2 . If the only reading you ever do is the novel or magazine, the speed at which you read -probably does not matter very much. But if you have to read a great deal for study, you will appreciate the benefits of being able to read more quickly.     1    

·Before you open the book, make sure that you are comfortable. You need a seat which supports your back and the book should be at the right distance from your eyes.     2    

    3     Look at the table of contents, the preface, the chapter heading,etc.This will help you to decide whether you really need to read the whole book or only certain parts of it. Ten minutes spent in this way could save you quite a lot of time in the long run.

If you decide that you need to read the whole book, decide how much you can read at a time.     4     A history book which may contain the facts in story form will be easier to read than one dealing with scientific subjects. In the former case you may be able to read a chapter. In the latter you may only be able to read one page.

Always keep a pencil and paper beside you.     5    Note also the facts important for your purpose as well as anything which leads you to further research. You don't have to write these things in detail. It is enough to put the page number and one or two words as a reminder .

A．Stop to have a rest now and then.

B．Spend a few minutes looking through the book.

C．This depends on the type of book you are reading.

D．Here are some tips to help improve your reading speed.

E．Make a note of any page which is of special importance.

F．You may find yourself having to learn something by heart.

G．Keep the room cool rather than warm to avoid feeling sleepy.

5 . An Australian professor is developing a robot to monitor the health of grazing cattle, a development that could bring big changes to a profession that's relied largely on a low-tech approach for decades but is facing a labor shortage.

Salah Sukkarieh, a professor at the University of Sydney, sees robots as necessary given how cattlemen are aging. He is building a four-wheeled robot that will run on solar and electric power. It will use cameras and sensors to monitor the animals. A computer system will analyze the video to determine whether a cow is sick. Radio tags (标签) on the animals will measure temperature changes. The quality of grassland will be tracked by monitoring the shape, color and texture (质地) of grass. That way, cattlemen will know whether they need to move their cattle to another field for nutrition purposes.

Machines have largely taken over planting, watering and harvesting crops such as com and wheat, but the monitoring of cattle has gone through fewer changes.

For Texas cattleman Pete Bonds, it's increasingly difficult to find workers interested in watching cattle. But Bonds doesn't believe a robot is right for the job. Years of experience in the industry - and failed attempts to use technology - have convinced him that the best way to check cattle is with a man on a horse. Bonds, who bought his first cattle almost 50 years ago, still has each of his cowboys inspect 300 or 400 cattle daily and look for signs that an animal is getting sick.

Other cattlemen see more promise in robots. Michael Kelsey Paris, vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, said a robot could be extremely useful given rising concerns about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their value has risen, making them appealing targets.

1. What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?

A．Soil pollution.	B．Lack of workers.
C．Aging machines.	D．Low profitability.

2. What will Sukkarieh's robot be able to do?

A．Monitor the quality of grass.	B．Cure the diseased cattle.
C．Move cattle to another field.	D．Predict weather changes.

3. Why does Pete Bonds still hire cowboys to watch cattle?

A．He wants to help them earn a living.	B．He thinks men can do the job better.
C．He is inexperienced in using robots.	D．He enjoys the traditional way of life.

4. How may robots help with cattle watching according to Michael Kelsey?

A．Increase the value of cattle.	B．Bring down the cost of labor.
C．Make the job more appealing.	D．Keep cattle from being stolen.

7 . While taking a 20-hour train ride along the edge of the Taklimakan Desert in northwestern China, I had the kind of humbling, educational, and above all else, wonderful ________ with a local that all travelers long for. A young Chinese man ________ me on the train. My ________ friend spoke virtually no English, so I happily took the ________ to practice my Chinese.

Over several hours, he would tell me about how he had ________ a two-year professional school to quickly find a job ________ highways in order to help support his family. Perhaps the most ________, however, was the fact that this man spent hours studying every day after hard physical labor. Without batting an eye, he would ________ a translated Emerson passage before asking about the literary influence of American ________ as a whole. ”And what do you all learn about Russian authors?” I ________ him asking at one point.

It would have been easy to ________ my assumptions about this highway builder who had never been more than a few hundred miles from home. But this highly informed, ________ , and admirable person prevented me doing so. In the course of a couple of hours, he ________ me just how much one can gain from ________ with an open mind, and a willingness to ________ with locals from all walks of life.

1.

A．experiment

B．encounter

C．competition

D．appointment

2.

A．treated

B．saved

C．lectured

D．approached

3.

A．true

B．so-called

C．new

D．long-lost

4.

A．chance

B．advice

C．trouble

D．right

5.

A．visited

B．financed

C．attended

D．founded

6.

A．building

B．sweeping

C．checking

D．guarding

7.

A．typical

B．obvious

C．natural

D．remarkable

8.

A．publish

B．quote

C．сорy

D．download

9.

A．writers

B．historians

C．workers

D．students

10.

A．anticipate

B．imagine

C．recall

D．catch

11.

A．look into

B．rely on

C．go over

D．deal with

12.

A．well-behaved

B．multi-skilled

C．warm-hearted

D．self-educated

13.

A．asked

B．warned

C．showed

D．promised

14.

A．traveling

B．reading

C．searching

D．teaching

15.

A．cooperate

B．side

C．negotiate

D．engage

9 . I’m an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays to my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that the attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

Born and raised in Africa，I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I ,a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying “I’m so different!”

What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering (口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I’d taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! “Wow,” I whispered to myself, “this isn’t a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It’s perfectly normal.” Days later, my life took an-other twist(转折). Searching the internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I’m smart, I shouldn’t allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she’s black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I’m practically filled with shame.

Today, I’ve grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there’s always something fantastic about us, and what we need to do is learn to appreciate it.

1. What affected the author’s adjustment to her school life in Norway？

A．Her appearance

B．Social discrimination.

C．Her changing emotions.

D．The climate in Norway.

2. What did the author’s occasional stuttering bring about according on Paragraph 3?

A．Her lack of self-confidence.

B．Her loss of interest in school.

C．Her unwillingness to greet her classmates.

D．Her desire for chances to improve herself.

3. How did the author feel on noticing the similarity between her and the girl on the bus?

A．Blessed and proud.

B．Confused and afraid.

C．Amazed and relieved.

D．Shocked and ashamed.

4. What lesson did the author learn from the cases of Newton and Churchill?

A．Great minds speak alike.

B．Stuttering is no barrier to success.

C．Wisdom counts more than hard work.

D．Famous people can’t live with their weaknesses.

5. What can best summarize the message contained in the passage?

A．Pride comes before a fall.

B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

C．Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself.

D．Self-love is key to the attainment of self-pride.