Passage 1

Now satellites are helping to forecast(预报) the weather. They are in space, and they can reach any part of the world.The satellites take pictures of the atmosphere(大气), because this is where the weather forms(形成) . They send these pictures to the weather stations.So meteorologists(气象学家) can see the weather of any part of the world.From the pictures, the scientists can often say how the weather will change.

Today, nearly five hundred weather stations in sixty countries receive satellite pictures.When they receive new pictures, the meteorologists compare them with earlier ones. Perhaps they may find that the clouds have changed during the last few hours. This may mean that the weather on the ground may soon change, too. In their next weather forecast, the meteorologists can say this.

So the weather satellites area great help to the meteorologists. Before satellites were invented, the scientists could forecast the weather for about 24or 48 hours. Now they can make good forecasts for three or five days. Soon, perhaps, they maybe able to forecast the weather for a week or more ahead(提前) .

A.in space

B.above space

C.above the ground

D.in the atmosphere

A.clouds form there

B.the weather forms there

C.the weather satellites can do it easily

D.the pictures can forecast the weather

A.without studying satellite pictures

B.before they receive satellite pictures

C.when they have received satellite pictures

D.after they have compared the new satellite pictures with the earlier ones

A.one day

B.two days

C.five days

D.seven days or even longer

A.taking pictures of the earth

B.receiving pictures of the atmosphere

C.weather forecasting

D.doing other work in many ways

Passage 2

I've loved my mother's desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mothers at doing letters.Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.

Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother.“But the desk, ”she'd said again, “it's for Elizabeth.”

I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me;  she showed it in action.But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.

They never happened. And a gulf opened between us.I was“too emotional(易动感情的) ”. But she lived“on the surface(表面) ”.

As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in anyway she chose that she did forgive(原谅) me.

I posted the letter and waited for her answer.None came.

My hope turned to disappointment(失望),  then little interest and, finally, peace一it seemed that nothing happened.I couldn't be sure that the letter had even got to mother.I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.

Now the present of her desk told, as she'd never be enable to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work.I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside a photo of my father and a one-page letter,  folded(折叠) and refolded many times.

Give mean answer, my letter asks, in anyway you choose.Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.

A.after Mother died

B.before she became a writer

C.when she was a child

D.when Mother gave it to her

A.mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B.mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C.mother cared much about her daughter in words

D.mother wrote to her daughter in careful words

A.deep understanding between the old and the young

B.different ideas between the mother and the daughter

C.free talks between mother and daughter

D.part of the sea going far inland

A.She had never received the letter

B.For years, she often talked about the letter

C.She didn't forgive her daughter at all in all her life

D.She read the letter again and again till she died

A.My letter to Mother

B.Mother and Children

C.My mother's Desk

D.Talks between Mother and Me

Passage 3

Baekeland and Hartmann report that the“short sleepers”had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 or so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities.These men tended to view their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines.

In general, these“short sleeps”appeared ambitious, active,energetic, cheerful, conformist(不动摇) in their opinions, and very sure about their career choices. They often held several jobs at once, or workers full-or part-time while going to school.And many of them had a strong urge to appear“normal”or “acceptable”to their friends and associates.

When asked to recall their dreams, the“short sleepers”did poorly. More than this,they seemed to prefer not remembering.In similar fashion, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was to deny that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away.

The sleep patterns of the“short sleepers”were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic(疯人) .

The“long sleepers”were quite different indeed.Baekeland and Hartmann report that these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood.They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concerned when they were occasionally deprived of their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to recall their dreams much better than did the“short sleepers.”

Many of the“long sleepers”were shy, anxious, introverted(内向) , inhibited(压抑), passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves(particularly in social situations). Several openly states that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.

A. many short sleepers need less sleep by nature

B. many short sleepers are obliged to reduce their nightly sleep time because they are busy with their work

C. long sleepers sleep a longer period of time during the day

D. many long sleepers preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood

A. sleep is a withdrawal from the reality

B. sleep interferes with their sound judgement

C. sleep is the least expensive item on their routine program

D. sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles

A. are ideally vigorous even under the pressures of life

B.often neglect the consequences of inadequate sleep

C.do not know how to relax properly

D.are more unlikely to run into mental problems

A.appear disturbed

B. become energetic

C.feel dissatisfied

D. be extremely depressed

A.If one sleeps inadequately, his performance suffers and his memory is weakened

B. The sleep patterns of short sleepers are exactly the same as those shown by many mental patients

C. Long and short sleepers differ in their attitudes towards sleep

D. Short sleepers would be better off with more rest

Passage 4

A Few Tips for Self-Acceptance

We all want it to accept and love ourselves. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach.__1__.Here's a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.

·__2__.Do not follow the people who make you feel not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own;  you are the only you in this world.

·Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made. We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures.__3__ .You will make mistakes, time and time again.

Rather than getting caught up in how you could have done better, why not offer yourself a

compassionate(有同情心) response? "That didn't go as planned.But, I tried my best."

·Recognize all of your strengths.Write them down in a journal.Begin to train your brain to

look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.__4__ .

·Now that you've listed your strengths, list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, why you don't feel good enough.Now, read these words back to yourself.__5__.Turn to a page in your journal to your list of strengths and achievements. See how awesome you are?

Finding Home

"I hate New Orleans! I wanna go home!" I__1__ to my mother as we moved boxes. __2__ , going home was not easy because my home was 1, 100 miles away.  

I was born and__3__ in northern Virginia. Virginia was my home, and I never expected that to  __4__. In 2014, my family experienced a tragedy (悲剧), so my parents decided to move to my mom's hometown of New Orleans.

Only three months after my parents made the __5__ to move, I found myself moving boxes into our new house. My announcement to my mother that I __6__ the new environment was partly motivated by how hot it was, but it was mostly due to the fact that I felt like my entire life had been turned upside down. 1,100 miles away from everyone and everything I had ever known, I was__7__. To make matters worse, I was starting high school in two weeks Beginning high school is a scary   __8__on its own.

I spent my first few months in New Orleans,  __9__ wanting to go home to Virginia. But after a few months of missing home, I__10__that I had a choice. I could continue thinking about how much I missed my old home,__11__ I could start trying to build a new home right here. I chose the latter.

As soon as I stopped giving all my __12__to how much I missed Virginia, I was able to begin accepting the love that people were already giving me. I joined some clubs at school, which gave me the chance to make friends. My neighbor taught me how to cook some New Orleans food, and I found a wonderful__13__ of fellow cooks and neighbors. Overall, I seized every possible opportunity to __14__myself and to rebuild my life.

Because of my resilience (复原力) in creating a new home for myself and the __15__that people have shown to me, home is right here.

A. announced

B. replied

C. turned

D. pointed

A. Therefore

B. Instead

C. However

D. Besides

A. trained

B. raised

C. promoted

D. fed

A. develop

B. continue

C. exist

D. change

A. attempt

B. suggestion

C. excuse

D. decision

A. preferred

B. missed

C. hated

D. imagined

A. surprised

B. frightened

C. delighted

D. relieved

A. performance

B. activity

C. presentation

D. experience

A. partly

B. badly

C. slightly

D. hardly

A. realized

B. remembered

C. observed

D. complained

A. and

B. but

C. or

D. so

A. attention

B. patience

C. trust

D. confidence

A. generation

B. community

C. race

D. school

A. teach

B. accept

C. judge

D. better

A. belief

B. freedom

C. love

D. interest