【推荐1】Taxpayers in America pay less in income tax than many Europeans, according to a Pew Research Center report. Belgium has the highest income tax rate, at nearly 56 percent of income, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. Taxpayers in the U.S. pay less than 36 percent of their incomes into the national treasury. Taxes pay for services provided by the government. The U.S. ranks 25 of the 34 developed countries polled in the report.

An unmarried person with no children was used as an example in the report. In America, an unmarried person, with no children, making the average wage of $50,000 in 2014 paid 24.8 percent of their income in federal (联邦的) income tax and payroll taxes (工资税). A similar person living in Belgium would pay 42.3 percent of their income. The average among the 39 countries in the poll was 27.3 percent income tax.

South Korea and Canada had two of the lowest tax rates. The tax rate in South Korea for a married couple with two children is between 10 percent and 20 percent. An unmarried person in Canada with two children has a tax rate below 10 percent.

The deadline to pay taxes in America is usually April 15. This year, the deadline is April 18. American taxpayers complain that wealthy people and large companies pay too little tax, according to a Pew Research Center poll from 2015.

Americans pay tax to fund programs like Social Security and Medicaid, according to the Pew Research Center. Last year, American taxes paid for $888 billion in Social Security benefits. Social Security pays the elderly an income after they stop working. The government also paid more than $546 billion in Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Those programs pay for health and medical care to people who cannot afford it, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

1. According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．South Korea has the lowest tax rate.

B．Taxpayers in America pay less in taxes than many Europeans.

C．No countries in the world have a higher income tax than that in Belgium.

D．The deadline to pay taxes in America is usually between April 15 and April 18

2. The majority of people benefiting from the taxes in America are ________.

A．the elderly retirees

B．unmarried people

C．Married couples

D．wealthy people and corporations

3. How is Passage 2 mainly developed?

A．By giving descriptions

B．By analyzing causes

C．By describing process

D．By making comparisons

4. The best title for the text might be ________.

A．The Main Use of Taxes in America

B．US Taxes Low Compared to Other Countries

C．Taxes in America and Taxes in Other Countries

D．Taxpayers’ Complaints about Paying Too Much Tax

【推荐2】Global finance is being changed as billionaires get richer and cut out the middlemen（中间商）by creating their own "family offices”，personal investment firms that look for opportunities in global markets. Largely unnoticed，family offices have become a force in investing，with up to S4 trillion of assets（资产）equal to 6%of the value of the world's stock markets. As they grow even bigger，family offices are sure to face uncomfortable questions about how they concentrate power and feed inequality.

These trends are unlikely to fade. The number of billionaires is still growing-199 newbies（新手）made the grade last year. Family offices' weight in the financial system，therefore，looks likely to rise further. As it does，some concerns about them will rise.

The first is that family offices could endanger the stability of the financial system. A $100 billion fund backed by the super-rich，blew up in 1998，almost bringing down Wall Street. Scores of wealthy people collapsed（崩溃）in 2008. Still，as things stand，family offices look like the next disaster waiting to happen. They have debt equal to 17%of their assets，making them among the least leveraged participants in global markets.

The second worry is that family offices could expand the power of the wealthy over the economy. This is possible: were Bill Gates to invest in Turkey，he would own 65%of its stock market. But a healthy economy's aim is usually to diversify risk，not concentrate power，by taking capital（资本）from the original family business and putting it into a widely spread field.

It is the third danger that has most bite: family offices might have privileged（有特权的）access to information，deals and tax schemes，allowing them to perform better than ordinary investors. So far there is little evidence for this. If all this did lead to an unfair advantage，the effect，when combined over decades，would make wealth inequality disastrously worse.

Most authorities are beginners when it comes to dealing with family offices，but they need to ensure that rules on trading and the equal servicing are observed. And they should require family offices with assets of over，say，$10 billion to publish accounts detailing their workings. In return，they should be free to operate undisturbed. They may even have something to teach asset managers serving ordinary investors, many of whom may look at their monthly fees and wish that they, too, could get away from the middlemen.

1. What do we know about family offices in the first paragraph?

A．They made the global investments for billionaires.

B．Their influence on global markets will go unnoticed.

C．The rise of them contributes to equality in economy.

D．They contribute more to world economy than middlemen.

2. "The least leveraged participants"(Paragraph 3) refer to the financers who.

A．make the successful investments	B．easily fall into the financial crisis
C．work well with the super-rich class	D．play a positive role in global markets

3. What effects could family offices have according to the passage?

A．Their concentration of power brings potential risks to economy.

B．Their various privileges have greatly angered ordinary investors.

C．Their investments are beneficial to the stability of global markets.

D．Their workings could narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.

4. What should the authorities pay attention to when monitoring the family offices?

A．The quality of their investments.

B．The freedom of their operation.

C．The equality in trading and servicing.

D．The interests of ordinary investors.

【推荐3】Over the past 40 years, China has helped more than 700 million rural residents out of being poor, and the poverty rate — the proportion of people living below the Chinese poverty line — had fallen among the rural population from 97.5 percent in 1978 to 3.1 percent at the end of 2017, official figures shows. China’s achievements in poverty alleviation (扶贫) made the world look at China with admiration.

“For me, it is unbelievable that over 40 years, that is, over the course of one working lifetime, China has gone from one of the poorest countries in the world to one that is about to eliminate(消除) absolute poverty,” said Craig Allen, president of the US-China Business Council.

Varaprasad Sekhar Dolla, a professor of Chinese studies at India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, also spoke highly of China’s achievements in poverty reduction. “If global poverty came down greatly in the last three or four decades, it’s partly because of the Chinese contribution to reducing poverty within its own national boundaries,” said the Indian scholar.

In the eyes of Khairy Tourk, a professor of economics with the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, “many countries look up to China to learn from its experience.” “The Chinese experience is based on building a modern infrastructure (基础设施) and then on setting up special economic zones that would help underdeveloped countries to become more industrial,” he added.

In the government work report delivered at the opening of the annual NPC session (全国人大会议) on March 5, China promises to reduce its population of rural poor by over 10 million this year.

1. What’s the purpose of the numbers given in the first paragraph?

A．To show China has helped many rural residents out of poverty.

B．To imply many Chinese are suffering from poverty.

C．To show the great changes of China in the past 40 decades.

D．To indicate all Chinese will eliminate poverty this year.

2. What’s the attitude of Craig Allen to China’s achievements in poverty alleviation?

A．surprised.

B．interested.

C．upset.

D．indifferent.

3. Which is the meaning of the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A．The global poverty has come down except China.

B．China should try its best to help the world out of poverty.

C．China has made great contributions to world poverty alleviation.

D．China has eliminated poverty completely.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．China will make more progress in poverty alleviation.

B．China has done a lot in poverty alleviation.

C．China has realized its dream to help its people out of poverty.

D．The world speak well of China’s achievements in poverty alleviation.

【推荐2】Frankenstein: an undervalued novel

Frankenstein’s monster might be one of the most popular roles people play when celebrating Halloween. But do you know where this impressive image originally comes from?

The creation of Frankenstein dates back to the summer of 1816, when some young people were spending their holiday in Switzerland. Usually the weather in summer was pleasant, but that summer it rained quite a lot, so for most of the time, the group were trapped in their cottage. They started thinking about entertaining activities to have fun. Finally, they decided to join in the writing competition suggested by Lord Byron: Everyone should write a creepy ghost story and share it with others, and the writer of the creepiest one would win. During the competition, 18-year-old Mary Shelley came up with the idea of an ugly monster created from human body parts. Two years later, she published her first novel, Frankenstein.

Yet Frankenstein isn’t similar to other horror books. In the book, the monster can explain the story from his perspective (观点). Although he is scary, ugly, and violent, he has understandable human emotions, and the book indicates that his violent actions are reasonable. He explains that he becomes cruel and violent because he has been treated cruelly and violently by the scientist who creates him and also the people he meets. The book raises awareness of our responsibilities to other people and also inspires us to put ourselves in others’ shoes.

It also talks about an imaginary scientific experiment and its effects, and because of this, it is considered as the first science fiction novel, or the beginning of science fiction. This means that the novel has probably influenced a lot of science fiction created later. Perhaps without Frankenstein, we wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy Edward Scissorhands, Captain America, or Star Wars.

However, I enjoy Frankenstein mostly because it can be explained differently. The problems it covers are simple and universal. It can be understood as a metaphor for family relationships, human emotions, or individualism, or as a criticism of misuse of science.

1. Which word best describes how the story of Frankenstein comes into being?

A．Hard.	B．Accidentally.
C．Mysteriously.	D．Amusingly.

2. What does the underlined word “creepy” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A．Creative.	B．Interesting.
C．Strange.	D．Frightening.

3. In the author’s opinion, what makes Frankenstein different from other horror books?

A．The way it comes into being.

B．The themes it tries to explore.

C．The writing techniques it uses.

D．The terrible experiences its character has.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To give comments on Frankenstein.

B．To recommend the book Frankenstein.

C．To introduce the story in Frankenstein.

D．To show why the author loves Frankenstein.

【推荐3】When was the last time you listened to someone? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? I asked people what it meant to be a good listener. The typical response was a blank stare. People had no trouble, however, telling me what it meant to be a bad listener.

Of course, technology plays a role. Social media helps filter out (滤掉) opposing views. People find phone calls disturbing and ignore voice mail, preferring text or wordless emoji. But tech is not the only blame. High schools and colleges rarely, if ever, offer classes or activities that teach careful listening. Traffic noise on city streets and music playing in shops exceed (超过) the volume of normal conversation by as much as 30 decibels (分贝), and can even cause hearing loss.

So how can we recover the lost art of listening? After years of studying and consulting, I discovered that listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say resonates (与……共鸣) within you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone are talking. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond — the degree to which you assist in the clear expression of the other person’s thoughts and in the process, express your own.

Good listeners ask good questions. Good questions don’t begin with “Wouldn’t you agree...?” or “Don’t you think…?” and they definitely don’t end with “right?” The idea is to explore the other person’s point of view, not sway it. It is not right to put your own thought into others’ head. You also want to avoid asking people personal and evaluating questions. Instead, ask about people’s interests so that they feel more connected than if they spend time together finishing a task.

The reward of good listening will almost certainly be more interesting conversations. Attentive listeners receive more information, related details from the speakers, even when the listeners didn’t ask any questions. We are, each of us, the sum of what we attend to in life. And to listen poorly, selectively or not at all limits your understanding of the world and prevents you from becoming the best you can be.

1. Which of the following is right according to the passage?

A．People now prefer text messages to phone calls.

B．Listening skills are widely taught at school.

C．The noise around us is the main reason for bad listening.

D．Technology improves people’s listening art.

2. What does the author find about listening?

A．Listening requires the listener to keep in total silence.

B．Listening combines hearing, understanding and responding.

C．Listening isn’t just hearing but also predicting questions.

D．Listening is to put your thoughts into other person’s mouth.

3. What does the underlined word “sway” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Prove.

B．Stop.

C．Influence.

D．Complain.

4. Which of the following will the author most probably agree with?

A．Good listeners should express themselves bravely.

B．Good listeners always receive reward from the speakers.

C．Good listening develops people’s interest in private life.

D．Good listening promotes our understanding of the world.

【推荐1】Wolff Poetry Literary Scholarship Awards

If you enjoy poetry and enjoy writing poetry, then we invite you to submit an original poem. Each scholarship we offer will be theme-based and have specific requirements.

Description for Poetry Scholarships

The Wolff Poetry Literary Scholarship Awards is open to students 25 years or younger to the age of 12, either you are a current grade or high school student who is looking forward to attending college or is attending an undergraduate or graduate course in creative writing.

Poetry Scholarship Guidelines

1. Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming；we do favor non-rhyming.

2. Originality and expressive form about emotions and feelings is what digs at our souls.

3. Poems are judged on the basis of grammar, originality, creativity, and uniqueness.

4. English-language poems only； we will not accept anything else.

5. Enter as often as you like!

Poetry Scholarship Rules

All poems must be the original creation of the submitting author. All rights to the poems must be owned by the author and shall remain the property of the author. The author gives Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine permission to publish and display the poem on the Web （in electronic form only） if the poem is chosen as a winner or finalist. Winners will be contacted within 45 days of the deadline date. The $ 250 scholarship is open to everyone except employees of Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine and their families.

1. What are the awards intended for?

A．All students.	B．College students.
C．Any poetry lover.	D．Students aged from 12 to 25.

2. What will result in disqualification?

A．A rhyming poem.	B．An original creation.
C．A poem of a unique style.	D．A poem written in Chinese.

3. What can we learn about the winners?

A．They have to abandon the copyrights of their poems.

B．All of them will share a total of $ 250 scholarship.

C．Their poems will be read on the organizer’s website.

D．They will be employed by Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine.

【推荐2】Soft winds blew throughout the Windy City today. We welcomed the winds, as it was another hot day in Chicago. The wind blew, bringing us some coolness—and making the weather not that hot. But it was a beautiful summer day with a blue sky.

Chicago is a great city for eating, and we have enjoyed tasting the different foods. Last night, we tried one of the city’s most famous foods: deep-dish pizza. Chicago claims credit for the rich and cheesy thick-crust pizza, covered with a sweet tomato sauce. We topped it with olives and green peppers.

We were touring the city, mainly looking for delicious local foods. Today, we enjoyed a Polish specialty at lunch: Pierogis, an Eastern European dumpling-like dish, filled with foods like potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, cabbage and meat. Polish immigrants started settling in Chicago in the 1850s, and the city has one of the largest Polish communities in the U.S.

We took a break from exploring the city to talk with some of you! Ashley and Caty logged onto the Internet for an on-the -road version of TALK2US. We spoke to an English teacher in Tokyo, Japan, and a graduate student in India.

Meanwhile, Adam searched for some locations around the city to shoot some video. He chose a spectacular spot: Navy Pier, Chicago’s most-visited attraction. The winds from Lake Michigan keep visitors cool, and the view of the Chicago skyline never fails to impress. In fact, the view made all of us head over heels!

Our time in Chicago has come to an end. Tomorrow, the true journey begins, as we pass through Illinois and into Missouri via Route 66. Springfield, the home of Abe Lincoln, and St. Louis, the “gateway to the West,” wait for us.

1. Why did the author and her companions like the soft winds?

A．It brought warmth to them.

B．It left the sky blue and beautiful.

C．It improved the quality of the air.

D．It made them feel comfortable.

2. What did the author and her companions mainly do in Chicago?

A．They enjoyed famous local foods.

B．They visited Polish communities.

C．They studied the history of the city.

D．They explored for foreign customs.

3. The author and her companions stayed online       .

A．sharing their travel plan with strangers

B．asking for information on foreign foods

C．communicating with strangers abroad

D．learning about different cultures in the world

4. The underlined part “head over heels” in Paragraph 5 can be replaced by       .

A．bored	B．relaxed
C．fascinated	D．disappointed

【推荐3】Breakfast is food for the brain and for the rest of your body. And downing those morning calories is worth it, even for people worried about their weight, a new study finds.

The study was led by Marlene Schwartz, a psychologist who studies obesity. Her group studied some 600 middle-school students. Over three years, students from 12 different schools were asked about their breakfasts. Throughout the study about 34 % — 44% of all students said they regularly ate breakfast at home. Up to 17%, or almost one in every six kids, regularly ate breakfast at school. Overall, about one in every 10 kids reported eating breakfasts both at home and at school. Eating habits changed somewhat as the kids got older. For example, fifth graders were more likely to regularly eat breakfast at home. But by seventh grade, 22% of the studied kids often skipped breakfast.

Surprisingly, at every age, kids who ate breakfast were less likely to be overweight. This was true even for those who ate breakfast at home and at school. It also found that students who skipped breakfast most often were those most likely to be overweight. These findings may seem puzzling. Yet Schwartz’s team can think of several possible explanations.

Skipping breakfast may set people up to be “over-hungry” later in the day, she says. Then someone may eat more food than their body needs. When that happens, it might take the brain longer to realize “you have enough food and can stop eating now”. What’s more, not eating in the morning prevents our brains and bodies from working well. It’s very difficult for children to pay attention in class if they arrive without having breakfast.

But why should eating two breakfasts not lead to weight gain? One explanation may be that school breakfasts are very healthy and controlled in size, notes Schwartz. Also, most of the double- breakfast eaters are boys. These kids are active and actively growing. They sometimes eat twice as much as other people.

1. What is the function of the first paragraph?

A．To introduce the topic.	B．To make a comparison.
C．To show the background.	D．To attract readers.

2. What do we know about the new study?

A．Its leader was a middle-school teacher.	B．It was carried out among teachers.
C．It lasted more than three years.	D．Its findings were doubted by many people.

3. According to the study, about sixty students________.

A．ate breakfast regularly at home	B．ate breakfast regularly at school
C．seldom ate breakfast	D．ate two breakfasts regularly

4. What may happen to a boy who eats breakfast regularly according to Paragraph 4?

A．He may put on weight.	B．His brain and body work badly.
C．He is very likely to be focused in class.	D．He is sure to have a healthy weight.

【推荐1】Is it possible to build muscle and meanwhile lose fat?Please allow us to bring the following two facts to your attention first.

Fact 1：Losing fat requires a caloric deficit(亏损)，which means consuming less calories than your body needs so that stored body fat is used for energy instead.

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1. What’s the purpose of mentioning the conflict of building muscle and losing fat?

A．To bring out the course.	B．To clear confusion.
C．To stress importance.	D．To warn the danger.

2. How many pounds of fat in all does the course promise to lose?

A．2.	B．4.
C．6.	D．8.

3. Where is the text 1ikely to be taken from?

A．A newspaper.	B．A website.
C．A fitness book.	D．A biology magazine.

【推荐2】At Denver there was an crowd of passengers into the coaches（车厢） on the eastbound B. & M. express. In one coach there sat a very pretty young woman dressed in elegant taste and surrounded by all the luxurious comforts of an experienced traveler. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a bold, frank face expression and manner; the other a ruffled, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed（拷上手铐） together.
As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only available seat offered was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman's glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her face and a tender pink tingeing（稍加染色，影响） her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand. When she spoke her voice, full, sweet, and deliberate, proclaimed that its owner was accustomed to speak and be heard.
"Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don't you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?"
The younger man aroused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.
"It's Miss Fairchild," he said, with a smile. "I'll ask you to excuse the other hand; "it's otherwise engaged just at present."
He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining "bracelet" to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl's eyes slowly changed to a bewildered horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Her lips parted in a vague（含糊，犹豫）, relaxing distress. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other forestalled him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl's face expression with veiled glances from his keen, shrewd eyes.
"You'll excuse me for speaking, miss, but, I see you're acquainted with（认识，熟悉） the officer here. If you'll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the pen（围栏，监狱） he'll do it, and it'll make things easier for me there. He's taking me to Leavenworth prison. It's seven years for cheating."
"Oh!" said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. "So that is what you are doing out here? An officer!"
"My dear Miss Fairchild," said Easton, calmly, "I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings with itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening（通道） in the West,and____well, an officer isn't quite as high a position as that of ambassador, but--"
"The ambassador," said the girl, warmly, "doesn't call any more. I needn't ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these brave Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That's different from the Washington life. You have been missed from the old crowd."
The girl's eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs.
"Don't you worry about them, miss," said the other man. "All officers handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business."
"Will we see you again soon in Washington?" asked the girl.
"Not soon, I think," said Easton. __________________"
"I love the West," said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: "Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn't everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid--"
"Say, officer," shouted the glum-faced man. "This isn't quite fair. I'm needing a drink, and haven't had a smoke all day. Haven't you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won't you? I'm half dead for a pipe."
The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.
"I can't deny a require for tobacco," he said, lightly. "It's the one friend of the unfortunate. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know." He held out his hand for a farewell.
"It's too bad you are not going East," she said, reclothing herself with manner and style. "But you must go on to Leavenworth, I suppose?"
"Yes," said Easton, "I must go on to Leavenworth."
The two men sidled down the aisle into the smoker.
The two passengers in a seat near by had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: "That officer is a good sort of man. Some of these Western fellows are all right."
"Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn't he?" asked the other.
"Young!" exclaimed the first speaker, "why--Oh! Didn't you catch on? Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"
1. From the first three paragraphs, we know that_________

A．the two young were seated opposite to the young woman by accident.

B．it was not difficult for the woman to find the men were handcuffed

C．the young woman found she knew one of the men at the first sight of them.

D．the young woman may not be good at communicate

2. What would be the possible sentence following the underlined “and –-“

A．and it is not easy to make such a fortune

B．and I do the cheating things to collect money

C．and I tried my best to be a good officer

D．and the West is bond to be wealthy

3. When Easton uttered the underlined sentence "My butterfly days are over, I fear", his real meaning was that__________

A．he would have to focus on his work

B．he would be put in prison

C．his chance of being with butterfly is small

D．his workload as an officer was heavy

4. Why did the glum-faced man urge Easton to the smoker?

A．Because he needed a drink and tobacco badly.

B．Because he was angry that Miss Fairchild did not say any good words for him

C．Because he was bored and tired with Miss Fairchild and Easton’s talk.

D．Because he was afraid Miss Fairchild would find the truth.

5. Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?

A．Miss Fairchild was an ambassador

B．Easton was an officer with his prisoner

C．the glum-faced was considerate and careful

D．Easton had been trying to make a big fortune in the West

6. What was the best title of the passage?

A．Miss Fairchild’s Trip	B．Hearts and Hands
C．The Story of a Handcuff	D．The Meeting of Two Friends

【推荐3】Today's personal computers are very different from the huge machines that were born during World War II-and the difference isn't only in their size. By the 1970s, these early PCs could not perform many of the tasks that today's computers can. Users could only do mathematical calculations(数学计算) and play simple games. Today PCs are used in many different kinds of ways. At home and at work, we use our PCs to do almost everything. It is nearly impossible to imagine modern life without them.

The earliest computers were not "personal" in any way: They were large and expensive, and they required a team of engineers and other experts to keep them running. One of the first and most famous of these, the Electronic Numerical Integrator Analyzer and Computer (ENIAC),   was built at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC cost ﹩500, 000, weighed 30 tons and took up nearly 2, 000 square feet of floor space.

ENIAC and other early computers proved that the machines were worth so much money, space and manpower they needed. For example, ENIAC could solve in 30 seconds a problem that could take a team of human "computers" 12 hours to complete. At the same time, new technologies were making it possible to build smaller computers.

But one of the most important of the inventions that make way for the PC revolution was the microprocessor(微处理器). Microprocessors were the size of a nail. They could run the computer's programs, remember information and manage data(数据) all by themselves.

These new ideas made it cheaper and easier to produce computers than ever before. As a result, the smaller, cheaper "microcomputer"-soon known as the "personal computer"-was born. Today, portable computers, smart phones and ipads allow us to have a PC with us wherever we go.

1. What's mainly talked about in the first paragraph? ______

A．An even more relaxing lifestyle without PCs.

B．PCs can be made full use of to do everything.

C．Differences between modern and early PCs.

D．The difficult situation of PCs being born.

2. What do we know about the earliest computers? ______

A．It was easy to control them.	B．They took up too much room.
C．Nobody could afford one.	D．They were built by universities.

3. Why does the writer take ENIAC for example? ______

A．To predict high technology will make computers smaller.

B．To show computers are really smarter than human beings.

C．To explain why computers could deal with any problem.

D．To prove spending money on early computers was meaningful.

4. Which of the following makes the biggest contribution to microcomputers? ______

A．Microprocessors.

B．Programs.

C．Money.

D．Imagination.