High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better tasting meals.
Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers 
or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For example, most people use the phone or email to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word process a home work assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.
72. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The writer likes high-tech cooking.
B. Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals.
C. High—tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you.
D. Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework.
73. How does the writer feel about high—tech tools?
A. Better late than never. B. Easy come, easy go.
C. Every coin has two sides. D. Learn to walk before you run.
74. What is the main subject discussed in the text?
A. High—tech vs. low—tech.
B. Advantages vs. disadvantages.
C. Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet.
D. Word—processing vs. handwriting.
75. How is the text organized?
A. Main idea — Argument — Explanation.
B. Opinion — Discussion — Description.
C. Topic — Comparison — Supporting examples.
D. Introduction — Supporting examples — Discussion.
The world has changed and being intelligent isn't normally equal to being a successful person. Look at the example of the blue whale：It has a huge brain，but it still doesn't know how to avoid whalers or use its large size and weight to deal with those who try to use their body for profit. Scientists hold an opinion that the blue whale just likes some highly intelligent people who fail to succeed. Those highly intelligent people can't succeed in life because they can't communicate well with the world around them.
Intelligence is a word in life that makes you think you are better than others. Intelligence can blind these very people from how others view them. These people also think that the route to power and success results purely from intelligence and they sometimes live in a fantasy world that they create by their supposed brain power.
This is a distance that develops whether or not they realize it and sometimes，a person can be disliked simply because of his or her intelligence. This distance is sometimes so far apart that it gets to the position where they can't listen to each other. One side thinks the other is stupid and the other thinks he/she is haughty(傲慢的)．And most of the time it is the intelligent people who lose themselves in this situation. They become unpopular with most of the people around them. This affects them in whatever they do and sooner or later they will lose their confidence.
It doesn't help that they get a culture shock—especially when they leave college and realize success and richness don't always and sometimes never come naturally with intelligence. While some might think this is a dramatic picture to paint，it is sometimes the end result of some people.The example of “the blue whale” is used to show ______.
| A．communication is more important than intelligence |
| B．human beings are always more intelligent than animals |
| C．humans should have the sense of protecting animals |
| D．the blue whale is the largest animal in the world |
Those supposed intelligent people often believe that ______.
| A．they should make their life the same with others |
| B．they should live in a better world than the others |
| C．they are sure to be successful because of their intelligence |
| D．other people's opinion should be seriously considered |
What makes the intelligent people lose their confidence?
| A．They often can't get higher positions though they are intelligent. |
| B．They become separated from other people and lose their support. |
| C．They can't persuade those stupid people to accept their ideas. |
| D．They often can't make good use of their advantages. |
We can infer that the end result of the supposed intelligent people would be ______.
| A．great achievements | B．more efforts |
| C．proper changes | D．failure in the future |
The first tape recorder didn’t use tape. It used long thin wire. It was invented in 1900 by Valdermar Poulsen. In 1930, German scientists invented the tape we use today. Back then the tape was on big rolls. In 1964 the Philips company in Holland invented the cassette. It’s pretty much a holder for the tape. People use cassettes all over the world. If you don’t have a cassette recorder, borrow one.
Think of a book your parents read out loud to you. That might be a great book to read out loud to your mom or dad in their car. Put a cassette in the recorder, open the book, hit the record button and start reading out loud.
Remember there is no such a thing as a wrong way to do this. You might think you’ve made a mistake, but this gift is part of you, and nothing about that can be a mistake. It’s impossible.
You get to be all artistic and creative here. You might want to play music in the background. Do whatever you want. The gift is you, so you decide. Remember to say “I love you”at the end of your reading. That’s like the prize at the end of the book.Why does the author mention the history of tape recorders in Paragraph 1?
| A．To inform readers of new inventions. |
| B．To lead into his following suggestion. |
| C．To give an example of his suggestion. |
| D．To show the importance of tape recorders |
What does the author advise us to do?
| A．To read a book to our parents in their car |
| B．To ask our parents to record a book. |
| C．To make a gift for our parents. |
| D．To practice reading out loud. |
Why does the author say it is impossible to make a mistake in Paragraph 3?
| A．Because the tape shows your true love. |
| B．Because it’s easy to use a tape recorder. |
| C．Because the music is what your parents like. |
| D．Because it’s impossible to find a mistake in the book. |
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．
“Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．
Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．
Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you
Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to ．
| A．head straight for the center of the storm |
| B．get into the car for safety |
| C．wait patiently for the storm to develop |
| D．collect information about a coming storm |
Beginners of storm chasing are advised
| A．not to drive in a heavy rain |
| B．to do it in an organized way |
| C．not to get too close to a storm |
| D．to spend more time on it in summer |
By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph，the author means that
| A．storm chasing costs a lot of money |
| B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting |
| C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid |
| D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment． |
| B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms． |
| C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world． |
| D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people |
Surfing for hours on the Internet consumes a lot of electricity and is harmful to the environment. However, a new ecological PC saves energy as it operates：it produces about 70 percent less CO2 than conventional computers.
As a work tool, a leisure activity resource, and a personal assistant, computers seem to be everywhere. Yet the environmental performance for today's computers leaves a lot to be improved: they rapidly become out of date, and typically contain poisonous materials and individual parts that are difficult to recycle. Moreover, they consume plenty of power whose production, in return, causes the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Employees at the MicroPro Company in Ireland, teaming with colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, have engineered a wooden—frame computer with reduced environment impact. As the first computer for its class, the“iameco”(pronounced I-am-eco) was awarded the “EU Ecolabel”, the European Union’s environmental label. “This touch-screen PC has very low energy consumption over the entire lifecycle” explains Alexander Schlosser, scientist at IZM.
Over the full product life cycle, it releases 70 percent less CO2 than a typical desktop PC with monitor. In addition, it can be easily recycled. Of the materials used, 98 percent can be recycled. Indeed, 20 percent of the computer can be reused immediately—in other words, many parts can be reused for repairing other computers—such as parts of the wooden frame.Paragraph 2 mainly talks about______________.
| A．the popularity of computers |
| B．the latest development of computers |
| C．the improvement of computers |
| D．the environmental pollution of computers |
The “EU Ecolabel” is probably awarded to_____________.
| A．products made of wood |
| B．products saving energy |
| C．products releasing much CO2 |
| D．products made by the EU |
The wooden frame is used because__________.
| A．it has better appearance |
| B．it can reduce weight |
| C．it doesn’t break easily |
| D．it can be recycled directly |
The author uses figures in the last paragraph to______________.
| A．record valuable data |
| B．give detailed description |
| C．provide concrete evidence |
| D．introduce a research method |
What’s the text mainly about?
A. The fun of surfing the Internet.
B. Disadvantages of the desktop PC.
C. The recycling of computers.
D. Benefits of the new ecological PC.
It was Thanksgiving morning. I was busy preparing the traditional Thanksgiving turkey when the doorbell rang. I opened the front door and saw two small children in rags huddling together on the top step.
"Any old papers, lady?" asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say "no" until I looked down at their feet. They were wearing thin little sandals(凉鞋), wet with heavy snow.
"Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."
They walked over and sat down at the table. Their wet sandals left marks upon the floor. I served them cocoa and bread to fight against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started cooking.
The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands,
looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, "Lady, are you rich?"
"Am I rich? Pity, no!"
I looked at my worn-out slipcovers(椅套). The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully
and said, "Your cups match your saucers." They left after that, holding their papers against the wind. They had reminded me that I had so much for which to be grateful.
Plain blue china cups and saucers were only worth five pence. But they matched.
I tasted the potatoes and stirred the meat soup. Potatoes and brown meat soup, a roof over our heads, my man with a regular job, these matched, too. I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy marks of little sandals were still wet upon my floor. Let them be for a while, I thought, just in case I should begin to forget how rich I am.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Lady, are you rich? |
| B．Thanksgiving Day |
| C．Don't forget how rich you are |
| D．Does cups and saucers match well? |
The writer let the two children come in and served them well because________.
| A．she wanted to sell old papers to them |
| B．she wanted to invite them to her Thanksgiving party |
| C．she showed great pity and care on them |
| D．she had the same experience as them in the past |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The girl thought the writer was rich just because she wanted to make the writer happy. |
| B．The writer had thought she wasn't rich because her supplies were not expensive. |
| C．If cups and saucers match well, they are a best pair even though cheap. |
| D．After hearing what they said, the writer seemed to understand what a rich life was. |
The writer left the muddy marks of little sandals on the floor for a while to________.
| A．show that she was a kindhearted lady |
| B．remind her that she shouldn't forget how rich she was |
| C．leave room for readers to think about what being rich is |
| D．prove that she had understood what meant being rich |
It can be inferred from the text that whether you are rich depends on________.
| A．how much money you have made |
| B．what attitude you have had towards life |
| C．the way you help others |
| D．your social relationship |
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