Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. The wireless industry’s trade association, CTIA, estimates（估计） more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month.
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvements to the nation’s emergency alert system. The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.
Participation in the alert system by carriers –telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.
The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.
There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules.
The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster. The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction (绑架) emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts.
The service could be in place by 2010.
1. What is the purpose of the approved plan?
| A．To warn people of emergencies via messages. |
| B．To popularize the use of cell phones. |
| C．To estimate the monthly number of messages. |
| D．To promote the wireless industry. |
| A．CTIA | B．the Warning Alert and Response Network |
| C．FCC | D．federal regulators |
| A．the US federal government | B．mobile phone users |
| C．the carriers themselves | D．the law of the United States |
| A．Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students | B．Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry |
| C．Cell Phone Alerts of National Disasters | D．Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon |
2 . The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life, a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent（一致的，协调的，相容的）exposure（揭发）to the speech and language of others.
There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are “critical periods” for speech and language development in infants and young children. This means that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language, during this period. The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. As they grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds (phonemes) or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language.
As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. By six months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as “ba, ba, ba” or “da, da, da.” By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them.
By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude sentences such as “more milk.” During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in representational or pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child’s vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language.
1. According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true?| A．The developing brain is best able to absorb any language. |
| B．The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life. |
| C．By six months of age, all children recognize the basic sounds of their native language. |
| D．By 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. |
| A．by six months of age, an infant must babble or produce repetitive syllables |
| B．by their first year, most children are most likely aware of the meaning of their first words |
| C．by 2, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts |
| D．the brain development is critical to develop children’s speech and language ability |
| A．that children are so young that it is easy for them to study |
| B．that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language |
| C．that the children are eager to learn the language |
| D．that we must take care of children |
| A．organs | B．skills | C．abilities | D．habits |
3 . Brittnie Pemberton listened attentively as Jim Herrick took her and her mother, Tanya, on a brief tour of San Diego State University on Thursday.Her dream is much closer to reality after she received a promise from the university.The university promised that she would get a full four-year scholarship to the school as long as she met the entrance requirements.
Brittnie, 10, laughed.Her mom cried.
They live at the Salvation Army Door of Hope, a living center for homeless women and their children.Photojournalist Linda Solomon met them in August when she came to the facility and taught boys and girls, ages three-and-a-half to 13, how to take pictures.She gave them all disposable cameras and told them to capture images that reflected their dreams.The children's images - a big house, a church, a playground, a backyard and more - are kept.This is a project called“Pictures of Hope" organized by the Salvation Army.
"I wish to go to college, so I took a picture of the sign out in front of San Diego State University," Brittnie said last month.The Fletcher Elementary School fifth-grader was pointing to the Christmas card bearing her photograph.
Adrienne Finley, development director at the Salvation Army, hosted a reception for Solomon, who told Finley about the president of a small university who gave a child the scholarship she dreamed of last year.
Finley called his old friend, Herrick, who serves as the SDSU President."We have a wonderful opportunity here to make a difference in a little girl's life," Finley said.Soon her mom and Brittnie were face to face with SDSU President Jim Herrick.
"You must be Brittnie," he said, reaching out to shake her hand.She quickly pulled her hands out of the pockets of the new SDSU sweatshirt she had been given that morning.
They sat down at a table in his office and talked about college, about science, about her love of math and his hope that she and other girls wouldn't lose interest in those subjects, as happens to many girls as they grow older.
Then they talked about how much discipline she would need over the next eight years to make her dream come true.Both signed the paper outlining their agreement to the terms of the scholarship.Back outside on the sunny campus, Brittnie admitted she's tempted sometimes not to do her homework."But not anymore," she said.
1. According to the first paragraph, we can know that________.| A．it is certain that Brittnie will be admitted into SDSU |
| B．Brittnie will not need to pay for her university education if she can study in SDSU. |
| C．Jim Herrick promised Brittnie’s mother to offer her a job in SDSU. |
| D．Brittnie made a promise that she would never give up her dream.. |
| A．call on young men and young women to help others |
| B．provide shelters for homeless moms and their children |
| C．carry out some projects to help those who are in trouble |
| D．help homeless people no matter who they are |
| A．Linda Solomon taught children photography to inspire them. |
| B．Children told people about their dreams through their pictures. |
| C．Brittnie took a picture standing at the gate of SDSC. |
| D．Brittnie’s picture was so good that it was printed on a Christmas card. |
| A．Ferrick has a strong belief that Brittnie will be a scientist in the future. |
| B．Brittnie, as well as some other girls, is interested in both science and math. |
| C．some girls would not be so good in science and math as boys as they grow older. |
| D．Brittnie will never lose interest in science because of her deep love |
In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard, the pay was poor; What’s more, the working conditions were terrible.
First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For ten hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.
I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did receive a low pay.
But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.
I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.
1. Why did the writer have to take many jobs at the time?
| A．to pay for his schooling | B．to save for his future |
| C．to contribute to charities | D．to gain some experience |
| A．loading boxes in the freezing cold | B．having limited time for breaks |
| C．working and studying at the same time | D．getting no pay for lunch time |
| A．The writer’s unhappy school life. |
| B．The writer’s eagerness to earn money. |
| C．The writer’s experience as a full-time worker. |
| D．The writer’s hard work in an apple plant. |
| A．Topic-Argument-Explanation |
| B．Opinion-Discussion-Description |
| C．Main idea-Comparison-Supporting examples |
| D．Introduction-Supporting examples-Conclusion |
5 . The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place
Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically and physically（身体上）.
Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.
On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don’t have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.
The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(营养成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.
Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.
1. From Paragraph 1, we learn that ________.| A．diet products fail to bring out people’s potential |
| B．people have difficulty in choosing diet products |
| C．diet products are misleading people |
| D．people are fed up with diet products |
| A．try out a variety of diet foods | B．hesitate before they enjoy diet foods |
| C．pay attention to their own eating habits | D．watch their weight rather than their diet |
| A．losing weight is effortless | B．it costs a lot to lose weight |
| C．diet products bring no pain | D．diet products are free from calories |
| A．are over-consumed | B．lack basic nutrients |
| C．are short of chemicals | D．provide too much energy |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
Steve Minear, UK
Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory…For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.
Donal Trollop, Canada
There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony(殖民地)on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that tow-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches(发射) and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world.
Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.
Paul Davies. USA
1. The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is .
| A．to report his classmates’ discussion | B．to invite an answer to his question |
| C．to explain the natural state of Mars | D．to show his agreement on going to Mars |
| A．There is a plan to send humans to Mars. |
| B．There are many reasons for going to Mars. |
| C．Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars. |
| D．It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars. |
| A．humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars. |
| B．two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon |
| C．it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars |
| D．it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars |
| A．Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth. |
| B．Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living. |
| C．Humans can produce everything they need. |
| D．Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars |
