Last year, a report by a committee of education experts said that a lot of American students cannot write well. The report noted the concerns of business leaders and teachers. The experts said that more students should have to pass a writing test before they can finish high school. They pointed out that major college entrance tests are changing now to include a writing part.
Educators know that teaching students to write well is not easy. One problem is the amount of time needed to read through large amounts of work. So some companies have developed computer programs. These can grade student writing much more quickly than a person can. Writing tests can also cost less to carry out by computer than paper-and-pencil. These computer systems are known as e-readers. They use artificial (人工的) intelligence to think in a way like teachers. In the state of Indiana, computer grading of a statewide writing test began with a test of the system itself. For two years, both a computer and humans graded the student writing. Officials say there was almost no difference between the computer grades and those given by the human readers.
The entrance test commonly used by business schools, the GMAT, already uses e-readers. The GRE and TOEFL tests might start; officials are deciding. The GRE is the Graduate Record Examination. TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language.
Systems are also being used to grade writing in college classes. The computers read a few hundred examples of student writing already graded by humans. Then the systems compare new writings against those already examined.
How do teachers feel all about this? Many say machines can never do the job as well as people can. A computer can find spelling and grammar mistakes. But these teachers say it can never really understand what a writer is trying to say. Critics say a program cannot follow a thought or judge humor or understand a beautifully expressed idea.
But inventors of the programs say computer grading guarantees that each piece of writing is graded in the same way. They also say the systems are meant to judge knowledge more than creativity.What do the teachers think of the computer system?
| A．They think highly of the computer systems. |
| B．They think that computers cannot grade writing as well as people. |
| C．They believe that computers can understand a writer’s idea well |
| D．They are glad computers will spare their effort to correct students’ school work. |
From the first paragraph we can conclude that _________.
| A．American students’ writing ability is being improved |
| B．American students’ writing ability is not satisfactory |
| C．business leaders and teachers are not worried about students’ writing |
| D．all college entrance tests will include a writing part |
Which of the following is NOT the advantage of e-readers?
| A．Saving much of teachers’ time. | B．Saving a lot of money. |
C．Being fair and objective. | D．Appreciating humor and beauty |
The best title of this passage might be _________.
| A．Computer-graded Writing | B．Human-graded Writing |
| C．How to Improve Students’ Writing | D．Advantages of E-readers |
DAVID Beckham. Cristiano Ronaldo and Rnfacl Nadal while you watch sports and admin* the players’ skills, do you ever notice how handsome the players are?
Yes, sportsmen tend to be handsome. And they haven’t only attracted the interest of the audience even scientists are now studying their good looks.
In a recent study, Erik Postma, a biologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, collected the headshots（头像）of 80 professional athletes from I hr 2012 Tour He France, a bicycle race held in Franco. The race, which covers 3,200 kilometers in 23 days, is often considered to In* one of the hardest endurance（耐力）events, according to The Telegraph.
Postma then asked female participants to score the cyclists’ attractiveness.judging them only based on their facial appearances. So, if a participant recognized any of the cyclists, meaning she knew how good he was at the sport, her score wouldn’t count.
After comparing all the scores with the cyclists’ performances in the 2012 race, Postma was surprised to find that the best riders were rated on average 25 percent more attractive than the worst ones. For example, one of the cyclists, Maxime Monfort , came third in terms of attractiveness and sixth in terms of performance, reported Discovery News.
But where did women get the ability to single out a good rider by simply looking at his face?
According lo Postma, evolution (进化) seems to be the answer. In ancient times, women preferred to marry strong men because they would provide good genes for their children. A man with great endurance was also able to cover long distances to hunt for food, which would allow him to better feed the family. “That’s why endurance performance was a key evolutionary factor.” Postma told Discovery News.
As you can see, it’s not that sportsmen ate more attractive themselves, women were just born to think of them that way.
Perhaps surprisingly, when Postma did the same test with male participants, he found that men actually had a quite similar view on which riders were handsome. Even
though most men aren’t aware of it. they inherited (继承) this ability from their ancient past, when it was necessary to “spot potential competitors” , explained Postma.What did Erik Postma ask female participants to do in his study?
| A．To help collect the headshots of professional cyclists from the Tour de France. |
| B．To pick out the cyclists whom they are familiar with or appreciate most. |
| C．To rate the cyclists’ attractiveness according to facial appearance. |
| D．To predict the cyclists ’ performances based on facial appearance. |
What did Postma discover from his study?
| A．The more attractive a cyclist was, the better he performed in the race. |
| B．Generally, a cyclist’s endurance had nothing to do with his attractiveness. |
| C．Attractive cyclists proved to have less endurance than those who were less attractive. |
| D．Those who performed best in the games were considered more attractive than those who performed worst. |
What can we conclude from the last three paragraphs?
| A．Women and men hold quite different views on male attractiveness. |
| B．Men with good looks tend to lie less popular than men with great endurance. |
| C．A man with great endurance appealed to women in ancient times and this remains the same today. |
| D．Most men don* t have the same ability as women to single out a good sportsman by simply looking at his face. |
Northern Lights Tour
Located in the middle of the northern lights belt, Troms can offer some of the highest level* of northern lights activity on earth. Perhaps Tromso is the world's best place for a Northern Light? Tour.
Join one of our Northern Lights Holidays this winter. It could become one of the greatest experiences in your life.
DESTINATION Troms county. Norway.
PRICE $450 per person
WHEN 2th September until 31st March.
PICK-UP Each evening at 6PM outside your hotel.
DROP-OFF Earliest at 12AM. When we have a sighting we often stay out later, at no extra cost. t
SIZE OF GROUP Maximum 8 participants is recommended and normal, but not absolute A small group allows more freedom in terms of chasing the northern lights.
INCLUDED
-Transportation each day in a comfortable car
-A meal each day
-All necessary equipment such as snowshoes , flashlight, water-filled bottle. woolen
underwear, a warm hat, warm shoes. warm stockings, and reindeer skin In lie on. if needed.
-A guide who will do anything necessary to find the northern lights.
EXCITING CHASE
A Northern Lights Holiday means an intense and exciting chase to the coast or deep into the wild, perhaps even to the Finnish holder. Each day on a Northern Lights Tour we contact meteorologists shortly before departure to get accurate information. In order
to find out where we will have best chances to see the northern lights.
WE GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP
The northern lights are unpredictable, but we guarantee that we’will do everything to find it. Patience is a keyword on Northern Lights Tour.
ECO-TOURISM
We offer ecologically sustainable and responsible tours Travelling in small groups is an essential part of the ecotourism concept, as small groups have lesser impact on nature and will not disturb the wildlife unnecessarily.A small group is preffcrrd for the following reasons EXCEPT that .
| A．a small group is free to run after thr northern lights |
| B．a small group has less effect on cost |
| C．a small group can serve the travel < ost |
| D．a small group will not disturb wildlife |
The underlined word “it” refers to “ ”.
| A．the northern lights tour | B．patience |
| C．equipment | D．the northern lights |
We can infer that .
| A．if tourists stay out late, they have to pay more |
| B．every tourist group is not sure to see the northern lights |
| C．every tourist group get the money back if they don’t see the northern lights |
| D．the northern lights can be seen every day from 20th September to 31st Marth |
The passage is most likely to be taken from a(n) .
| A．advertisement | B．news report | C．science textbook | D．tourist brochure |
ARE you a dog person or a cat person?
With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it’s easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you?
In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling , a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted（外向的）agreeable and serious than cat people.
“Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown lull, for hours at a lime," said Modem Dog magazine.
Just on the basis of dogs' nature being more sociable than cats’, you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Cosling’s study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social altitude.
In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people.
“Conscientiousness" is a tendency In show self-discipline（自律）,to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This quality also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous （一时冲动的） behavior.
In comparison, cat people an; about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more “open” than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.
Despite vast differences, there an some things that cat people and dog people have in common. “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally optimists. ” noted Mother Nature Network.What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．Differences between dogs and cats in their personality qualities. |
| B．Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats. |
| C．How raising a pet helps shape your personality. |
| D．What your preference for dogs or cats reveals about you. |
The underlined phrase “engage in ”in the fourth paragraph probably means .
| A．get involved in | B．benefit from |
| C．take little interest in | D．perform well in |
According to the study done by Sam Costing, dog owners tend to than cat owners.
| A．be more imaginative and creative |
| B．live a more organized life |
| C．love to get close to nature more |
| D．be more easygoing and adventurous |
According to the article, both dog people and cat people .
| A．are generally self-disciplined |
| B．are usually positive and care about nature |
| C．are likely to hold unconventional beliefs |
| D．like to wear animal-print clothing; |
I IMCKKD up the phone. Without so much as a hello ,a voice said: “What’s new? We have an eagle in the backyard.
It look me three second* lo recognize my nephew’s a voice. He was excited.
“He’s sitting on top of a dead tree in the backyard .He’s been there a long lime. We’re tilling in the sunroom watching him."
But actually, my nephew is blind.
Ketinitis pigmentosa（色素性视网膜炎）brgan stealing his sight when he was 12. He’ s in his 20s now.
“It’s a big thing. Dad said it must have a wingspan of 6 feet (1.88 meters). We’ve got an eagle out hack!"
I could believe they had the rare pleasure of spotting an eagle. What I couldn’t believe was that my nephew, without sight, was giving the comment. It shouldn’t have been that surprising,really?
His sight might be gone, but he sees plenty. From memory, mostly; from conventions around him; from listening to television and radio. He has an amazing memory. We took him into town with us when we were visiting his parents once. Our GPS wasn’ t working, so he gave us directions turn by turn, complete with landmarks, approximate distances and cautions on curves（拐弯处）in the road. He knew exactly where we were and got us to where wanted to go.
Second to his family, there are two things that have been important in this young man’s life: a guide dog and a job.
The guide dog gave him the confidence he didn’t know he had.
The job, “well” as his dad said: “Having a job makes him like everybody else. Now, he has something to come home and complain about at the end of the day."
I never have a conversation with my nephew without asking about his job in case lie wants to complain. But I know-and I know that he knows work is a gift.
We were created to work. We were made to produce goods and services, to invent and solve problems. Work is what drags us out of bed in the morning.
Work gives us something to do and somewhere to go. If that doesn’t I sound like a big deal, talk to someone who’ s unemployed. It is working hard that enhances the lime that you don’t work, from kicking back and reading a book to watching an eagle in your backyard.What surprised the author when she received her nephew’s phone call?
| A．An eagle remained in her nephew’ s backyard for a long time. |
| B．The sight of an eagle made her nephew so excited. |
| C．Her nephew regained his sight after he had been blind for several years. |
| D．Despite being blind, her nephew described the eagle as if he could really see it. |
By mentioning her nephew lending her amend when site visited his parents, the author intends to .
| A．show that she got along well with her nephew and his family |
| B．fell us of her nephew’s good sense of direction |
| C．show how good a memory her nephew has |
| D．prove that her nephew had no trouble living by himself alone |
According lo the article, a job is very important lo the author's nephew mainly because .
| A．a job make* him confident and slops him from complaining |
| B．a job enables him lo feel normal |
| C．with a job he can afford to raise his guide dog |
| D．with a job he can help his parents support I he family |
What can we conclude from the lust two paragraphs?
| A．Everyone has to work, so make sure to play. |
| B．The hander you work, the more successful you w ill lie. |
| C．Work enriches our lives, so we should appreciate it. |
| D．Work is just a way for us to kill time and make a living. |
Cohn Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose.
His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was starting Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting —7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen.
I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I stared at her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, attractive smile curved her lips. “Going my way , sailor?” she murmured.
Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment."I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are． "How did John Blanchard get to know Miss Hollis Maynell?
| A．They were both interested in literature． |
| B．John knew Hollis's name from a library book． |
| C．John came across Hollis in a Florida library . |
| D．They lived in the same city． |
Hollis refused to send Blanchard a photo because .
| A．she thought true love is beyond appearance |
| B．she had never taken any photo before they knew |
| C．she was only a middle - aged woman |
| D．she wasn't confident about her appearance |
How could Blanchard recognize Hollis?
| A．She would be wearing a scarf around her neck． |
| B．She would be holding a book in her hand． |
| C．She would be standing behind a young girl． |
| D．She would be wearing a rose on her coat． |
What was the real Miss Hollis Maynell like?
| A．She was a middle - aged woman in her forties． |
| B．She was a young, pretty girl wearing a green suit． |
| C．She was a plump woman with graying hair． |
| D．She was a slightly fat girl, with blonde hair． |
When Blanchard went over to greet the woman, he was ．
| A．shocked but inspired | B．annoyed and bad - mannered |
| C．disappointed but well - behaved | D．satisfied and confident |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Love is blind | B．Don't Judge a Book by its Cover |
| C．A Test of Love | D．The Symbol of Rose |
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