C. His parents were unwilling to help. 25. Why did Mike write to Greene?

A. To ask for help.

D. His parents had huge debts to pay off.

B. To send his greetings. D. To introduce himself.

C. To express his thanks.

26. What can we infer from Paragraph 4 about Mike?

A. His fund needed more donations. C. His plan really worked.

27. What’s the best title for the text?

A. Pennies for readers

B. The value of education D. The one penny college fund C

In our life, it’s not uncommon to deal with someone who is stubborn. You may not like such people because they don’t easily listen to you or follow your advice. Well, some stubbornness is really annoying. I’m sure you’ve ever met a very stubborn person and thought why he / she was just so stubborn.

Stubbornness has a time and place, you might think. Standing your ground on important issues that are rooted in your personal values is a good use of being stubborn. Standing your ground and shouting “Santa Claus isn’t real!” at a younger relative is a bad use of being stubborn. But a new study suggests being generally stubborn might have some major health benefits.

A new study by the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Rome La Sapienza, published in International Psychogeriatrics, aimed to find out psychological (心理的) characteristics that may lead to a longer life. The research had a study group of 29 participants, aged 90-101 years old, in small villages in Italy. At the end of the study, it was found that even though all the participants were in worse physical health than their younger family members (aged 51-75), their mental well-being was much better.

The obvious characteristics shared by the group of 29 included a stubborn character, strong work principles, strong family connection, a sunny attitude to life, and a preference for rural life. Researchers believe that stubbornness, in particular, helped participants stay mentally energetic because they were less likely to care about what others thought of them and, in turn, would have less stress from it. “I am always active. I do not know what stress is,” a study participant said in a test, “Life is what it is and must be faced ... always.” So next time you meet stubborn people, you can share the good news with

B. He became rich and successful. D. He asked for too much.

C. Mike’s business in college

them. Well, just tell them not to be too stubborn.

28. What do we learn about stubbornness from Paragraph 2?

A. It has two sides.

B. It can be very dangerous.

D. It is hardly shown by younger people.

C. It means not listening to others.

29. What does the new study mainly want to find out?

A. Why some people are stubborn.

B. Whether stubbornness can benefit our health. C. How psychological effects work on our bodies. D. What psychological features can lead to a long life. 30. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. Mental stress. C. Stubbornness.

B. Caring about others’ opinions. D. Being connected with others.

31. What does the study mainly show?

A. Happy people are usually stubborn. B. Stubborn people are more energetic. C. People are stubborn for different reasons. D. Stubbornness might help people live longer.

D

At Zhongshuge, a bookstore and library in Yangzhou, China, the books go on forever. Or, at least, that’s what it looks like, thanks to some amazing design. When you walk into Zhongshuge, you’re surrounded on all sides by an endless“tunnel ”of books. They fill the ceiling, walls and the floor, some even appearing to be in the air. For book lovers, it’s a great place like no other. So how does this magical bookshop do it? Well, an architectural studio called X+Living designed the inside of Zhongshuge. The shelves are designed in arc shapes to create the tunnel-like appearance.

The floor is covered with black mirrors, reflecting the shelves above and making people feel that the bookshelves continue down past the floor you’re standing on. And there you have it — the illusion (幻觉) that the rows of books never end. As it turns out, the bookstore’s design has more meaning than just a fun illusion. It has been designed in honor of the literary (文学的) history of the city of Yangzhou. Yangzhou is full of canals and rivers, and many of China’s literary masters had their great works because of the

flowing water. The X+Living, therefore, had this idea with Zhongshuge and tried to create the feel of being in a“river”of books.

Once you’ve picked out a book from the seemingly endless number, head into the equally beautiful reading room. It has huge ceilings and many comfortable places to sit and read a book. As if all of those weren’t enough, Zhongshuge has an amazing space for children’s books as well. The children’s section is inviting and colorful, with a ceiling full of tiny lights just like stars. The bookshelves are shaped like houses, clouds, and even a hot air balloon.

32. When one walks into Zhongshuge, he/she may notice that _____.

A. there are too many people in it C. the books there are not normally placed

B. it’s easy to reach each book there D. there are too many unusual books in it

33. What can we learn about the bookstore from Paragraph 2?

A. It was built by the X+Living. B. It can’t give visitors comfortable feelings. C. It seems that the row of books are endless. D. It has more books than any other bookstore. 34. The bookstore was designed that way _____.

A. mainly to create a fun illusion B. mainly to attract more tourists

C. to draw people’s attention to literary masters D. to show respect for the literary history of the city 35. What does the bookstore allow people to do?

A. Play with kids there. C. Enjoy views of a river.

B. Read books comfortably there. D. Buy books at a low price. E

The “Boomerang Kids” — young adults who leave to go to college, get married or just show off their independence — are moving back in with mom and dad. Boomerang Kids can be a mixed blessing for parents, both emotionally and financially.

Especially during hard economic times, adult children head for home. According to a survey, about 40 percent of 2017 graduates still live with their parents. Moreover, 42 percent of the 2015 graduates surveyed said they are still living at home.

The reasons are many, the first being economics. While the recession(衰退) has touched Americans

of all ages, it has been very hard for young adults. This has sent many kids back home. Plus, there is the matter of debt, especially college loans. For many recent graduates, it makes smart economic sense to move back in with their parents where life is comfortable and rent is either low or nonexistent. Then, of course, some return for personal reasons, such as recovering from a divorce or an illness.

Parents are often glad to help out, both emotionally and financially. As a result, the arrangement often works to everyone’s satisfaction. However, there are risks, especially for the parents. These include not only family tension and misunderstandings, but also money. The return to the family can become a financial burden that can affect the parents’ plans and their financial future, especially their retirement, as they try to do too much for their children.

36. From the passage, we know Boomerang Kids____________. . A. return to live with parents after graduation C. graduate from college in advance

B. have problem with their marriage

D. like to show off their independence

37. The underlined words in Paragraph 1 mean something that___________. A. is very useful and beneficial C. will have a good result

B. has advantages and disadvantages D. worries people a lot

38. What can we learn from the passage?

A. It is a tough choice for young adults to move back home. B. Children face fewer financial problems than ever. C. Parents may have to deal with extra financial burden. D. Most graduates choose to live with their parents. 第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10 分）

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。

What can you do with a simple piece of paper? 39 However, if you learn a few basic folding techniques (折纸技巧), you could make many interesting objects, such as a ship, a truck or even a giraffe.

Origami is the art of folding paper into 3-D models of people, animals and objects. The word origami is Japanese. It comes from the word oru, meaning to fold, and kami, meaning paper. 40 Some historians believe that it was first practiced in China around 2,000 years ago. Others think that it was begun several hundred years later in Japan. 41 The paper is usually white on one side and colorful on the other side. It is also thin, which allows it to be folded many times.