12．Turning the lights out or wearing a blindfold while eating could be a quick way to lose weight，according to scientists．The simple trick works because it stops diners eating for pleasure rather than for calories．It also triggers （引發(fā)） a part of the brain that is worried that unseen food may go bad．
An experiment by the University of Konstanz，in Germany，found that people who were blindfolded consumed nine percent fewer calories before they felt full，compared to those who could see．They also vastly overestimated how much they had eaten because they could not see how much was left on the plate．Blindfolded volunteers estimated they had eaten 88percent more than they actually had．
Scientists believe that not seeing food on the table also allows the body to know when it is full in real time rather than remembering past experiences where it might have taken a full plate to feel full．
In the experiment，50 people were blindfolded and 40were allowed to see their food．All were told not to eat within two hours of the experiment．They were then given three 95g bowls of chocolate ice cream and invited to eat for 15minutes．Their bowls were taken away and the remaining ice-cream weighed，while the participants were quizzed on how much they thought they had eaten．
On average the group who could see ate 116g while the blindfolded groups ate 105g．However，the blindfolded group believed they had eaten 197g while compared with 159g for the non-blind volunteers．They were also asked how pleasant the ice-cream tasted and the blindfolded group rated lower than those who could see．
"The experienced pleasure of eating was significantly lower in the blindfolded group．Not seeing the food might have decreased the appetite．Sight plays an important role in the eating experience and in the overall dining experience．"
Previous studies have shown that the visual influence of food plays a large part in the taste．While restaurants that allow diners to eat in the dark state that it triggers other senses，in fact eating in darkness is likely to taste far milder than usual．
63．With the lights out，diners eat less partly becauseD．
A．they want to quickly finish their meals
B．they trust their feelings more than ever
C．they focus more on fun than the calories
D．they worry about the quality of the food
64．We can learn from the passage that the blindfolded groupB．
A．spent a much longer time eating the same food
B．believed they ate more than they really did
C．depended on past experiences to feel full
D．thought the food tasted better than usual
65．The last two paragraphs tell us thatA．
A．diners are likely to lose their appetite eating in darkness
B．senses rather than sight play an important role in the taste
C．findings of this experiment differ from the previous studies
D．restaurants benefit a lot from allowing diners to eat in the dark
66．The main purpose of the passage is toC．
A．provide statistics related to eating in the dark
B．offer reasons for people to eat in the dark areas
C．inform the readers of the result of an experiment
D．persuade the readers to lose weight in a new way．

11．You go to a store to buy food for a party．But when you get to the cash register，there are no plastic bags for the things you buy．If you live in San Francisco，this situation might not surprise you．（71）FMany cities and towns around the United States may ban plastic bags．（72）GInstead，they'd like people to use their own cloth bags when they shop．（73）DThey say they wouldn't buy as much if they couldn't get a free bag．Store owners don't want to lose business．So they want to keep offering plastic bags．
Stores should be banned from using plastic bags．Here's why：
All those plastic bags fill up garbage dumps （垃圾站）．That hurts the environment．
People can use cloth bags instead．（74）AStores should not be banned from using plastic bags．Here's why：
People might buy less if stores don't offer plastic shopping bags．Some stores might go out of business．
Some people reuse plastic shopping bags for things like garbage．If they don't get them for free，they'll have to buy some．（75）CThat could get expensive．

A．These bags don't get thrown away until they've been used many times．
B．There should always be a choice．
C．If shoppers forgot a cloth bag，they would have to buy one．
D．But many people don't want to buy their own cloth bags．
E．Many people throw them away after using them．
F．That city has banned most plastic shopping bags from stores．
G．They hope that shoppers won't use paper bags either．

10．They may have text，email，F(xiàn)acebook and Twitter，but young people are still lonelier than any other age group．The Loneliness in New Zealand Report，published by Statistics New Zealand，shows under 30s are more likely to feel lonely than older people because loneliness decreases with age．Loneliness and poor mental health were strongly related across all ages．Young people were not as likely to feel lonely because of financial hardship，but among older people，lack of money was a significant influence on loneliness．Women were more likely to feel lonely than men．
Philip Walker，spokesman for the General Social Survey，said because it was relatively new it was hard to know whether loneliness among young people was a new trend．But overseas research has found that levels of loneliness in youth today are growing．
Mr．Walker said the finding needed more exploration，including looking at the role of technology and social media．"It could be that people's expectations of connection have gone up，so we expect increased levels of connection，"he said．"While technology like cell phones could help young people stay connected，on the other hand for those who do get bullied（欺辱），especially bullied online，it's quite isolating．A lot of the time potentially it is a big contributor to loneliness．"
Figures from online dating website FindSomeone also confirmed more young people were looking for love．Manager Rick Davies，said younger dating hopefuls were the fastest growing group on the site．
Mr．Davies noted that since the report data was collected in 2010there had been huge growth in smart phones，which meant people were online even more．He believed online tools，such as Skype，could help people stay connected．"People can keep in touch with a wide range of friends from all over the world much more easily now．It's like you're sitting in your living room having a chat with them．"
Bemardine Reid，operations committee chairwoman for Samaritans，which operates a free helpline，said many of their calls came from people who were lonely．"It might be that they've got some problem，just like all the things people would normally talk to a friend about，but people who are alone lack those normal contacts．"
The Statistics New Zealand report also showed people who didn't have face-to-face contact with family and friends were more likely to feel lonely，as were those who lived alone．

67．Which of the following may Mr．Walker agree with？A
A．High technology may become a reason for loneliness．
B．People shouldn't use the Internet to get to know strangers．
C．It's hard for people to get enough connection online as expected．
D．Social media should play an important role in helping lonely people．
68．It can be inferred from the passage thatD．
A．FindSomeone is a website where you can find old friends
B．without technology，young people would not feel lonely
C．high technology results in the older being lonely
D．those cheated or hurt online tend to feel lonely
69．From the last two paragraphs，we can conclude thatD．
A．Internet can keep people free from loneliness
B．people chatting a lot online tend to be optimistic
C．people living alone tend to have more connection online
D．people communicating less in the real world risk loneliness
70．What is the best title of the passage？C
A．Loneliness Around You
B．Young People Online
C．Young but Lonely
D．E-times and Young People．

9．Freya Stark，explorer and writer
Freya Stark was an explorer who lived during a time when explorers were regarded as heroes．She travelled to distant areas of the Middle East，where few Europeans-especially women-（25）had travelled （travel） before．She also travelled extensively in Turkey，Greece，Italy，Nepal and Afghanistan．
Stark was born in Paris in 1893．（26）Although/though she had no formal education as a child，she moved about with her artist parents and learned French，German and Italian．She entered London University in 1912，but at the start of World War I，she joined the nurse team and （27）was sent （send） to Italy．After the war，she returned to London and attended the School of Oriental Studies．Her studies there led to extensive travel in the Middle East，（28）enabling （enable） her to eventually become fluent in Persian，Russian and Turkish．
Stark became well known as a traveler and explorer in the Middle East．She travelled to the Lebanon in 1927at the age of 33 （29）when she had saved enough money，and while there，she studied Arabic．In 1928，she travelled （30）by donkey to the Jebel Druze，a mountainous area in Syria．During her （31）another trip，she went to a distant region of the Elburz，a mountain range in Iran，where she made a map．She was searching for information about an ancient Muslim sect Known as the Assassins，which she wrote about in Valley of the Assassins （1934），a classic （32）for which she was awarded a God Medal by the Royal Geographic Society．For the 12years，she continued her career as a traveler and writer，establishing a style which combined an account of her journey with personal commentary on the people，places，customs，history and politics of the Middle East．

8．Have you heard of the"Doomsday（世界末日）clock"？
While the name sounds particular enough to draw our attention，there is no way to actually predict doomsday．The clock is a visual way of representing the dangers our world faces and the urgency to act-with midnight symbolizing doomsday．
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists，the organization that maintains（維護(hù)）the clock，decided to keep the clock at 3minutes to midni-the same as last year．Despite the Iran nuclear deal that weakened the threat（威脅）of nuclear war，the organization continues to worry about the lack of progress on other global issues of concern．
The clock was created nearly 70years ago by a group of scientists who had worked on the Manhattan project-that created the world's first atomic bomb．The bombs were dropped on two Japanese cities．Though it brought an end to one of the worst wars in human history，the bombs also exposed the world to the dangers of nuclear technology．
One of the nuclear physicists on the Manhattan project was married to an artist named Martyl Kangsdorf．It was Martyl's idea to create a clock and set the hand to seven minutes to midnight when it first created．
Since then，the clock has been a powerful way to show humanity how close the world is to catastrophe due to human action．To maintain this clock，every year twenty members of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists gather together and assess the biggest threats to humanity．When scientists looked back at the events of 2015．two significant threats continued to exist-climate change and investment in nuclear weapons by various nations around the world．
According to the scientists，we may be able to avoid disaster if humanity reduces spending on nuclear weapons，sharply reduces greenhouse gases，deals with commercial nuclear waste，and makes agreements to prevent the misuse of new technologies．

32．The Doomsday clock was created forD．
A．reminding people of the painful past
B．correcting time to the same standard
C．predicting the doomsday of the world
D．warning humanity of the urgent threats
33．What does the underlined word"it"in Paragraph 4refer to？C
A．The doomsday clock．         B．The first atomic bomb．
C．Dropping the atomic bombs．  D．The Manhattan project．
34．What are considered the most urgent threats that today's world faces？A
A．Climate change and nuclear weapons．
B．High-tech war and space research．
C．Extreme poverty and serious diseases．
D．Natural disasters and low birth rate．
35．What can be inferred from this passage？D
A．Human beings have no way to deal with their urgent threats．
B．The world will continuously face more threats whatever we do．
C．Martyl created the Doomsday clock just to amuse local citizens．
D．Most threats we face now are actually caused by humanity itself．

7．Seven-Day Travel In Alaska
Want a unique and thrilling travelling experience？Still bothered not sure where to go？Join us for an unforgettable 7-day holiday to Alaska!Nowhere else like Alaska can you enjoy a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river．Combine these images with high mountains，brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska!
You can have fun here：
◆JUNEAU：Juneau，the state capital，is rich in culture and scenic beauty．It is here that we start and end our trip．
◆HAINES：Haines is a small community located along the fjords（峽灣）．The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines an important center for adventure in Alaska．
◆ALASKA INDIAN ARTS：Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation devoted to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes．You can spend a few hours learning carving，playing native beading（珠子） from local artists．
◆SKAGWAY：Skagway is a lively town，which still reflects its gold rush roots and origins．In Skagway，you may stop at the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway．
◆GUSTAVUS：Gastavus is the gateway to the Glacier Bay National Park．You'll stay at a comfortable house here for two nights．This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion（遠(yuǎn)足） and a full day cruise（巡游） in Glacier Bay．
◆DATES/PRICES：
May 16，June 20，July 18，August 15．
7 days-$3，500，including lodging，all meals，excursions，guides，park fees，sale taxes，and transportation between Juneau，Skagway，Haines，and Gustavus．Not included：Alcohol，personal items，airfare to and from Juneau．
◆CONTACT
E-mail：info@alaskamountainguides．com
Call：1 800 766 3396
Address：Alaska Mountain Guide &Climbing School
P．O．Box 1081，Haines AK 99827
Detailed information，click here：
http://www．victory-cruise．com/chile_testimonials．html#xxi
33．If you want to learn something about the local history，you'd better go toA
A．Juneau      B．Skagway     C．Haines      D．Gustavus
34．Which is the best place to watch a whale exploding out of the water？C
A．The White Pass Yukon
B．The Northwest Native Tribes
C．The Glacier Bay National Park
D．The Klondike Gold Rush National Park
35．The text is mainly written toA．
A．a(chǎn)ttract people to visit Alaska        
B．explain why Alaska is famous
C．introduce beautiful places in Alaska  
D．tell people how to visit Alaska．

6．In the United States，30 percent of the people have a"weight problem"．To many people the cause is obvious （明顯的）：they eat too much．But scientific evidence （證據(jù)） does little to support this idea．Going back to America of 1910，we find that people were thinner than today，yet they ate more food．In those days people worked harder physically，walked more，used machines much less，and didn't watch television．
Several modern studies，moreover，have shown that fatter people don't eat more on average than thinner people．A 1979 study of 3，545 London office workers showed that fat people eat less than slim （苗條的） people．
Studies also show that slim people are more active than fat people．A study by a research group at Stanford University found the following interesting facts：
The more the man ran，the greater loss of the body fat．
The more they ran，the greater increase in food intake．
Thus，those who ran the most ate the most，yet lost the greatest amount of body fat．
29．Nowadays many Americans have the problem thatC．
A．they are too slim              
B．they work too hard
C．they are too fat           
D．they lose too much body fat
30．According to the passage，how many people in 900 Americans have a"weight problem"？D
A.150．B.300．C.600．D.270．
31．Is there any scientific evidence to support the idea that eating too much is the cause of a"weight problem"？C
A．Yes，there is plenty of evidence．
B．Of course，there is some evidence to support this．
C．There is hardly any scientific evidence to support this．
D．We are not sure．
32．The Americans in 1910A．
A．a(chǎn)te more food and had more physical activities
B．a(chǎn)te less food but had more physical activities
C．a(chǎn)te less food and had less physical activities
D．had more problems．

5．People believe that climbing can do good to health．Where can you learn the skills of climbing then？If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb，you're wrong．Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms （體育館）．Here，people are learning on special climbing walls．The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet．
    How do people climb the wall？To climb，you need special shoes and a harness （保護(hù)帶） around your chest to hold you．There are ropes （繩索） tied to your harness．The ropes hold you in place so that you don't fall．A beginner's wall is usually about 15 feet high，and you climb straight up．There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to．Sometimes it's easy to see the next piece of metal．Sometimes，it's not．The most difficult part is to control your fear．It's normal for humans to be afraid of falling，so it's difficult not to feel fear．But when you move away from the wall，the harness and the ropes hold you，and you begin to feel safe．You move slowly until you reach the top．
    Climbing attracts people because it's good exercise for almost everyone．You use your whole body，especially your arms and legs．This sport gives your body a complete workout．When you climb，both your mind and your body can become stronger．
21．What can we infer from the passage？D
A．It is always easy to see holding places in climbing．
B．It is impossible to build up one's body by climbing．
C．People can only learn t he skill of climbing outdoors．
D．People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays．
22．The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing isC．
A．to fasten ropes to your harness    
B．to move away from the wall
C．to contain your fear or horror      
D．to climb straight up
23．The word"wo rkout"underlined in the last paragraph most probably meansB．
A．settlement         B．exercise       C．excitement        D．tiredness
24．Why does the author write this passageC？
A．To tell people where to find gyms．
B．To prove the basic need for climbing
C．To introduce the sport of wall climbing    
D．To encourage people to climb mountains．

4．"Over the years the unthinkable has become thinkable and today we sense we are close to being able to alter human heredity（遺傳）．"These were the words of David Baltimore of the California Institute of Technology，on December 1st，when he opened a three-day meeting in Washington to discuss the morality and use of human gene editing．Dr Baltimore is an old hand at these sorts of discussions，for he was also a participant in the Asilomar conference，in 1975，which brought scientists together to discuss a safe way of using the then-new tcchnology of recombinant DNA，and whose recommendations influenced a generation of biotechnology researchers．
Four decades on，the need for a similar sort of chin-wag has arisen．The International Summit on Human Gene Editing has been held by the national scientific academies of three countries-America，Britain and China．They are particularly concerned about whether gene editing should be used to make heritable changes to the human germ line，something Dr Baltimore described as a deep and troubling question．Like those of Asilomar，the conclusions of this meeting will not be binding．But the hope is that，again like Asilomar，a mixture of common sense and peer pressure will create a world in which scientists are trusted to regulate themselves，rather than having politicians and civil servants do it for them．The meeting is being held against a backdrop of rapid scientific advance，Since 2012 research into a new，easy-to-use editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9 has blossomed．This technique involves a piece of RNA （a chemical messenger，which can be used to recognise a target section of DNA） and an enzyme （酶） called a nuclease that can snip unwanted genes out and paste new ones in．
Public interest was aroused in April，when Chinese scientists announced they had edited genes in non-viable （ 無活力的） human embryos，and again in November when British researchers said they had successfully treated a one-year-old girl who had leukaemia （ 白血�。�，using gene-edited T-cells．T-cells are part of the immune system that attack，among other things，tumour cells．The researchers altered T-cells from a healthy donor to encourage them to recognise and kill the patient's cancer，to make them immune to her leukaemia drug，and to ensure they did not attack her healthy cells．
In another recent development，a firm called Edit as Medicine，which is based in Cambridge，Massachusetts，has said it hopes，in 2017，to start human clinical trials of CRISPR-Cas9 as a treatment for a rare genetic form of blindness known as Leber congenital amaurosis （伯氏先天性黑蒙）．Though other companies are already testing gene-editing therapies，these employ older，clunkier forms of the technology that seem likely to have less commercial potential．Moreover，researchers at the Broad Institute，also in Cambridge，said this week that they had made changes to CRISPR-Cas9 which greatly reduce the rate of editing errors-one of the main obstacles to the technique's medical use．
On the subject of germ-line editing，Eric Lander，the Broad's head，told the meeting it would be useful only in rare cases and said it might be a good idea to"exercise caution？before making permanent changes to the gene pool．The need for caution is advice that might also be heeded by those pursuing work in animals other than people，and in plants-subjects not being covered by the summit．
61．Which ofthe following is TRUE about CRISPR-Cas9？B
A．It has fewer side effects．
B．It can modify human gene．
B．It can protect immune system．
D．It has less commercial potential．
62．The underlined word"chin-wag"in Paragraph 2 can be replaced byA
A．discussion    B．negotiation  C．a(chǎn)rgument D．comparison
63．What can be inferred from the passage？D
A．Dr．Baltimore started his research on modiffing gene in 1975．
B．Scientists'opinions about the use of gene editing are consistent．
C．CRISPR-Cas9 has been applied to cure Leber congenital amaurosis．
D．More research should be made before the technology comes into wide use．
64．This passage is most probably aB．
A．science fiction  
B．scientific report
C．conference summary 
D．commercial advertisement．

3．Our guide was excellent!He walked us through all the local villages and took extra time at the end to enjoy a local dinner．He stayed with us longer than he was obliged（迫使） to and made this a fantastic experience．
Tour snapshot
Travel is all about the street food these days，and why not？It's fresh，fast，cheap and a great way to crack into the local scene．Join this Hanoi tour to source the best street eats from markets，food carts，street cafes and other hard-to-find-but-totally-worth-the-effort secret spots．
Highlights
Sample delicious Vietnamese cuisine just like the locals do-on the street
Stroll through hidden alleyways and bustling markets of Hanoi's charming old quarter
Learn more about Hanoi's unique food culture
Try local specialties with influences from French and Chinese cuisine
Take in a spectacular night view of Hoan Kiem lake from a secret cafe
Schedule details
Duration：2.5 hours
Meeting point：Sacombank ATM Machine-No.1 Dong Xuan street （front entrance of Dong Xuan Market，Corner of Dong Xuan St with Cau Dong St）
Starting time：5.00 PM
Ending point：Café Pho Co-11 Hang Gai St，Hoan Kiem
21．What did the guide do？C
A．He showed visitors around by car．
B．He took many photos of visitors．
C．He stayed with visitors for extra time．
D．He enjoyed breakfast with visitors．
22．What does the underlined word"snapshot"mean in the passage？B
A．A photograph taken quickly and casually．
B．A brief impression of something．
C．An attempt to score in a game．
D．An act of firing a gun．
23．During the tour，we can enjoyA．
A．various local food                               
B．charming mountain landscapes
C．many rare animals                                
D．French and Chinese cuisine
24．We can infer from the passage that the ending time of the tour isD．
A.5.00 PM         B.5.30 PM              C.7.05 PM            D.7.30 PM．