Computer programmer David Jones earns ￡35 000 a year designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank ready to let him have a credit card. Instead, he has been told to wait another two years, until he is 18. The 16-year-old works for a small firm in Liverpool, where the problem of most young people of his age is finding a job. David’s firm releases two new games for the fast growing computer market each month.
But David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Even though he earns a lot, he cannot drive a car, take out a mortgage (抵押贷款), or get credit cards. David got his job with the Liverpool-based company four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said. David spends some of his money on records and clothes，and gives his mother 50 pounds a week. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school,” he said. “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway.” David added, “I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”
1. In what way is David different from people of his age?| A．He has a handsome job. |
| B．He cannot have a credit card. |
| C．He graduated with six O-levels. |
| D．He often goes out with friends. |
| A．How to get more spare time. |
| B．Buying a car suitable for him. |
| C．How to deal with his income. |
| D．Releasing two new games each month. |
| A．He received lots of job offers. |
| B．He lost interest in school studies. |
| C．He was eager to help his mother. |
| D．He wanted to earn his own living. |
| A．Positive | B．Critical | C．Worried | D．Hopeless |
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【推荐1】Angel Sanguino, an electronics technician from Caracas, Venezuela, who last year lost his left arm in a motorcycle accident, has recently won a prize for science, technology and innovation, after he managed to build a robotic arm that would allow him to perform a series of useful tasks.
33-year-old Angel Sanguino was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a speeding car. He was taken to the emergency room, and the doctor had to amputate(截肢)his left arm. It was a devastating blow to the talented electronics technician. The doctor told him that he should accept his disability and move on with his life, but he had other plans. Three months after his accident, the young man used his experience to design an artificial arm that would allow him to repair electronic components just like before.
With the help of his uncle, Brunel Rodriguez, Angel managed to create an ingenious robotic arm fitted with a series of switches and sensors that allowed him to control it with the motion of his collarbone(锁骨). Angel used his knowledge of electronics to make sure that the artificial arm would allow him to do his job without any kind of assistance from anybody else. He paid little attention to aesthetics(美学), focusing solely on functionality, but he has already had a new prosthesis(假体)that is apparently much more visually appealing.
1. Angel Sanguino was given a prize because________.| A．he had a robotic arm |
| B．he lost one of his arms in an accident |
| C．he was very clever and brave |
| D．he made a man-made arm that could allow him to do things by himself |
| A．攻击 | B．打击性的 | C．令人惊讶的事 | D．新闻 |
| A．his neck | B．his head | C．his collarbone | D．the other hand |
| A．Angel’s new arm may not look nice |
| B．Angel could do everything with his new arm |
| C．Angel was speeding his car when the accident happened |
| D．Angel was in hospital for 3 months |
| A．A Brave Venezuelan Man |
| B．A Great Venezuelan Inventor |
| C．A Talented Electronics Technician |
| D．Venezuelan Man Builds His Own Prosthetic Arm |
【推荐2】Jaden Hayes first lost his dad when he was four and then last month his mom died unexpectedly in her sleep.
“I tried and I tried to get her awake—I couldn’t,” said Jaden.
Jaden is understandably heartbroken. But there’s another side to his sadness. When he first made public a few weeks ago he told his aunt, and now guardian, Barbara DiCola, that he was sick of seeing everyone was sad all the time. And he had a plan to fix it. He asked his aunt Barbara to buy a lot of little toys and bring him to downtown Savannah, so he could give them away.
“I’m trying to make people smile,” said Jaden. He gave his toys to people who weren’t smiling and then turned their day around. He has gone out on four different occasions now and he is always successful, though sometimes he doesn’t get exactly the reaction he was hoping for.
It’s just so unexpected to some people that a six-year-old child would give away a toy— expecting nothing in return—except a smile. Of course he is paid beautifully in hugs and his aunt says the reactions have done wonders for Jaden, who will then feel joyful.
“But I’m still sad that my mom died,” Jaden said.
This is of course not only a fix, but the smiles he has made so far—nearly 500 at last count—Jaden has clearly found a purpose.
“I’m counting on it to be 33, 000,” said Jaden.
When asked if he thought he could make that goal, he answered, “I think I can.”
1. What can be known about Jaden’s present life?| A．He lives alone. | B．He lives poorly. |
| C．He lives with his aunt. | D．He lives independently. |
| A．Bored | B．Puzzled | C．Pleased | D．Excited |
| A．Doing toy business. | B．Traveling around. |
| C．Smiling to people. | D．Bringing joy to others. |
| A．Honest and easy-going. | B．Kind and confident. |
| C．Modest and hard-working. | D．Smart and humorous. |
【推荐3】One day Mrs．Smith was sitting in her doctor’s waiting room when a young boy and his mother entered the office．The young boy caught Mrs. Smith’s attention because he wore a patch over one eye．She felt surprised at how unaffected he seemed to be by the loss of an eye and watched as he followed his mother to a chair nearby．
The doctor’s office was very busy that day, so Mrs. Smith had an opportunity to ask the little boy what had happened to his eye while he played with his soldiers. He considered her question for a long moment, then replied, "I’m a pirate （海盗）!" Then he returned to his game．
Mrs. Smith was there because she had lost her leg from the knee down in an auto accident．Her trip today was to determine if it had healed enough to be fitted with a prosthetic （假肢）．The loss had been a disaster to her．Intellectually, she knew that this loss should not interfere with her life; but emotionally，she just couldn’t overcome this obstacle．Her doctor had suggested imagination, but she had been unable to imagine such an emotionally unacceptable, lasting image.
The word "pirate" changed her life．Instantly，she was transported. She saw herself dressed as Long John Silver，standing aboard a pirate ship．She stood with her legs wide apart—one artificial．Her hands were clenched (紧握的) at her hips, her head up and her shoulders back, as she smiled into a storm．Cold water blew across the board as great waves broke against the ship. Still she stood firmly—proud, fearless.
A few minutes later，the nurse called her．As she balanced on her walking sticks, the boy noticed her amputation(截肢)．"Hey lady，"he called，"What‟s wrong with your leg？
Mrs. Smith looked down at her shortened leg for a moment．Then she replied with a smile，"Nothing．I’m a pirate，too."
1. According to the first two paragraphs, which word can best describe the boy?| A．enthusiastic | B．curious | C．athletic | D．optimistic |
| A．She lost her leg by accident. |
| B．She couldn’t accept the fact that she lost her leg. |
| C．She suffered great pain due to the loss of her leg. |
| D．She decided not to give up her life even without her leg. |
| A．the pirate’s life attracted Mrs. Smith’s a lot. |
| B．Mrs. Smith became a pirate after she left the hospital. |
| C．what the boy said had a great influence on Mrs. Smith’s life attitude. |
| D．Mrs. Smith got to know the meaning of the word and became a knowledgeable person. |
| A．let bygones be bygones. |
| B．Whatever worth doing is worth doing well. |
| C．We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. |
| D．A lack of imagination is lack of the half life of beauty. |
【推荐1】There are a few benefits to users from the cloud besides giving you peace of mind if you lose your phone. You can access your data anytime, anywhere if you’re connected to the Internet. And you don’t have to worry about using up all of the storage on your hard drive, meaning you might not have to pay as much for a device that comes with a ton of storage.
You’ve probably heard of the two biggest names in the market, Amazon Web Services, known as AWS, and Microsoft Azure, IBM, Google and Alibaba are also big players when it comes to providing cloud services.
Many cloud services are based on a subscription pricing model. That means users pay, for example, a monthly fee for cloud services and they can scale up or down as needed. And cloud providers are cashing in. AWS takes up about 12 percent of Amazon’s quarterly sales, but it makes more than half of the company’s operating income.
Before we get too excited about the cloud, let’s take a step back and look at some of the risks. One obvious concern, if all of our data is online, what happens when the Internet goes down? That’s what happened in 2013 when an AWS power cut took down Instagram, Vine and Airbub.
Hacker attacks are another big risk with research showing around one-fifth of all files in the cloud contain sensitive data.
Finally, it can be difficult for consumers and businesses to switch between different cloud companies. I might have a hard time syncing my iCloud and Google Drive accounts. That can give some big companies that are already making big money on the cloud a lot of power over our data.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “access” in Paragraph 1?| A．Get. | B．Show. | C．Understand. | D．Enter. |
| A．Instagram. | B．Alibaba. | C．Airbub. | D．Vine. |
| A．Cloud providers offer services at their own cost. |
| B．All the cloud services must be ordered ahead of time. |
| C．AWS gains over 50%of Amazon’s operating income. |
| D．Customers must pay a regular fixed fee for cloud services. |
| A．what the cloud is | B．how the cloud works |
| C．the advantage over disadvantage of the cloud | D．the advantage and disadvantage of the cloud |
【推荐2】Teenagers love to socialize. These websites give them a chance to do that while playing games, exploring virtual (虚拟的) worlds and taking puzzles, and of course, they need to be safe online and fight any cyber bullies (网络欺凌) in the meantime.
Instagram allows teenagers to upload photos of their daily lives and share them with friends. People say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that must be true because Instagram has around 300 million users who are active each month. The platform is all about photos with short captions (说明文字). When it comes to Instagram’s users, 53 percent of them are aged 18-29, but a big percentage of those may be even younger and simply list their age as 18 in order to use the platform.
Habbo Hotel
Habbo Hotel is a place for teens to chat. Each teen receives a personal room to decorate with virtual objects. They can also dress their avatars (网络头像) in virtual clothes or create games to play with friends. The room might have music, be set up like a classroom, or have other features so different avatars can visit one another. Each room teens can interact in has an adult moderator (管理员) to make sure it stays safe.
Fanlala
Fanlala is a social network that gives teens who love celebrities, music and TV shows a place to interact. Through it, users can get the latest news and gossip on their favorite shows, as well as take quizzes and polls to test their knowledge. Teens can set up their own profiles (简介) on Fanlala and interact with other users.
Teen Chat
Teen Chat is a place for teens to interact with one another through forums according to their interests. For example, there are chat rooms for those who love anime (日本动画片) and for those who’ve just started college. There are also chat rooms for things like music, games, and sports. The platform offers a “Friend Finder” tool that will help teens search for people who live locally to them.
1. What makes Instagram different from other sites listed in the text?| A．It has the largest number of users. |
| B．Only those above 18 normally use it. |
| C．It’s a great place for people to share photos. |
| D．The majority of its users are in their early 20s. |
| A．Instagram. | B．Habbo Hotel. | C．Fanlala. | D．Teen Chat. |
| A．Sites for socializing | B．Tips on online chatting |
| C．How to fight cyber bullying | D．Free chat rooms for everyone |
【推荐3】A new computer program is being praised as a life-changer for blind people. The new program is known as the KNFB Reader app. It can help users listen to the sound of printed materials.
The application software program costs $99. It is the product of a long relationship between the National Federation of the Blind and Ray Kurzweil, a computer scientist and an employee of Google.
The KNFB Reader makes use of new pattern recognition and image-processing technology, and new hardware for smartphones. People using the app can adjust or change the position of the camera and read printed materials out loud.
Mr Kurzweil started working on what he called “reading machines” in the early 1970s. The idea came after speaking with a blind person who expressed frustrations with the lack of technology to help blind people. His first reading machine was the size of a washing machine. It cost $50,000. The technology has continued to improve over the past 20 years. The. new smartphene app can recognize and take a printed material in one language and change it to another language. But it was not available on a mobile device until now. In the past, it cost more than $1,000 to use he software app with a camera and a mobile phone.
Blind people say the app will make life much easier and it will help with everything from reading restaurant menus to studying papers in the classroom. Users say the app has given some people greater independence. One user, named Gordon Luke, reported that he was able to use the app to read his voting card for the recent vote in Scotland.
Bryan Bashin leads the non-profit group Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco. He is also blind. He says the KNFB app shows the positive impact that technology can have and there are times in his life when he wishes the KNFB app were available to him. He adds that the ability to gain information quickly with something that fits in your pocket will be what he calls “a game changer”.
1. What can the KNFB Reader app be used to do?| A．Print the stories with the smartphone. | B．Adjust the position of the camera. |
| C．Find the way for the blind. | D．Read the books out for the blind. |
| A．The first reading machine was invented by a blind person. |
| B．Mr. Kurzweil’s first reading machme was very expensive. |
| C．The smartphone app can’t be used to translate language. |
| D．The reader app was available on a mobile phone 20 years ago. |
| A．Negative. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Alarming. |
【推荐1】After spending his career as a chef and working as the Vice President of Food and Beverage at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, Michael McFarlen saw how much food would get thrown away from the Casino’s restaurant every day.
Unfortunately, throwing away perfectly good food is extremely common within the restaurant industry. Yet it was always something that bothered McFarlen about his work. Actions point, McFarlen decided to get involved with the South Central Food Bank of Michigan Inc. to help give back to those in need. He then became the president on the board and came up with a plan to open a restaurant in the community that would also help support a food bank on the property.
In April of 2016, the FireKeepers Casino Hotel and its owners, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, bought Fire Station No. 4, a historic firehouse near down town Battle Creek that had been closed for years and was set to be demolished. However, the group bought it before that happened and started to give the historic building a new life.
Renovations on the property lasted about a year. Then on April 19, 2017, the restaurant, which they named The Fire Hub, opened to the public for the first time. At the same time, the food bank, which they named the Kendall Street Food bank, opened its door in the back of the building.
“Anytime you open a new restaurant, you just have to figure a way through that first year,” George said. However, the first year of operation was beyond their expectations. Not only did the restaurant attract customers because of its popularity and sustainability, but the food bank helped more people in the first year than they ever imagined would need its services.
In total, about 375 to 400 households get help from the food bank every single month. “We’re able to cater to people who are working, but still need a little help during the month,” McFarlen told Second Wave media. To better fit the need of the majority of people using their services, the food bank was designed to look like a small market.
1. What bothered McFarlen as a chef?| A．A lack of cooks. |
| B．Waste of good food. |
| C．Involvement in food banks. |
| D．Shortage of food in some areas. |
| A．Built up. | B．Torn down. | C．Broken up. | D．Knocked off. |
| A．It worked out well. |
| B．It had branches set up. |
| C．It stuck to good quality. |
| D．It didn’t last for a year. |
| A．Patient and careful. |
| B．Loving and devoted. |
| C．Enthusiastic and diligent. |
| D．Cautious and understanding. |
【推荐2】Something Fun
A person is on trial for murder in a court room in Oklahoma. There is strong evidence indicating that he is guilty（有罪的）. However, the body is not found.
In the defense’s (辩护方) closing speech, the lawyer, knowing that his client (委托人) is guilty and that it looks like he’ll probably be seriously punished, decided to play a clever trick.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury (陪审团), I have a surprise for you all,” the lawyer says as he looks at his watch. “Within one minute, the person assumed dead in this case will walk into this court room,” he says and he looks towards the court-room door. The jury, somewhat surprised, looks at the door eagerly. A minute passes. Nothing happens.
Finally the lawyer says, “Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all waited with expectation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you pass a judgment of not guilty.”
The jury, clearly confused, back off to discuss.
A very few minutes later, the jury returned and one of them pronounces a verdict (裁决) of guilty.
“But how?” asks the lawyer in surprise. “You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door.”
Answers the jury member, “Oh, we did look. But your client didn’t.”
1. Why was the person on trial according to the passage?| A．Because he couldn’t pay off the debts. |
| B．Because he probably killed somebody. |
| C．Because he didn’t pay the tax in time. |
| D．Because he planned to cheat the jury. |
| A．To find the body. | B．To frighten the jury. |
| C．To help his client. | D．To save himself. |
| A．The lawyer’s words must be true. |
| B．They expected his family to come in. |
| C．They were surprised and cheated by the lawyer. |
| D．They thought the person on trial was escaping. |
| A．They firmly believed that nobody was killed. |
| B．The behaviour of the client gave him away. |
| C．The jury still needed more evidence to prove it. |
| D．The lawyer’s words were worth thinking about. |
【推荐3】Tiffany and her family were sleeping at home. Their pet dog Buddy was asleep next to Tiffany. It was 4:36 a.m. The night was quiet, and no cars were passing on the street. That was when it happened. The house started shaking. Buddy started barking(吠叫), and it woke up Tiffany. She looked around and saw that everything in her room was shaking. She started crying out in fear. Soon after, her father came in and told her to come out quickly.
It was a big earthquake. Tiffany was so scared that she couldn't move. Suddenly, her father picked her up and tried to get out. Buddy was behind them. All of them managed to get outside, where Tiffany’s mother and brother were already. Tiffany and her brother cried together. They didn't understand what just happened.
Luckily, Tiffany’s mother had prepared an emergency kit and had it outside. She looked for the key, which was under a rock, and unlocked the box. She took out blankets(毯子) to keep her children warm. Tiffany then saw her father take a flashlight out of the box. He used the flashlight to see if the house had any damage. The father knew it was not safe, so they stayed up until someone could check the house.
The children didn't go to school because of the earthquake, so they spent the day with their parents. Tiffany was so thankful because her parents knew what to do during the earthquake. Tiffany went up to her mother and father and hugged them because she felt the protection of her parents.
1. When the earthquake was just beginning to happen, ________.| A．Tiffany was asleep |
| B．Tiffany was cleaning the house |
| C．a car was passing by Tiffany’s home |
| D．Tiffany’s dog was running and barking |
| A．Tiffany’s mother. | B．Tiffany’s father. |
| C．Tiffany’s brother. | D．Tiffany’s dog. |
| A．A rock. | B．A flashlight. | C．Some keys. | D．Some clothes. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Sorry. | C．Proud. | D．Excited |
GETTING A GRANT Who pays? The local education authority (LEA) for the area in which the student is living. Who can get this money? Anyone who gets a place on a first degree course, although a student who has already attended a course of advanced further education may not. Students must also have been resident in the UK for at least three years, which can exclude some students from overseas. |
| SPECIAL CASES |
| If a student has worked before going to college? A student who is 26 or more before the course starts and who has worked for at least three of the previous six years will get extra money – £155 a year if 26, increasing to a maximum of £615 at 29 or more. If a student is handicapped? LEAs will give up to £500 to help meet extra expenses – such as buying a tape recorder for a blind student, extra heating or special food. Banking? Most of the big banks offer special services to students who open accounts (in the hope that they will stay with the bank when they become rich officials). A student won’t usually have to pay bank charges as long as the account stays in credit. Some banks allow students to overdraw by £100 or so, and still don’t make charges (though they do charge interest). |
1. The phrase “a grant” in the first line most probably means _____.
| A．bank interest | B．a credit card |
| C．an education fee | D．financial aid |
| A．be unable to get money from any LEA |
| B．get money if taking a first degree course |
| C．get money from LEA when finishing his course |
| D．have to open a bank account before getting money |
| A．None. | B．£155. | C．£615. | D．£515. |
【推荐2】Earthquake rescue robots have experienced their final tests in Beijing Their designers say with these robots, rescuers will be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.
This robot, looking like a helicopter, is call the detector (探测器) bot. At about 4 metres long, it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions are to collect information from the air, and deliver goods of up to 30 kilos to people tapped by an earthquake.
This robot is equipped with a high 360degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and also be able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.
Dr Qi Juntong, from Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, "The most important feature of this robot is that it doesn't need distant control. We just set the information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3,000 metres, and as fast as 100 kilometres per hour."
This robot has a different function---it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers can't go.
The robot is equipped with a camera that can wok in the dark, as well as a detector that not only finds people, but can also detect poisonous gas.
Another use for the rescuers is the supply bot, with its 10mertong pipe. People trapped in the ruins will be able to get supplies including oxygen and liquid.
Experts have said that the robots will be produce, and serve as part of the national earthquake rescue team as soon as next year.
1. We can learn from the passage that the earthquake rescue robot_________.| A．is unable to deliver goods | B．is designed to predict the earthquake |
| C．can send pictures even at night | D．can be used to clear away poisonous gas |
| A．has a unique shape | B．has more functions |
| C．is equipped with more advanced cameras | D．can work by itself once given the information |
| A．a remote control | B．a detector | C．a long pipe | D．a helicopter |
【推荐3】The province of Pescara surrounds the city of the same name and lies in the very centre of the region of Abruzzo. This is a part of Italy of remarkable beauty and with cultural riches, yet it has never been a major destination for international visitors, largely because the region is not very well served by international flight routes. However, many Italians make their way to the coast here in the summertime. Here are places to visit around the Pescara province.
The city of Pescara
The city of Pescara is the most famous today for being the birthplace of Gabriele D’ Annunzio, perhaps the greatest Italian writer of the modern times. It is a developed coastal resort (胜地) with several miles of popular sandy beaches and a range of summertime activities for all the family to enjoy.
Citta Sant’ Angelo
Lying just a few miles northwest of the city of Pescara in an area famous for the production of Montepulcianod’Abruzzowine, its main visitor attractions are the churches of San Michele Arcangelo and Santa Chiara.
Loreto Aprutino
Almost directly west of Pescara, and north of Bolognano, it is worth visiting just to see its wall painting of The Judgement, but this small town has many more to offer the visitor including the region’s pottery industry and some excellent olive oil.
Castiglione a Casauria
If you enjoy further southwest from Loreto Aprutino, you will come to Castiglione a Casauria and the remains of the 9th-century Abbey (修道院) of San Clemente.
1. Why did the Pescara province see fewer foreign tourists?| A．It is a place newly opened to the world. |
| B．Its climate is not well appropriate for them. |
| C．Most foreign tourists dislike its specific culture. |
| D．It is inconvenient for visitors to arrive in Pescara. |
| A．It has remains of the 9th-century Abbey. |
| B．It is one of the most attractive coastal cities. |
| C．It appeals to writers of the modern times. |
| D．It is near the Pescara province. |
| A．The city of Pescara. | B．Citta Sant’ Angelo. |
| C．Loreto Aprutino. | D．Castiglione a Casauria. |
