9．Today，widespread social pressure to immediately go to college together with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year．And after going to school for 12 years，it doesn't feel natural to spend a year during something that isn't academic．
But despite common misconceptions，a gap year does not impede the success of academics-in fact，it probably promotes it．
Studies show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not．Gap year experiences can lessen the difficulty when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment，making it easier to focus on academics and activities．
Nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once．Many students find themselves listing one major on their college applications，but switching to another after taking college classes．At Boston College，for example，you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department．Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on．
Many people，however，argue that the gap year itself can take much money．That's a math．There are formal gap year programs that are rather pricey，but there are also many opportunities to volunteer and receive free housing or even get paid for your gap year．
Perhaps the most convincing reason for taking a gap year is that it offers a unique opportunity that will likely never reappear．After graduating from college，it's possible to take some time off．Students should think about the next step in their future lives：Don't rule out anything，including a gap year．

25．What might be the author's purpose by writing the passage？B
A．To explain what the gap year really is．
B．To prove the necessity of the gap year．
C．To introduce the way to take the gap year．
D．To describe the students taking their gap year．
26．What stops students taking their gap year？D
A．The pricey gap year programs．
B．Bad performance in high school．
C．High expectations for college life．
D．Worrying about falling behind in study．
27．What can we know about students from the passage？B
A．Nearly 80 percent of college students change their majors only once．
B．High school students have little experience to choose college majors．
C．many new comers of college are suffering from acclimation blunders．
D．All colleges allow their students to change their majors free of charge．
28．What is the author's attitude towards the gap year？A
A．Favorable．
B．Critical．
C．Concerned．
D．Indifferent．

8．Every year，TIME selects the best inventions that are making the world better，smarter and-in some cases-a little more fun．Here's which ones made this year's unranked list．
●Morpher
People refuse to wear a helmet because they're thick and bulky．Morpher，a bike helmet made from interweaved plastics that is just as strong as its traditional helmets，but flexible enough to fold almost totally flat，making it easier to transport．Morpher has raised almost $300，000 on Indiegogo and may be available for sale in stores in future．
●Hyper Adapt
Almost everyone who sees the movie Back to the Future wants a pair of self-lacing shoes．Now，thanks to Nike，the shoe dream is a reality．When wearers press a button near the tongue，the Hyper Adapt 1.0s automatically tighten and loosen around their foot．Simplified shoe fastening could give users an edge during sports competition，and it's especially useful for people with impaired（受損的） motor function．
●Hello Sense
It's hard to believe that an alarm clock could not only be beautiful but also improve your sleep．That it could monitor the temperature，humidity（濕度），light and even air quality in your bedroom to help you engineer a perfect sleep environment．That it could monitor your sleep cycles and wake you when you're least likely to feel groggy-all thanks to simple voice commands．
●Eatwell Assistive Tableware
It is hard for Alzheimer's patients to use silverware without spilling．Eatwell Assistive Tableware is a dining set designed to make mealtime easier for people with Alzheimer's and other diseases that affect brain and body function．The tableware uses bright colors to help people distinguish their plates from their food and putting wide rubber bases on the cups to prevent spills．

21．What is the advantage of Morpher over traditional helmets？D
A．It is portable．
B．It is safer．
C．It is stronger．
D．It is folding and light．
22．Who may like Hyper Adapt most？A
A．Athletes．
B．Officer workers．
C．Taxi drivers．
D．Regular travelers，
23．What does the underlined word"groggy"in Paragraph 3 mean？C
A．Energetic．
B．Dizzy．
C．Tiring．
D．Uncomfortable．
24．What invention is unavailable on the market at present？B
A．Hyper Adapt．
B．Morpher．
C．Hello Sense．
D．Eatwell Assistive Tableware．

7．You know the drill when it comes to losing weight：take in fewer calories and burn more calories．（36）GIf you're trying to drop a few pounds fast，these interesting tips will make it easy for you to lose the weight quick．
Eat in front of mirrors and you'll lose weight
One study finds that eating in front of mirrors reduces the amount people eat by nearly one third．Having to look yourself in the eye reflects back some of your own inner standards and goals．（37）F
Sniff a banana or an apple when you feel hungry
（38）AResearchers find that the more frequently people sniff，the less hungry they are and the more weight they lose-an average of 30 pounds each．One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it．
（39）C
Whether that's a floor，a couple of windows，or your car，a 150-pound person will burn about four calories for every minute spent cleaning．Scrub for 30 minutes and you could work off approximately 120 calories，the same number in a half-cup of frozen yogurt．
Start at the color blue
There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue：it helps to control an appetite．So serve up dinner on blue plates，dress in blue while you eat，and cover your table with a blue tablecloth．（40）EStudies find they encourage eating．

A．You might feel silly，but it works．
B．There fore，adjust your eating habits．
C．Wash something thoroughly once a week．
D．That's all it takes to lose as many pounds as possible．
E．On the contrary，avoid red，yellow，and orange in your dining areas．
F．In other words，it reminds you of why you're trying to lose weight in the first place．
G．But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans don't work as promised．

6．Kanda really doesn't like to walk alone．The scientist from a research institute of intelligent robots finds the experience so boring that he'd rather drive-even though he lives close to his lab and knows that walking us healthy．"I enjoy walking with someone，like with my wife，with my daughter，"Kanda said．"But they are not always available．"
So Kanda，who specializes in human-like bots，developed a robotic walking partner that could make small talk based on its surroundings，which，he hopes，might motivate people to get out and exercise more．The bot rests on a person's shoulder like a boxy parrot．It weights about a pound and a half and sits roughly 8.5 inches high，3.5 inches wide，and 10 inches long．A microphone，speaker，and internal camera allow it to communicate．It's even equipped with a smile．
Kanda and his team collected video form five different locations，including a garden and a shopping mall，and created a dataset of small talk topics related to each location．Then they programmed the robot to associate visual cues with specific topics．A special speech software provided the robot with a voice．Near a group of parked cars，for example，it might say，"In a big parking lot，sometimes I forget where I parked．"
They tested the robot on 15 volunteers，10 males and 5 females，who were paid and averaged about 26 years old．"Have you ever blown a puff of dandelion（蒲公英）seeds into the air？"The robot asked a participant，who smiled and responded，"Yes，I often did that when I was a child．"Although several participants noted the robot's weight，Kanda was surprised that no one considered the experience as strange or funny．"I guess people enjoy new technologies，"he said．
Just like a human partner，Kanda's bot isn't perfect．It's not able to go for walks in heavy rain and，while the robot can make expressions，it can't really hold a conversation，about which Kanda is most worried．Despite its limits，Kanda was comforted by the bot's presence．"I felt a kind of sense of being with someone，"he said，"particularly when it spoke．"

28．Why does Kanda have the idea of developing a robotic walking partner？A
A．Because he wants someone to accompany him while walking．
B．Because he has never developed a robot like a parrot．
C．Because his family are unwilling to walk with him．
D．Because he is crazy about developing robots．
29．What characteristic does the robot have？A
A．It can"speak"and"see"．
B．It can walk like a human being．
C．It can communicate with people freely．
D．It is much more humorous than a real person．
30．What is necessary for the robot to function？D
A．A small size．
B．A boxy shape．
C．A human partner．
D．A speech software．
31．What is Kanda most likely to do about his robot next？B
A．To make it more convenient to carry．
B．To improve its conversational skills．
C．To enable it to walk in heavy rain．
D．To better its sound system．

5．While most 18-year-olds are getting ready to go to college or get a job，March Tian Boedihardjo，an Indonesian Chinese math prodigy（奇才），has already accomplished（61）both．
Although he never likes being called a prodigy，（62）saying（say）it means he doesn't have to work hard for his achievements，March Tian Boedihardjo is（63）really（real） special．He first made international headlines in 2007，（64）whenhe managed to get an A in both Mathematics and Further Mathematics at the tender age of 9．
That same year，Boedihardjo became the（65）youngest（young） person in Hong Kong to ever be admitted to university．And he managed to graduate in just four years．
Recently he（66）has been offered/was offered（offer） an associate professor job at a university．As it turns out，brilliance runs in the Boedihardjo family's blood．Horatio，admitted to the Oxford University at the age of 14，is March's elder brother.1wonder（67）whatthe next generation will be able to do，graduating from high school．before they learn to speak？
Both his teachers and parents have been accused of robbing him（68）ofhis childhood throughout the years．（69）However，March says he has no regrets．"If I（70）were（be） given a second
chance，1would go down the same path，"he said．

4．Gardens：Autumn is about BeginningsIt's autumn，the season of falling leaves and gardening journalists reusing their favorite utumnal phrase："putting the garden to bed"．
（36）GInstead，this is a time of new beginnings．Giving you plants for free in exchange or very little time and effort．Hardwood cuttings are probably the easiest of all cuttings to take．
If you have never done it before，this weekend is your chance．
Suitable plants for this treatment are roses and grapes（37）FSo cuttings are a brilliant ay to make sure you get what you are hoping for．
The best time to do this is just after leaf fall．（38）CPick out some of the bright green tems（莖）from this year's growth and cut into l ft sections．Dipping the lower cut end in ooting powder（生根粉）will improve your success rate，but it's not absolutely necessary．
Simply taking a few more than you need should cover you．
Dig out a little hole in a sheltered patch of your plot and bury the bottom two-thirds of ach cutting，setting them about l0cm apart（39）EThen water them well．
By this time next autumn，at least 50% 0f these cuttings should have rooted away nicely．
You can get loads of plants for yourself and even Christmas gifts for your friends．（40）A

A．From your garden to theirs．
B．Experiment with the cuttings for several times．
C．If you miss this，just before they flower next spring．
D．In this way，the garden will come into a period to rest．
E．Firm the soil around the cuttings with your hands or heel．
F．These come in such a diversity of varieties，which can be hard to tell apart．
G．Autumn shouldn't be a time to avoid outdoor tidying up and working in gardens．

3．"City trees，popularly thought to remove pollutants （污染物）and improve urban life，may also increase the amount of polluted air that people breathe，"says the UK body which gives independent health guidance to national and local government．
"Leaves and branches slow airflow，causing pollutants to settle．They may also act as sinks for chemicals that may have direct or indirect effects on air quality．Air quality under trees may deteriorate at street level near vehicles，"says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence （ NICE）  in new draft guidance for local government to fight against air pollution．
NICE does not recommend the government cut down trees in leafy areas to meet pollution limits，but urges planners，local authorities and developers to take into account the bad effects that trees can have on air quality if badly sited or unmanaged．
"It is not always true that trees reduce air pollution．Their effect is dependent on factors including species，time of year and wind direction．"it says．
The guidelines also question the unintended consequences of other measures often taken by cities to improve people's quality of life．"Road humps（隆起）aimed at slowing traffic and noise barriers alongside busy roads can both increase air pollution，"says NICE．
It proposes（建議）the government consider air pollution at every stage of the planning process．This could extend to where new housing is sited and recommending that developers build new houses with the living room situated furthest away from roads．
"Schools and nurseries should be sited away from main roads，"says NICE．But it also ants to see drivers educated on how to reduce pollution．This could include switching the ngine off when they are dropping people off，or making deliveries，and avoiding rapid ccelerations（加速）and decelerations．
According to the guidelines，action is needed both to insure vehicles on the road are clean nd that there are fewer of them．

32．What does the underlined word"deteriorate"in Paragraph 2probably mean？A
A．worsen    
B．improve   
C．end    
D．exist
33．According to the text，the effect of trees on air quality might be connected withD．
A．the size of trees          
B．the speed of wind
C．the growth rate of trees    
D．the types of trees
34．What can we infer from the text？D
A．Tall trees are beneficial to air quality．
C．The number of trees might affect air quality．
B．New houses should be built away from trees．
D．Unsteady driving might contribute to pollution．
35．What is mainly talked about in the text？C
A．People should plant fewer trees in the city．
B．Polluted air is mainly caused by city trees．
C．Trees may increase air pollution on city streets．
D．More work should be done to prevent air pollution．

2．Like most bees，the ground nesting Anthophora squammulosa bees（花條蜂） live alone．The females lay their eggs in little underground nests and then head out to search for food to feed their developing larvae（幼蟲）．This process usually takes place in environments with plenty of plants，to insure a reliable supply of food．
So you can imagine how Hilary Erenler felt when she came across some Anthophora squammulosa bees around the ashes of the active Masaya volcano．How could they survive in such a severe condition!
The bees appeared to be living in a small area of ash close to what is called"kill zone"by researchers，The area is known i：or its extreme temperatures which can get as high as 42°C （107.6°F）．
Then what do these bees eat？Former research has shown that they feed on a wide variety of plants．However，the insects living on the Masaya volcano's edge are not so lucky．When the scientists analyzed the food from the female bees'bodies，they discovered that 99 percent of all food collected came from a hardy wildflower that can stand the hard conditions．
The researchers think the bees live here to keep safe．It could also be because very few plants can grow on the volcano's side．As a result，the underground bee nests aren't broken up by their fast-growing roots：，as often happens in"normal"environments．But safe as they may appear，Erenler notes that this group of bees could be in even more danger．A volcano eruption or the death of the single plant they depend on for food would destroy the entire population．
Researchers warn we shouldn't stop our conservation efforts to save the precious insects that are dying at shocking rates owing to the loss of habitat and human behavior．

25．How did Hilary Erenler feel when seeing Anthophora squammulosa bees around the Masaya volcano？C
A．Frightened．
B．Painful．
C．Surprised．
D．Delighted．
26．How did the researchers learn about what the bees eat？C
A．By looking for their habitat．
B．By observing them in the lab．
C．By examining the food in the bees'bodies．
D．By referring to previous study records．
27．Why do these bees live around the volcano according to the researchers？A
A．They could find safety there．
B．They like the hot temperature．
C．They are raised there for experiments．
D．There is a special flower they like best．
28．What can we infer about the bees from the text？B
A．The females lay larvae．
B．Their future is worrying．
C．They are in large numbers．
D．They live in the roots of the plants．

1．Let's Go to Beverley for the Christmas FestivalWhy go now？
This historic market town，Beverley，does the festive season well，particularly on the second Sunday in December，when it holds its Festival of Christmas now in its 21st year．Its Victorian market has 120 handicrafts（手工藝品），gifts and food stalls（貨攤）．Stall-holders dress in period costume（服裝），and there are rides and entertainment in streets decorated with fairy lights．
What else is there to do？
Beverley's minster（大教堂）was the inspiration for Westminster Abbey，but locals prefer St Mary's church．Founded in 1120，St Mary's church has beautifully carved and painted figures，including a rabbit which is said to have inspired the white rabbit in Alice Wonderland．A fun way to see the rest of the town，with its medieval gate and two marketplaces，is by following the Elwell Trail，22 paintings of local life by artists Fred and Mary Elwell．
Anywhere good to eat？
Run by brother and sister twins in a former court building，the Westwood restaurant does a generous two-course lunch for￡19.95．The less formal Potting Shed pub，new this summer，is rather barn-like but the pizzas and burgers are the best．
How about a drink？
Loads of choice．Most famous is the White Horse，known far and wide as Nellie's，with benches probably as old as its gas lights．Real wine lovers rate （看好） the Chequers Micro pub，and the redecorated King's Head has added a great cocktail station．
Anywhere to stay under￡100 a night？
Nice spots like Number One Beverley and the Game Bird pub are sold out for the festival．The Tudor Rose （ doubles from￡85）is friendly，if in need of an update，and close to all the action．

21．What can we infer about Beverley？B
A．lt was built 21years ago．
B．It is a nice place for shopping．
C．Fred and Mary Elwell were born there．
D．Wonderland is the only local zoo there．
22．Why do locals like St Mary's church better？B
A．It is the symbol of the town．
B．It is beautiful and has a long history．
C．It is the origin of Westminster Abbey．
D．People can see the rest of the town there．
23．Which is the best choice for wine lovers？D
A．Number One Beverley．
B．The King's Head．
C．The Potting Shed pub．
D．The Chequers'Micro pub．
24．What type of-writing is this text？C
A．An official report．
B．An invitation．
C．A travel guide．
D．An announcement．

20．假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文．文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處．每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改．
增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出該加的詞．
刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉．
修改：在錯的詞下畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞．
注意：1．每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；
2．只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計(jì)分．
Today while walk past the train station，I see two young men carrying some huge bags．
They were consulting a map and seemed confusing，so I asked them if I could help．Actually，they were looking for an address where isn't easy to find，and it happened to be the same places where l was going．Therefore，I helped them with one of the bags but walked with them until they found the right house．We had a nice chat and I told that they had come all the way from the France．They were very grateful for me，and I felt very happily．