Most people who enjoy movies do not really care how they are made. They want to enjoy a good story. Movie producer and director George Lucas wants people to see the best-made movie possible. So, his latest Star Wars movie was made without using film.
“Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” was made using digital cameras. A digital camera does not use traditional film. It captures an image on videotape. The images recorded on videotape are then placed in a computer.
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George Lueas says that using digital cameras permits him to have much more control over the final product. For example, the image can be changed after it is placed in a computer. An expert can change color, add or take out objects, add people or beings who are not real.
Much of what is seen in the new “Star Wars” movie is not real. Hugebuildings, spacecraft and alien beings from other worlds were produced in
a computer. The effects then were added to each part of the movie.
Movie experts say digital technology is the real future of the motion
picture industry. A theater will no longer have to wait days or weeks to show
a new movie. Theaters will be able to receive copies of new movies by
linking computers. Or they will use small computer disks to get a copy of the
movie.
When the new Star Wars movie wag released last month, only 94 theaters
around the world had the digital equipment needed to show it. So Mr. Lucas' company produced about 6,000 copies of the new digital movie on traditional film for release in most theaters. However, most people who have seen the movie say these film copies are a much better quality than other filmed movies.
Critics say the new digital technology is very costly. Many theater owners will not buy the new technology, yet many of the people who worked on the new Star Wars movie say they would not like to work with film again. They said using digital equipment was faster, and videotape is much less costly than film. One cameraman said the director of a movie can immediately see what was just recorded, Something impossible to do with film.
Those who have worked with the new digital method of making movies say the new Star Wars movie is only the beginning. They say movies may quickly become all digital.
57．Why did Lucas’ company produce 6,000 copies of the new digital movie on traditional film for most theaters?
A．Because the company wanted more theaters to show its digital movie.
B．Because those theaters didn’t have computers linked to the company.
C．Because those theaters didn’t have the digital equipment needed to show it.
D．Because the audience say these film copies are better than other filmed movies.
58．Which of the following shows the right order of producing a digital movie?
a．An expert transfers the picture into a computer
b．An expert adds the effects to each part of movie.
c．An expert adds or takes out objects and adds unreal people or beings.
d．A cameraman uses a digital camera to seize pictures on videotape.
A．abed B．daeb C．aedb D．deab
59．Who does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 7 refer to?
A．critics B．theater owners C．audience D．movie producers
60．Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?
A．The Best Digital Movie Director – George Lucas
B．The Best – made Movie – star Wars
C．The Beginning of Digital Movies
D．The Future of Digital Movies
Forty-two of the fifty American states offered some kind of public online learning this past school year．One state，Michigan，now requires all students to have an online learning experience before they finish high school．Even the idea of a school has changed since the rise ofthe Internet in the 1990s．
A new report from the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University says eighteen states have full-time virtual schools．There are no buildings．All classes are online．
Florida started the first statewide public virtual school in the United States in 1997．Today，the Florida Virtual School offers more man ninety courses．56,000 students were enrolled as of December．Almost sixty percent were female．The school's website says each student was enrolled in an average of two classes．
Florida Virtual School has now opened the Florida Virtual Global School．Students in other countries pay for classes．Janet Heiking teaches an English class．She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana．Her students live as far away as Africa and Japan．She says they are taking her Advanced Placement class to prepare for attending an American college．They can earn college credits by passing the AP test．
So how good are virtual schools? Studies have shown mixed results, as a new report from Indiana University notes．For example, students at Florida Virtual School earned higher grades than those taking the same courses the traditional way．And they scored higher on a statewide
test．But virtual school students in Kansas and Colorado had lower test scores or performed at a lower level than traditional learners．Studies also find that virtual schools may not save much in operating costs．
Education experts say the mixed results suggest the need for more research to find the best ways to teach in virtual schools．A1so, they say schools of education need to train more teachers to work in both real and virtual classrooms．A virtual school is one that___________．
| A．is set up after the rise of the Internet |
| B．uses textbooks as a main teaching resource |
| C．uses computer-based resources and has no teachers |
| D．has online classes and no real classrooms |
The first statewide public virtual school in the USA was started in ________ ．
| A．Florida | B．Indiana | C．Michigan | D．Colorado |
Florida Virtual School is open to ________．
| A．students in Indiana |
| B．students only around the USA |
| C．students across the world |
| D．only foreign students |
Foreign students take Advanced Placement classes for the eventual purpose of __________ ．
| A．earning college credits |
| B．entering an American college |
| C．learning advanced science |
D．passin g the AP test |
From the passage we learn that________．
| A．the majority of virtual school students in Florida are male |
| B．all senior students m Michigan have an online learning experience |
| C．virtual schools are better than traditional schools |
| D．both real and virtual classrooms need more trained teachers |
Who cares if money can’t buy you love? But it can still be your best friend forever．That’s one of the surprising findings in a new research paper, “The Power of Money”，published in me journal Psychological Science．
Like any best friend forever，money demonstrated to researchers its ability to soothe us，reduce our sense of social exclusion and even reduce life’s painful moments．
“I was surprised” says Katherine Vohs，one of the researchers and professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management．“The findings were surprising because no one had connected the meaning of money to pain．The money wasn’t buying the subjects more friends；it was only psychologically helpful.”
In the research ,students were told they would be participating in a test of finger dexterity(敏捷度)．One group was given some paper money to count，while the other group was given blank pieces of paper．Once the counting was complete, all the test subjects were asked to dip their fingers into bowls of water heated to 122 degrees—roughly the temperature of a very hot bath．
Result? Those who had been counting money reported less pain than those who had not．Subjects also were asked about their feelings．Those who handled actual money reported feeling stronger even 10 minutes after they put down the cash．
Combined with previous experiments，the findings confirmed what researchers have long doubted，that money acts as a general panacea(万能药)in the brain，giving us social self-confidence and reducing physical pain without having to spend a dime on aspirin．
But can we get the same effect by using credit cards? “No，credit cards do not have the same effect，” Vohs says．“They are scary for most people，and they in fact represent debt m many ways．”The findings could have an interesting effect in the business world, where recent trends have been to issue non-monetary rewards and bonuses instead of what was thought of as “cold, hard cash”．The underlined word “soothe” in Paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to“____________” .
| A．encourage | B．remind | C．calm | D．trust |
What’s Katherine Vohs’s attitude towards the result of the study?
| A．He found it totally unexpected． |
| B．He had no doubt about it． |
| C．He thought it needed further experiments． |
| D．He thought it was not convincing． |
What do we know about the students involved in the study?
| A．They were divided into two groups according to their ages． |
| B．One group was given paper money while the other was given coins． |
C．They were holding the money while dipping fingers into hot wat er． |
| D．Both groups were asked to dip fingers into hot water． |
We can 1earn from the passage that_________．
| A．the effect of money can only last until we put it down |
| B．money is both psychologically and socially helpful to us |
| C．the result of the research hasn’t been confirmed（证实） by experts |
| D．credit cards have the same effect on us as money |
The last paragraph suggests that___________．
| A．the recent trend in the business world is to give cash as rewards |
| B．employers should give non-monetary rewards to employees |
| C．cash is a better way to reward employees than credit cards |
| D．more and more employees prefer non-monetary rewards to cash |
To many Americans，Labor Day marks the end of the summer，a day off from work and school，and one last chance to relax．But Labor Day is much more than just a day off . It represents a very important victory for laborers everywhere．The holiday is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers．
More than a century ago，workers were forced to deal with harsh conditions．They were paid very little, and they often worked 10-to l2-hour days．Men, women and even small children were forced to work even when they were sick．Tired of long hours and dangerous conditions，workers began organizing themselves into labor unions．On top of fighting for higher pay and shorter workday
s，they also fought for the rights of children．The workers wanted employers to place limits on the age of their workers so that small children were not overworked or hurt in factories．
A New York City carpenter named Peter McGuire is credited for coming up with the idea for Labor Day．In 1872，after working many hours under poor conditions, McGuire rallied 100,000 workers to go on strike．The workers marched through the streets of New York City，demanding a better work environment．McGuire spent a decade fighting for workers’ rights．In 1882，he proposed
the idea to create a special holiday for workers．On Tuesday，September 5，1882．more than 10,000 workers hit the streets of New York City for the first ever Labor Day parade．Two years later the celebration was moved to the first Monday in September．And in 1894，Congress passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday．
Americans celebrated the first Labor Day holiday with a parade，picnics and fireworks．Today，many people hit the road to enjoy the last of their summer vacation．Others enjoy the long weekend with picnics，backyard barbecues or just rest and relaxation．However you spend Labor Day，remember that the holiday is a time to pay tribute (致敬)to the workers who have made America what it is today．What do we know from Paragraph 1 ?
| A．Americans have more than a day off on Labor Day． |
| B．Many countries in the world celebrate Labor Day． |
| C．Labor Day has a deep meaning for American laborers． |
| D．Labor Day shows the social and economic power of America． |
What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
| A．American workers’ fighting against their employers． |
| B．The bad life that American workers 1ed． |
| C．How American employers treated their workers． |
| D．The life that American workers ever expected． |
The underlined word “rallied” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by“___________”．
| A．persuaded | B．supported | C．rewarded | D．gathered |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．There were about 100,000 workers in New York City in 1872． |
| B．Labor Day became a national holiday in 1884． |
| C．In 1872 Labor Day was first put forward by McGuire． |
| D．The first ever Labor Day parade was held in 1882． |
According to the author，while spending Labor Day，Americans should feel _________ ．
A．su rprised |
B．thankful |
| C．dissatisfied | D．superior |
The Ocean Institute welcomes people to the City of Dana Point’s Festival of Whales celebration on both weekends．The event celebrates the migration(迁徙)of the whales off our coast．Respected ocean scientists of the ocean Institute introduce visitors to the world of whales．The speakers are arranged as the following．
Saturday，March 5，12：30 pm
Dr Gwen Goodmanlowe from Califomia State University is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Biology，and advises students working on degrees in marine(海洋的) biology．She received her doctorate in zoology from the University of Hawaii-Honolulu．
Sunday，March 6，12：30 pm
Matt Leslie，from Scripps Institute of Oceanography，has studied whales off the coast of Australia．Some of his current research projects include population structure analysis of whales using performance testing．He will lecture on guides for treatment of marine animals.
Saturday，March 12，12：30 pm
Dr Merkens，from Scripps Institute of Oceanography，will present her latest research on how sound or music can be used as a means to identify characteristics of whales and to find out how whales communicate with one another in the environment．
Sunday，March 13, 2 pm
Robert L. Pitman is a marine ecologist working for the National Marine Fishing Service．He began his career 35 years ago，studying seabirds and whales，and spends much of his time at sea on vessels at locations all over the world．His main interest is the ecology of the Antarctic killer whale．
The Festival will allow visitors to know about new discoveries in marine animal research and to explore a variety of information on whales．Visitors will have the opportunity to listen to underwater whale sounds，and enjoy hands-on activities．Guests will tour the tall ship Pilgrim．
Cost：$6.50 adults，$4.50 children(ages 4-12)．For more information, please visit www.ocean-institute.org or call(949) 496-2274．What do we know from the passage?
| A．A large number of scientists will attend the Festival of Whales celebration． |
| B．The Festival of Whales celebration will be held from March 5 to March 13． |
| C．The Ocean Institute will hold the City of Dana Point’s Festival of Whales． |
| D．Four ocean scientists will tell visitors some information about whales． |
What time should you attend the festival if you want to leam how to treat marine animals?
| A．At 12：30 pm on Saturday, March 5． |
| B．At 12：30 pm on Sunday, March 6． |
| C．At 12：30 pm on Saturday, March 12． |
D．At 2 pm on Sunday, March 1 3． |
If you only have time after l pm on weekends，you can listen to a lecture delivered by_________ ．
| A．Gwen Goodmanlowe | B．Mart Leslie | C．Merkens | D．Robert L.Pitman |
Which of the following things can NOT visitors do according to the passage?
| A．Have close contact with underwater whales． |
| B．Leam about new discoveries in marine animal research． |
| C．Explore some information on whales． |
| D．Tour the tall ship Pilgrim． |
If a couple and their 13-year-old child attend the event，they would need to pay_________．
| A．13 dollars | B．17.50 dollars | C．19.50 dollars | D．11 dollars |
The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m s
orry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is down.”
“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.”
“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.”
I looked down on the computer and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I asked her, “What do all your people do?”
“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.”
“So when it goes down, you go down with it.”
“That’s good, sir.”
“How long will the computer be down?” I wanted to know.
“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.”
After the girl told me they had no backup computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer. What about your planes? They’re still flying, aren’t they?”
“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.”
“Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he’s flying to Washington, ” I suggested.
“I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.”
“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?”
“I wouldn’t know, ” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. ‘It’ can’t tell me.”
By this time there were quite a few people standing in line. The word soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.The best title for the article is _______.
| A．When the Computer Is Down | B．The Most Frightening Words |
| C．The Computer of the Airport | D．Asking the Computer |
What does the underlined words“ backup computer” probably mean?
| A．A computer that will be brought back soon. |
| B．A second-hand computer that is still in use. |
| C．An advanced computer that never breaks down.. |
| D．A computer ready for use when the main one does not work. |
The last paragraph implies that _______.
| A．a modern computer won’t be down. |
| B．computers can take the place of humans |
| C．sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people |
| D．there will be great changes in computers |
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