18．As a Chinese saying goes，"Taste is actually a memory of childhood"．Local specialty food may not be popular among all people，but it offers outsiders a glimpse of local culture and history．
    Gongcheng"oil tea"is such a kind of food that would be considered"weird"by many first-time visitors to the remote county in the north of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region．Many people dislike its bitter and astringent（涩的） flavor when they take a sip．
"It felt like drinking Chinese herbal medicine．I never expected that I would gradually accept it afterwards，and even become addicted to it，"said a traveler surnamed Zhang who comes from Shijiazhuang in northern China's Hebei province．
    Langshan village is said to be the birthplace of Gongcheng"oil tea"whose ideal ingredients are green tea and fermented tea．The village has preserved well its buildings and roads dating back to late Qing Dynasty （1644-1911），as well as its traditional way of making the special tea．
Lin Fengyou，60，introduced the cooking process．She looks younger than her age，and attributes this to the benefits of drinking"oil tea"throughout the year．
    The first procedure is to use a wooden hammer to pound the tea while heating it in an iron pot，and then add edible oil and boiled water afterwards．She filters off the solid residues（余渣），and pours the glue-like green tea soup into bowls．Then，she adds salt，caraway seed，green onion，dried rice，fried groundnuts，sliced taro and fried beans．
    The taste of the"oil tea"is a mixture of the distinctive flavors of all its ingredients．Local people usually eat it together with glutinous rice（糯米） balls，rice dumplings and glutinous rice cake．
The villagers consume"oil tea"three times a day．The tea soup is a healthy and refreshing food．"The tea soup to us is coffee to Westerners"，said Lin．"But it is tastier．"

28．Many first-time visitors may find"oil tea"B when taking a sip．
A．popular    B．strange     C．addicted       D．beneficial
29．What can we learn about Lin Fengyou according to the passage？C
A．She never expected that she would gradually accept"oil tea"．
B．She is one of the reasons why the special tea has been preserved．
C．She thinks drinking"oil tea"throughout the year makes her look younger．
D．She drinks"oil tea"three times every day and considers coffee tastier．
30．Which is the correct order of cooking"oil tea"according to Lin Fengyou？A
a．pour the glue-like green tea soup into bowls
b．heat the tea in an iron pot and pound the tea
c．add salt，caraway seed，green onion，dried rice，etc
d．add edible oil and boiled water
e．filter off the solid residues
A．bdeac      B．dbace       C．acebd   D．beadc
31．Which column is this passage probably taken from？D
A．Culture & EducationB．Entertainment  C．HealthD．Travel．

17．A new international study shows that some people's biological clock plays a powerful role for their life expectancy，regardless of lifestyle choices．
    Published in the latest issue of Aging on Wednesday，the study has found the most definitive evidence to explain why some people keep healthy lifestyle but die younger than others．
    Geneticist Steve Horvath from the University of California，Los Angeles （UCLA），led a team of 65scientists around the world to record age-related changes to human DNA，analyse blood samples collected from 13，000 people and estimate their lifespan．
    A higher biological age，regardless of actual age，consistently predicts an earlier death，the study says．
"You get people who are vegan，sleep 10hours a day，have a low-stress job，and still end up dying young，"Horvath said in a statement．"We have shown some people have a faster innate aging rate．"
    The findings discovered that 5 percent of the population ages at a faster biological rate，which translated to a roughly 50 percent higher than average risk of death at any age．
"The great hope is that we find anti-aging interventions that would slow your innate aging rate，"Horvath said，adding that"this is an important milestone to realizing this dream．"

24．Some people keep healthy lifestyle but die younger than others becauseD．
A．their biological clock is not powerful enough
B．the most definitive evidence has been found
C．they have a higher actual age than others
D．they ages at a relatively faster biological rate
25．How was the study conducted？A
A．By collecting and analyzing data
B．By interviewing lots of people
C．By researching previous studies
D．By studying different lifestyles
26．According to the study，it can be inferred thatC．
A．people who keep healthy lifestyle tend to live longer
B．people's lifespan can be predicted by their age
C.5percent of people are believed to have a faster innate aging rate
D．anti-aging interventions have proved to slow the innate aging rate
27．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？C
A．We all should keep healthy lifestyle
B．Geneticist finds anti-aging interventions
C． Biological clock predicts life expectancy
D．Horvath builds an important milestone．

16．Group exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve physical fitness and sustain（保持） a healthy lifestyle．Group exercise is challenging，yet fun and empowering!Of course everyone knows that exercise is good for the body．However，studies have shown that when exercise is performed in groups，it's not only great for improving physical health but for psychological health．It's an opportunity to be social，release endorphins（内啡肽），and improve your strength．Additionally，group exercise creates a community feel and the shared common goal motivates participants to work hard．The instrumental support of taking on a fitness journey with others proves more effective than going to the gym alone．
Another beneficial aspect of group exercise is the informational support participants receive from the instructor．Many people fear the gym because they feel lost and don't want to embarrass themselves．If you feel you can relate，then group training is an even better option for you．It's a great opportunity to learn more about fitness through the clear instruction and supervision （监管） of a fitness instructor．If you're tired of wandering around the gym wasting time and becoming bored，you can attend an upbeat group fitness class that'll keep your workout on track．Don't let fitness frighten you!
If you're serious about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle，it's extremely important to surround yourself with people who'll provide you with the proper emotional support．I wouldn't scold anyone for deciding to party on weekends and in turn I wouldn't expect anyone to give offence to me for focusing on my health．Surround yourself with people who uplift，encourage and understand you!Make fitness even more fun by trying something new or any group fitness class，with a friend．Plan to go for a jog together．Then try a fun healthy restaurant or fresh juice bar!Fitness can be both fun and social!
Surrounding yourself with people who'll provide you with respect support can be very beneficial while working towards reaching health and fitness goals．First，decide to do it for yourself and work towards staying positive．Then make sure the people you surround yourself with are supportive．Don't let negativity ruin your motivation．

28．The first paragraph focuses onC．
A．the greatest challenge of group exercise
B．the most effective way to improve physical fitness
C．the contribution of group exercise to psychological health
D．the shared common goal in performing exercise in groups
29．The underlined word"upbeat"in the second paragraph probably means"A．
A．cheerful     
 B．average         
C．serious          
D．temporal
30．When it comes to emotional support，the author thinks it necessaryD．
A．to sustain a colorful lifestyle             
B．to party on weekends with positive people
C．to try a fun healthy restaurant regularly    
 D．to surround yourself with supportive people
31．What would be the best title for the passage？B
A．Seeking Support                      
 B．Supporting Health
C．Improving Your Strength                 
D．Building Up Fitness．

15．A survey has shown that what you do on a plane can be determined by which nationality is listed on your passport．
According to the results of an international passenger survey，Australians are the biggest drinkers on board with 36percent choosing to down the hatch，compared to 35 percent of Americans and 33percent of Brits．
The Airline Passenger Experience Association（APEX） spoke to around 1，500 people，aged 18 and older，who have travelled by plane at least once during the last three months and were living in the United States，United Kingdom，Germany，Japan，China，Singapore，Australia and Brazil．
The results found Chinese travelers are most likely to nod off once the seat-belt sign switches off．They are also the first to take out their credit card for some in-flight shopping and the biggest fans of gaming．Americans on the other hand like to use their time in the air more productively----when not drinking----choosing to work while flying at 35，000 feet．
Meanwhile，Brits and Germans are the best at making chat with random strangers----spending 50 percent more time than any other nationality．Comparatively，Brazilians conduct their conversations online via email，messaging apps or social media．
Despite plane food having a bad reputation，seven out of ten interviewees said they were happy to eat up on the selection of in-flight snacks and meals．In-flight magazines were also popular with four out of five passengers．
The international flyers did however express their desire for better in-flight entertainment．"The industry has greatly improved the comfort，entertainment and onboard service，and passengers are accepting those improvements"said Russell Lemieux，APEX executive director．"At the same time，passengers are demanding more from their air travel experiences which will drive more improvements touching all aspects of the journey．"he added．

32．What can you probably see in the flight according to the passage？C
A．Brazilians choose to drink．
B．Americans do in-flight shopping．
C．Germans chat to kill the time．
D．The Chinese switch off the seat-belt sign．
33．When on board the plane，B．
A．passengers from one nation have little in common
B．most passengers like to read in-flight magazines
C．more than half of the passengers don't enjoy plane food
D．most people tend to use in-flight time to have a good sleep．
34．What can we learn from the last paragraph？C
A．Flyers care little about entertainment．
B．Flyers are not satisfied with the improvements．
C．Flyers are expecting better flight experiences．
D．Flyers have more and more demands from airlines．
35．What's the purpose of the passage？D
A．To entertain readers with interesting stories．
B．To encourage people to behave well in public．
C．To criticize impolite behaviors on the plane．
D．To inform readers of the results of a survey．

14．In colleges around the country，most students are also workers．
The reality of college can be pretty different from the images presented in movies and television．Instead of the students who wake up late，party all the time，and study only before exams，many colleges are full of students with pressing schedules of not just classes and activities，but real jobs，too．
This isn't a temporary phenomenon．The share of working students has been on the rise since the 1970s，and one-fifth of students work all year round．About one-quarter of those who work while attending school have both a full-course load and a full-time job．The arrangement can help pay for tuition （学费） and living costs，obviously．And there's value in it beyond the direct cause：such jobs can also be critical for developing important professional and social skills that make it easier to land a job after graduation．With many employers looking for students with already-developed skill sets，on-the-job training while in college can be the best way to ensure a job later on．
But it's not all upside．Even full-time work may not completely cover the cost of tuition and living expenses．The study notes that if a student worked a full-time job at the federal minimum wage，they would earn just over $15，000 each year，certainly not enough to pay for tuition，room，and board at many colleges without some serious financial aid．That means that though they're sacrificing time away from the classroom，many working students will still graduate with at least some debt．And working full time can reduce the chance that students will graduate at all，by cutting into the time available for studying and attending classes．
There is little reward for attending but not finishing college．Students who wind up leaving school because of difficulty in managing work and class are likely to find themselves stuck in some of the same jobs they might have gotten if they hadn't gone at all．The difficulty of working too much while in school can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without receiving any of the financial or career benefits．

28．According to the passage，the reality of college students is thatD．
A．they throw parties a lot          
 B．they stay up late every night
C．they pay no attention to exams            
D．they work besides attending classes
29．What is the indirect cause of an increasing number of working students？C
A．The lack of summer jobs for young adults．
B．The need of developing social networks．
C．The chance of finding a job after graduation．
D．The expenses of high tuition and living costs．
30．We can learn from the passage thatA．
A．dropping out of college may not help students get career benefits
B．students can cover all their college expenses through working
C．students receive a huge reward for managing work and class
D．working students are more likely to finish college
31．What is the best title for the passage？B
A．The Difficulties of Landing a Job
B．The Struggle of Work-School Balance
C．The Reward of Working While Studying
D．The Images of Working College Students．

13．I'm seventeen．I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles．People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars．It was hard work．
While working，you wear a plate with your name on it．I once met someone I knew years ago．I remembered his name and said，"Mr．Castle，how are you？"We talked about this and that．As he left，he said，"It was nice talking to you，Brett．"I felt great，he remembered me．Then I looked down at my name plate．Oh，no．He didn't remember me at all．He just read the name plate．I wish I had put"Irving"down on my name plate．If he'd have said，"Oh yes，Irving，how could I forget you？"I'd have been ready for him．There's nothing personal here．
The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders．One of these was：you couldn't accept tips．Okay，I'm outside and I put the bags in the car．For a lot of people，the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me．I'd say，"I'm sorry，I can't．"They'd get angry．When you give someone a tip，you're sort of being polite．You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say，"Oh，thanks a lot．"When you say，"I'm sorry，I can't．"they feel a little put down．They say，"No one will know．"And they put it in your pocket．You say，"I really can't．"
It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you．It was not in agreement with the store's belief in being friendly．Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feel good．I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas．One lady actually put it in my pocket，got in the car，and drove away．I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something．
I had decided that one year was enough．Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed．I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up．

24．What can be the best title for this text？B
A．The Art of Taking Tips
B．Why I Gave up My Job                  
C．How Hard Life Is for Box Boys
D．Getting along with Customers
25．From the second paragraph，we can infer thatA
A．the writer didn't like the impersonal part of his job
B．Mr．Castle mistook Irving for Brett
C．with a name plate，people can easily start talking
D．Irving was the writer's real name
26．The box boy refused to accept tips becauseC．
A．customers only gave small tips
B．he didn't want to fight with the customers
C．the store didn't allow the box boys to take tips
D．some customers had strange ideas about tipping
27．The underlined phrase"put down"in the third paragraph probably meansD．
A．misunderstood        
B．defeated        
C．hateful              
D．hurt．

12．With fuel costs rising and airlines finding more fees to impose （强加，征税）on travelers every day，airfare isn't getting any cheaper．Since you can't drive to all your dream destinations，flying is the only way to go sometimes and，undeniably，the fastest．Luckily，there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and also avoid paying as many extra charges as possible when you plan ahead．
Get the best fare．Airlines put out their fare sales on Tuesday morning，making this day the best day to book a flight for less．
Fly during the least popular times．Tuesday，Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days to fly，which means cheaper deals than the rest of the week．You can also find reduced rates on early morning flights，since many people don't like to get up before the sun to get to the airport．Earlier boarding times can also considerably cut down your chances of getting bumped on an overbooked flight or delayed because of other delayed flights or mechanical issues．
Choose your seat later．Some airlines charge you to pick your seat when you book online，adding even more to the bottom line of your ticket cost．If you show up early on your travel day，you can still get suitable seats．Some of the best seats get held back until flight day，unless others are willing to pay extra for them ahead of time，so you still have the chance at one of those．
Fly on holidays．You already know that summer is the most expensive time to fly，and even though most other times are more affordable，the days surrounding holidays can be crazy．Save big if you're willing to travel on major holidays，such as Thanksgiving and Christmas．
Don't wait until the last-minute to book．Many travelers don't know that there's a sweet spot for booking and getting the best price on your tickets．Book too early or too late and you could end up paying more than you need to．The best time to book is between three months and six weeks from when you want to travel．

21．The passage is intended toD．
A．inform us how to book a cheaper ticket
B．tell us how to choose the seat and time for a flight
C．persuade us into travelling by air
D．inform us of some best ways to save money on a flight
22．Which of the following statements is not true？C

A．Airline travelers are supposed to pay more for the rising fuel costs
B．Early morning flight will help avoid some bumps and delays．
C．You can only book your seat online before or on your flight day．
D．Booking too early may cost you more money on your tickets．
23．Which is the best time to book the flight for October 2nd？B

A．May 15th               B．August 15th
C．June 15th               D．September 15th．

11．Do you remember the yearswhen he lived in the countryside with his grandparents？

10．OK，I admit it：emoticons （表情符号） are popular．Some people even think they are fun．Many seem unable to send an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one．Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications．
Some，however，such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal，see the use of emoticons as"childish （幼稚的） just like the people who use them"．He believes that words themselves should be enough．"If you're being funny，happy or sad，that should be obvious from the words that go before the emoticon，"he argues．In the eyes of Blumenthal，the use of emoticons is a gender （性别） issue．"Men don't use emoticons very much．Maybe not at all，"he said．"Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot．"
It's an interesting opinion，but it is not shared by all．
In an interview with The New York Times，Dacher Keltner，professor of psychology at the University of California，said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed"to seek out representations of humanity"．He believes that they appeal （吸引人） not because they are shortcuts for the lazy，but because they tap into （融入） something beyond language．They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people．
All of these arguments may be somehow real．Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way．I do not have much time for emoticons．I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing in on a primary school class that I had no place being in．I'd rather let my words do the talking．
Friends，however，send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons．I have no problem with this．I don't regard any of my friends as lazy or immature （不成熟的）．It's just a question of individuality．：）
24．According to the article，emoticons are popular becauseC．
A．most of them look funny
B．they are easy for lazy people to use
C．they add feeling and character to a communication
D．a reader cannot understand a message without them
25．Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with？B
A．Instant Message chatters are childish．
B．It's enough to use language in digital communication．
C．Men never use emoticons．
D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody．
26．From the text，we can conclude that the authorB．
A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons  
B．thinks emoticons don't suit him
C．encourage his friends to use emoticons  
D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone
27．What is the main point of the article？C
A．Advice on language used over the Internet．
B．The history of emoticons．
C．Arguments over the use of emoticons．
D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons．

9．She can speak English as fluently as Chinese．