Last August, Joe and Mary Mahoney began looking at colleges for their 17-year-old daughter, Maureen. With a checklist of criteria in hand, the Dallas family looked around the country visiting half a dozen schools. They sought a university that offered the teenager’s intended major, one located near a large city, and a campus where their daughter would be safe.
“The safety issue is a big one,” says Joe Mahoney, who quickly discovered he wasn’t alone in his worries. On campus tours other parents voiced similar concerns, and the same question was always asked: what about crime? But when college officials always gave the same answer — “That’s not a problem here.” — Mahoney began to feel uneasy.
“No crime whatsoever?” comments Mahoney today. “I just don’t buy it.” Nor should he: in 1999 the U.S. Department of Education had reports of nearly 400,000 serious crimes on or around our campuses. “Parents need to understand that times have changed since they went to colleges,” says David Nichols, author of Creating a Safe Campus. “Campus crime mirrors the rest of the nation.”
But getting accurate information isn’t easy. Colleges must report crime statistics （统计数字) by law, but some hold back for fear of bad publicity, leaving the honest ones looking dangerous. “The truth may not always be obvious,” warns S. Daniel Carter of Security on Campus, Inc., the nation’s leading campus safety watchdog group.
To help concerned parents, Carter promised to visit campuses and talk to experts around the country to find out major crime issues and effective solutions.
56. The Mahoneys visited quite a few colleges last August ______.
A. to express the opinions of many parents
B. to choose a right one for their daughter
C. to check the cost of college education
D. to find a right one near a large city
57. It is often difficult to get correct information on campus crime because some colleges
______.
A. receive too many visitors B. mirror the rest of the nation
C. hide the truth of campus crime D. have too many watchdog groups
58. The underlined word “buy” in the third paragraph means ______.
A. mind B. admit C. believe D. expect
59. We learn from the text that “the honest ones” in the fourth paragraph most probably refers to colleges ______.
A. that are protected by campus security B. that report campus crimes by law
C. that are free from campus crime D. the enjoy very good publicity
60. What is the text mainly about?
A. Exact campus crime statistics. B. Crimes on or around campuses.
C. Effective solutions to campus crime. D. concerns about kids’ campus safety.
Dealing with a difficult roommate can be both annoying and challenging. However, by becoming aware of the context of the situation, steps can be taken in order to improve the circumstance.
Identify the source of the problem. Sometimes, when someone is annoying, it is difficult to tell exactly which aspect of the situation is causing the anger. Therefore, it is important to find the one element that caused your anger to begin with.
Evaluate the source of the conflict. Is the conflict trivial, or is it serious ? Sometimes, people can become angry over things that seem like a big deal at the time, but when contemplated (深思), are really unimportant. Nevertheless, before any problem is dealt with, it is necessary to determine how serious it is.
Talk to the roommate about what is bothering you. Communication is very important when dealing with problems. The problems will only become worse if measures are taken without telling one another what is even wrong to begin with.
Listen to the explanation that the roommate has to over. Listening is also important when dealing with conflicts. Hearing each side of the story will make it easier to arrive at a possible solution.
Compromise with one another in order to form a solution. Sometimes, conflicts can be resolved simply by changing small occurrences.The main idea of the passage is .
| A．how to identify the source of the problem. |
| B．how to evaluate the source of the conflict. |
| C．how to contend with a difficult roommate. |
| D．how to communicate with your roommate. |
In the third paragraph, “trivial” is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．unconsidered. | B．unconscious. |
| C．unusual. | D．unacceptable. |
The author thinks that all of the following are important to deal with conflicts except .
| A．communicating. | B．listening. |
| C．compromising. | D．challenging. |
How many tips does the writer offer to deal with a difficult roommate ?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
We can find the text in the section of a newspaper.
| A．science. | B．relationship. |
| C．recreation. | D．education. |
Recently I met a former student Jeanie, for lunch. She had been one of my sixth grade students. Before she had moved away, I had been asked to speak as someone who had been a motivator. I spoke telling the crowd gathered that she was a blessing and encouragement to me. She was a child that had come from a family with some problems. When we finally met, she told me that the thing that made me her favorite teacher was the speech I gave every year. I tell my students that when they wake each morning and come to school, they spend more time with me than they spend with their parents. They may be in the same house, but that does not mean that they spend time with them. I told them that my job was to teach them, comfort them, encourage them, and discipline them as needed. However, my most important job was to love them so that they could put away all other thoughts and prepare to learn. I have no losers in my class. They should therefore consider me their mom away from home.
Over lunch, Jeanie asked if she could have the honor of calling me “Mom”, because over the years I have always been a second mom to her. She said she has heard from many friends and this is what they all remember about me That I was not only their teacher, but their mom; someone to comfort them, guide them and teach them.Which of the following statements is NOT true about Jeanie ？
| A．She is a former student of the author. |
| B．She is one of sixth grade students. |
| C．She was from a family with problems. |
| D．She was a blessing to the author. |
It can be concluded that the author is her job.
| A．tired of. | B．worried about. | C．crazy about | D．fond of. |
By saying “I have always been a second mom to her”, Jeanie meant that “ ”.
| A．I was a teacher as good as a mother. |
| B．She was so lucky to have two moms. |
| C．She would treat me as her mom forever. |
| D．I was always less concerned about her. |
What is the most important job for the author ?
| A．To teach students. | B．To comfort students. |
| C．To encourage students. | D．To love students. |
Which of the following is the best title ?
| A．Former Students. | B．Second Mom. |
| C．Good Teachers. | D．Unforgettable Speech. |
More women are graduating from colleges than men.The situation is causing some people to worry about the future.The trend could cause social problems，according to a report on July 8 by the Washington Post.
Women received about 57 percent of the bachelor’s degrees awarded this year from colleges and universities in the United States.The figure of 57 percent has been the highest since World War Ⅱ ended in 1945.During the war，many men were in the military.
The gap between men and women is greater among African Americans and Hispanics.Two AfricanAmerican women receive a degree for every AfricanAmerican man.Only 40 percent of Hispanics who get a degree are males.
The USA Department of Education estimates 698,000 females received bachelor’s degree this year.The number of male graduates was 529,000.The trend toward more female graduates began in the mid1980s.Nobody seems to know why.However，many theories exist.
Researchers say the trend could lead to social problems.They also say this may indicate two things.It may reflect the increasing success of women.But it also may show the educational problems affecting men.
High school graduation rates are slightly lower for men than for women.Males also make up the vast majority of students in special education classes.
The Business Roundtable is studying the trend.The group is an organization of chief executives of some of the nation’s largest corporations.Susan Traiman is the director of the group’s education policy.Traiman said the nation couldn’t afford to let half its population fail to develop skills needed for the future.Some people worry about the future because ________.
| A．there are many social problems in America |
| B．more and more men don’t like the life in college |
| C．more AfricanAmerican women receive a degree |
| D．fewer and fewer men receive a degree than women in America |
Which one of the following statements is right according to this passage?
| A．There must be something wrong with the education system. |
| B．40% of the Hispanics get a degree in America. |
| C．Nobody knows the reason why more women get a degree than men. |
| D．More than half of the men received bachelor’s degrees this year. |
The underlined word “estimates” in the fourth paragraph means ________.
| A．guesses | B．explains | C．introduces | D．discovers |
What Susan Traiman said means that ________.
| A．the nation should prevent the women from receiving further education |
| B．the nation would be too poor to develop its education |
| C．the nation didn’t have enough money for women’s further education |
| D．the nation should encourage men to develop skills for the future |
What is the main subject discussed in the text?
| A．Women are more successful in America than men. |
| B．More women than men are graduating from college. |
| C．Men are more successful in America than women. |
| D．There are two kinds of social problems in America. |
Recently，scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way.
For many years，scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue，animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere，which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide.
Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food，the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef，which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The process of making a hamburger，for example，requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised，and cow’s wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed，the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer，which takes fuel.And most of the cow won’t even be used for meat people eat.
By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate，it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a halfpound allbeef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide.
The message is clear：We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment—at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier，a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada，reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef，we would cut the Earth’s greenhouse gases by more than half.
All kinds of meat，the scientists reported，are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes，for example，sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good.The text mainly tells us ________.
| A．what we eat can affect the whole planet |
| B．the way we live affects the environment |
| C．how we can save energy on the Earth |
| D．how we can produce environmentfriendly food |
What is likely to happen if the climate is getting warmer according to the passage?
| A．Sea level will continue to rise sharply. |
| B．Human beings won’t have enough food. |
| C．It would be very hard for man to survive. |
| D．All the animals and plants will disappear. |
Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger?
| A．To show meat is usually part of a hamburger. |
| B．To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases. |
| C．To prove making a hamburger is a complex process. |
| D．To suggest a lot of energy is needed to make hamburgers. |
The author believes one effective way to fight global warming is ________.
| A．we should eat no pork and no chicken |
| B．we should eat more chicken than beef |
| C．we should eat not meat but vegetables |
| D．we should eat less meat and more vegetables |
Which of the following statements would Nathan Pelletier agree to?
| A．Eating pork and chicken is more environmentally friendly. |
| B．Meat consumption is the main cause of greenhouse gases. |
| C．People in industrial countries consume more beef than fish. |
| D．Eating more beef is a more efficient way to save more energy. |
Scientists have created a way to control a robot with signals from human brain.By generating the proper brainwaves—picked up by a cap with electrodes (电极) that sense the signals and reflect a person’s instructions—scientists can instruct a humanoid(类人的) robot to move to specific locations and pick up certain objects.
The commands are limited to moving forward，picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and the robot’s movements.
“This is really a proofofconcept demonstration，” said Rajesh Rao，a researcher from the University of Washington who leads the project.“It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person’s home.”
The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot’s movements on a computer screen through two cameras installed on and above the robot.
When the robot’s cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the user’s computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants something picked up and it happens to light up，the brain registers surprise and sends this brain activity to the computer and then to the robot.The robot then proceeds to pick up the object.
A similar algorithm(计算程序) is used to decide where the robot will go.
“One of the important things about this demonstration is that we’re using a ‘noisy’ brain signal to control the robot，” Rao said.“That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the surface of the head，not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result，the user can only generate highlevel commands such as indicating which object to pick up or which location to go to，and the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands.”
In the future，the researchers hope to make the robots more adaptive to the environment by having them carry out more complex commands.What is special about the robot introduced in the passage?
| A．It is controlled by human thoughts. |
| B．It can be made humanoid. |
| C．It can be used to help the disabled. |
| D．It has high intelligence itself. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the robot?
| A．It can move forward and backward and pick up two objects at the same time. |
| B．It can move forward，pick up both objects and bring them to either location. |
| C．It can only move forward，pick up one object and put it in one location. |
| D．It can read all human thought demands and do as instructed. |
What Rao said suggests that the new robot________.
| A．is still at its early stage of development |
| B．will be widely used in our daily routine soon |
| C．is autonomous enough to complete complex commands |
| D．is only limited to doing routine work at home |
The sixth paragraph mainly describes ________.
| A．how the robot reacts to a person’s instructions |
| B．how the robot picks up the right object |
| C．the functions of the computer |
| D．how the robot finds out where to go |
The underlined word “registers” in the passage can be best replaced by “________”．
| A．receives | B．shows | C．writes down | D．picks up |
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