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldnt arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it. How she is one of the experts， writing books on flower arrangement.

One way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You havent any special ability？ Most people dont; there are only a few geniuses. You havent any time？ Thats good， because its always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe， mother of six， wrote parts of Uncle Toms Cabin while cooking. Youre too old？ Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel， and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.

However you start， remember there is no better time to start than right now， for youll never be more alive than you are at this moment.

1. In writing Paragraph 1， the author aims to          .

A. propose a definition

B. make a comparison

C. reach a conclusion

D. present an argument

2. What does the example of Galileo tell us？

A. Trial and error leads to the finding of truth.

B. Scientists tend to be curious and ambitious.

C. Creativity results from challenging authority.

D. Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore.

3. What can you do to recapture curiosity and discontent？

A. Observe the unknown around you.

B. Develop a questioning mind.

C. Lead a life of adventure.

D. Follow the fashion.

4. What could be the best title for the passage？

A. Curious Minds Never Feel Contented

B. Reflections on Human Nature

C. The Keys to Achievement

D. Never Too Late to Learn

Task 2

題材：学习历史 文章词数：420 难度：★★★★ 建议用时：8分钟

Studying a subject you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If youre studying history， asking yourself the question “why is history important” is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest， or get you thinking about the significance of history.

History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study， and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper， more meaningful glimpse（一瞥） into our ancestral pasts， and how we get to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging， which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.

History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago. According to the experts， problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors， one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.

History makes us more empathetic（具有共情能力的）. Studying history can give us insight （洞察力） into why our culture does certain things， and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance（无知）. Were scared of things that we dont understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.

History can inspire us to learn more. Whats fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. Its almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19th century England， and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens， and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels， and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere， and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.

The value of history cannot be underestimated. We dont have to live in the past， but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.

1. The underlined part “where we are today” in Para. 2 probably means          .

A. the turning point in our history

B. the present state of our nation

C. the location of our homeland

D. the total area of our country

2. According to the experts， why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life？

A. The problems at present are similar to those in the past.

B. Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.

C. The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.

D. People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.

3. What can be concluded from Para. 4？

A. It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.

B. People are willing to accept foreign cultures.

C. Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.

D. History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness.

4. With the example in Para. 5， the writer intends to show that          .

A. Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature

B. Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets

C. reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period

D. studying history can arouse peoples interest in other fields

Task 3

題材：沿用旧设备 文章词数：362 难度：★★★★ 建议用时：7分钟

We may think were a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new， but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices（装置） well after they go out of style. Thats bad news for the environment—and our wallets—as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.

To figure out how much power these devices are using， Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life—from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation. Desktop computers， basic mobile phones， and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players， smart phones， and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002， before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.

As we accumulated more devices， however， we didnt throw out our old ones. “The living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kids room， and suddenly one day， you have a TV in every room of the house，” said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. Were not just keeping these old devices—we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitts team， old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions （排放） more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.

So whats the solution （解决方案）？ The teams data only went up to 2007， but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function， such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.

1. What does the author think of new devices？

A. They are environment-friendly.

B. They are no better than the old.

C. They cost more to use at home.

D. They go out of style quickly.

2. Why did Babbitts team conduct the research？

A. To reduce the cost of minerals.

B. To test the life cycle of a product.

C. To update consumers on new technology.

D. To find out electricity consumption of the devices.

3. Which of the following uses the least energy？

A. The box-set TV.

B. The tablet.

C. The LCD TV.

D. The desktop computer.

4. What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices？

A. Stop using them.

B. Take them apart.

C. Upgrade them.

D. Recycle them.

Task 4

題材：中国文化与美学的影响       文章词数：292       难度：★★★       建议用时：6分钟

For Western designers， China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.

“Its no secret that China has always been a source （来源） of inspiration for designers，” says

Amanda Hill， chief creative officer at A+E Networks， a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion （时尚） shows.

Earlier this year， the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art， with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics（美学） on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance， showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.

“China is impossible to overlook，” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world， which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion—they are central to its movement.” Of course， not only are todays top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang， Alexander Wang， Jason Wu are taking on Galliano， Albaz， Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales，” adds Hill.

For Hill， it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese， so are the models， and so are the consumers，” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today， you are talking about China—its influences， its direction， its breathtaking clothes， and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”

1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York？

A. It promoted the sales of artworks.

B. It attracted a large number of visitors.

C. It showed ancient Chinese clothes.

D. It aimed to introduce Chinese models.

2. What does Hill say about Chinese women？

A. They are setting the fashion.

B. They start many fashion campaigns.

C. They admire super models.

D. They do business all over the world.

3. What do the underlined words “taking on” in paragraph 4 mean？

A. learning from

B. looking down on

C. working with

D. competing against

4. What can be a suitable title for the text？

A. Young Models Selling Dreams to the World

B. A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York

C. Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics

D. Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends