Is it your dream to fly and to work in space? Do you want to be a NASA astronaut? Like many jobs, the first thing would be to fill out the application. A record-breaking 18,300 people filled out applications recently when NASA announced it was filling its 2017 Astronaut Candidate program. But out of those 18.300 applicants, just eight to 14 will be hired by the U.S. space agency.

It will take 18 months to decide who will be in the new class of astronauts. NASA will review all of the files, which will later go to its current team of astronauts, to make sure they meet the basic qualifications.

The first requirement is the applicants must be U.S. citizens. They need a college degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. They also need at least three years of experience in a similar field or at least 1,000 hours as a jet airline pilot.

There are requirements to pass a physical test. And then there are personality qualities tests as well. What kinds of personalities is NASA looking for in an astronaut? NASA’s Selection Manager Anne Roemer said, “I think leadership , teamwork, the ability to not only work on a team, lead a team, but also follow, be a follower on a team. Communication certainly plays a role, so it’s some pretty common skills that I think translate into even other professions.”

About 120 applicants will be invited to the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, for a first round of interviews, about half of whom will go back for a second round. Once selected, they must complete two years of training in everything about spaceflight-things like learning about all the systems used by NASA, walking in space and Russian language training. Until the U.S. has a working vehicle to launch into space, NASA still depends on Russia to get astronauts into space.

21. What is the percentage of employment among the applicants?

A. About half of them                                                   B. About 8 to 14

C. About 120 applicants                                                      D. Less than 0.08 percent

22. Which do you think is the most important personality quality according to NASA’S Selection Manager?

A. Devotion                                                                  B. Team spirit

C. Communication                                                              D. Perseverance

23. Which is NOT the basic requirement the applicants have to meet?

A. A college degree in required areas.                                B. Related experience.

C. Speaking Russian fluently.                                             D. Passing physical and personality tests.

24. Which may be the best title for the passage?

A. What is takes to be an astronaut?                                  B. What an astronaut should train in?

C. NASA welcome its most applicants ever.                         D. NASA 2017 Astronaut Candidate program.

This may be sad to hear, but the number of Britain’s famous red telephone boxes has been falling for decades. The phone box is iconic (标志性的) to foreign fans of Britain and visitors to the country. There are still many left to enjoy, however.

There is deep feeling for the bright red iron-and-glass boxes with the Queen’s coat of arms. The places that still have the red box are mostly small and in the countryside. In these places, the phone box may be a symbol of community, as well as a landmark.

But there are still several cities, including London, that still have original red phone boxes in place.

For tourists, they probably make the perfect background for a selfie (自拍照). Visit London any day in the summer and you’ll see people with their smart phones taking photos with the red box behind them. People who receive the photo will have no trouble guessing where the selfie was taken.

Ever since mobile phones became more widespread, there has been less and less point in public phones. But although the red boxes are no longer popular places to make a call from, new uses are being found for them all the time. The famous design created by Giles Gilbert Scott back in 1924 lives on, but in ways the British architect would never have imagined.

Some of the new ways the phone boxes are being used are quite unusual. For example, some have been changed into tiny coffee shops. Others are hat stores. In one remote area of the country, a red box that had not been used for a long time has been turned into a small lending library.

Even back in their heyday in the last century, phone boxes were put to other uses. Some people even used them as toilets in an emergency.

But for many, they were a safe place to hide if you were caught up in the rain. Britain’s weather is unpredictable: sun one moment, heavy rain the next. So if you are planning to visit the UK and want the perfect British selfie, standing inside a red telephone box in a rainstorm may be your best bet.

25. According to the author, the red phone boxes in Britain are special because       .

A. they can be put into different kinds of use

B. they are only found in the British countryside

C. they hold great meaning to some British communities

D. they have a deep connection with the royal family

26 We can learn from the article that British red phone boxes       .

A. are mostly made of wood and glass

B. first appeared in big cities such as London

C. were designed by a British architect in the 1930s

D. are not used much for phone calls these days

27. The underlined word “heyday” in the second to last paragraph probably means       .

A. a popular time                                                         B. a bad time

C. an unusual time                                                              D. a happy time

28. The purpose of the last paragraph is to       .

A. explain how to deal with Britain’s changeable weather

B. describe a common way of making use of a red phone box in the UK

C. advise visitors to take a selfie standing inside a red telephone box

D. show how to use a red phone box in the case of an emergency

A Guide to the University

Food

The TWU Cafeteria is open 7am to 8pm. It serves snacks, drinks ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk, Even you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.

If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.

Relaxation

The Glob, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.

Health

Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse are available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 pm.

Academic Support

All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.

Transportation

The TWU Express is a shuttle service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre, leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 8 am and 3 pm. Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $ 1.

29. Where and when can you cook your own food?

A. The Globe, Friday.                                                  B. The Lower Cafe, Sunday.

C. The TWU Cafeteria, Friday.                                    D. The McMillan Hall, Sunday.

30. The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre       .

A. is open six days a week                                           B. offers services free of charge

C. trains students in medical care                                       D. gives advice on metal health

31 .How can you seek help from the Writing Centre?

A. By applying online.                                                  B. By calling the centre.

C. By filling in a sign-up.                                              D. By going to the centre directly

32. What is the function of the TWU Express?

A. To carry students to the lecture halls.

B. To provide students with campus tours.

C. To take students to the Mattson Centre.

D. To transport students to and from the stores.

 “Languages are important,” “I know they’re hard but don’t give up,” “They’ll help you in life”.

I was told these words of encouragement over and over again, I would always roll my eyes, ignore them and continue to stress over the past and future tense and any numbers over 20.

I have studied languages from a young age. I began learning Greek aged 10. when my family and I moved there for two years. At first it was difficult and I had no idea whether I would be able to learn the language and use it productively, but eventually it started to make sense.

Slowly, very slowly, I started to get an immense (巨大的) sense of pride from using words and phrases I had learnt, overhearing (偷听) conversations and (almost) understanding everything that was said.

Eight years later I started university back in England, where I met one of my best friends. Guess how we became best friends? She spoke Greek as a second language, I spoke Greek as a second language, that was our conversation starter. We went for coffee and from that moment we were inseparable. I was always told I would meet people through languages and it would open up doors for me, and that was one of the first moments where I believed it. Sometimes it comes down to something small like that, to make you realise what you’re doing is 100 percent worth it.

I was encouraged by my family to continue on the language path since I started learning at the age of 10, so I took up German and it was really challenging. There were a lot of times I thought I was going to give up, but I am so glad I didn’t; when I was 18, I didn’t get into the university I wanted, or get to study the course I wanted, I had no idea what I was going to do. I changed my plan and applied to go to the University of Manchester instead, to study Spanish. I had never studied Spanish before; they saw that I had studied Greek and German and offered me a place! Now I am in Spain for a year having an amazing time and enjoying the sunshine, working as an English language assistant in a lovely little primary school.

It was a wonderful chain of events; if I had ignored everybody who encouraged me to study languages, gave up when it was hard and didn’t practice, I would not be doing what I am doing right now, and ray life would be totally different. I’m glad I listened.

My advice: it’s true, languages arc important, immerse (使沉浸于) yourself in them, work hard and enjoy the benefits (because there are a lot!).

33. When offered tips on learning languages, the author •

A. kept them in mind carefully

B. didn’t pay any attention to them

C. tried to test whether they were true or not

D. would react with a huge sense of pride.

34. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the author?

A. She started learning Greek because of her strong interest in it.

B. She fell in love with the Greek language as she slowly mastered it.

C. She dreamt of learning languages at the University of Manchester.

D. She met her best friend in her Spanish language class.

35. What is the article mainly about?

A. The most effective way to learn a second language.

B. The difficulties the author once had in learning languages.

C. The importance and advantages of learning a second language.

D. The author’s language learning experiences and how she benefited from them.

Making words shorter is a common habit of English speakers today.

It seems that most sayings or popular words have their own abbreviation. 36.        For example, LOL stands for “laughing out loud”，IMO is “in my opinion” and BTW is “by the way”. US technology website Lifewire made a list of the most common abbreviations in 2016.

Simple ones you may already know - like BTW, IMO and IDK (I don’t know) made the list. 37.        They include TFW (that feeling when), and FTW (for the win). TFW is sometimes used along with a funny photo to describe your feelings, while FTW is a kind of internet cheer used to express happiness. 38.        You can use this one before you tell someone what you think about something.

39.        Terry Wood, a foreign language teacher from Leonardtown, US, says the habits have lowered his students’ writing abilities. “They do not capitalize (大写) words or use punctuation anymore,” Wood told US News. “40.       ”

A. The list is meant to be good fun.

B. Another interesting learn is IMHO (in my humble opinion).

C. But there were lots of other more difficult ones on the list, too.

D. This happens a lot when they are used on social media or in a text message.

E. Any word longer than one syllable (音节) is now abbreviated to one.

F. Researchers identified several ways in which teens changed language while speaking online.

G. However, some people believe these abbreviations are also causing problems.