To get cash out in the 21st century, you won’t need a bank card, a PIN(个人识别编号) or even have to move a finger. You will simply have to look the cash machine straight in the eye, declares National Cash Registers, a multinational company that makes automated teller machines, or ATMs. NCR has shown its first example machine that is believed to be the future of banking. Instead of asking you for your PIN on a screen, the Super Teller-Stella for short, asks you orally through a loudspeaker to look straight ahead while an infrared camera turns to your head, then your eye, and finally takes an infrared photograph of your iris(虹膜). For identification(识别) purposes, an iris picture is better than a fingerprint, with around 256 noticeable characteristics compared with 40 for fingerprints. This means that the chances of someone else being recognized in your place is about 1 in 1020. Once you’ve been identified, Stella greets you by name and says: “Would you like cash or a statement?” An infrared port allows the machine to send a bank statement straight to your pocket computer. What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．A new medical instrument | B．A new type of talking machine. |
| C．A new type of cash machine. | D．National Cash Register |
What is this new machine called?
| A．Stella | B．ATM | C．PIN | D．NCR |
When you want to get cash out in the 21st century, you will _______.
| A．need a bank card | B．have to put in your PIN |
| C．move your finger | D．just look directly at the teller machine |
“We do look very different; we’re older. Leo’s 38, I’m 37. We were 21 and 22 when we made that film. You know, he’s fatter now -- I’m thinner.” So says Kate Winslet, who is thrilled at the 3-D re-release of Titanic to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the ship’s demise. “It happens every time I get on any boat of any kind." She recalls. There are all the people who want her to walk to the front of the ship and re-create her famous pose, arms flung wide. Most people remember the tragedy: The British passenger ship—said to be unsinkable—hit an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage from England to New York City. More than 1,500 people died. But little known is what the world learned from the sinking to prevent future incidents.
Probably the greatest deficiency (不足) of the Titanic was that she was built 40 years before the widespread use of the wonderful invention radar (雷达). Her only defense against icebergs and hidden obstacles was to rely on manned lookouts. On that fateful night the eyesight of trained lookouts only provided 37 seconds of warning before the collision.
Traveling at nearly 30 miles an hour, the Titanic was moving far too fast to avoid the huge iceberg. The warning did prevent a head-on collision as the officer on the bridge managed to turn the ship slightly.
The last ship to which it could send an SOS message was the California. She was within ten miles of the Titanic during the disaster, but her radio operator went to bed at midnight and never received any of the SOS messages from the Titanic. That was one of the important lessons learned from the catastrophe, the need for 24-hour radio operators on all passenger liners.
Another lesson learned was the need for more lifeboats. The Titanic remained afloat (漂浮) for almost three hours and most of the passengers could have been saved with enough lifeboats.
1,500 passengers and workers died in the 28 degree waters of the Atlantic. Out of the tragedy, the sinking did produce some important maritime reforms. The winter travel routes were changed to the south and the Coast Guard began to keep an eye on the location of all icebergs. The new rules for lifeboats were obvious to all. There must be enough lifeboats for everybody on board.
The most important lesson learned was that no one would ever again consider a ship unsinkable—no matter how large or how well constructed. Never again would sailors place their faith in a ship above the power of the sea. The text mainly tells us ______.
| A．the reason why the Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean |
| B．how the unsinkable ship of Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean |
| C．the lessons that we could learn from the accident of the Titanic |
| D．the things we should do to protect the lives on the ship |
According to the passage, which of the following could we infer?
| A．If the captain had been more careful, he could have had the chance to save the Titanic. |
| B．If radar had existed 40 years ago, the Titanic would have never disappeared from the world. |
| C．If the lookout had had much more experience, he could have had the time to save the Titanic. |
| D．If there had been enough lifeboats on the Titanic, the Titanic would not have sunk in the Atlantic. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Lessons from the Titanic | B．Technology is Important |
| C．Demands of Passengers | D．Power of Sea |
What’s the sailors’ attitude towards the ships after the tragedy?
| A．They think there really exists the unsinkable ship. |
| B．They think ships could eventually defeat the sea. |
| C．They think there is no power that could control the sea. |
| D．They think the bigger the ship is, the safer it is. |
6-Day Trek (艰苦跋涉) in the Highland National Parks
Destinations: Saigon—Cat Tien National Park—Buon Ma Thuot—Lak Lake—YokDon National Park
Estimated trekking time: Average 4-5 hours／day
Summary: This trip is ideal for those who love trekking in natural forests. From the southern part of Vietnam up to the central highlands, you will cross through two national parks. There will be opportunities to see wildlife and challenge yourself physically at a moderate (中等的) level.
Indulge yourself in the beauty of nature, escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, rediscover yourself in the natural world and refresh both mind and body.
Highlights:
1) Private tour
2) Walk through the forest to a fascinating and beautiful wetland area. If you are lucky, you may be able to see many different kinds of animals using only binoculars (双筒望远镜).
3) Night time wildlife-spotting excursion (远足)
4) Elephant riding
Includes:
1) Travel insurance
2) Private transportation
3) English-speaking guide
4) Guest house-twin shared room
5) Meals as indicated in the itinerary
6) Elephants
7) Canoe
8) Mineral water
9) Entrance fees & all permits
Excludes:
1) Surcharges for other guides in other languages, festival season and peak season surcharges, which will be advised at time of booking
2) Visa
3) Gong show (80 USD／show)
4) Tips
5) Personal expensesDuring the tour, visitors will trek through _______ national parks.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
In the forest, tourists will be able to _______.
| A．ride elephants | B．have barbeques with natives |
| C．play with wild animals | D．race in canoes |
Visitors may have to pay extra fees for _______.
| A．permits | B．a Gong show |
| C．meals and water | D．an English-speaking guide |
This advertisement is especially for visitors _______.
| A．from other countries |
| B．who love wildlife |
| C．who enjoy country life |
| D．interested in hiking in forests |
The passengers on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have thought I was strange. In particular a gentleman sitting opposite me was always staring at me, looking at the cheese bread on the floor in front of me and then staring back at me. A passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop, but the gentleman might not think so. “Next stop, St. Patrick Station” — my stop was quickly coming up. I had a few minutes to either take the cheese bread, which nobody else was claiming, or leave it there.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. “What would others on the subway think of me if I took the cheese bread? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I was stealing?” The ignorant thing to do was say “yes” to any of those self-imposed questions. Actually, they were just my own thoughts. Though I would leave the subway, walk a block to my office, get settled at my desk, and sit comfortably in my office for the whole day, I couldn’t get rid of the enormous sense of guilt and regret.
My thoughts once pushed me towards pride and ignorance, but finally I had to admit I was wrong. This missing cheese bread could be a gift for a homeless person who suffered from cold and hunger. So why not overcome a little bit of my pride and pass along so much kindness?
Just as the doors opened at my stop, I grabbed the cheese bread and left the subway. It felt awesome, but I didn’t care if people were looking at me or what they were thinking. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen’s park, where I often saw a homeless man sitting outside. I always wanted to give him something, but only today I walked toward him, who wrapped himself in a sleeping bag. I was full of satisfaction, and so did the homeless man, I thought.The gentleman kept staring at the author because _______.
| A．he wanted to talk to the author |
| B．he might think the author dropped the bread |
| C．the author appeared too nervous |
| D．the author was going to get off |
The underlined word “self-imposed” in paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
| A．easily obtained |
| B．strongly supported |
| C．purposely created |
| D．completely unaccepted |
Why did the author grab the cheese bread when he got off?
| A．He noticed that no one was looking at him. |
| B．He didn’t want to see the cheese bread to go to waste. |
| C．He remembered a homeless man at that very moment. |
| D．He valued kindness more than his own pride. |
BEIJING – Alarmed by the overreaching ambitions of many Chinese provinces to grow at all cost, China’s top economic chief is calling on officials to calm down and spare a thought for the environment.
Zhang Ping, who heads China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the central economic planning agency, said only five or six of China’s 30 provinces are targeting annual economic growth of 8 percent or 9 percent.
The remaining provinces are aiming for growth rates of more than 10 percent this year, with some wanting to double economic output in the coming five years.
“China has a planned energy supply of about 4 billion cubic tons of coal equivalent (等量的) for the next five years, and this is not enough to meet demands for economic growth to double,” he was quoted as saying on the news portal Sina. com.
Beijing is increasingly concerned with the ambitions of Chinese provinces across the country to chase high growth despite the central government’s urgent request for a more moderate and sustainable (可持续的) pace of expansion.
Years of rapid economic growth have taken a toll on China’s environment, with Beijing trying to remove some of the damage now. It has an annual growth target of 7 percent for the next five years, well down from last year’s 10 percent.
Zhang said Beijing has asked local governments to take into account the supply of “energy, environment, water and land” to set more reasonable growth target.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The supply of the coal in China is not sufficient for the next five years. |
| B．Zhang Ping is an expert and economic chief from www. sina.com. |
| C．Few Chinese provinces are aiming for economic growth rates of less than 10%. |
| D．Many Chinese provinces are alarmed by Beijing. |
The underlined phrase “taken a toll on” in the sixth paragraph means “_______”.
| A．improved | B．done damage to | C．restored | D．attached importance to |
The general idea of the whole passage can be that _________.
| A．China’s economy is increasing at a fast speed. |
| B．China’s top chief lays more emphasis on the environment |
| C．economic high growth should go hand in hand with environment concern. |
| D．all Chinese provinces should slow down their economic growth rates |
What could be the best title for the news?
| A．Economic Development | B．Energy Supply |
| C．Environment | D．Sustainable Development |
You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or creator. When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place. “They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering. “They” are wrong and bad, and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems, thus internalizing(内化)your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives, but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses, yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens, they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的)moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities, yet their experience of life is worlds apart. Victims relish (沉溺)in anger, guilt, and other emotions that cause others---and even themselves---to feel like victims, too. Creators consciously choose love, inspiration, and other qualities which inspire not only themselves, but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality, all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person, on losing a job or a special relationship, may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months, years, or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief, then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance, you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.What does the word “They” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?
| A．People and things around you. | B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. | D．Victims and their sufferings. |
According to Paragraph 2, creators __________.
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life |
| B．possess the ability to predict future life |
| C．handle ups and downs of life wisely |
| D．have potential to create something new |
What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
| A．Creators and victims face quite different things in life. |
| B．Creators and victims are masters of their lives. |
| C．Victims can influence more people than creators. |
| D．Compared with victims, creators are more emotional. |
The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that _______________.
| A．strong attachment to sufferings in life pulls people into victims |
| B．people need family support to deal with challengers in life |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains |
| D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To define victims and creators. |
| B．To evaluate victims against creators |
| C．To explain the relationship between victims and creators. |
| D．To suggest the transformation from victims to creators. |
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