Here are Important Travel Notices from United Airlines, March 20, 2016 7:12 AM. Information is updated as it is received.
◆ 1. Travel and the Zika virus
If you have a ticket for travel to a country affected by the Zika virus (as listed on the CDC website) and have concerns, please contact the United Customer Contact Center with any questions or changes to your reservation. Customers advised to avoid the affected regions based on CDC guidance may change their destination or travel date without a fee or may choose to receive a refund（退款）if their tickets were booked before February 29, 2016. The new travel date must be within the validity of the ticket. Additional charges may apply if there is a difference in fare for the new travel route.
◆ 2. Longer lines at security checkpoints
Procedural changes at TSA checkpoints throughout the United States may result in longer lines at security checkpoints. Please plan accordingly and allow for extra time at the airport. The TSA advises arriving at the airport two hours before your flight for US travel and three hours before for international travel. To save time at security, we encourage you to visit www.tsa.gov.com and apply for TSA pre-check.
◆ 3. Notice for flights departing the European Union, Norway and Switzerland
EU Regulation 261/2004 requires airlines to provide the following notice: If you are not allowed to board or if your flight is cancelled or delayed for at least two hours, ask at the check-in counter or boarding gate for the form, stating your rights, particularly about compensation and assistance.
1.Travelers have to pay additional fees when they want to .
A．change their reservation
B．change travel date
C．receive their refund
D． change to a dearer route
2.What do we know from Notice 2?
A．Security check possibly takes time in the USA.
B．Security checkpoints are not available.
C．Security check wastes a long time.
D．Pre-check can easily be done online.
3.Compensation can be asked for when .
A．passengers refuse to board the plane
B．passengers’ trip is cancelled in advance
C．passengers’ flight is delayed at least two hours
D．passengers miss their flight due to traffic jam
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A taxi driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to give training to company executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.
I had flown into Dallas for the purpose of calling on a customer. Time was limited and my plan included a quick turn-around trip from and back to the airport. A spotless taxi pulled up. The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver’s seat, he mentioned that the neatly-folded Wall Street Journal next to me was for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, “Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell.”
“You bet,” he replied, “I used to be in Microsoft. But I got tired of it, thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my position in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be. I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, helping people and feeling like I have done a full day’s work and done it well. I thought about my personal strengths and ... wham! I became a taxi driver. One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to go above the customer’s expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being ‘great’ better than just getting by being ‘average’.”
1.What does the writer really want to say in Paragraph 1?
A．The writer thought the driver motivational.
B．The writer benefited a lot from the ride.
C．The writer was over charged for the ride.
D．The writer paid less for the ride.
2.What caused the writer’s curiosity about the taxi driver?
A．His wonderful CD.
B．His touching speech.
C．His high-quality service.
D．His neatly-folded journal.
3.From the last paragraph we know that the taxi driver .
A．is enthusiastic about his work
B．expects much from his work
C．thinks too highly of himself
D．goes above his own expectations
4.Which of the following isthe taxi driver likely to agree?
A．Being great is a must in life.
B．Life is not easy for all of us.
C．Don’t expect too much in life.
D．Every one of us has strengths.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Humans and many other mammals have unusually efficient internal temperature regulating systems that automatically maintain stable core body temperatures（核心体温）in cold winters and warm summers. In addition, people have developed cultural patterns and technologies that help them adjust to extremes of temperature and humidity（湿度）.
In very cold climates, there is a constant danger of developing hypothermia（低体温）, which is a life threatening drop in core body temperature to below normal levels. The normal temperature for humans is about 37.0°C. However, differences in persons and even the time of day can cause it to be as much as 6°C higher or lower in healthy individuals. It is also normal for core body temperature to be lower in elderly people. Hypothermia begins to occur when the core body temperature drops to 34.4°C. Below 29.4°C, the body cools more rapidly because its natural temperature regulating system usually fails. The rapid decline in core body temperature is likely to result in death. However, there have been rare cases in which people have been saved after their temperatures had dropped to 13.9-15.6°C. This happened in 1999 to a Swedish woman who was trapped under an ice sheet in freezing water for 80 minutes. She was found unconscious, not breathing, and her heart had stopped beating, yet she was eventually saved despite the fact that her temperature had dropped to 13.7°C.
In extremely hot climates or as a result of uncontrollable infections, core body temperatures can rise to equally dangerous levels. This is hyperthermia. Life threatening hyperthermia typically starts in humans when their temperatures rise to 40.6-41.7°C. Only a few days at this extraordinarily high temperature level is likely to result in the worsening of internal organs and death.
1.Why can humans keep stable body temperatures in different seasons?
A．Because their bodies are unusually efficient.
B．Because they experience different climates.
C．Because they can adjust to cultural patterns and technologies.
D．Because they have internal temperature regulating systems.
2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly discuss?
A．The dangerous effects of hypothermia.
B．The change of body temperature.
C．The survival of the Swedish woman.
D．The regulating systems of natural temperature.
3.People are unlikely to survive under the body temperature .
A．higher than 34.4°C B．lower than 29.4°C
C．between 40.6-41.7°C D．between 34.4-37°C
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A．Surviving in an ice trap
B．Getting to know hypothermia
C．Adapting to climate extremes
D．Changing core body temperature
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Who is smarter? A human being or artificial intelligence（人工智能）?
The question swept the world last week when a Google-developed program called AlphaGo defeated the world top player, South Korean Lee Se-del, 4-1.
So, what comes next?
Some people have been arguing that artificial intelligence, or AI in short, will be a bad thing for humans. In an interview with the BBC in 2014, UK scientist Stephen Hawking warned that “the development of full artificial intelligence could mean the end of the human race.”
So are we really about to live in the world shown in the Terminator movies?
“Not quite,” answered The Economist. After all, it’s not hard to get a computer program to remember and produce facts. What is hard is getting computers to use their knowledge in everyday situations.
“We think that, for the human being, things like sight and balance（视觉平衡）, are natural and ordinary in our life.” Thomas Edison, founder of Motion Figures, a company that is bringing AI to boys, told the newspaper. “But for a robot, to walk up and down just like human beings requires various decisions to be made every second, and it’s really difficult to do.”
As The Economist put it, “We have a long way to go before AI can truly begin to be similar to the human brain, even though the technology can be great.”
Meanwhile, John Markoff of The New York Times said that researchers should build artificial intelligence to make people more effective.
“Our fate is in our own hands,” he wrote. “Since technology depends on the values of its creators, we can make human choices that use technology to improve the world.”
1.What was the result of the match?
A．Lee Se-del won AlphaGo 4-1.
B．Lee Se-del was defeated.
C．Google program beat AlphaGo.
D．Neither side won the match.
2.What does Thomas Edison possibly mean in his remarks?
A．It’s very hard for AI to beat the human brain.
B．AI would take the place of human beings.
C．AI can make various decisions quickly.
D．AI does better than humans in sight and balance.
3.Who believes much has to be done to improve AI?
A．Stephen Hawking. B．John Markoff.
C．The New York Times. D．The Economist.
4.What does the underlined part in the last paragraph imply?
A．AI will improve the world completely.
B．AI is in the control of human beings.
C．AI may bring disasters to human beings.
D．AI will make our future out of control.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Television is everywhere around us. Yet it is great for learning English. The pictures make it easier to understand than radio and because you can see who’s talking, and get a better idea of what people mean. Just watch their “body language”! Watch programs that you find enjoyable and entertaining. 1.
Here’s the english-at-home.com guide to learning as much as possible while watching English television:
2. Learning English should be fun –– not something that you have to force yourself to do. If you have a passion for football, watch matches or the sports news.
Keep a notebook near to your television. 3. This is especially useful. You can look for programs with sub-titles in your own language.
Try to watch English television regularly. Even if you can only watch 15 minutes a day, you’ll be amazed how much you learn.
Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything. English television is normally aimed at native English speakers. 4. If the programs that you’re watching are full of unknown words, just concentrate on understanding the general meaning.
Keep a note of television programs and presenters that you find easy to understand and try to watch them regularly. 5. Soon you will impress your friends with your English skills.
A. Don’t watch the programs too easy for you.
B. Better watch programs that you find interesting.
C. Programs often include many difficult words.
D. English learning has little to do with watching TV.
E. Whatever you watch will help you improve your English.
F. Doing this will increase your confidence in learning English.
G. You can take down any new words or expressions that you hear.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
完形填空阅读下面短文，从所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和 D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I’ve read lots of stories about family memories. In those , I’ve found voice of sadness and longing. It’s true that so much in our daily lives makes us all the time. We find ourselves with less and less time to spend with our and friends. I’ve had the same myself.
I used to have times with my grandfather when we lived together. When I was very young, I often enjoyed spending time in his , watching the flowers and watering the fruit trees. But as I grew up, I became “selfish”.
Once, when I was 6, we went shopping together. As we took the wrong bus and ended up getting , unable to find our way back, I couldn’t stay and shouted rudely in his face. I was so stubborn that I wouldn’t say sorry returning home, thinking I had done nothing wrong.
Now I how ridiculous（荒唐的）I was at the time! And I also realize how it was when I finally admitted I was ! When I truly wanted to express my , my grandfather had left us , leaving me with no more chance to my mistake. I couldn’t say to him the three words –– “I am sorry”.
We are spending more and more time outside, with less and less time to with our families at home. So the most of every second you have with your loved ones, because time going, waiting for no one.
1.A. books B. stories C. reports D. films
2.A. crazy B. easy C. busy D. angry
3.A. families B. classmates C. colleagues D. employers
4.A. adventure B. research C. exploration D. experience
5.A. good B. hard C. sad D. bitter
6.A. kitchen B. garage C. house D. garden
7.A. frequently B. rarely C. gradually D. finally
8.A. confused B. lost C. hurt D. puzzled
9.A. calm B. awake C. firm D. happy
10.A. while B. unless C. until D. after
11.A. learn B. imagine C. realize D. agree
12.A. early B. late C. nice D. guilty
13.A. innocent B. nervous C. wrong D. painful
14.A. concern B. worry C. opinion D. regret
15.A. forever B. somehow C. alone D. instead
16.A. care about B. apologize for C. think of D. put away
17.A. again B. often C. even D. still
18.A. spare B. save C. take D. kill
19.A. follow B. receive C. divide D. make
20.A. needs B. keeps C. delays D. stops
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Is there such a thing as being “over-protective”?
I can honestly say that my answer to that question 1. (change) dramatically（戏剧性地）since I became a parent.
Before the birth of my daughter, I taught at 2. private school, often viewing my students as over-protected, worrying 3. would happen when they went on to middle schools.
Some did fine, and some did not. Some needed constant pats on the back, words of 4. (encourage) and extra support, which I 5. (happy) gave. Others were content on their own, needing little or no interaction（互动）with their teacher. 6. for the most part, graduates would go on for higher schooling.
I’d always supposed their parents were over-protective, for they were the ones that still walked their 7. (five) graders into the classroom and met them at the school gate.
Admittedly, I laughed at those parents, 8. (think) their children would never learn to be 9. (independence) if they didn’t let go just a little. Then I had my own daughter. The moment I looked at her little face, I 10. (know) I’d do everything in my power to protect her and make sure she always felt safe!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。作文中共有 10 处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改 10 处，多者（从第 11 处起）不计分。
Last month, I was told we would have our first military training. At first, I thought it will be hard to spend a whole week stayed away from school and home. The sunshine would be very strongly during these days, or we could easily get sunburnt. Later, when I was in the camp, I found it was a lot fun. The training was hard for you all. But my classmates and I were treated very kindly by all the soldier. The food in the camp look simple, but tasted good. Now you never know how happy days we had in the camp. I think the experience has been made us stronger!
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
书面表达
假定你是李华，你所在的“中国剪纸文化的传承（inheritance）和发展”课题研究小组刚刚获得今年的“中国大智汇创新研究挑战赛（China Thinks Big 2016）”二等奖。请你写信给你的外籍教师史密斯先生，感谢他一直以来对你们的支持与帮助。要点如下：
1. 比赛时间：4 月 18-20 日；
2. 比赛地点：哈佛（Harvard）上海中心；
3. 课题与收获；
4. 感谢与祝愿。
注意：1. 词数 100 左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 信的开头与结尾已为你写好。
Dear Mr. Smith,
I am Li Hua, a student of yours.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析