A. Specifically, the Internet and mobile devices have completely changed the way people interact with each other.
B. While technology has developed over thousands of years, the last century has seen an explosion in it that has influenced fundamental changes in how humans see the world and interact with others.
C. Technology is more than an abstract concept associated with advanced tools and systems. It also shapes the way people behave, grow and develop, both within their own lives and in their relationships with others.
D. However, technology is sometimes considered to disconnect people from others around them. With cell phones, most people think that it’s easier and more convenient to text instead of meeting in person. An article shows that almost 60 percent of people feel disconnected from others around when they are on their phones.
E. Technology is helping people build newer and necessary communication skills in this sense. Office employees and managers use technology to send e-mails to one another in business. On social media, just share a few of your images and people start communicating on and about your images according to their viewpoint.
So how does it work? First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.
Transport for London, which runs the scheme, is hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion (拥挤) in London and is expected to create up to 40 ,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been 6ifilled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses".
However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they wouldn't charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.
Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things, saying, "My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big pedal-powered push forwards. "
1. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to______.
| A．reduce the air pollution of the city |
| B．deal with the city's traffic problems |
| C．increase employment opportunities |
| D．encourage the citizens to take exercises |
a. pay for the key to a bike
b. sign up as a member to get a key
c. cycle in and around central London
d. pay for the bike according to the time you use it
| A．b→a→c→d | B．b→d→c→a |
| C．d→c→b→a | D．d→b→c→a |
| A．the high cost to hire a bike |
| B．docking the bikes properly |
| C．not registering their usage of the bikes |
| D．not charging for the first day of the scheme |
| A．the cycling revolution is not successful |
| B．all the citizens in London support the scheme |
| C．the London Mayor is confident in the scheme |
| D．the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems |
3 . Suppose that we lined up our roughly 14 million United States businesses in order of size, starting with the smallest, along an imaginary road from San Francisco to New York. There will be 4,500 businesses to the mile, or a little less than one per foot. Suppose further that we planted a flag each business. The height of the flag pole represents the yearly volume of sales (销量) , each $ 10, 000 in sales in shown by one foot of pole.
The line of flagpoles is a very interesting sight. From San Francisco to about Reno, it is almost unnoticeable, a row of poles about a foot high. From Reno eastward the poles increase in height until, near Columbus, Ohio - about four - fifths of the way across the nation - flags fly about 10 feet in the air.
But as we approach the eastern terminus (终点) , the poles suddenly begin to mount (升高) . There are about 300, 000 firms in the country with sales over $ 500, 000. These firms take up the last 75 miles of the 3,000 - mile road. There are 200, 000 firms with sales over $ 1 million. They take up the last 50 miles. Then there are 1, 000 firms with sales of $ 50, 000, 000 or more. They take up the last quarter of a mile before the city limits, flags flying at cloud height, 5 , 000 feet up .
At the very gate of New York, on the last 100 feet of the last mile , we find the 100 largest industrial firms . They have sales of at least $ 1.5 billion, so that their flags are already miles high. Along the last 10 feet of road , there are 10 largest companies . Their sales are roughly $ 10 billion and up : their flags fly 190 miles in the air , almost in the stratosphere (平流层) .
1. What is the author’s main purpose in this passage?| A．To tell the reason why the largest firms are in New York. |
| B．To show the geographical distribution (分布) of the United States businesses. |
| C．To provide a general idea of the size of businesses in the United States. |
| D．To tell us how the United States businesses are arranged. |
| A．San Francisco, Reno, New York, Columbus. |
| B．San Francisco, Reno, Columbus, New York. |
| C．New York, Columbus, Reno, San Francisco |
| D．New York, Reno, Columbus, San Francisco |
| A．The last 75 miles. | B．The last 50 miles. |
| C．The last 100 feet of the last mile. | D．The last quarter of a mile |
S =" San" Francisco R =" Reno" C =" Columbus" N =" New" York H =" height" F = feet
A． | B． | C． | D． |
When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family．After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper．
As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less．Chekhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference (冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events．In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories．
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia．Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair．
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays．He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters．Chekhov’s work combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist．
Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s．One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students．
1. Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a．became a doctor
b．became a full time writer
c．started to publish comic short stories
d．wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper．
e．entered the Moscow University Medical School
| A．e→c→b→a→d |
| B．d→a→b→c→e |
| C．e→c→a→d→b |
| D．a→e→d→c→b |
| A．as an illegal writer |
| B．had a lawful lover |
| C．used to be a lawyer |
| D．was a competent doctor |
| A．studied medicine in Moscow University |
| B．published his most memorable stories |
| C．became a full-time writer |
| D．practiced medicine in his hometown |
| A．Sensitive． |
| B．Warm-hearted． |
| C．Quick-minded． |
| D．Cool． |
5 . The French submarine is called Le Triomphant, meaning “the winner”. The name of the British submarine is Vanguard, meaning “the leading position in an army”. It’s clear from the submarines’ names that they were made for victory.
However, it was an accident, rather than a victory, that led these two submarines to recently make news headlines across the world.
On February 16, Britain and France admitted that two of their nuclear — armed submarines, HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant, collided while deep in the Atlantic in early February. Both submarines were on secret patrols (巡逻) and carrying nuclear arms when they collided.
Le Triomphant had no idea that it had run into HMS Vanguard until several days later. The French navy at first believed that Le Triomphant had hit an “object, probably a container (集装箱)”.
Investigations have begun to work out how such a collision could have happened. Both submarines are equipped with state-of-the-art (最先进的) technology that is supposed to find other submarines. Yet, neither submarine saw the other until it was too late.
One idea being considered was that their anti-sonar (抗声呐) equipment, which hides submarines, was just too effective in hiding one from the other.
Submarines use sonar to sense what is in the sea near them. Sonar is a submarine’s ear. Many sea animals use sonar as well. Dolphins produce high-pitched (声调高的) clicks. When these clicks hit an object, some of the sound will echo (发出回声) back to the “sender”. By listening to the echo and working out the time it took before the echo came back, the dolphin can work out how far away the object is.
There are two kinds of sonar: active sonar, which sends out signals, and passive sonar, which listens for signals with extremely sensitive microphones.
The two submarines were designed to be very quiet and as hidden as possible because a submarine’s job description (工作职责) is not to be found. Many modern submarines do not use active sonar, only passive sonar. This makes it very difficult for a submarine to “hear” if another submarine is near.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense (国防部) has said the collision did not lead to any radioactive leaks (放射物泄漏). The chance of a full nuclear explosion was almost impossible. However, experts say that if the walls of the submarines had broken, or a fire had been started, there could have been a major disaster.
A senior British Navy source told The Sun newspaper that the possible consequences of such a collision were “unthinkable”.
“It’s very unlikely there would have been a nuclear explosion. But a radioactive leak was a possibility. That would have been a national disaster.” he said.
1. What has made HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant well known recently?| A．Their names carried very positive meanings. |
| B．They collided in the Atlantic this February. |
| C．They are both equipped with advanced technology. |
| D．They are both nuclear-armed submarines. |
| A．The two submarines were moving at a high speed. |
| B．Their anti-sonar equipment was too effective. |
| C．They were not equipped with active sonar. |
| D．The submarines were designed to be too quiet. |
a. The sound hitting the object.
b. Producing high-pitched sound.
c. The sound echoing back.
d. Working out the time to come back.
e. Receiving the sound.
| A．b—a—c—d—e | B．d—a—e—c—b |
| C．b—c—d—a—e | D．b—a—c—e—d |
| A．Both of the submarines carried nuclear arms when they collided. |
| B．Many modern submarines do not use passive sonar so as to be as hidden as possible. |
| C．The collision may have caused a disaster if a fire had been started. |
| D．There would have been a nuclear explosion if the two submarines had collided harder. |
6 . O. Henry, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, was the pen name of William Sydney Porter. His father, Algernon Sidney Porter, was a physician. When William was three years old, his mother died, and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. William was a good reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school, and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm. After that, he moved to Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of bank clerk. After moving to Austin, Texas, in 1882, he married.
In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined The Houston Post as a reporter and columnist (专栏作家)．In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial (财务的) dealings. While in prison, William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret. His first work, Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking (1899), appeared in McClure’s Magazine. After serving three years of the five years’ sentence, he changed his name to O. Henry, hoping to forget his bitter past.
O. Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World, and also published the stories in other magazines. His first collection, Cabbages and Kings, appeared in 1904. Many other works quickly followed, such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room. O. Henry’s best known work is The Ransom of Red Chief. His stories always have surprising endings. He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.
O. Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking, ill health, and financial problems. In 1907, he experienced a failed marriage. In 1910, O. Henry died after an illness.
1. What’s the passage mainly about?| A．A brief introduction to O.Henry. |
| B．O.Henry’s career and marriage. |
| C．How O.Henry became a wellknown writer. |
| D．O.Henry’s best known works. |
| A．didn’t like to study during his childhood |
| B．had little parental love as a child |
| C．was very interested in medicine and farming |
| D．took up only one job after he moved to Houston |
①He moved to New York City.
②He joined The Houston Post.
③Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.
④The Furnished Room came out.
⑤Cabbages and Kings appeared.
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．②①③⑤④ | C．③②①④⑤ | D．②③①⑤④ |
| A．Cabbages and Kings. | B．The Gift of the Magi. |
| C．The Furnished Room. | D．The Ransom of Red Chief. |
[1] Look at the center circles of Diagram A and Diagram B. Which of the centre circles looks larger?
[2] Take a first look and you probably think that the centre circle in Diagram A is smaller than that in Diagram B. In fact, they are exactly the same size.
[3]Then look at the picture on the right.What do you see? A vase? Or two faces? Does the picture change quickly from one to the other again and again? Maybe or maybe not, but you can see them at the same time.
[4]“What’s happening? Is something wrong with my eyes?” You may wonder at what you see. Don’t worry. Here is how it goes:
[5]When we look at things, our eyes send messages to our brains and then our brains interpret (解释) the information. However, sometimes our brains interpret the received information in a wrong way. It seems that our eyes are playing a joke on us. This often happens and we call it “Visual illusion(幻觉)”.
[6] Movie makers often make use of illusions. They make the objects around actors much smaller or bigger than usual. This makes us believe that the actors are much larger or smaller than they usually are. The movies Jurassic Park and Honey J shrunk the kids just make use of illusions.
1. In which column of a magazine can you read the above text?| A．Culture. | B．Science. | C．Humour. | D．Education. |
| A．something is wrong with our eyes |
| B．the two circles are not of the same size |
| C．our brains interpret the information wrongly |
| D．pictures change quickly from one to the other |
| A．The second one. | B．The third one. |
| C．The fifth one. | D．The sixth one. |
a. We look at things with our eyes.
b. Our brains interpret the messages.
c. Our brains tell us what we have seen.
d. Our eyes send messages to our brains.
| A．a-d-b-c | B．c-a-b-d | C．a-c-d-b | D．b-e-a-d |
| A．help the actors look better | B．make the actors much braver |
| C．help the actors become stronger | D．make the actors seem different in size |
It’s kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was “invented”. It gradually evolved over the years, but one thing’s for certain—it’s been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks. They called them ‘plakuntos’and ate them with various simple toppings such as oil, garlic, onions, and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it ‘picea’. By about 1000 a.d. in the city of Naples, ‘picea’ had become ‘pizza’ and people were experimenting with more toppings: cheese, ham, anchovies, and finally the tomato, brought to Italy from Mexico and Peru in the sixteenth century. Naples became the pizza capital of the world. In 1889, King UmbertoⅠand Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named ‘Pizza Margherita’ in her honour.
Pizza migrated to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World WarⅡ and raved about ‘that great Italian dish’. Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world.
1. When did pizza become really popular in the United States?
| A．After 1945. | B．At the end of nineteenth century. |
| C．In 1905. | D．In 1889. |
| A．There is a picture of a Pizza Margherita on the flag. |
| B．They have the same colours. |
| C．Both of them represent Italy. |
| D．They are as popular as each other in Italy. |
| A．pizza, plakuntos, picea |
| B．picea, plakuntos, pizza |
| C．plakuntos, pizza, picea |
| D．plakuntos, picea, pizza |
| A．Because pizza was invented in these countries. |
| B．Because the people in these countries are the greatest consumers of pizza in the world. |
| C．Because one kind of toppings was brought to Italy from these countries. |
| D．Because pizza first became popular in these two countries. |
| A．McDonald’s and Pizza. |
| B．The Popularity of Pizza in the United States. |
| C．Global Pizza. |
| D．How to Make Pizza. |
| CONTEST RULES ·Entries may be submitted(上交) no earlier than January 1, 2008, and will not be accepted until three winners are identified or December 31, 2008 whichever comes first. ·There is no cost to enter. ·Entrants must be at least 18 years of age. ·Any form and style is acceptable for this competition: fiction, observational essay, humor, etc. poetry is not acceptable. ·Total length of writing must be 500-1500 words, including any necessary notes or citations. ·Writing must be original, never before published, and entirely the work and property of the person who submits it. Ghostwritten is not acceptable. PRIZES Winners will receive ·$50 cash ·Professional editing of their winning entries. ·Publication of their entries in Word-wise. ·Recognition via press releases announcing the winning entries and introducing the authors. HOW TO ENTER ·Save your completed writing as a Word, WordPerfect, Open Document, or plain text file. ·Title the file with your first and last name. For example, Elton Smith would title his Word document thus: elton-smith.doc. ·Email the file as an attachment to contest2008@adminmaven.com. Use the subject line “Work-wise Writing Contest” to avoid being removed to the span bin. ·Entries submitted before the opening date of January1, 2008, will be deleted. Once the contest closes, further entries will be deleted. |
1. Ghostwritten work in “CONTEST RULES” might be ________.
| A．written by someone other than the author |
| B．science fiction difficult to understand |
| C．a long essay in a very strange writing style |
| D．full of citations from other writers |
| A．has to pay a fee |
| B．must submit work by January 1, 2008 |
| C．needs an eye-catching title for his word document |
| D．can submit any form or style of writing but a poem |
| A．The final results will come out on December 31, 2008. |
| B．All entries must be emailed to contest2008@adminmaven.com. |
| C．One can not add a note to a 1,500-word essay for the contest. |
| D．the winning entries will be edited and published. |
Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis (光合作用)．Now researchers have found a way to imitate this seemingly simple process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts (催化剂)．Similar to natural leaves，it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell，which uses those two materials to produce electricity，located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card，scientists claimed that it is promising to be an inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. “One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology,” said Nocera at a conference of the American Chemical Society.
The artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf，by contrast，is made of cheap materials，easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies，Nocera showed that an artificial leaf prototype (原型) could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful，new and inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now，the new leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides，the device can run in whatever water is available；that is，it doesn't need pure water. This is important for some countries that don't have access to pure water.
With the goal to “make each home its own power station” and “give energy to the poor”，scientists believe that the new technology could be widely used in developing countries，especially in India and rural China.
1. Which of the following orders correctly shows how the artificial leaf is used to produce electricity?
a．artificial leaves split water into hydrogen and oxygen
b．the hydrogen and oxygen gases are stored in a fuel cell
c．the artificial leaves are put in water
d．the fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity
| A．c，a，b，d | B．c，b，a，d |
| C．b，c，a，d | D．c，a，d，b |
| A．build up more power stations in the world |
| B．provide cheaper energy for developing countries |
| C．offer people in developing countries access to pure water |
| D．gain a deeper understanding of the photosynthesis process |
| A．an introduction to the history of artificial leaves |
| B．a mixture of water power and solar energy |
| C．giving energy to the poor |
| D．an invention copying photosynthesis |
