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Directions: In this section, there are three passages. Each passage is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should choose the best choice.
On our 18th birthdays we might get a cake and a card, maybe a special gift.
But there is an unwanted and sometimes painful present that many of us get at that time of life—wisdom teeth.
They usually come between the ages of 17 and 25 and there are usually four at the back of your mouth. They're known as wisdom teeth because they arrive at a time when we might be beginning to feel wise.
Although some studies have said that only a little more than half of people get their wisdom teeth at all, for those that do , they can cause a lot of pain as they break through the gums and try to find a space in the corners of our mouths—and dentists may recommend removing them.
So if we don't really need them, why do we have them?
Well, the answer that most experts give is that we may not need them now, but our ancestors did.
That's because they ate tough, uncooked foods—things like meat, plants and nuts. So having wisdom teeth helped them grind the foods down to make them easier to eat.
Of course, now we cook many of these tougher foods to make them softer, so we don't need to work so hard with our teeth.
And over time, our jaws have become smaller. There's often still space for the wisdom teeth to grow in the jaw yet not quite enough for them to erupt in the mouth—and that's often the reason for the pain.
Can we choose the cake and the card instead?
1. According to the passage, wisdom teeth most probably come at the age of ______.
A. 16
B. 24
C. 26
D. 35
2. ______ may have their wisdom teeth.
A. At least half of people
B. No more than half of people
C. Much more than half of people
D. A little more than half of people
3. What does the underlined word “do” in the sentence “for those that do ...” stand for?
A. Get wisdom teeth.
B. Remove wisdom teeth.
C. Grind wisdom teeth.
D. Break wisdom teeth.
4. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Usually wisdom teeth break through the gums and erupt in the corners of our mouths.
B. Our ancestors’ jaws were bigger than ours.
C. Our teeth do not need to work hard now because our jaws have become smaller.
D. Our ancestors needed wisdom teeth to chew hard foods.
5. According to the passage, the reason for the pain is that ______.
A. our jaw gets bigger than before
B. there's not enough space for the wisdom teeth
C. the wisdom teeth get infected easily
D. the foods are becoming harder
A few years ago, it was fashionable to speak of a generation gap, a division between young people and their elders. Parents complained that children did not show them proper respect and obedience, while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually, the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many critics argue that it is built into the fabric of American society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the opportunity that young people have to choose their own lifestyles. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and approve of, and often to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our upwardly mobile society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the ambitions that parents have for their children are another cause of the division between them. Often they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become obsolete overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedoms and opportunities of our society, and in the rapid pace at which society changes.
6. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
A. the generation gap suddenly appeared
B. the generation gap is a feature of American life
C. how people can reduce the generation gap
D. many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap
7. The word “around” in the first paragraph means “______”.
A. on all sides
B. in existence
C. in every direction
D. near
8. Which one is NOT the cause of the generation gap?
A. Young people like to choose their own lifestyles.
B. American society is changing very fast.
C. Parents place high hopes on their children.
D. Modern education makes them think differently.
9. In American society, young people often ______.
A. rely on their parents to make a living
B. stay with their parents in order to get higher education
C. have very little in common with their parents
D. seek the best advice from their parents
10. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Parents should be more tolerant towards their children.
B. The young generation should value the older generation for their wisdom.
C. The generation gap is partly created by the older generation.
D. The generation gap should be avoidable in American society.
For the past 28 years, barber Liu Jianjun and his team have been volunteering in Changchun. He and his team, which has 3,700 volunteers, have given free haircuts to around 80,000 people. They also volunteer to help those in need, such as seniors who live alone, and send them daily necessities during festivals.
The 53-year-old has been helping others since he opened his barber shop in 1994. “I lost my mother when I was 6, and my father left home soon after,” he said. “I was raised by my grandmother and was looked after by my neighbors.” So when he opened his barber shop, he decided to repay some of the kindness he had been shown.
Every day he arrives at his shop an hour before opening to give free haircuts to people over 70. He also spends his spare time providing door-to-door service for those who have difficulty walking.
His team members visit seniors to help them buy daily needs, move heavy objects and make repairs. They also offer free haircuts to deliverymen and sanitation workers. “Fortunately, I got a lot of support from my team, friends and relatives,” he said. “The team is like a big family and its members care for and help each other. I really want to thank all of them.”
The youngest member of his team is 7. “Several students have joined, and they volunteer with their parents,” he said. “When we visit nursing homes, they sing and dance, bringing the elderly a lot of pleasure.”
In 2014, Liu joined the Communist Party of China on the recommendation of his community. “Being a Party member is not only about status, but also about a heavy responsibility and a lifelong commitment,” he said. “I am determined to progress further along the road of voluntary service.”
11. What does the underlined word “volunteering” most probably mean?
A. Living alone.
B. Building new houses.
C. Raising children.
D. Offering to do things.
12. Why does barber Liu give free haircuts?
A. To apologize to customers.
B. To express his thanks.
C. To practice technical skills.
D. To increase business sales.
13. What does barber Liu do in his spare time?
A. Move heavy objects.
B. Make repairs.
C. Provide door-to-door service.
D. Help people buy food.
14. What is Liu's attitude towards his team?
A. Sad.
B. Thankful.
C. Strange.
D. Angry.
15. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Barbers are few.
B. Festivals have value.
C. Service is expensive.
D. Kindness has power.
Directions: In this section, some sentences have been removed from the following passage. For Questions 16~20, choose the most suitable one from the list A~G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit into any of the blanks.
In our daily life, it is very important to build trust in interpersonal relations. Here are some suggestions about how to do that.
16 . Maintaining eye contact when someone is talking will help build trust because it shows genuine interest, but that's hard to do if you keep glancing at your phone.
17 . You might only be crossing your arms and legs, let's say, because you're cold, but that position can also be understood as an unconscious way to defend yourself, so it is not good for building trust. Make sure your body looks open—you'll look more open to hear others’ thoughts.
18 . Sitting behind a desk creates another barrier that could make the person you're talking to put his or her own walls up. During class, a teacher can encourage his or her students to voice their opinions by sitting at a table with them.
19 . Sitting higher than other people indicates you have control over them—which is great if you want to seem more powerful, but not so good if you're trying to build trust. In a similar way, sitting in the middle of a conference table instead of at the end helps encourage people to express better ideas.
20 . Sometimes taking notes is necessary when you're talking with other people, but make sure it doesn't get in the way of your eye contact. If you're constantly writing down what the other person says, that person could start to feel uncomfortable.
A. Take notes constantly
B. Don't sit behind a desk
C. Limit your note taking
D. Put your phone down
E. Uncross your arms and legs
F. Come down to their level
G. Don't sit side by side