Hi Maz and Bobby,

I don't know what you're up to this Sunday, but if you're at a loose end, come over to my place. We're going to have a barbecue.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks mate, but I'm completely snowed under at the moment. I have to write an essay by Monday afternoon, so I'll be working all weekend. I've got nothing arranged for the following weekend though, so maybe we can meet then? I'll call you later.

Bobby

Dear Tom,

Like Bobby, I'm a bit tied up tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have to go to my great uncle's house for a family lunch. He was ill so we thought it might not happen, but it looks as if it's going ahead. I really can't get out of it because it's the old man's 60th birthday and most of the family will probably be there.

Maz

Ok you guys,

I'm calling off the barbecue. Judging from the grey sky, it's going to rain all weekend anyway. Maybe you'll have done your various duties by the end of the evening and we can go for a drink instead! If you want to relax, I'll be in The Hart, a pub on King Street. Gloria and I are meeting there at about 8:30, as long as nothing else pops up! Don't forget it closes at 10:30 on Sundays.

Ok, time to put my feet up and take it easy!

Later,

Tom

1．What does Tom intend to do at first?

A. To have a family lunch.

B. To invite his friends to a barbecue.

C. To go for a drink with his friends.

D. To ask for help from his friends.

2．The underlined part "snowed under" in the second email means "________"

A. buried under snow

B. very bored

C. extremely busy

D. entirely relaxed

3．Which statement is TRUE according to the emails?

A. Bobby is not available this Sunday.

B. Maz has to visit his uncle for he is ill.

C. The barbecue will take place on time.

D. Tom will hold a party with his friends.

4．What will Tom probably do after sending the last email？

A. Prepare the barbecue.

B. Go to the pub.

C. Have a rest.

D. Call his friends.

I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people kept asking me stories about what it’s like to work in a field under the control of men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the existence of the universe, the shape of space time and the nature of black holes.

At 19, when I began studying astrophysics(天体物理学), it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the problem started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed from the angle of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures.

Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would finally become my reply to any and all provocations(挑衅): I don’t talk about that any more. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender problems. Why should removing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.

Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t take no notice of those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the scene of their physics professor heavily pregnant (怀孕）doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.

5．Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

A. She feels unhappy working in the scientific field.

B. She finds space research more important.

C. She is not good at telling stories of the kind.

D. She is tired of the sexism in scientific field.

6．From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would think the author’s failures were due to __.

A. her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist

B. her involvement in gender politics

C. the very fact that she is a woman

D. the burden she bears in a male-leading society

7．Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

A. Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.

B. Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence.

C. More female students are going in for science than before.

D. Her female students can do just as well as male students.

8．What does the image(形象) that the author presents to her students suggest?

A. Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

B. Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

C. Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.

D. Women now have fewer problems going in for a science career.

Bars are very important in providing a place where people can meet and make friends. People who enjoy a drink in a local bar are happier and have more friends. They are more likely to be engaged in conversations in small community pubs, and social skills improve after a drink.

Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University said, “Friendship and communities are probably the two most important factors influencing our health and well-being. Making and maintaining friendships is something that has to be done in the real world. The digital world is simply no substitute(n.替代物). Given the increasing tendency for our social life to be on the Internet rather than in real life, having relaxed, accessible places where people can meet old friends and make new ones becomes even more necessary.”

Tim Page, chief executive of CAMRA, said, “Bars offer a social environment to enjoy a drink with friends in a responsible community setting. The role of community bars in ensuring well-being cannot be overstated. For that reason, we all  need to do what we can to ensure that everyone has a ‘local’ near to where they live or work.”

Bars have long been part of British society and have played a key role in British social life since the 16^th century. Bars came to represent the heart and soul of a community, providing both a place of entertainment and an engine for community bonding. In a world before the arrival of the motor car, the bar provided a venue in which people could get friendships and a sense of community.

But the closing decades of the 20th century witnessed major changes in both the style of bars (for example, themed bars) and their numbers. As of 2015, the number of bars declines sharply, with bars continuing to close at an average rate of 29 a week.

9．What does a regular(n.常客) at a local bar having more friends prove?

A. The benefits brought by pub cultures 

B. The popularity of local bars in Britain.

C. The relation between friendships and bars

D. The importance of face-to-face communication.

10．What does Robin think is the tendency for social life?

A. More people will go to bars.

B. People will maintain friendships

C. People will trust the digital world 

D. People will communicate more online.

11．Why does Tim Page value the role of local bars?

A. They contribute to people’s social happiness.  

B. They are a place common people can afford.

C. They are a good place to spread cultural values.

D. They are accessible to people in the community.

12．What can we infer about bars nowadays?

A. Themed bars have held the market  

B. Some bars have a hard time surviving.

C. They become the heart of a community 

D. Measures should be taken to save them.

Climate change will increase US wildfires,and the smoky air will cause terrible problems in areas far beyond those burned,reports an environmental group Thursday.

Two-thirds of Americans,or nearly 212 million,lived in states suffering from wildfire smoke three years ago,according to the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC).These areas,which had smoke for at least a week,were nearly 50 times greater than those burned directly by fire.

“It affects a much wide area of the United States than people have realized.” says author Kim Knowlton,a Columbia University health professor,adding the smoke can move up to hundreds of miles.She says the smoke contains air pollution and can cause several kinds of diseases.

Texas was hit hardest in 2011,when smoke stayed for at least a week in areas that are home to 25 million people,according to NRDC’s report.Illinois,which recorded no wildfires within its borders,came second with

nearly 12 million people affected by smoke that moved in from elsewhere.The other eight states with the most people in touch with smoky air were,in descending  order: Florida,Missouri,Georgia,Louisiana,Michigan,Alabama,Oklahoma and Iowa.

Nearly two dozen states had no wildfires within their borders in 2011,but eight of them still had at least one week of smoky air: Illinois,Missouri，Iowa,Kansas,Nebraska,Indiana,Wisconsin and Ohio.

Only 18 states and the District of Columbia had no people in touch with at least a week of smoke that year,although five of them—Alaska,California,Hawaii,Nevada and Utah—had a large area burned by wildfires.

The problem will only get worse.Knowlton says.Scientific research shows climate is causing higher temperatures and health problems.

13．We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_______.

A. climate change killed many Americans

B. there are fewer states burned by wildfires

C. every state had wildfire smoke for at least a week

D. most Americans suffered from wildfire smoke 3 year ago

14．Which of the following states had wildfires within its borders in 2011?

A. Iowa.    B. Kansas.    C. Ohio.    D. California.

15．The underlined word “descending” in the fourth paragraph probably means _______.

A. going down    B. coming true    C. looking practical    D. turning back

16．What is the text mainly about?

A. Climate change causes more wildfires.

B. Wildfire smoke becomes a serious health problem.

C. More wildfires cause climate changes.

D. Air pollution becomes a terrible problem.

One of the most inspiring quotes（名言） I ever heard was by Brian Tracy. He said: “The______between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people ______ many more times than unsuccessful people.”

I deeply understood the ______ of the quote soon after my fist book was published.

I was living in Atlanta at the time and ______ my fist signing sale for my new book at the phoenix and Dragon,the largest bookstore in the city. Although a nice sign was placed outside the room ______ images of both me and my book, The 9 Insights of the Wealthy Soul,not a single customer entered the room. ______ each minute passed, I became increasingly ______.

At 6:25 pm, just before the store’s ______, I began to get myself ready to leave. At that moment, just when I couldn’t fell any ______, a middle-aged couple walked into the room. I managed to ______ my emotions and introduced myself and my book.

The couple turned the pages each other, and the husband ______ to his wife. She then told me,“I think we’ll get the book.”

Despite the impulse (冲动）to jump ______, and hold their hands to thank them for being my ______ readers, I realized the woman was trying to say something else.

“The ______ we’re buying it is that our son died two years ago,” she said. “Maybe your book will help us ______ it .”

At that moment, I knew if never sold a copy of the book, my four years of ______ had been meaningless.

Although I would have many more challenging years ______ my book became a bestseller, this couple’s story was all the ______ I needed at that point to keep me ______.

Thanks to them, I would realize that the greatest of lives are made all in the same way : One challenge ... one challenge ... one difficulty ... one step ... and one small ______ at a time.

17．A. similarity    B. difference    C. interest    D. advantage

18．A. fail    B. own    C. try    D. experience

19．A. fault    B. key    C. secret    D. wisdom

20．A. refused    B. decided    C. arranged    D. waited

21．A. including    B. showing    C. drawing    D. selling

22．A. While    B. As    C. With    D. when

23．A. anxious    B. excited    C. angry    D. curious

24．A. rented    B. opening    C. crowded    D. closing

25．A. worse    B. bad    C. good    D. better

26．A. express    B. hide    C. read    D. push

27．A. nodded    B. side    C. replied    D. talked

28．A. one end    B. in a row    C. in  the air    D. on the ground

29．A. reliable    B. old    C. welcoming    D. first

30．A. impact    B. reason    C. purpose    D. result

31．A. look through    B. get over    C. find out    D. come across

32．A. studying    B. advertising    C. writing    D. waiting

33．A. since    B. unless    C. after    D. until

34．A. motivation    B. information    C. decision    D. material

35．A. moving ahead    B. falling down    C. putting forward    D. losing courage

36．A. sorrow    B. failure    C. success    D. pleasure