【推荐2】With the development of modern science and technology, the functions of cellphones have changed greatly.    1     The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minute to use them.Some of the things a cellphone can do for you will be available this year:

Surf at speed

Cellphones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what’s new? Well, faster third-generation (3G) networks that let you surf at anywhere.    2     Possible choices are from IJG Electronics VX 8000 and Motorola V1150.Listen as you go.

    3     There is no doubt that it is about to change.Sony Ericsson’s new W8001 can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory.And Samsung’s SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5GB hard drive.Mobile phones may eventually replace mini MP3 players, especially for teens.

Camera cellphones are not new either but most of them have limitations: around 1­megapixel (百万像素).However new technology has made 2­megapixel units more common, and 3­megapixel units are showing up soon. Some 2­megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson’s K7501, offer limited zoom and focus controls.    4     Portable TV.

You say you like “watching TV”? That’s what Samsung MMA700 wants to give you.The new model lets users watch popular TV programmes for a fee.Other choices are Nokia’s 6620, Sanyo’s MM740 and NEC’s N940.    5    

The above are just a handful of what you’ll see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator and so on.So what is there that a cellphone can’t do?

A．The NEC model lets you watch public TV—no fee.

B．Without a cellphone, you can do nothing in your daily life.

C．Nowadays，new cellphones are much cheaper than old ones.

D．Today’s do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer.

E．This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and games to your phone.

F．Others, like LG’s recent A7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.

G．The problem with most cellphone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs.

【推荐3】Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.

The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.

Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can   communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.

Just as in conventional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.

1. Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?

A．A photo.	B．A profile.
C．Registration fee.	D．Business experience.

2. One advantage of Internet dating is that _______.

A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning

B．you're sure to find a partner with the same interests

C．you'll find absolutely reliable information of others

D．you'll gain fame and money overnight

3. The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means ________.

A．rules	B．trends
C．problems	D．skills

4. What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Conventional dating.	B．Hidden advantages.
C．Safety measures.	D．Romantic love.

【推荐1】Illustrated Talks at London Canal Museum
Illustrated talks are held at 7:30 pm, on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission to talks and museum is charged at the usual museum admission charges.
3rd September:
Protecting our Waterway Heritage by Nigel Crowe. Nigel is the Conservation Adviser to the Canal and River Trust（运河信托公司）. He undertook a comprehensive survey of the heritage of the waterways when first appointed, and now advises the CRT on its protection.
1st October:
The Canal and River Trust by John Dodwell. Founding trustee and long standing waterways enthusiast(狂热者) John Dodwell will detail the Trust's progress to date. He will explain the issues they face and the limits under which they work.
5th November:
The work of the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust by Gavin Redknap. Gavin was one of the founders of the Trust that is working to save and restore some of the few surviving craft built at the Thames Ironworks Yard at the mouth of Bow Creek. The Trust plans to use the fleet of restored one-hundred-year-old lifeboats for community projects on the Lower Lee.
3rd December:
The River Thames Society and the River Thames by Peter Finch. Peter, who is Chairman of the River Thames Society, will explain the role and function of the society and then go on to talk about London's river and some of the issues it faces.
1. When is the talk on the waterways' protection?

A．5th November.	B．1st October.
C．3rd September.	D．3rd December.

2. What is the topic of the talk in November?

A．The work of the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust.

B．Protecting our Waterway Heritage.

C．The Canal and River Trust.

D．The River Thames Society and the River Thames.

3. ________ will give the talk on the River Thames society.

A．John Dodwell.	B．Gavin Redknap.
C．Nigel Crowe.	D．Peter Finch.

【推荐2】Wherever we go, we are surrounded by history. Across the globe, cultural heritage is passed down through generations. It is in the buildings and structures around us. It is in the arts and artifacts (手工艺品 ) we treasure. It lives in the languages we speak and the stories we tell. But today, it is under attack as never before. Not only is the damage of time intimidating our cultural heritage, but wars, climate change, globalization and tourism are all exacting a heavy price. Technology is now the most important weapon in the battle. Here’s how technology is preserving our cultural heritage.

As you can imagine, creating the replicas (复制品 ) via crowdsourced 2D images is extremely time-consuming. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to do all the required sourcing, allowing millions of images to be stored in a matter of hours. AI will also make restoration-and-preservation of existing cultural heritage far easier and much better than former methods.

Virtual reality (VR) technology will play a leading role in preserving our cultural heritage in the coming years. Many of the most important sites and architecture are easily damaged. Human interaction with these locations is doing a great deal of harm. Wastes left could be seen everywhere, causing many problems. As more cultural heritage sites and objects are digitally mapped and recorded, VR technology will increasingly become the way that people experience them. We’ll all eventually be able to walk through places, look at and touch artifacts and works of art without ever seeing them with our own eyes.

Finally, our cultural heritage will be preserved via technology. Efforts in research, innovation (创新), data sharing and project work will help promote and preserve the cultural heritage of countries all across the world.

1. What does the underlined word “intimidating” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Fading.

B．Preserving.

C．Recording.

D．Threatening.

2. How does VR help to preserve cultural heritage?

A．By recycling huge amounts of waste.

B．By stopping visitors touching artifacts.

C．By reducing human effects on the sites.

D．By educating people about the sites’ importance.

3. What is the author’s attitude to technology in preserving the cultural heritage?

A．Positive.

B．Unclear.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unsupportive.

4. Which can be the best title for this passage?

A．How Technology Changes Arts

B．What Cultural Heritage Means to Us

C．Prepare for an Innovation in Technology

D．Preserve the Ancient with the Advanced

【推荐3】For Lydia Koniordou, a famous Greek actress and former Greek minister of culture and sports, cultural preservation is essential to help people know who they are and learn what they should do in the future.

“The taller you want to grow, the deeper your roots must be. Our cultural past is our roots. If we don’t have really strong roots and depth in our perception(认识) of our identity, we cannot grow. Without these roots, we will be torn out very easily with the currents,” she told the journalist in a recent interview, adding cultural heritage is in fact very much alive and relevant today.

Speaking of her teaching experience overseas, Koniordou said she was very much impressed by her Chinese students when she gave seminars on ancient Greek tragedy at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2014. When the students worked on Alcestis, an Athenian tragedy by ancient Greek playwright Euripides, they thoroughly researched the costumes they would wear, the set, and the lights, among others, she recalled. “I feel they evolved and were transformed by this experience as I was transformed. They did not just play a role, but created a whole world and that is why the production had so much interest also for the spectators, ”she said.

Koniordou participated in the production of Euripides Electra together with Greek director Kostas Tsianos. “Tsianos did something very important for Greek culture. He connected folk forms of art, folk dances, songs and poetry with our classical past. We presented this performance in many places around the world, and the feeling that it stirred in the audience was quite similar, even though they didn’t always understand the language,” she said.

The Chinese civilization is a huge tree with very deep roots, and Greece also has a rich ancient civilization, she said, adding she believes that the two countries could promote cooperation and exchanges in many fields, such as in preservation of antiques.

1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A．The importance of cultural preservation.	B．Cultural heritage is easily damaged.
C．The taller growth wants the deeper roots.	D．We are easily torn out with the currents.

2. What did Koniordou do in Shanghai?

A．She played a role and was loved by the spectators.

B．She researched the costumes, the set, and the lights.

C．She studied the art of Chinese performance as a student.

D．She promoted the students’ understanding of Greek culture.

3. Why did Koniordou cooperate with Kostas Tsianos?

A．To indicate her friendship with Tsianos.

B．To acknowledge Tsianosin’s contributions.

C．To popularize and promote traditional Greek culture.

D．To introduce the achievement of Tsianosin in presenting classics.

4. What will the text probably talk about in the following part?

A．Cultural preservation in China.	B．The way to preserve cultural heritage.
C．The introduction of other Greek art productions.	D．Cooperation between Chinese and Greek culture.

【推荐1】The idea of turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing is not new. During the past five years, a large number of clothing companies, businesses and environmental organizations have started turning plastics into fabric to deal with plastic pollution. But there’s a problem with this method. Research now shows that microfibers (微纤维) could be the biggest source of plastic in the sea.

Dr. Mark Browne in Santa Barbara, California, has been studying plastic pollution and microfibers for 10 years. He explains that every time synthetic (合成的) clothes go into a washing machine, a large number of plastic fibers fall off. Most washing machines can’t collect these microfibers. So every time the water gets out of a washing machine, microfibers enter the sewer and finally end up in the sea.

In 2011, Browne wrote a paper stating that a single piece of synthetic clothing can produce more than 1,900 fibers per wash. Browne collected samples (样本) from seawater and freshwater sites around the world, and used a special way to examine each sample. He discovered that every single water sample contained microfibers.

This is bad news for a number of reasons. Plastic can cause harm to sea life when eaten. Studies have also shown that plastic can absorb (吸收) other pollutants.

Based on this evidence, it may seem surprising that companies and organizations have chosen to turn plastic waste into clothing as an environmental “solution”. Even though the science has been around for a while, Browne explains that he’s had a difficult time getting companies to listen. When he asked well-known clothing companies to support Benign by Design, his research project that seeks to get clothes that have a bad effect on humans and the environment out of the market, Browne didn’t get a satisfying answer. Only one women’s clothing company, Eileen Fisher, offered Browne funding.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The use of plastic bottle has been reduced in the past five years.

B．Turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing hasn’t been put into practice.

C．New microfibers have been discovered.

D．Making clothes from plastic bottles can’t reduce the pollution.

2. What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．The relationship between plastic pollution and microfibers.

B．How microfibers end up in the sea.

C．How to wash synthetic clothes.

D．How to prevent plastic pollution.

3. How does Browne’s Benign by Design research project run?

A．It has achieved great success.	B．It is facing some difficulties.
C．It is known to very few people.	D．It hasn’t got anything done.

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

A．Microfibers, the biggest source of plastic in the sea

B．Recycled plastic clothing: solution or pollution?

C．Environmental protection : moving forward or backward?

D．Turning recycled plastic bottles into clothing, a new step in environmental protection

【推荐2】Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
1. Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

A．It's small in size.

B．It's hidden in trees.

C．It's covered with wax.

D．It's hard to recognize.

2. The honey guide is special in the way             .

A．it gets its food

B．it goes to church

C．it sings in the forest

D．it reaches into bees' nests

3. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Wild Bees

B．Wax and Honey

C．Beekeeping in Africa

D．Honey-Lover's Helper