When we know somewhere well, we say we “ know it like the back of our hand ”. But new research has shown that we don’t actually know as much about our hands as we think we do.

Wider and shorter

Professor Matthew Longo at the University of London and his team did an experiment, covering the left hands of 100 people. Then they asked the people to point to where they thought their fingertips and knuckles (指關(guān)節(jié)) were. They made some quite big mistakes.

“People think their hand is wider than it actually is,” said Longo. The fingers also seem shorter than they are. This mistake gets worse as you go across the hand from the thumb to the little finger.

Sense of position

"It is connected to our sense of position,” explained Longo. This is our ability to tell where different parts of our bodies are, even when we can’t see them. “It tells us whether a joint is straight or not "he said. It also tells us whether we are going up or down in an elevator. All this information comes from signs from nerves in real time. It’s like our brain has maps — maps that show the size and shape of our body. “This experiment tried to find those maps,” said Longo.

Strength of feeling

But these maps make mistakes. These mistakes may be made because of how the brain understands different parts of the skin. “Our brains ‘see” areas as larger where the skin feels touch strongly,” said Longo. Body parts don’t appear as their true size, but appear bigger or smaller depending on how strongly they feel touch. Our lips, for example, have more nerves than our nose. So brain “sees” lips on its map of the body as being bigger than our nose. The same thing happens for other parts of the body that have lots of nerves.

Longo believes that more research in this area may help us to understand eating problem better, because people suffering from these problems may not know their bodies properly.

1.Which of following statement is TRUE about the experiment according to the article?

A. People think their body parts are larger than they actually are.

B. People’s fingers are actually shorter than they think.

C. People were asked to draw their hands from memory

D. People made more mistakes about their little fingers length than their thumbs’ length.

2.What does the underlined “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. The new experiment.

B. The mistake people made.

C. The sizes of fingers and hands.

D. The location information.

3.We can conclude from the article that ________.

A. the maps of people’s bodies form before they are born

B. the maps of our body are based on information from nerves

C. our sense of position depends on the interaction between parts of the body

D. how we feel about our body shape is only decided by our sense of position

4.We can infer from the article that ________.

A. there are more nerves in the finger than in the hand

B. our lips have a weaker sense of touch than our nose

C. the hand feels touch more strongly than fingers do

D. our sense of position should not be trusted because it is too often incorrect

He is a Time Lord who can travel anywhere he wants in time, but still never seems to be happy. He is always very well dressed. He refuses to use guns to kill anybody, preferring to trust his brains. Who could be a better hero for British people? He is the Doctor, hero of the popular BBC TV series Doctor Who, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of its 2005 reboot on March 26.

In 2005 the sci-fi TV series returned to British screens after originally running from 1963 until 1989. In the series, the Doctor travels through time in his TARDIS police box, saving Earth and other planets from dangerous aliens and humans.

The show looked a little different upon its 2005 return — the show used to be famous for cheap, ugly special effects but they were gone, replaced by expensive computer effects and attractive young stars. Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor in 2005, and there have been four more since, including the current Twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi.

You may wonder why the Doctor has been played by so many people, thirteen in total. This is because every few years, the doctor “regenerates”，which means his character "dies” but comes back to life with a completely new body afterwards. As the Radio Times put it：“Who else can cheat death by getting a whole new face?”

The show has no limits. The Doctor has already visited the time of Shakespeare, found out the truth about the American moon landing of 1969’ and gone back to the very early days of Earth. He has also traveled forward in time and been to many strange planets. Who knows where he’ll go in the next 10 years? Or if the Doctor will even be a man? Last year, head writer Steven Moffat told BANG Showbiz ii is very possible that a woman will play the Doctor in the future

Are you ready for more travels with him or her through time?

1.What is the article mainly about?

A. The actors who have played the hero in Doctor Who.

B. A brief introduction to the BBC TV series Doctor Who.

C. What inspired the producers to make Doctor Who.

D. What influence Doctor Who has had on other sci-fi TV shows.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the Doctor in Doctor Who?

A. Although he is always well dressed, he is very cruel inside.

B. He has gone through 10 “regenerations” in the past decade.

C. He is better at solving problems with his guns than with his brains.

D. His mission is to protect Earth and other planets from attack.

3.What can we learn about Doctor Who from the article?

A. In 2005, BBC producers started a new Doctor Who series after a 42-year break.

B. The show looked more fashionable and attractive upon its 2005 return.

C. The producers use creative but cheap special effects in the new Doctor Who series.

D. Doctor Who is quite popular in Britain because it was the first British sci-fi show.

4.We can conclude from the second-to-last paragraph that the Doctor Who series ________.

A. is very imaginative

B. seems hard to understand

C. involves scientific discoveries

D. is an accurate reflection of human history

When The New Republic magazine predicted who would win the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature on Oct 6, it said：“Not Bob Dylan. That’s for sure.”

But the award came as a surprise to many. On Oct 13, the famous US musician was named the Nobel laureate by the Swedish Academy. He has “created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition", according to the organization.

Although Dylan, 75, is not really thought to be a literary writer, he has given the world a lot of creative work over 50 years, especially when it comes to his folk songs.

In his 1985 album Biograph, Dylan wrote about the appeal of folk music to him. Rock songs “weren’t serious enough or didn’t reflect life in a realistic way", according to Dylan. But folk, was “a more serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more sadness; more joy …much deeper feelings".

Dylan’s music and lyrics spoke to many people during the 1960s. His lyrics were often about great political issues, such as the civil rights movement. The 1960s were a time of change when the young were making sure that their voices were heard. The idea is most famously expressed in Dylan's The Times They Are a -Changin (1964), which warns the world, “You better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone. For the times they are a-changin！”

There were complaints that a literary prize had been given to a singer. But ancient “Greek poets Homer and Sappho wrote poetic works that were meant to be listened to, that were meant to be performed, often with instruments — and it’s the same way with Dylan", the Swedish Academy’s permanent secretary Sara Danius told CNN.

It could even be said that giving the important prize to Dylan has brought back an old literary tradition. The millions whose lives Dylan’s words and music have changed will surely welcome the award.

1.Dylan found folk music attractive because ________.

A. it brought joy to people

B. it could be used to express feelings freely

C. it reflected life on a much deeper level

D. it needed more creativity than other types of music

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Dylan according to the article?

A. He never thought that he would win the Nobel Prize.

B. Most of his influential works were created in the 1960s.

C. His songs expressed people’s feelings well during the 1960s.

D. His fans were mostly young people who were active in political movements.

3.According to the last two paragraphs, ________.

A. lyrics can be seen as a literary form

B. a literary prize should not be given to a singer

C. Dylan’s works were inspired by Greek poets

D. Dylan deserves the award because he influenced many songwriters

4.What’s the author’s attitude toward giving Bob Dylan the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature?

A. supportive B. objective C. sceptical D. ambiguous

Rachel looked through troubled eyes at her sister and said, “I wouldn’t have thought Eric would be a thief.” Her sister Sarah replied, “Whoa, that's a _______________accusation to make against your best friend!”

Rachel remembered two days ago when she had brought out her coin collection for Eric to _______________. At the end of that day, Rachel’s mother asked her to do her a favor, so she asked her friend, “Is it okay if I leave you for a few minutes?” Eric said, “Go ahead. I’ll clean up here, _______________at the piles of coins on the floor.

When Rachel returned, it never occurred to her to _______________her coins until two days later that she realized some quarters were_______________.

Sarah said, “Why don’t you just ask him?”

“Ask him what? Hey, best friend, did you _______________ my coin collection?” Rachel thought for a moment, _______________ if that would be a good idea. The theft of her collection left her with a feeling of _______________. “How could I have misjudged my friend’s _______________?”

The next day Rachel went to Eric' s house. Eric was acting funny sort of nervous, like he couldn’t be ________________. In fact, Rachel thought Eric acted like someone with a secret. Anger blossomed as Rachel watched Eric pretend to be kind, ________________ Eric had obviously stolen from her. Rachel finally could not stand it any more and stood up. Suddenly, Eric ________________, “I can’t stand it anymore!” Rachel was astonished at hearing her own ________________ burst forth from her friend! Instead of sounding ________________, Eric sounded excited. He pulled something from underneath the chair.

“Go to open it! I was going to wait until your birthday, but I can't wait. ” Slowly, Rachel lifted the top of the ________________. Laid out in front of her were all of the quarters from her coin collection.

Each quarter was in its own ________________ in a new collection case. Each quarter shone like it was new.

Rachel felt ________________rush over her neck and ears. She said ________________, "Thank you! This means. . . a great deal to me. ” She was grateful that Eric had cut her ________________before she said something she would ________________ Eric was exactly the type of person she wanted as a friend!

1.A. initial B. tentative C. authentic D. serious

2.A. classify B. excavate C. distribute D. see

3.A. remarking B. gesturing C. playing D. glaring

4.A. seek B. select C. check D. collect

5.A. destroyed B. messed C. missing D. decreasing

6.A. replace B. steal C. pick D. remove

7.A. deciding B. knowing C. asking D. minding

8.A. stupidity B. abandon C. sympathy D. betrayal

9.A. favour B. character C. appearance D. method

10.A. still B. confident C. generous D. silent

11.A. when B. so C. after D. if

12.A. expressed B. condemned C. yelled D. argued

13.A. purpose B. choices C. desire D. thoughts

14.A. shocked B. curious C. guilty D. cruel

15.A. jar B. box C. can D. bag

16.A. spot B. form C. condition D. style

17.A. air B. heat C. wind D. sweat

18.A. awesomely B. abruptly C. weakly D. acutely

19.A. off B. down C. out D. up

20.A. illustrate B. compromise C. tolerate D. regret

A man looking at his smartphone while walking across a railway crossing in Nanjing had a close knock on Oct. 22. So absorbed 1. he in his smartphone that he didn’t see a train approaching2.it brushed past him, 3. (throw) him to the ground. This should serve as a warning 4. people should be aware of their 5. (surround), especially when crossing roads.

Luckily, the man survived a brush with death, but the incident forced the driver to stop the train. 6.18-minute delays followed the incident, 7. led to a break in the running of other trams on the route.

Smartphone addiction 8. (spread) like an infectious disease during the past few years .It is evident that it will do great harm to society. What is 9. (bad), some addicts become impatient with relatives and friends.

Some people blame the smart phone for the tragedy. But if people’s self-control and self -discipline10. (weaken),the tragedy wouldn't, I have occurred.

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處。每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉。

修改：在錯的詞下面畫一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意：1. 每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2. 只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分。

Nowadays, the computer technology develops very fast that the Internet has become more and more popular .Some students regarded it as a great helper. Because there has a lot of information on line, so you can surf the Internet for any information you need in a short time without working hard in the library. This is also very convenient to talk to others by using the Internet. Moreover, other students think that there is some information on line that is not good for students. In addition, spend

too much time playing games will not only have a bad effect on their studies but also do harm health. Therefore, we should make properly use of the Internet. It is of great important to separate good plants from wild weeds.

Aerial(空中的)performer Jennifer Bricker was born without legs, but she never let it stop her.

Wrapped in a loop(圈)of red silk hung from the ceiling Jennifer Bricker climbs and twists to the music. Her head hangs down and her strong arms let go as she balances on her back, high above the ground a move that’s all the more daring because she has no legs.

Jennifer was a few months old when she was adopted by Sharon and Gerald Bricker. She had big brown eyes, a bright smile, and huge amounts of energy. When a doctor advised her adoptive parents to carry her around in a kind of bucket(桶), they refused.

Jennifer soon learned to walk — and run — on her hands and bottom, and grew up fearlessly climbing trees and bouncing on the trampoline (蹦床）with her three older brothers. “ My parents didn’t treat me differently so I didn’t grasp the concept that I was different. I knew I didn’t have legs but that wasn’t stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do. "

At the age of three she was fitted with artificial legs, but she never really took to them — she moved more freely without.

In 1996 the Olympic Games took place in Atlanta. Jennifer loved to watch the women’s gymnastics team, and especially adored the 14-year-old Dominique Moceanu who competed for the US. When Moceanu and the women’s team won gold, Jennifer decided she was going to be a gymnast, too. She took up power tumbling, which involves performing floor exercises down a runway. But Jennifer did not want any allowances to be made for her disability.

At the age of 10 she took part in the Junior Olympics and by age 11 she was tumbling champion for the state of Illinois.

Jennifer now travels the world as an inspirational speaker and acts as an aerial performer.

1.What do we know about Jennifer Bricker?

A. She felt embarrassed without legs.

B. She was brought up as a normal child.

C. She was carried in a bucket as a baby.

D. She lost her legs when she was adopted.

2.Why did Jennifer determine to be a gymnast ?

A. She knew that she was different from others.

B. She wanted to make allowances for her disability

C. She was eager to participate in the Junior Olympics.

D. She was greatly influenced by Dominique Moceanu.

3.Which of the following can best describe Jennifer Bricker?

A. Self-respected. B. Cautious. C. Sensitive. D. Clever.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The sufferings of a gymnast.

B. The memory of an aerial performer.

C. The experiences of an adoptive family.

D. The growing process of a disabled person.

What is TrackR?

TrackR is the simplest way to find lost or misplaced items. Join the millions of people who are connected to their most important items.

Order a TrackR today and never lose anything again.

1.What do you think is the passage?

A. Descriptions of several products. B. An advertisement of a product.

C. An introduction to lost items. D. Directions of a new item.

2.How many functions does a TrackR have?

A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six.

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined “a snap” in the passage?

A. An easy job. B. A necessary task.

C. An available method D. A quiet action.

Booking a trip on an online travel site is convenient, but comes with its own set of problems.

◆They know who’s gone to spend more.

Last year, U. S travel research company Orbitz tracked people’s online activities to test out whether Mac users spend more on travel than PC users. Turns out that on average, Mac users lay out US $ 20~30 more per night on hotels. As a result, online travel sites show these users more expensive travel options first. To avoid paying more, sort results by price.

◆Their software doesn’t always link to the hotel’s system.

A guaranteed reservation is almost impossible to come by anywhere — but the risk of your flight or hotel being overbooked increases with third-party providers. The middleman’s software isn’t immune(防護(hù)作用的) to system errors, so always call the hotel or airline to make sure your booking was processed.

◆You could miss out on loyalty (積分) points.

Third party providers can get between you and frequent flyer miles or points. Many hotel loyalty programs don’t recognize external sites, others award only minimum points without special offers, like double points on hotel stays.

◆Don’t be fooled by packages: Often, they’re low-end items grouped together.

Ever notice how travel sites recommend a hotel, a rental car, and tour package all in one click. These deals usually feature travel that no one wants, like flights with multiple layovers(中途停留). Check the fine print.

◆Once your trip is purchased, you’re on your own.

An online travel agency can’t provide assistance the same way an agent can if a flight is cancelled or a room is substandard. Basically, when you arrive at the airport or hotel, you’re just another customer who booked at the lowest rate.

1.What does the writer mainly intend to tell readers?

A. Tips of how to reserve flights on line.

B. Problems of reserving a hotel on line.

C. Notices about reserving a trip on line.

D. Traps in reserving hotels and flights on line.

2.Why do people probably spend more on their online reservation for trips?

A. They book at prices offered first by travel sites.

B. They are shown less expensive travel options first.

C. Some of the travel expenses are earned by Mac users.

D. Their flights or hotels are overbooked by tourist agencies.

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined “fine print”？

A. Detailed items. B. Discounted prices.

C. Good deals. D. Special services.

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The third parties will provide good travel services on line.

B. Few people book trips on line because of possible troubles.

C. Travelers’ interests may not be guaranteed with booking on line.

D. Those booking trips on line will benefit much from loyalty points

According to a team of researchers, an animals’ ability to perceive(感知)time is linked to their pace of life.

“Our results lend support to the importance of time perception in animals where the ability to perceive time in a very short time may be the difference between life and death for fast moving creatures.” commented lead author Kevin Healy from Trinity College Dublin.

The study was done with a variety of animals using a phenomenon based on the maximum speed of flashes of light an individual can see before the light source is seen as constant. Dogs, for example, have eyes with a refresh rate higher than humans.

One example of this phenomenon at work, the authors say, is the housefly and its ability to avoid being hit. The research showed flies “observe motion in a shorter time than our own eyes can achieve,” which allows them to avoid being hit. 

Professor Graeme Ruxton of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, who worked jointly on the research project, said in a statement, “Having eyes that send updates to the brain at much higher frequencies than our eyes do is of no value if the brain cannot process that information equally quickly. Thus, this work highlights the impressive abilities of even the smallest animal brains. Flies might not be deep thinkers, but they can make good decisions very quickly. ”

In comparison, the tiger beetle (虎甲蟲）runs faster than its eyes can keep up, basically becoming blind, which requires it to stop periodically to re-evaluate its prey’s (獵物)position.

Our results suggest that time perception offers an as yet unstudied dimension along which animals can specialize and there is considerable range to study this system in more detail.

1.What is the research mentioned in the passage mainly about?

A. Pace of life of animals. B. Time perception of animals.

C. Lifetime of small animals. D. Impressive abilities of animals.

2.What does Kevin Healy’s comment mean in Para. 2?

A. The ability of animals to perceive time depends on their high moving speed.

B. The survival of fast moving animals relies on their ability to perceive time.

C. Animals with quicker pace of life have better perception of time.

D. Animals with poor ability of time perception have a shorter life.

3.Why can houseflies avoid being hit?

A. They can think very deeply before they act.

B. They can fly much faster than their eyes can keep up.

C. They can process the information as quickly as they receive it.

D. They can send information to brain more quickly than to their eyes.

4.What will a tiger beetle have to do to catch a moving prey?

A. Try to run as fast as it can.

B. Prevent itself from becoming blind.

C. Slow down to gain its time perception.

D. Stop occasionally to spot the prey again.