1 . A chip inserted in a young quadriplegic’s (四肢麻痹患者) brain is already improving his quality of life. Soon the benefits may be more widespread.

A 25-year-old man unable to move from the neck down recently did what many assumed impossible. After a knife attack that had left him paralyzed, all he could move was his head, which he used to push a switch and call for a nurse. And he could turn his wheelchair by blowing into a straw near his face. That was it.

Then last June, a Foxborough (Mass.) company called Cyber Kinetics opened the man’s skull and inserted a special chip no larger than a baby aspirin. That insert has given him a few additional and precious abilities. When connected to a special computer via a cable, the chip translates the young man’s thoughts into commands that let him move a cursor across a PC screen and open e-mail. He can draw a circle with a computer painting program. And he can use a robotic hook (钩) to perform simple tasks like picking up a candy and sliding it across a table.

All he has to do is to think.

Several new studies have begun or been completed in the past year. In fact, more than half of the scientific papers in this field, called brain-to-computer interaction (BCI), have been published in the past two years, notes Jonathan Wolpaw, a research physician at Wadsworth Center, the New York State Health Dept.’s research laboratory.

Brain surgeries (手术) are no longer rare: Thousands of Parkinson’s disease patients have had special devices inserted in their brains to ease uncontrollable shaking and other symptoms. The inserts themselves have improved, so the body doesn’t reject them as furiously (猛烈地). And significant development has been achieved in software used to interpret the brain’s signals and change them into commands understood by computers.

But increased demand for thought technology remains the biggest reason for the field’s progress. Today, 4 million Americans live with paralysis according to the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.

Scientists hope that thought technology will reduce the impact of such disabilities. People with spinal-cord injuries, for example, often lose their ability to walk because the communications network between their brain and their legs has been interrupted. The brain still commands the leg muscles to move, but they don’t hear its orders.

Thought technology, scientists hope, will bridge this communications gap. “Our goal is for you to see paralyzed people eating at a restaurant and for you not to know that they are paralyzed,” says John Donoghue, founder and chief scientific officer at Cyber Kinetics.

1. What was the young man’s trouble after a knife attack?

A．It was impossible for him to do anything.

B．By no means could he call for a nurse.

C．He could not use his organs under the neck.

D．He was unable to move his head.

2. What plays the most important role in improving the young man’s quality of life?

A．A chip	B．A computer
C．A robotic hook	D．A company

3. What can we learn from Paragraph Six?

A．There used to be a lot of brain surgeries.

B．There has been some progress in the field of thought technology.

C．People with Parkinson’s disease reject the use of the chip in their brains.

D．No software has been developed to interpret the brain’s signals.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Communications gap	B．Thought technology
C．American quadriplegics	D．Human brains

2 . The interview is an important event in the job-hunting process, because the 20 or 30 minutes you spend with the interviewer may decide whether or not you get the particular job you want. Therefore, it is important to remerber that your purpose during the interview may differ from that of the potential employer. You want to make yourself stand out as a whole person who has personal strengths and should be considered the right person for the job. It is encouraging to know that the interviewer’s task is not to embarrass you, but to hire the right person for the job.

Remember, job hunting is very competitive. Anything you can do to improve your interview techniques will be to your advantage. The following suggestions may help you land the most important job.

Your goal in this interview is to make sure your good points get across. The interviewer won’t know them unless you point them out, so try to do this in a factual and sincere manner.

Don’t say anything bad about your former employers. If you have been fired from a job and the interviewer asks about it, be honest.

Show the interviewer that you are interested in the company by asking questions. Ask about responsibilities, working conditions, promotions opportunities and benefits of the job you are interviewing for.

If at some point you decide the interview is not going well, do not let your discouragement show. You have nothing to lose by continuing a show of confidence, and you may have much to gain. It may be real, or it may be a test to see how you react to adverse conditions.

Some interviesers may bring up salary early in the interview. At this time, you may indicate that you are more interested in a job where you can prove yourself that a specific salary. This politely passes the question back to the interviewer. If possble, you should negotiate for salary after you have been offered a job and have completed the paperwork.

1. To get the job you want, during the interview you should _________________ .

A．avoid the interviewer’s questions that are designed to embarrass you

B．remember that you are the best

C．make yourself stand out as the right person for the job

D．tell yourself that you want to get the job

2. If you did not get along with your former employer, you ________________ .

A．should tell a lie to the interviewer

B．should not speak ill of him

C．should refer to him in a factual manner

D．should never mintion it

3. The underlined word “adverse” in the sixth paragraph can be replaced by _____________ .

A．difficult	B．friendly
C．opposite	D．different

4. The passage is mainly about _______________ .

A．how to make your strengths understood	B．how to show your interest in the job
C．how to be frand and sincere	D．how to deal with an interview

3 . At Japan’s Studio Ghibli, which has produced extraordinary animated films(动画片）since 1985, the best-known figure has always been one of the company’s founders, Hayao Miyazaki.
But an equally key figure is co-founder Isao Takahata, who has recently made a new feature, The Tale of Princess Kagnya. It is an unforgettable feature with an unusual hand-drawn aesthetic(美感).
The title character is a tiny baby girl who appears in a bamboo plant. She is found by a woodcutter, who takes her home and brings her up. He believes the little girl is a princess, and sets about preparing what he regards as a suitable world for her.
This original story is the oldest work of fiction in Japan; every child knows it in its simplified folktale form.
“It is a fascinating story with elements of wonder, humour, and sorrow,’’ Takahata says, “but these three elements are scattered(分散）about.” The chief challenge for anyone trying to adapt it is that “we are completely unable to comprehend what was in the heart of Princess Kaguya. Because of this, despite its being well known, few people consider it interesting. There have been several attempts at making a film out of the story, but they ended up being abandoned.”
He was connected with one of these attempts, but no one paid any attention to his concept.
“Fifty-five years later, I thought my concept was still appealing, and used it as a basis for turning the story into a feature film.”
His concept involves the princess’s origins, her expectations and her access to “the full range of human emotions”.
To realize his vision, Takahata says, “I needed to take the extremely individualistic brushwork and key designs of Osamu Tanabe and Kazuo Oga, two brilliantly talented artists, and have them permeate(扩散）throughout the film. The two of them drew many pictures, but they weren’t nearly enough. The most challenging part was to have all the other animation staff copy their styles in a free and easy way.”
The Tale of Princess Kaguya has been released, and people are saying that the two founders, now in their seventies, have directed their final films. But is it as clear-cut as that? When I ask Takahata about a scene of escape and urgency with a particularly distinctive (独特的) visual style, he says he had intended to use “this type of rough-drawn, forceful animation, in a project before this film.
“That project hasn’t been realized yet, but if it comes to pass, this style is essential.”
A hint, perhaps, there's still more to come.
1. Which of the following choices has got the right match?

①Hayao Miyazaki	a. one of the founders of Studio Ghibli
② Isao Takahata	b. fictional character
③ Kazuo Oga	c. famous artist
④ Princess Kaguya	d. animation staff member of The Tale of Princess Kaguya

A．① d

B．② a

C．③ b

D．④ c

2. Why is it challenging to adapt the original story to a feature film according to the passage?

A．Because people are in the dark about the feelings of Princess Kaguya.

B．Because the story itself offers a combination of wonder, humour and sorrow.

C．Because the story is too old to appeal to the audience nowadays.

D．Because every Japanese has been familiar with the story ever since childhood

3. From the Takahata version of The Tale of Princess Kaguya, we can expect the following except ________.

A．more details about the Princess’s origins and expectations

B．a forceful animation type featuring fine images and gentle brushwork

C．the distinctive brushwork and key designs from two gifted artists

D．a hand-drawn visual effect that brings out a unique sense of beauty

4 . Where was I? The room was dark and quiet. My head hurt really badly. I shouted, “Help! Help! Can anybody help me?”

After a while somebody came in. The room was so dark that I could’t see hs face clearly. The man turned on the light and said with a sharp voice, “Ah! Sweetie, do you still remember who I am?” I was shocked. Oh , my God! I cried, “You are Michael Zey, the man I charged with murder! Why are you here? You should be in prison!”

“You never thought about the result of charging a gang(犯罪团伙) leader, did you? Because of you, I was in prison for 15 years. You ruined my life!” His voice was very cold. My face was pale with fear. He was here to take revenge(报复)!

“Please, let me go! Don’t hurt me! Please!” I sked him. “Dr Calment, you are smart enough to know it is impossible. Now, I give you two choices. One is shooting your head. It is the quickest way. The other is cremation(火葬). Your husband and you will be together forever. It’s quite romantic. Don’t you think?” He spoke angrily. “What? My husband? He is innocent!” I shouted at him.

Suddenly, he took hold of my head and said, “you will pay for what you have done to me.” He took out a gun from his bag.

“Help! Help! Can anybody help me?”

1. What might have happened to the writer before the man came in?

A．She had taken his place and become a gang leader.

B．She had come to this place to see her husband.

C．She wanted to pay for what she had done to Michael Zey.

D．She had been beaten terribly.

2. Which of the following words can best describe how the writer felt when the story happened?

A．Surprised	B．Terrified
C．Amazed	D．Puzzled

3. What does the underlined word “it”in the fourth paragrapt refer to ?

A．To let her go.	B．To hurt her
C．To take revenge.	D．To stay in prison.

4. Michael Zey mentioned the writer’s husband because ________________ .

A．he thought her husband was guilty

B．he thought it was romantic

C．he thought her husband was innocent

D．he wanted to frighten the writter

5 . Western New Bridge Library Announcement
2008-3-10

Shortened Library Hours for Spring Break

Library Hours have been shortened to 7 hours a day（9∶00 a．m．-4∶00 p．m．） for Spring Break from March 24 to March 30．

Coming Events

●On Monday, March 24,at 10∶30 a．m．, Scott Sutton, a children’s writer, will tell stories to kids over seven．Sutton’s attractive style will surely inspire everyone present! ●At 1∶00 p．m．on March 26, the Georgetown Musicians will present an Irish Folk Concert, which will be entertaining for the entire family．Come for the music and stay to check out（完成手续拿走） some relevant（相关） books for the rest of the week! ●On Thursday, March 27,at 2∶00 p．m．, the annual Children’s Gathering will take place in Room 201,the second floor ．Pick up an invitation in the Children’s Room and return your RSVP（回复） to reserve （预定）your seat at the table by 3∶00 p．m．on Tuesday, March 25．Only children are allowed in the Gathering． ●At 10∶30 a．m．on Friday, March 28, Enzo Monfre of the hit kids’ science show, ENZOology, will bring Fossils     Live! Surely Enzo will take the audience back in time, deep beneath the surface of the earth, to uncover the mysteries of killer dinosaurs, and more．Enzo recently appeared on the Ellen De Generes Show—come and see him at the library!

Please note： In case of emergency, please call the Help Desk at 926-3736 and follow the procedures outlined on the voice message．The call-down service is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies．The Help Desk supplies service to you all the year round! For questions about all these, please contact hld@wnbl．org．

Come for the great fun; Stay for the relevant books!

1. To attend the annual Children’s Gathering, one has to ________．

A．buy a ticket	B．apply in advance
C．make a reservation	D．contact the call-down service

2. According to the passage, Enzo Monfre will ________．

A．show the children around a zoo

B．tell stories to children over seven

C．be present at the science show in person

D．lead the children to the Ellen De Generes Show

3. The Help Desk in this library supplies service ________．

A．only during the daytime	B．in case of emergency
C．till the end of the Spring Break	D．after 22∶00 p．m．every day

4. We can learn from the passage that children can ________．

A．attend all the activities with their parents．

B．borrow some relevant books for the activities．

C．participate in the activities from 8∶00 a．m．to 4∶00 p．m．

D．choose only one of the activities according to their interests．

6 . Picture an everyday scene. You’re in a high street coffee shop. All around you people are drinking coffee. Some people are chatting with friends and others are using their mobile phones. In a corner of the coffee shop an internet café has been set up. At one table a couple of teenagers are laughing at a message in a chat room, while at another table an old man searches the Web for something.
Now imagine this scene through the eyes of a technologist from 100 years ago. This is someone who has thought carefully about how technology and society might develop during the twentieth century.
Surprising may be the realization that some of the people here are working in an easy way. Most surprising perhaps will be the technological tools most people seem to be using. The technologist is aware of the telephone, which was invented about 30 years earlier. But most of these twenty-first century people seem to have wireless pocket-size personalcommunicatorsthey can use to send messages or speak to anyone anywhere in the world.
Some are using a handheld machine that contains thousands of pieces of information that can be accessed instantly, and can do calculations in a fraction of a second that would have taken a team of operators with mechanical calculators hours or even days. And these machines, like the only slightly larger versions in the corner, can be connected to a global brain from which the people can call up almost any information, news, idea, opinion or gossip that exists anywhere on the planet.
Most of the changes in technology, compared to 100 years ago, are due to the continual inventive activity of a large number of people. Most of us don’t do anything other than maybe form a vague idea about how a product or process might be improved. In some people, however, this inventive drive is so strong that they act on it.
1. The author tries to tell us in the first paragraph that__________.

A．people around you all like drinking coffee

B．people chat with each other by mobile phone

C．we are living in a modern society

D．we are making use of the Internet

2. The author uses the word “communicators” to mean __________.

A．telephone	B．mobile phone
C．vision phone	D．computer

3. The author is describing________ in the fourth paragraph.

A．a mechanical calculator

B．a machine held in one hand

C．a pocket-size communicator

D．a laptop computer

4. It can be inferred from the text that_____________.

A．with an computer, you can access almost any information that exists anywhere on the planet

B．in any internet café you can search the Web for how technology and society may develop in 2000 years

C．the continual inventive activity of a large number of people will cause more innovations

D．act on a vague idea and you are sure to be able to make a surprising invention in the future.

7 . 阅读理解

Loulan, an ancient city in the Lop Nur, was first “discovered” by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin in 1900. The finding of Loulan brought about new and unexpected fame for the ancient history of the Central Asia and thus began the exploration of the Taklamakan Desert.

The City of Loulan is known both in China and throughout the world as the Middle Kingdom’s ‘Pompeii’ in the desert and one of the cradles of the civilization. It wasn’t hard to imagine how excited Sven Hedin must have been when he was awarded the Victoria Medal by the Royal Geography Association. From that point forward, the mysterious covering of Loulan was gradually lowered and was no more a silent unknown hero but became an immediate worldwide sensation (引起轰动的事). Adventurers from America, Britain, Japan and Sweden, including Huntington, Stein, Otani Kozui and Bergman set foot here for several times. In the 1930s, Chinese archaeologist Huang Wenbi came here for the first time and made a survey of this area, which was found even then in terrible conditions due to uncontrolled digging with many wonderful cultural historic relics taken away to distant foreign lands.

In 1979, a group of tombs called Sun Tombs, known for their unique and attractive burial forms, were unearthed in the Gumugou Graveyard, the public graveyard of the Lop Nur citizens in the Bronze Age. In early 1980s, in the Tiebanhe River Delta area of the lower reaches of the Peafowl River in Lop Nur, a female mummy dating back some 3,800 years was unearthed and was considered by the Japanese as the “Loulan Beauty”. This set off a wave of current exploration of the Silk Road.

The archaeological unearthing being currently conducted in the Xiaohe (Small River) Graveyard is now the focus of the world’s most important academic event. The Xiaohe Graveyard, 175km west of the City of Loulan, is located in the lower reaches of the Peafowl River in the Lop Nur. When the Graveyard was found, it is said that there were some 1,000 coffins. It is large in scale with sand dunes(沙丘) as high as eight metres, on which about 140 wooden stakes(树桩) in various shapes were closely arranged. These burial customs are, to say the least, unusual… with the unearthed relics dated back to China’s most ancient days.

1. Which of following statements shows the correct position of the City of Loulan?

A．It lies in the Tiebanhe River Delta

B．It lies in the lower reaches of the Peafowl River

C．It lies south of the Gumugou Graveyard.

D．It lies 175 km east of the Xiaohe Graveyard.

2. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the word ‘Pompeii’?

A．A city as world famous as the Middle Kingdom’s “Pompeii”.

B．A buried city in the desert with great historical value.

C．A buried city to be unearthed like the Italian city “Pompeii”.

D．A city visited by many archaeologists all over the world like “Pompeii”.

3. From the passage, it can be inferred that_____________.

A．it was a Chinese archaeologist that first discovered the City of Loulan

B．it is of the greatest importance and value to be unearthing the Xiaohe Graveyard

C．foreign adventurers did much damage to the exploration and relics of the City of Loulan

D．one after another important discovery about Loulan was made, causing worldwide sensation

8 . Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing (治疗) power of humor．It is claimed that humor not only affects patients’ moods，but can actually help them recover faster.
       Several studies seem to support this．Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts．Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies.
       Despite all this，many researchers are not convinced． They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally，with or without a daily dose of laughter．They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health，it is hard to tell which comes first.
       Humor in times of stress，however，clearly makes us feel better．On one level，it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us．On another，it releases powerful endorphins，a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain．
       There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person’s health．It can show，for example，whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe (额叶)．

Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list．Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis (综合) of ideas．Subjects with specifically located brain damage，however，responded only to slapstick (闹剧) endings，which did not depend on a particular context．When pressed，the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings．They simply did not find them funny.

Of course，humor is largely an individual matter．Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes，there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain．However，you might suggest that he lighten up—for the health of it．

1. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．all researchers have agreed on the healing power of humor

B．people seldom accuse their friends of not understanding jokes

C．the author holds a positive attitude to the healing power of humor

D．reading comics will surely become a popular way of treating diseases

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Many researchers are not convinced of the healing power of humor.

B．Patients in bad moods are known to have higher immune cell counts．

C．Optimism in general does seem to be related to better health.

D．People should try their best to cheer up for their good health.

3. Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that ________.

A．the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains

B．a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings

C．a person suffering certain brain damage doesn’t appreciate a good joke

D．humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Which comes first，humor or health?

B．Humor can cure different illnesses

C．People need humor in times of stress

D．Humor contributes to good health

9 . It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.

Despite her obvious pride, Ms. Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here. “I never in my life thought I’d work abroad,” said Ms. Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements employing young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf.

Twenty years ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms. Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare. But just as young men from poor Arab nations poured into the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so.

Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way.

For many families, allowing a daughter to work may call her virtue into question. Yet this culture is changing, said Musa Shteiwi, a sociologist at Jordan University in Amman. “We’re noticing more and more single women going to the gulf these days,” he said. “It’s still not exactly common, but over the last four or five years it’s become quite an observable phenomenon.”

Many of the young Arab women working in the Persian Gulf take delight in their status as pioneers, role models for their friends and younger female relatives. Young women brought up in a culture that highly values community, have learned to see themselves as individuals. The experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of separation from their home countries and their families.

—From New York Times (December 22, 2014)

1. It can be inferred from the passage that young Arab women _________.

A．go to work abroad after American women’s example

B．didn’t start to work abroad until the late 20thcentury

C．are commonly used to living and working separately

D．expect to take the same family responsibilities as men

2. According to the passage, the Arab women flight attendants can be described as _________.

A．proud, homesick or independent	B．honest, outstanding or optimistic
C．mature, enthusiastic or energetic	D．painful, desperate or conservative

3. How do the public respond to young Arab women’s new mobility?

A．The public think highly of it.	B．The public care very little about it.
C．The public show both interest and anxiety.	D．The public are strongly against it.

4. The author intends to tell the readers that __________.

A．Arab women can hardly find any work	B．flight attendants are badly needed in the gulf
C．flight attendants lead quite a different life	D．young Arab women’s values are changing

10 . 完形填空
Teaching second grade is always a challenge．Each student arrives at school with his own needs and difficulties．One year a student called Billy _______ me with his behavior as well as his academic requirements．He struggled daily with his _______ emotions and often became angry or violent．I knew that，to make _______ progress，his emotions needed controlling．
One _______ I tried to help Billy was to have him come directly into the classroom when he arrived at school．Billy’s mom would _______ me to alert (警告) me to a particularly emotional morning at home．Then，I would focus on _______ his anger and calming him down before the other students arrived.
One week our class was studying _______ ．I thought one way to bring learning into the classroom was to bring my dog Rocky to school for the day.
That day began as normal．I was preparing activities focused on dog themes _______. I was told that Billy had a _______ morning at home and I might need to get him ____________ ．As I was talking to his mom，Billy ____________ into the classroom．To Billy’s ____________ ，Rocky immediately ran up to his new ____________ ，wagging his tail and licking Billy’s face with doggy affection．Billy couldn’t ____________ Rocky’s charm (魅力) and began laughing as his anger melted away．
Throughout the day，Billy never left Rocky’s side，feeding him，being gentle with him and even ____________ the other students while Rocky was sleeping．
Billy was known for doing anything he could to avoid ____________ ，but on this day he found a good dog story，“Clifford’s Puppy Days，” and read it to Rocky．How ____________. I was at the sight of Billy reading happily！My little dog was able to ____________ Billy’s day from one of anger and frustration to one of laughter，gentleness and ____________ .
That day Rocky more than helped me with my ____________ ；he helped to change the life of a child! After that Billy’s behavior definitely improved.1.

A．challenged

B．cheated

C．benefited

D．betrayed

2.

A．unforgettable

B．uncontrollable

C．unconscious

D．unfortunate

3.

A．physical

B．mental

C．academic

D．authentic

4.

A．advantage

B．agenda

C．reason

D．way

5.

A．awake

B．call

C．visit

D．sign

6.

A．tolerating

B．observing

C．relieving

D．ignoring

7.

A．emotions

B．pets

C．botany

D．diet

8.

A．after

B．as

C．when

D．before

9.

A．boring

B．fantastic

C．busy

D．rough

10.

A．settled

B．punished

C．treated

D．excited

11.

A．fled

B．stormed

C．jogged

D．floated

12.

A．surprise

B．delight

C．shame

D．fear

13.

A．protector

B．trainer

C．friend

D．owner

14.

A．resist

B．describe

C．reduce

D．forget

15.

A．educating

B．envying

C．comforting

D．quieting

16.

A．exploding

B．reading

C．arguing

D．apologizing

17.

A．surprised

B．disappointed

C．amused

D．confused

18.

A．urge

B．shorten

C．transform

D．expand

19.

A．admiration

B．curiosity

C．anxiety

D．love

20.

A．family

B．teaching

C．housework

D．performance