Doctor William Schaffner is an expert on vaccines, at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Schaffner noted that 80,000 deaths are nearly twice as much as what health officials once considered a “bad year”.

CDC officials say that between 12,000 and 56,000 Americans die every year from flu-related causes, but they do not have an exact count of how many people die from the flu each year. Influenza is a relatively common disease and not always listed on death records as the official cause of death. While last winter was a bad flu season in the U.S., it was not the worst. The 1918 flu lasted nearly two years. Historians estimate that the disease was to blame for between 500,000 to 700,000 deaths during that period. The exact number is still not known.

One thing that made the 2017-2018 flu season so bad was that the flu virus was strong. Usually the disease kills the very young, the very old or those who are already sick. However, last winter, the flu killed many healthy Americans. Another thing that made the flu season so deadly was that the flu vaccine was not as effective as experts had predicted. Drug makers have made changes to the vaccine. Even though the vaccine did not work well last year, health experts still strongly suggest getting vaccinated.

【1】What can we learn about influenza in the first paragraph?

A.The winter of 2017-2018 saw the deadliest flu in history.

B.Effective cures should be found to deal with influenza.

C.Health experts had assumed flu would be severer.

D.More people died of influenza than expected in the winter of 2017-2018.

【2】How many deaths did the health officials expect in a bad year?

A.80,000.B.40,000.

C.60,000.D.20,000.

【3】Why can't CDC officials give an exact number of deaths from flu?

A.Because flu is always considered as a common disease.

B.Because people usually don't take flu seriously.

C.Because CDC officials are unwilling to count the deaths.

D.Because flu is not always listed on death records.

【4】What do experts recommend people to do in the last paragraph?

A.Change the vaccine.B.Avoid using vaccine.

C.Get vaccinated.D.Do research on vaccine.

As the boxes of bikes began to gradually decrease, I saw my opportunity to wrap my hands around the corner of one of them. I lifted it off and suddenly felt some mild resistance. I looked up to see one of the largest men I had ever seen in my life. Frightening was not enough to describe his presence. He was decorated with numerous leather belts with metal buttons around both arms and even his neck. Tattoos (纹身) were an obvious passion of his.

I started to loosen the box but he gently pushed it back in my direction and back into my hands. He then directed it into my shopping cart. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Merry Christmas.”

My wife and I went to the checkout, paid for the bike and went home. All the way home I was thinking that this moment was by far the best Christmas gift I had ever received. The kindness of a human heart in a simple act of a stranger broke all preconceived notions (先入为主) I may have had. I will never forget it.

【1】What does the underlined word “chum” mean in Paragraph1?

A.Gifts.B.Food.

C.Goods.D.Souvenirs.

【2】Why did the author loosen the box when seeing the man?

A.The author didn't want to buy it.B.The man needed it more.

C.The author was frightened by the man.D.The man got the box first.

【3】What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.The Best Christmas Gift.B.The Largest Man I Have Ever Seen.

C.An Unforgettable Bike.D.A Shopping Experience.

“Yes, I'm gonna be a robot! And I was scared at first. Am I gonna like it? Is it gonna be okay? And then once I got into it, I loved it." Lauren Bularzik, Lindsey s physical therapist, says the exo robots help to accelerate the recovery process.

For someone who takes a lot of energy to only walk a few feet, exo can get them up and get them moving. Besides speeding up recovery time, these robotic skeletons are especially helpful for those with paralysis, from spinal cord injuries and strokes.

Using the machine can help some patients rewire their brains to use secondary muscles, so they can eventually walk again without the device. But Patrick Wensing, assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame says exoskeletons have one big drawback. While existing exoskeletons are very powerful, right now they don t understand what the user wants to do. So in order to switch between activities in daily life, you often have to press a button interface to tell the exoskeleton “I would like to stand up now".

Wensing and his team are cooperating with Ekso Bionics, a leading developer of wearable robots, to create a machine that can understand what its user wants to do without implanted sensors and complicated control panels.

Taylor Gambon has spent the last year analyzing data from exoskeleton users and comparing them to models of everyday walking. Later this year, the team will travel to Ekso Bionics' California headquarters, where they will work directly with exoskeletons to design programs that interact with users of various disabilities, so that more people like Lindsey Stoefen can get back on their feet again.

【1】What's the purpose of the story about Stoefen in the first paragraph?

A.To prove Stoefen's bravery against disability.

B.To explain Stoefen's misfortune in life.

C.To introduce advanced medical skills in Chicago.

D.To introduce the topic of robotic skeleton.

【2】How does Patrick Wensing find the robotic skeletons?

A.They can improve the recovery speed.

B.They can replace the real person.

C.They can't understand the intention of users.

D.They can help patients do everything in life.

【3】What's the attitude of Taylor Gambon and his team towards the development of exo robots?

A.Disappointed.B.Critical.

C.Indifferent.D.Optimistic.

【4】Where is the text probably taken?

A.An advertisement.B.A science fiction.

C.A product handbook.D.A popular science magazine.

Bicester Village

According to a 2019 VisitBritain report, more than 260,000 Chinese tourists visit the UK each year. And where do they go? It claimed that “they are mostly interested in symbolic elements: the Royal Family, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and Downton Abbey”.

Then there's the shopping. Bicester Village, a vast retail estate (零售产业) on the outskirts of the Oxford shire town, is the second most visited UK attraction for Chinese tourists after Buckingham Palace, and three in four Chinese visitors head there.

King's College, Cambridge

A famous tree, for Chinese people at least, can be found in King's College, Cambridge. The willow (柳树), considered to be a holy thing to lost youth, is mentioned in a much-loved poem by Xu Zhimo, who spent a year studying at King's College — Taking leave of Cambridge Again:

The golden willows by the riverside;

Are young brides in the setting sun;

Their glittering reflections on the shimmering river;

Keep undulating in my heart.

Bonn

The former West German capital is another popular port of call. Chinese love classical music, particularly Beethoven, making his birthplace an obvious highlight of any trip to Europe. The city's tourist board offers maps in three foreign languages: English, Chinese and Japanese.

Verona

Both British and Chinese travelers flood to Venice, Rome and Florence, but Verona typically appears higher on the wish lists of China's tourists. That's because of the whole country 's adoration of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The play is popular on UK shores, of course, but the love is doubled in China as it was among the first of the Shakespeare's works to be translated into Chinese, because its plot bears a striking resemblance to a famous Chinese folk tale, The Butterfly Lovers. Expect to see queues at the popular House of Juliet on Via Cappello (a statue of the character stands beneath her balcony).

【1】Which is the most visited place for Chinese tourists?

A.Bicester Village.B.Buckingham Palace.

C.King's College.D.Cambridge.

【2】W hat's approximately the number of Chinese visitors to Bicester Village each year?

A.About 260,000.B.About 145,600.

C.About 195,000.D.About 346,700.

【3】Where are the Chinese music lovers likely to go?

A.Bicester Village.B.King's College, Cambridge.

C.Bonn.D.Verona.

【4】Which are adored by Chinese tourists who love literary?

A.Bicester Village and Bonn.B.Bicester Village and King's College, Cambridge.

C.Verona and Bonn.D.King's College, Cambridge and Verona.

Dew point is the temperature at which water vapor begins to condense (凝结) and becomes water droplets that can fall as rain. Dew point can vary anywhere from the 30s (Fahrenheit) to, on rare occasions, the 80s.

【2】. Once the air has cooled past the “dew point", it condenses around a nucleus, which are usually tiny particles of dust, smoke or even salt that are floating in the air. Then tiny water droplets are formed.【3】. If you pay close attention to clouds in the sky, you'll see char they’re constantly shrinking and growing,

Water vapor that has formed clouds is on its way to becoming rain, bur it's not there yet. For now, the water droplets are 80 tiny that the air currents keep them in the air, just as swirling particles of dust can stay in the air.【4】.

When water droplets combine with one another, they become heavier than the uplift of the air around them. Eventually they fall down through the cloud as rain.【5】They attract more water vapor to themselves and grow quickly until they're heavy enough to fall as snow.

A.Rain cloud is formed when there is enough water in the air

B.As warm air rises with the water vapor it contains, it cools

C.If you are curious about what kind of cloud will become rain

D.Sometimes the droplets rise high enough to freeze into ice crystals.

E.The tiny water droplets that initially form are what you see as clouds

F.If you want a better understanding of why rain comes down from clouds

G.As those droplets continue to rise, they have two ways to come back to Earth

But what about vitamin P? It might well have you scratching your head. And that's not surprising: the term was first coined in the 1930s to describe a small group of compounds that provide pigment (天然色素) to plants, and were believed to have health benefits. A century later, these compounds are now better known as flavonoids (类黄酮)．

Today, scientists have identified between 4,000 and 6,000 different kinds and we now know they are responsible for many of the flavors and smells of fruit and vegetables and also that they protect them from invaders such as pests and bacteria.

They are equally important nutrients for the body, helping maintain bones and teeth, and for the production of the protein collagen (胶原), which provides structure to blood vessels, muscles and skin.

They are also said to help the body deal with some of the key drivers of illness, including oxidation (氧化), a natural process by which the body's cells age and can become damaged and defective. That means they could help to protect against chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease.

【1】What do we know about vitamin P?

A.We would scratch our head if we took it.

B.It refers to the compounds also called flavonoids.

C.It was made into a coin in the 1930s.

D.People didn't think it beneficial in the past.

【2】Which is NOT the function of vitamin P for humans according to the passage?

A.Helping maintain bones and teeth.

B.Assisting in producing protein collagen.

C.Accelerating the circulation of the blood.

D.Aiding the body to handle the main factors of illness.

【3】Which of the following best explains “defective” underlined in the last paragraph?

A.Harmful.B.Discouraged.

C.Vague.D.Deficient.

【4】How does vitamin P help slow the aging process?

A.By fighting against oxidation.B.By maintaining bones.

C.By strengthening muscles.D.By protecting against chronic diseases.

The Lion King

Experience the stunning artistry, unforgettable music and the exhilarating choreography of Disney's The Lion King. Now is the time to join the circle of life at Broadway's award-winning Best Musical.

Awe-inspiring! Broadway theater is alive again. Taymor's imaginative ideas seem limitless. It's a gorgeous, gasp-inducing spectacle. The show appeals to our childlike excitement in the power of theater to make us see things afresh (重新).

— by Richard Zoglin from Time Magazine

Chicago

The Tony-winning revival of Kander and Ebb's musical will razzle-dazzle you.

Chicago remains the best adult entertainment in town and still bubbles with the joy of performing!

— by Ben Brantley from The New York Times

The Phantom of the Opera

The timeless story, the unforgettable score, and the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Phantom rules! It remains as fresh and spectacular as ever. Beautiful and romantic, I have to tip my hat: The Phantom of the Opera has aged divinely.

— by Roma Torre from NY1

Hamilton

Go back to the era of the Founding Fathers with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s inventive Tony-winning musical, winner of 11 Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards.

Historic. ‘Hamilton' is brewing up a revolution. This is a show that aims impossibly high and hits its target.

— by Ben Brantley from The New York Times

【1】Which two shows are Tony-winning musicals?

A.The Lion King & Hamilton.

B.Chicago & Hamilton.

C.The Phantom of the Opera & Chicago.

D.The Phantom of the Opera & The Lion King.

【2】Which statement is TRUE about the four Broadway shows?

A.The Lion King inspires people to see things from a new perspective.

B.Chicago takes us back to the era of Founding Fathers.

C.The Phantom of the Opera aims high and reaches its goal.

D.Hamilton is the longest-running show in Broadway history.

【3】In what column of a magazine can you most probably read this article?

A.Finance.B.Entertainment.

C.Science.D.Sports.

Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi told Bloomberg News his company's food-delivery in Japan has taken an alternative route to delivering food. The country has strict laws against ride sharing, and its unemployment rate is at 2.4 percent, making a tight job market. With a growing demand for food delivery, more of the elderly population has applied to become couriers.

“The elderly are actually signing up for Eats couriers,” Khosrowshahi said. “Eats has been a huge success for us in Japan. 【2】.” In Japan, the majority of current food deliverers bring the product via scooter or bicycle, but the older generation of applicants prefer to do it by foot. 【3】; adult diapers (尿布) outsell baby diapers. “This is one area unique to Japan, and we are looking if we can expand to the rest of the world,” Khosrowshahi said.

That plan includes increasing staffing levels in Japan by at least 30 percent over the next year, and these jobs aren't limited to grannies in sneakers. 【4】. It's still a slow pace considering the San Francisco-based company has more than 22,000 employees.

Uber currently works with eight taxi cab companies in Japan, and the pedestrian courier method is a way to branch out into areas untouched so far. There are cab-hailing apps available, as well as Uber Black, a car-hire service that's only available in Tokyo for now. “It will take time, but we like what we see in terms of the potential of the market” Khosrowshahi said. “【5】.”

A.The population is aging

B.They also include sales, operations and account management

C.It is going to be a very effective introduction to the Uber brand

D.Last year, Uber shifted to partnerships with local taxi companies

E.Japan is a growing nation for food-delivery-still way far behind the US

F.But putting grandma and grandpa in running shoes seems to make sense

G.The innovations that we are going to make here are going to carry around the world

1.本人简介；

2.求助内容；

3.约定时间和联系方式。

注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

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Four years later, Simon cofounded Imperfect Produce, a subscription-based home-delivery service for discounted “ugly" fruits and vegetables that are perfectly good on the inside, but otherwise rejected from the food supply chain for their looks.

“Up to 20% of the fruits and vegetables grown on farms in America are thrown away because the produce doesn't meet grocery stores" standards," said Simon. "It's often for discoloration, scarring on the surface caused by the fruit rubbing against a tree limb or an atypical shape,” he said. "Sometimes it's the size. " Simon, 29, and Chesler, 27, decided to source this "ugly" produce directly from farms and deliver it to customers for about 30% less than conventional grocery store prices.

"The reason why we created Imperfect Produce as a direct-to-consumer business is because grocery stores didn't want to partner with us,” said Simon. “So we became our own store. " The San Francisco-based　service launched in August 2015. Today, Imperfect Produce has more than 200,000 subscribers in 22 cities. The company sources its produce from 250 growers nationwide, and slightly more than half of it is organic. To date, Simon said the service has helped recover 40 million pounds of food from going to waste.

Simon declined to disclose income but said this year's sales are expected to double last year's. The business is not yet profitable, but he hopes to expand the service to 40 cities by the end of 2019 and eventually take the company public at some point.

【1】What does the underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A.Wasted.B.Rejected.

C.Disliked.D.Eaten.

【2】Why are many fruits and vegetables wasted?

A.They are not tasty.B.They are not nutritious.

C.They are poorly looking.D.They are not good inside.

【3】What made Simon create Imperfect Produce as a direct-to-consumer business?

A.High price offered by him.

B.The wish to set up his own business.

C.His desire to offer service to others.

D.Grocery stores" unwillingness to cooperate with him.

【4】What can be inferred about Simon?

A.He wants to help the poor.

B.He thinks a lot about the wasted food.

C.He has expanded his service to 40 cities.

D.He expects to make profits from his business.