A CCTV journalist succeeded in arousing a heated discussion among netizens by asking people whether they were happy. The responses to the question were various, even some quite funny ones   61  ___ (include). Although people played jokes   62   the answers, it did not take long   63  __ they began to figure out the true meanings of happiness.

It is certain that people’s views on happiness   64  ___(affect) greatly by their own life experience. Unfortunately, too many people refer to being rich as happiness and there is no sign of   65   decrease in the number of those who are voluntarily at the mercy of wealth. Some people whose   66  ____(intend) is to make big money appreciate being given any chance to multiply their income, believing that is __67_____ their happiness lies. Some are eager to inherit their parents’ property, especially those who   68  __(be) known as silver-spoon kids. Even worse, some would rather break the law to satisfy their financial desire or seek their fortune __69_____(legal).

In my opinion, happiness is not about pursuing wealth merely but about admiring the beautiful things in life. Therefore, live your life ___70_____the fullest and be happy.

Our vicar (师) is always raising money for one cause or another, but he has never managed

to get enough money   61   (have) the church clock repaired. The big clock which used to strike 

the hours day and night was damaged many years ago and has been   62    (silence) ever since. 

One night, however, our vicar woke up with a start: the clock was striking the hours!

  63  (look) at his watch, he saw that it was one o'clock, but the bell     64    (strike) thirteen

times before it stopped.     65    (arm) with a torch, the vicar went up into the clock tower to 

see what was going on. In the torchlight, he caught sight of a figure   66    he immediately 

recognized as Bill Wilkins, our local grocer. “Whatever are you doing up here Bill?” asked the 

vicar     67    surprise.  

“I'm trying to repair the bell,” answered Bill. “ I've been coming up here night after night for 

weeks now. You see, I was hoping to give you a surprise.”

“You certainly   68    give me a surprise!” said the vicar. “You've     69   

(probable) woken up everyone in the village as well. Still, I'm glad the bell is working again.” 

“That's    70   trouble, vicar,” answered Bill. “It's working all right, but I'm afraid that at

one o'clock it will strike thirteen times and there's nothing I can do about it.”  “We'll get used

 to that, Bill,” said the vicar. “Thirteen is not as good as one but it's better than nothing. Now 

let's go downstairs and have a cup of tea.”  

  How to Become an Effective Leader

The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. 36________ It takes time to become a trustworthy leader.

As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:

l         Don’t be self-centered.

The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. 37________ Perhaps that is why Lawrence Bell remarked, “A man who cannot bother to do little things for others are unlikely to become a good leader.”

l         38________

Rare is the effective leader who didn’t learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first.

l         Work with excellence.

No one respects and follows mediocrity（平庸）. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. 39________

l         Give your power away.

What makes leadership so special is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. 40________ If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.

A. Become a good follower first.

B. You are meant to be a river, not a pool.

C. They lead in order to serve other people.

D. Leaders help people to reach their potential.

E. Leadership isn’t learned or earned in a moment.

F. Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.

G. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.

Is it necessary to learn when we are 50s, 60s or even 70s? Most people consider when they get retired, they are supposed to be completely laidback，do something fun, or hang around.   36   It’s particularly important to the elderly.

    Through learning, we know how to think, how to memorize, how to ask questions and even how to interact with others. According to a study, while we are learning, “the brain creates neural(神经)pathways” that make us smarter.   37           The more we learn, the mote new neural pathways develop in our brains.

    When it comes to learning, it doesn’t mean we must load ourselves with lots of knowledge. What we need to do is just learn something we like day in and day out.    38    Everyone learns from bottom to up. If we have an interest to learn, that desire will naturally push us to move forward.

    As we feel worn out from learning, don’ t be discouraged.   39    An old saying goes, “Birds of a feather fly together.” As long as we have partners to learn all together, our learning excitement will come alive again. On the contrary, if we don’t learn, and choose to distance ourselves from other, we might be getting dumb, and slow; eventually, we lose energy, and life passion. Instead of being bored, dumb, why don’t we keep learning?

    40  More importantly, learning explores our life horizon, helps us build up our confidence; gradually, it leads us to a way of finding a sense of value and achievement in the process of learning journey.

A. It’s never too old to learn.

B. Don’t worry if we cannot learn well.

C. You should set a high learning target.

D. Learning makes us understand how potential we are.

E. Look for a partner who has the same common interest as you do.

F. In other words, our brains are active as we learn something new.

G. However, the truth is that learning makes us energetic，and self-fulfilled.

Scientists investigated why Ebola virus is so deadly when it spreads from animals to humans and then from human-to-human contact. The research team looked at the Zaire Ebola virus in an animal system to understand how it gains strength. This virus is responsible for the current outbreak in West Africa. They found that initially the animal systems were not affected by the virus, but succeeding transmission(传送) into other animals caused the virus to “hot up” and become more severe.

    The team analyzed the viruses at different stages and were able to identify several changes in its genetic material that were associated with increased disease.

    Professor Julian Hiscox, who led the study from the University’s Institute of Infection and Global Health, explains: “The work tells us that the evolutionary goal of Ebola virus is to become more fatal.”

     “We were able to show through genetic analysis which parts of the virus are involved in this process. The information we have gathered will now allow us to monitor for such changes in an outbreak as well as develop future treatment strategies.”

     Professor Roger Hewson, leading the study from Public Health England, Porton Down, said: “Ebola virus is such a destructive infection to the people affected by the disease and the economy of West Africa.”

     “Our understanding of Ebola virus biology is way behind that of other viruses and our cooperation shows how we can bring together our specialists’ skills to close this knowledge gap.”

     Professor Miles Carroll, a co-author of the work, said: “This study has allowed the team to be at the forefront of developing methodologies to analyze patient samples recently taken by the European Mobile Laboratory from West Africa to understand disease evolution during the current outbreak.”

29. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?                        

   A. How severe Ebola virus is.

   B. How Ebola virus spreads.

   C. How Ebola virus gradually becomes deadly.

   D. What contributions scientists have made on Ebola virus.

30. Which of the following statements is mentioned in the passage?                      

   A. In the first stage, the virus hurts its victims much.

   B. As the virus spreads, it’ll change and become more and more deadly.

   C. The research in Ebola virus is more advanced than that in other viruses.

   D. The scientists have a negative attitude to the research in Ebola virus.

31. The underlined word “fatal” has the closest meaning to ______.            

   A. optimistic     B. deadly       C. common     D. fantastic

32. Where can we probably read this passage?                             

A. In a science report.        B. In a storybook.    

C. In an advertisement.        D. In a textbook.

______ “ Double 11” somewhat overlaps with Valentine’ s Day and provides another occasion for lovers to buy each other gifts, most spending on that day doesn’t involve a change of single status.

       A. Ever since                B. In case             C. Even though             D. As though

 –Mum , can I drink some hot tea?

  -- Just a minute, dear. The water ____ now.

   A. has been heated      B. is heated      C. is being heated     D. would be heated

   I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on days in a row for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “ full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence(吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.

At the first home, the son of the deceased(已故的)woman said to me, “ If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “ If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”

You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course—keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation—would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?

There seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens that leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.

The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens , especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believe that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.

A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him , and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.

32. We learn from the passage that the two deceased elderly women_____________

A. lived out a natural life.

B. died of exhaustion after the long plane ride.

C. weren’t used to the change in weather.

D. died due to lack of care by family members.

33. People feel guilty for the deaths of their loved ones because they believe _____.

A. they are responsible

B. they overlook the natural course of events

C. they can’t find a better way to express their sorrow

D. they didn’t know things often turn in the opposite direction

34. According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that_____.

A. everything in the world is predetermined

B. the world can be explained in different ways

C. there is an explanation for everything in the world

D. we have to be sensible in order to understand the world

35. What’s the idea of the passage?

A. Life and death is an unsolved mystery.

B. Every story should have a happy ending.

C. Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault.

D. Usually, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away.

    Extremely handsome and athletic, William looked and dressed like a fashion model. Everything seemed to be easy to him. With his charm,  1  　(intelligent), and talents, his business was lively and success was a way of life. So when    　       ___2_　(face) with a lawsuit (诉讼)one day, William assumed  3　_the case would work out as   4　(easy) as everything in his life and he didn’t worry about it. But it didn’t and the suit finally led to the breakup of his company. He tried for months afterwards to get   5　_job, but no one would hire him.

   William had to learn that his talents were wonderful but were damaged by an attitude of arrogance (傲慢). He looked down on people_  6　didn’t have his gifts,_____7　(treat) them with impatience and annoyance. He felt better  8　them and judged them as worthless or stupid. William made sense of his situation and chose ___9　(learn) the lesson of modesty and at last he turned his circumstances around.

    Have pride in who you are and what you   10　_(achieve) so far. However if you find yourself having secret thoughts of arrogance, remind yourself of the lesson of modesty before the universe does it for you.

In the far north-eastern corner of South Africa, Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in the country, and the most famous wildlife zone on the African continent. Stretching out over 7,332 square miles, Kruger is a wonderland of wildlife. It has 507 species of birds and 147 species of mammals. It also has a fair bit of history --- it dates back to 1898 when it was founded as a game reserve in an attempt to control hunting in the area. It didn’t see a tourist until 1927; however, one year later it became a national park.

It's a good place to see roaring beasts in their own backyards. South Mrica is an increasingly hot tourist spot, and you may want to visit it this year, before it hosts the 2010 football World Cup. South Africa is also an inexpensive country for tourists.

Anyone seeking to escape the European winter will be surprised to hear that March is not the best time to go to Kruger.

The six-month period between May and October tends to be the most suitable time for wildlife-spotting. The weather is not only cooler but also considerably drier. This means that water sources dry up and animals are forced to approach rivers, creeks, dams and watering holes in search of liquid refreshment.

If you go to South Africa, you need to pay attention to the threat of malaria (疟疾). Kruger is one of the only two South African national parks that have an issue about the disease, but only during the rainy season (December to April).

A disadvantage of Kruger is that it sits a long way from South Africa's other well-known tourist attractions --- Cape Town, the Garden Route, and the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans at Cape Agulhas.

Title: Kruger National Park

Oh my God, the robots are taking over! We’re doomed! Doomed! Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it’s become clear that while we may or may not be doomed, the robots are taking over. The latest example is the government’s new guidelines for self-driving cars.

Tesla, Google and Uber are already testing driverless cars in cities across America. Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick is among those predicting that by 2021, self-driving cars will play a big part in urban settings.

Nearly 40,000 people died last year in this nation in automobile-related accidents, and we believes driverless cars can save tens of thousands of lives annually.

Makes sense. Robot drivers are less likely to get drunk, drive without a license, text while driving or feel agitated at the scene of a pileup. On the other hand, I wonder how these highly sensitive cars will react, with walkers constantly dashing into the street. Will they jam on the brakes every 10 seconds?

But there’s a bigger picture. Not only are robots replacing humans behind the wheel, but behind the work desk, in warehouses, senior homes, you name it. Robots aren’t just taking over in the workplace.

The question is, where can’t a robot function better than a human? How about writing songs? A robot can go through every combination of notes in record time and come up with a pleasing melody. The lyrics might be a different story. Is a Grammy-winning song co-written by Hank Human and R-3071 in our future?

Finally, it’s only a matter of time until we have robot politicians and presidential candidates. Why not? They can be programmed to be experts in world and domestic affairs and come up with the best solutions without corruption and bad humors.

Actually, it’s too bad such technology isn’t available in 2016. Pretty sure the robot would win in a landslide.

29. What does the underlined word “agitated” mean?

A. Tired           B. Cautious         C. Careful         D. Anxious

30. What doubt does the writer have about self-driving cars?

A. How passengers behave in it.              B. How robot drivers get the license

C. How they avoid crashing into other car     D. How they respond to walkers on a busy street

31. The last questions asked in the sixth paragraph reflects the writer’s       .

A. confidence in robots, winning Grammy Awards

B. eagerness to listen to songs written by robots

C. doubt about robots’ ability to write songs

D. curiosity about the future Grammy songs

32. What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A. Robots will control the world in every field B. Robots are coming but not soon enough

C. Robots are being used in our daily life          D. Robots can drive cars and write music

 __________ 62% of all luxury consumer sales in Europe in 2015, shoppers from the Chinese mainland spent $7.2 billion overseas during the Spring Festival.

   A. Accounting for          B. Adding to         C. Consisting of         D. Making up

Whether it’s joining a school club, going to a friend’s birthday party, or travelling by train, we can meet new people anywhere and anytime in our lives. However, many of us feel awkward when meeting people for the first time, especially when we aren’t quite sure what to say. The situation feels cold, even icy.

“Breaking the ice” is a term widely used in the English-speaking countries to describe a small talk technique that can help rescue a conversation from certain failure.

So where do you even begin? Well, a good start is to accept that it is perfectly normal to feel a little nervous when talking to someone for the first time. They might look grumpy or scary, but they could turn out to be the nicest person you’ve ever met.

You might think that breaking the ice is difficult. But sometimes just a simple “hello”, followed by a three-second smile, can make all the difference.

Complimenting someone on their garment or accessories(饰品) is also a great, easy way to break the ice. You might say: “I love your jacket. Where did you buy it from？”

Being in an uncomfortable or unpleasant situation with someone new might feel terrible, but it can actually be one of the best icebreakers. By focusing on the situation, you come together to fight the common enemy: the long bathroom queue, for example, or the overcrowded bus.

You can make observations too. “What kind of drink is that?” “That’s a lovely name. What does it mean?” “Do you study here too?” There are opportunities all around you to ask questions that don’t seem weird, as long as you have some follow-up questions in mind.

If you’re feeling extra bold, make a joke. Jokes can be difficult to master but if you get them right, they show the likeable, witty side of your character. “What’s your name?” “Well, people usually call me Mike, but you can call me tonight.”

29.  Which is the best title for the passage? 

A. How to develop friendship with a stranger

B. Advice on breaking the ice when we communicate with a stranger

C. How to become a successful public speaker

D. How to start a conversation with a person

30.  The underlined word “grumpy” can be replaced by______.

    A. easily annoyed       B. gentle       C. low-spirited      D. cheerful

31. What can we learn from the passage?

    A. “Breaking the ice” is a small talk technique widely used in our daily communication all    over the world.

    B. As long as you can smile at others, you will make some friends.

    C. Realizing that it’s normal to feel nervous in front of a stranger is a good start to break the   ice.

    D. Being in an uncomfortable situation with some strangers can be the best icebreakers.

32. According to the passage, making a joke________.

    A. can be done with ease.

    B. leads to many new friends.

    C. can show your wisdom and lovely character.

D. makes you enjoy your life happily.

– I was going to the concert with you his weekend, but I can’t now.

   -- ______.

     A. Good luck              B. Bad luck                                                                           C. You’re welcome         D. That’s right

Travel Tips That Are No Longer True

We all love a great trip, but some of the classic tips for travelers no longer hold true.  16 

1. Book a plane ticket far in advance to save money.

This myth may have been true back in the 1960s, when flights were less common than they are today. Back then, the demand for a flight would naturally increase as the date approached, there being few other options.  17   According to recent studies, the best time to buy a domestic ticket was between six and seven weeks before.

2.  18    

Don’t ignore the benefits of going straight to the hotel to negotiate a good deal on a room. Many hotel chains offer rate guarantees and encourage customers to book directly. Hotels also frequently have discounts or some offers that third-party websites don’t know. Apart from this, hotels give the upgrades, not the booking agents.

3. Avoid street food.

 19   If this means standing up at a cheap street stall (摊位), then follow the crowd. Don’t sit down at a restaurant and spend four times more, on the simple assumption that it’s the only safe option. Can you see what’s going on in the kitchen?

4. Carry your money in a special pocket or pouch.

This is the fastest way to stand out from locals — who will have their money in a wallet or purse. Only take what you need when you leave your hotel room.  20   

A. When in Rome, do what the Romans do.

B. The best hotel prices are on travel websites.

C. And make sure to put your wallet in a front pocket.

D. This is only true if you are buying products that are heavily taxed.

E. Let yourself relax in a warm room for one or two people in single beds.

F. These days, many alternatives for the most popular routes mean that demand stays steady.

G. Check the updates on these tall tales (无稽之谈) to save cash and add experience to your trip.

 Those who are ____at the meeting are the leaders of many countries to discuss the problem of global warming.

A. absent   B. gifted  C. present  D. popular

Finance for research is already ________, with which scientists can go on with their further medical experiments.

A. in advance                          B. in demand          C. in order            D. in place