1 . Shoppers in the United States have many different retail stores (零售店) to choose from. You can shop at large department stores, furniture stores, jewelry stores, electronic equipment stores and many others. Another type of retail store—the catalog store, has become popular in the U.S.
Catalog stores offer much of the same goods as traditional retail stores. However, in these stores, shoppers select the items they wish to buy from large catalogs that are filled with photos and descriptions of all the different goods. The variety of products listed in the catalogs includes everything from baby clothing to video equipment and watches. The prices of these items are very low. In fact, the same items often cost more in other retail stores. And that’s the reason many people prefer to shop in catalog stores.
When shoppers go to a catalog store, they see many brand-name products on display. If they are interested in purchasing an item, they need to follow this simple procedure.
●First, they go to a counter to find the store’s catalog.
●They look in the catalog to find the exact item they wish to buy.
●Then, they fill out an order form with the name of the item, the item number from the catalog, the price, and their name and address.
●After completing the form, the customer gives it to a salesperson, who checks to see if the item is in stock.
If the item is available, the stockroom sends it on a conveyor belt (输送带) to the pick-up counter. When the item arrives at the pick-up counter, the customer’s name is called, and the customer pays for the item.
The whole procedure usually takes ten to twenty minutes. If the item isn’t available, the salesperson can usually check the store’s computer and find out when it will be in stock again.
Catalog stores usually don’t offer all the services that regular retail stores do. They usually don’t have many salespeople, so customers can’t expect to receive much assistance or attention from store employees. Customers need to know about the features and the quality of the items they wish to buy before they shop, since there isn’t much opportunity to ask questions or examine the product in the store. However, catalog stores offer quality items at lower prices, and consumers seem to appreciate this.
1. What is the difference between the traditional retail stores and the catalog stores?| A．The prices of products in catalog stores are higher. |
| B．Shoppers select the items they need from large catalogs. |
| C．Catalog Stores offer more products than the traditional stores. |
| D．Catalog stores usually offer all the services that regular retail stores do. |
①Check the catalog to select the items.
②Fill out the order form.
③Wait at the pick-up counter.
④Find a catalog at a counter.
⑤Find a salesperson to cheek the form.
| A．④-①-③-⑤-② | B．①-④-②-③-⑤ |
| C．④-①-②-⑤-③ | D．④-②-⑤-③-① |
| A．become salespeople now |
| B．do the same as in retail stores |
| C．have more chances to examine the goods |
| D．should know the information of the goods ahead |
| A．offer quality goods at lower prices |
| B．have many salespersons for service |
| C．can help save much time when doing shopping |
| D．offer the exact items the customer wishes to purchase |
We were both in great anger. “Never set foot in this house again!” stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree.
But now … I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on th e streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived , I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself: “Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?”
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的)words: “I can’t throw you away, let alone these old papers?”
All the lights were off except father’s.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. “Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist(存在) at all. Love—it second to none.
1. Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
| A．b, e, d, c, a | B．b, e, c, d, a |
| C．b, e, a, c, d | D．b, e, c, a, d |
| A．The sight of the street lights. |
| B．The sight of the empty street. |
| C．The sight of a father with a child in his arms. |
| D．The sight of light in his own house. |
| A．perhaps the father is getting older and older. |
| B．perhaps the son has already grown up. |
| C．perhaps they never agree with each other. |
| D．perhaps the father has got used to doing that. |
| A．The father treats his son in an unfair way. |
| B．The father is actually kind to his son. |
| C．The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. |
| D．The father is always finding fault with his son. |
3 . The Day My Father Almost Drowned Me
Dad used to be a devoted fisherman. He tried to get me interested as well, but it never seemed much fun to me. The line always seemed to tangle（缠结），the worms（虫）would not hold still, the hooks （挂钩）were sharp, and Dad always seemed to want to go someplace far away, so that you had to get up in the middle of the night.
One time when I was about ten years old, my dad took me fishing to the American Falls reservoir （I think that's where it was. Our neighbor Wayne Booth had built a kayak （皮船），which was painted bright blue, and Dad thought we could row out onto the reservoir（划到水库）and catch some fish. I don’t remember whether we caught any fish or not. I think I was having more fun rowing the kayak, which is rowed facing forward with a double-ended oar（船桨）,unlike an ordinary row-boat, which I never liked because you couldn't see where you were going. But mid-afternoon the wind came up a little. We were maybe a hundred feet from shore, when the wind caught my hat and blew it into the water just a few feet away. Dad said, “Don't worry. I'll get it!" and reached out for the hat.
Now, a kayak is a very skillfully balanced thing, and Dad's reaching for the hat was just enough to upset the balance and tip us over. I didn't know how to swim yet, and thought I was a goner. Dad did, too, I think, because he was grabbing for me madly until we realized that the water was only about four feet deep.
Mother was not too pleased when we got home, soaking wet, and I think she thought Dad was creating the story a little so that it wouldn't sound like he had really almost drowned（溺死）me.
1. How many people are mentioned in the passage?| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．He was good at swimming. |
| B．He was hard on the writer. |
| C．He was into making up a story. |
| D．He was a man fond of fishing. |
a. Dad grabbed for me madly. b. Our neighbor built a kayak.
c. Dad and I fell into water. d. My hat was blown into the water.
| A．a, b, c, d | B．b, d, c, a | C．c, d, a, b | D．b, a, d, c |
| A．He was going to be saved. | B．He was going to be drowned. |
| C．He was going to be beaten. | D．He was lucky to leave. |
4 . We can express thoughts and feelings and send sounds and pictures on our smartphones today. We also communicate using programs like Skype and Face Time. We can’t send tastes, smells or touch like people do in the real world, of course. Professor Adrian David Cheok at City University in London is trying to develop a way for smartphones to do just that.
To give users a sense of taste, researchers designed two electrodes (电极) that are placed on the tongue. A chemical process creates different tastes through molecules (分子) on the surface of the tongue. This chemical process sends electrical signals that convince the brain that a person is tasting something. They have already created sour, salty, sweet and bitter tastes. “You put your tongue between these two silver electrodes and then it stimulates your tongue electrically and you get a virtual taste sense in your brain.”
A device called Scentee permits users to have the sense of smell. Scentee plugs into a smartphone and can spray (释放) tiny clouds of fragrances (气味), including flowers, fruit and coffee. Professor Cheok says the person speaking can activate the device. “Basically what happens is that we have an app, it connects to the Internet and then this will release a scent from your mobile phone.” Scentee holds a container with about 100 different smells. The container must be replaced when all the scents run out.
The sense of touch comes from a ring-like device. It is connected wirelessly to the smartphone. The device sends a soft, electrical squeeze (挤压) when a person on the other end of a telephone conversation does the same. Professor Cheok says this permits a kind of wireless touch communication. “I can be in London and my friend can be in Tokyo, and I can squeeze my finger and then he’ll get a squeeze on his finger through the Internet. It’s a way of touch communication with small mobile devices.”
1. Which of the following functions of smartphones is NOT referred to in the text?| A．Sending tastes. |
| B．Sending smells. |
| C．Sensing the owner’s feelings. |
| D．Touching people you are communicating with through the phone. |
①A chemical process creates different tastes on the tongue.
②Put the tongue between the two electrodes.
③The tongue is stimulated electrically.
④The chemical process sends electrical signals to the brain.
| A．①②③④ | B．③④①② | C．②③①④ | D．③①②④ |
| A．Adjust. | B．Encourage. | C．Promote. | D．Operate. |
| A．explain a new kind of technology |
| B．describe some future uses of smartphones |
| C．show the effects that smartphones have on people |
| D．advise people to keep in close contact through smartphones |
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated (展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
1. BCI is a technology that can ________.
| A．help to update computer systems |
| B．link the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to recover |
| D．control a person's thoughts |
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
| A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair |
| B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair |
| C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair |
| D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair |
| A．make profits from them |
| B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer |
| D．learn about their physical condition |
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
6 . Early February, I was flying up to Ohio. Well prepared, I had everything in my favour—fuel for five hours, charts in order, my flight plan on my lap, and a beautiful clear sky.
I was wrong.
I had heard about Alberta Clippers coming out of Canada. I knew all about them―how an entire air mass was streaming along at over sixty miles an hour.
That morning, the Weather Briefer informed me that an Alberta Clipper was going over Chicago about the time I got to the airport. Chicago was some 400 miles from my destination—not a factor, or so I thought. That was the first hint I missed.
The controller called and asked if I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I did the check and everything was in the green. So I told him no. Twenty minutes later the controller called again asking whether I wanted to adjust my flight plan. I checked everything. All was fine. I ignored that hint. I was fooled by the smooth air and limited experience with a rapidly moving air mass that was not changing violently. The Alberta Clipper was clipping along.
The first blast of turbulence（气流）struck my plane. I got slammed into the roof, and then slammed sideways hitting the window with such force up my nose that I started bleeding.
After a 2-hour flight of 100 miles, I realized fuel was now an issue. So was landing. I called Flight Following. We figured out the airport I could land.
The engine stopped. So did my heart. There is no quiet as quietly stunning as this one at such an altitude. I had run out of fuel in the left tank, and only a little in my right tank. The engine quit for a second time. I declared an emergency. I was told that I might get another few minutes of fuel if I gently banked the airplane. Luckily, it worked. Then, the engine quit for the last time. I was a glider now. I made a long lazy spiral descent. Down I went. I stopped at the very end of the runway.
I made so many mistakes, missed so many clues, and showed my ignorance so much that I beat myself up over and over again in my mind. I learned textbook descriptions of Alberta Clippers and real-life experience with one are totally different. I will never forget the sound of that silence.
I flew home the next day. Older. Wiser. Humbler. Lucky.
1. We can know from the passage that Alberta Clippers ______.| A．can bring snowstorms |
| B．are quick-moving air masses |
| C．are violently changing air pressure |
| D．can lead to a sudden temperature drop |
| A．His lack of flying experience. |
| B．His poor preparation for the journey. |
| C．His misjudgement about the air mass. |
| D．His overconfidence in his piloting skills. |
a. I declared an emergency.
b. My airplane was running out of fuel.
c. I insisted on carrying on my flight plan.
d. I was thrown to the roof by the violent air mass.
e. I slightly banked my airplane and made a landing.
| A．dcbea | B．dceba |
| C．cdabe | D．cdbae |
| A．a rewarding training | B．a narrow escape |
| C．a painful exploration | D．a serious accident |
Do you have imagination? Do you like to solve problems? Can you? If so, you could be the next great inventor. “But I’m just a kid，” you might say! Don’t worry about a little thing like age. For example, one famous inventor — Benjamin Franklin — got his start when he was only 12. At that young age, he created paddles for his hands to help him swim faster. Finally his creation led to what we know is called flippers!
So you don’t have to be an adult to be an inventor. One thing you do need, though, is something that kids have plenty of: curiosity and imagination. Kids are known for looking at things in new and unique ways.
So what should you do if you have what is a great idea for an invention? Talk to a friend or family member about it. Get input from others about your idea. Then ask them to help you create a working model — called a prototype (原型) — of your idea.
Once you have a prototype, you can test it. Sometimes your idea turns out to be not as great as you thought. At other times, though, you realize it is a good idea and your prototype can help you figure out how to make it even better.
If your idea is really a good one, an adult can help you contact companies that might be interested in it. You will also want an adult’s help to get a patent (专利权) for your idea, so that it is protected and can’t be stolen by someone else. If you need some inspiration, consider these kids and their inventions：
Jeanie Low invented the Kiddie Stool when she was just 11. It’s a folding stool that fits under the kitchen sink. Kids can unfold it and use it to reach the sink all by themselves.
At the age of 15, Louis Braille invented the system named after him that allows the blind to read.
Chelsea Lanmon received a patent when she was just 8 for the “pocket diaper”， a new type of diaper that includes a pocket for holding baby wipes and powder.
1. By saying “But I’m just a kid”， you probably mean you ________.| A．are too young to achieve anything |
| B．can do anything though you are young |
| C．are old enough to become an inventor |
| D．have to learn knowledge from other people |
| A．a patent—a prototype—a good idea—an invention |
| B．an invention—a good idea—a patent—a prototype |
| C．a good idea—a prototype—an invention—a patent |
| D．a prototype—a patent—a good idea—an invention |
| A．Jeanie Low. | B．Benjamin Franklin. | C．Chelsea Lanmon. | D．Louis Braille. |
| A．Kids have curiosity and imagination |
| B．There are some world famous inventors |
| C．Kids are exactly like adults in a way |
| D．It is possible for kids to be inventors |
Phew! I'm so glad the day is over. I'm really tired, but my first day at school went well.
First of all, we met outside the school building.I was very nervous because my primary school only had 300 pupils but in the middle school there are about 1,300.What a difference! The older pupils are really big.I felt so small waiting there in front of the school.
The head teacher came out and told us to go into the school hall.Then he called our names out to tell us which class we were in. My class teacher is called Mrs. Black. She took us to our classroom.It's on the 5th floor.We aren't allowed to use the lift! I couldn't believe it.
We spent all morning with Mrs.Black looking at our timetables.Everyone in the school had a different timetable.I'm worried that I'll forget my timetable and go to the wrong room.
Lunchtime was OK. I had salad, fish and fruit, which was quite good, and then I went to play football with some of the other boys. They were all friendly and I don't think it will take me long to make friends.
After lunch we started lessons. I had maths and then history, where we started to learn about ancient Greece.That looked interesting.I have to do some homework tonight to find out how the ancient Greek people lived, so I'm going to do an Internet search and look it up in the library.
So far so good.I am quite looking forward to tomorrow, even though I've got science. I hate science!
Yours,
Jason
1. Why did the head teacher come?
| A．To give the pupils a timetable. | B．To tell the pupils which class they were in. |
| C．To show the pupils how to use the lift. | D．To take the pupils to their classrooms. |
a．Jason looked at his timetable. b．Jason went to the school hall.
c．Jason started his lessons. d．Jason played football with some boys.
| A．c a b d | B．a c b d | C．b c a d | D．b a d c |
| A．Jason didn't realize the new school was smaller than his primary school. |
| B．Jason was lucky enough to have someone else in the same class. |
| C．Jason thought it unbelievable, for they are not allowed to use the lift. |
| D．Jason didn't think the boys were friendly when playing football. |
| A．Terrible. | B．Disappointed. | C．Worried. | D．Good. |
9 . One day in March,seven years ago,during happy hour at a bar in my hometown of Fayetteville,Arkansas,made a surprise announcement to my friends:I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year.What’s more,I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind.My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends.Some offered support and encouragement,while others were more doubtful.
Once I had said the words,there was no turning back.It took months to shut down my practice and get things in order.Once I set off on my adventure in December 2008,found travelling without using planes was not easy.Trying to circle the globe in 16 months(it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months planned)made it even harder.Even so,travelling overland was the most amazing way to truly understand the immensity(浩瀚无际)of our wonderful planet.
I took three consecutive(连续)overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina,from Ushuaia to the capital Buenos Aires.I would look out the windows for hours on end of the completely unspoiled plains,as if humans had never touched it.
It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing,each day spent staring out the windows for hours as the Siberian plains swept by.Sometimes,I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for 10 hours.Later in my journey,it took 22 days on a cargo freighter(货船)to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia,to finish my round-the-world adventure.
It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than had imagined.Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack,looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations(住宿),and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere.It also kept me flexible and open about all my travel plans,which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.
1. The author's trip was special in that .| A．he made it at the expense of giving up his job |
| B．it hardly cost him anything |
| C．he did not make advance booking or travel by air |
| D．it was a global trip |
| A．June 2009 | B．December 2009 | C．February 2010 | D．April 2010 |
| A．Unimportant. | B．Undamaged. | C．Invaluable. | D．Priceless. |
(1)Moscow (2)Philadelphia (3)New Zealand
(4)Ushuaia (5)Beijing (6)Buenos Aires
| A．(5)(4)(1)(6)(3)(2) | B．(4)(6)(1)(5)(3)(2) |
| C．(4)(5)(1)(6)(3)(2) | D．(5)(1)(6)(4)(3)(2) |
| A．Challenging but pleasant. | B．Dangerous but wonderful. |
| C．Boring and disappointing. | D．Costly and painful. |
10 . It is difficult for doctors to help a person with a damaged brain. Without enough blood, the brain lives for only three to five minutes. More often the doctors can’t fix the damage. Sometimes they are afraid to try something to help because it is dangerous to work on the brain. The doctors might make the person worse if he operates on the brain.
Dr. Robert White, a famous professor and doctor, thinks he knows a way to help. He thinks doctors should make the brain very cold. If it is very cold, the brain can live without blood for 30 minutes. This gives the doctor a longer time to do something for the brain.
Dr. White tried his idea on 13 monkeys. First he taught them to do different jobs, then he operated on them. He made the monkeys’ blood back to the monkeys’ brains. When the brain’s temperature was 10℃, Dr. White stopped the blood to the brain.After 30 minutes he turned the blood back on. He warmed the blood again. After their operations the monkeys were like they had been before. They were healthy and busy. Each one could still do the jobs the doctor had taught them.
1. The brain operation was made possible mainly by ____.| A．taking the blood out of the brain | B．trying the operation on monkeys first |
| C．having the blood go through a machine | D．lowering the brain’s temperature |
| A．can last as long as 30 minutes | B．can keep the brain’s blood warm |
| C．can keep the patient’s brain healthy | D．can help monkeys do different jobs |
a. send the cooled back to the brain b. stop the blood to the brain
c. have the blood cooled down d. operate on the brain
| A．a, b, c, d | B．c, a, b, d | C．c, b, d, a | D．b, c, d, a |
