Recently,university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged.It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban by unplugging all forms of media devices for 24 hours.
Unplugged is being run by Dr Roman Gerodimos，a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University.During the experiment，Dr Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers.He said：“They’re reporting withdrawal symptoms，overeating，feeling nervous，isolated and disconnected.”
During their 24-hour test，three of the experiment’s participants were followed around by a BBC reporter plus cameraman.They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline，but of course，they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops.
Elliot Day wrote：“Today,my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air.Despite being aware of the social importance of the media,I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers.”
From Caroline Scott，we read：“I didn’t expect it，but being deprived of the media for 24 hours resulted in my day-to-day activities becoming so much harder to carry out than usual…I didn’t break out in a cold sweat like our lecturer expected us all to，but It’s not something l would like to do again！”
And Charlotte Gay wrote：“I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been my mobile；not only is it a social device，it’s my main access point of communication.”
Earlier in the year,a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media,often plugged into several things at once.So,with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate,how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?What can we learn about the volunteers?
| A．Volunteers didn’t write down about their day offline. |
| B．Volunteers weren’t allowed to use any media for 24 hours. |
| C．Volunteers were followed around by Dr Roman Gerodimos. |
| D．Only volunteers in the UK took part in Unplugged experiment. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the participants’feelings？
| A．Anxious. | B．Lonely | C．Bored. | D．Despaired. |
Which of the following is true of Caroline Scott？
| A．The media ban affected his temperature. |
| B．His work went on smoothly without the media. |
| C．His work was carried on hard without the media. |
| D．His life was empty without the radio or newspapers. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．People should use the media devices reasonably. |
| B．People can easily survive the media devices addict. |
| C．People can spend more time sleeping in the future. |
| D．People spend about half the time using the media devices. |
The text is most probably a .
| A．newspaper ad | B．book review |
| C．news report | D．science fiction story |
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The streams were long gone back into the earth. If we didn't see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort... trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful long step toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save a life. As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride.Why did the author follow her son?
| A．Because there might be danger. |
| B．Because her son was doing a good deed. |
| C．Because she intended to help. |
| D．Because she was curious. |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
| A．Rain was in great need. |
| B．Billy carried water with his small hands. |
| C．There were few trees in the woods. |
| D．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
①The author was moved to tears.
②Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③Billy walked towards the large deer.
④It began to rain.
⑤The author followed Billy into the woods.
| A．③②⑤①④ | B．⑤③②①④ |
| C．④①③②⑤ | D．⑤②①③④ |
At the end of the story, the author might experience different feelings Except that _____
| A．Billy was a pride. |
| B．God was touched by Billy's activity. |
| C．the rain should have dropped earlier. |
| D．it was worthwhile to have given birth to Billy. |
Reading is a great way to improve your English. You'll learn new words, revise previously-taught structures and absorb thousands of useful expressions and phrases... without any effort. By reading, you are receiving valuable language input. And this is how you learn! Remember, language learning is a combination of input + practice. As you're reading, you're taking in language naturally, and you're seeing how it all fits together. This is crucial to your learning.
The great thing about reading is that learning takes place subconsciously. There are no exercises to do, no grammar rules to learn, no tasks to complete... it's all natural. The language flows in through your eyes, and gets recorded in your brain. What could be easier?
The key to effective reading is to read things that you want to read. There are millions of books, magazines and websites out there. You couldn't possibly read them all. So, the important thing is to find things that you like reading. Then, you'll be motivated to read. And then the reading won't be difficult. It'll be easy! And then you'll learn. It's simple.
Remember: read what you want to read. What you like reading. What motivates and inspires you. But where can you start? Well, you could read a book that you've already read in your own language. Simply find a translated version of a book that you have read and enjoyed. This will make processing the content in the target language much easier as you’ll already know what the book is about! You could also read the news. This is great as you can read the news in your own language first, then in English. You'll see that it won't be too difficult as you'll be familiar with the topics and stories. Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you're interested in: business, clothing, guns, horses, houses, housekeeping, stocks and shares, sports, computers, electronics, designing, cooking... you name it, they'll have it. If not, look for information on the internet. There are also websites for every topic under the sun! Why not join a forum? They're a great source of English input as the language is often written in a simple, spoken style. Go to Google Groups, which has discussion groups based on common interests. Just type in the topic that interests you and join the chat.
Finally, how you read is also important. The best thing is to read without using a dictionary. Let the words flow over you. Just skip the parts you don't understand. If you make your reading feel too much like work, it'll stop being fun. Of course, you could make a note of any new words and phrases that you like or see repeated frequently, but try not to break your concentration too much. Also, set yourself mini-objectives. For example, if you're reading a novel, read 20 pages a day. Very soon, you'll have been exposed to thousands of useful phrases and words. Have fun reading! You'll learn so much!The underlined word “crucial” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．easy | B．important | C．difficult | D．suitable |
The key to effective reading is _______.
| A．to read millions of books | B．not to learn grammar rules |
| C．to be motivated to read | D．to read easy things |
You can start to read by ____.
| A．reading a book that you've already read in English |
| B．reading the news in English first |
| C．going to Google Groups to practice spoken English |
| D．reading magazines containing topics you are interested in |
From the passage we can learn that ______.
| A．when you read you needn’t look up every new word in the dictionary |
| B．the great thing about reading is that you can read without any effort |
| C．to read is as much fun as to work |
| D．you should make notes of every new word and phrase while reading |
Dear John,
My name is Amber and I want to share my story with you because what you've shared about life and positive energy has changed my life. This past year has been one of the hardest for me. I felt I was stuck in a position that had nothing to do with what I wanted to do with my life. In January, after two years of being together, my boyfriend left me.
I read your blog every morning as I drink my coffee at work, but it wasn't until this March that I told myself "no more negativity" as you taught readers in your blog.
Since then I've got into new habits at work to keep my energy positive. When people walk in the front door, I'm the first face they see, so I smile big when I say "good morning" to them, especially on Mondays. Instead of waiting for someone to ask me for help, I offer it with an open mind. The CEO noticed my change and offered me the executive assistant position that I wanted.
One of the biggest things I've taken to heart from your blog is changing my opinions on my job. Yes, it was not an important position, but when I was passionate （热情的） about it, I could make my life fulfilling.
All in all, I have to thank you somehow for having the passion to help others because it truly is inspiring to me. So thank you so much, John. My life has changed because your words pointed me in the right direction, Take care!
Sincerely ,
AmberAmber wrote the letter mainly to______
| A．introduce herself to John | B．talk about her bad year |
| C．ask for some advice | D．express her thanks |
We can infer from the passage that Amber______
| A．didn't like her boyfriend |
| B．spent a lot of time online |
| C．wasn't satisfied with her job |
| D．received very good education |
What is implied about John in the letter?
| A．He is a very famous writer. |
| B．He used to live a very negative life. |
| C．He doesn't like sharing his life stories. |
| D．He likes helping others through writing positive blogs. |
What does Amber's change tell us?
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Bad luck doesn't exist long. |
| C．A positive attitude is rewarding. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
Founded in 1764 by French traders, St. Louis today is the fifteenth largest urban area in the United States. There are many attractive destinations for tourists.
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
Dog lovers who visit St. Louis won’t want to miss this 14,000-square-foot museum. Inside are over 500 paintings, prints, watercolors, and a variety of other dog art objects.
The Museum is open year round, Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission is ＄1 for children up to 13, ＄2.50 for senior citizens, and ＄5 for others.
Anheuser Busch Brewery
The Anheuser Buxch Brewery tour is not just for beer lovers. The tour includes the historic Brew House. Then the tour continues to the modern Bevo Packaging Plant. The best will be the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. The tours are always free.
Gateway Arch
Designed by Eero Sarinen and Hannskari Bandel, it took over two years and 900 tons of stainless steel to build. It is the tallest of the country’s National Monuments. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. About one milion people per year come to the top of the Arch, where there is an observation platform providing a great view of the city.
St. Louis Zoo
First version of the St. Louis Zoo opened in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair, but in the century since it has grown into one of the foremost zoos in the world. The Zooline Raiload passenger train takes visitors around the Zoo, which contains over 9,000 animals of over 800 species.
The Zoo is open every day but Christmas and New Year, with summer hours of 8 AM to 7 PM, and hours the rest of the year of 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission to the Zoo is free.If a senior high school student plans to visit American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog with his parents and his five-year-old brother, he has to pay ______.
| A．＄8.5 | B．＄12 | C．＄13.5 | D．＄16 |
Which of the following statements about Gateway Arch is TRUE?
| A．It was built in three years. |
| B．You can see the city clearly on the top of the Arch. |
| C．It is the largest of the country’s National Monuments. |
| D．President Jefferson was buried there. |
If you plan to visit St. Louis Zoo, you can go there ______.
| A．at 8:30 am in summer | B．at 5:30 pm in autumn |
| C．on Christmas | D．on New Year |
“Is there anything else you need, honey?” my dad asked me as he put three twenty dollar bills in my hand. I was traveling back home from a family visit, and after treating me to breakfast and filling my car with gas, it was obvious that my dad wanted to make sure that I would be okay on the road.
“No, Dad. You've done so much already. Thank you！” I was overwhelmed once again by his kind acts of providing everything I needed, although I turned 40. Yet I realize that in my father's eyes, I will always be his little girl. He takes deep pleasure in knowing his children are all right. Now that he has enough money, he loves to give whenever he sees a need.
But this was not always the case. Divorced from my mother when I was 11, my dad couldn't be around his kids as often as he would have liked. Money was also tight; even weekend visits were rare. However, my dad stayed in constant communication with us and made sure he was involved in our lives. Though he couldn't always be there in person, I knew he was only a phone call away. I could always make sure of that.
Even now, almost 30 years later, I treasure knowing that I can pick up the phone and call Dad, and he'll be there for me. I have a wonderful husband, but that hasn't changed how Dad sees me. I'm still his child and he loves to see that my needs are met.
I remember a time when I was shopping in a hardware store (五金店) with Dad. I mentioned my plans to paint one wall in my house. Well, that's all it took for Dad to take action. By the time I got to the checkout(结账) line, all the supplies I picked out were put out of my hands and placed with things he bought.
Then there was the time when I took him with me to do some grocery shopping for just a few “ items”. By the time we were finished, my shopping cart was full of groceries from every shelf in the store! My sister and I joke that if you don't want Dad to buy it for you, avoid even mentioning you want something.
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Father's generosity | B．Father's considerate love |
| C．The love for children | D．Love's power |
The author demonstrates her father's love for her mainly by______.
| A．suggestion | B．reasoning |
| C．examples | D．argument |
Which of the following is not TRUE?
| A．After the author got married, her father no longer get himself involved in her life. |
| B．Now the father's economic condition is satisfying. |
| C．The author's father was divorced when she was 11. |
| D．The father has a great sense of responsibility. |
The authors' two shopping experiences with father show______.
| A．father paid little attention to money |
| B．father was quick in action |
| C．father loved going shopping very much |
| D．father paid great attention to his children's needs |
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