“Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”···Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758—1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists（语言学家） celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War(1775—1783), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions（版本）. He dropped the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions. In defining（定义） preposterous, he wrote: “A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous.”
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
“He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography（传记） about Webster. “He at last bonded（联合） us through our language.” According to the passage, when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT______.
| A．dropping “u” in all the British words |
| B．changing “centre” into “center” |
| C．adding local words |
| D．expressing his opinion. |
When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?
| A．In 1758 | B．In 1783 | C．In 1800 | D．In 1828 |
Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?
| A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy. |
| B．Because he wanted American English to have it own characteristics（特征）. |
| C．Because he wanted to make American English the best in the world. |
| D．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK. |
Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?
| A．Interesting | B．Boring | C．Unfinished | D．Meaningful |
Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．Webster |
| B．American identity |
| C．The shaper of American English |
| D．Spelling difference between American and British English. |
Cell phones with cameras are really a popular way to capture a moment in time, but some “clever” students found another use—capturing tests as a way to cheat.
The Magnolia Independent School District in Montgomery County has added camera phones to a list of electronic devices students are banned from having at school.
School officials said the move was made as a preventative measure to stop potential test cheaters, since students could use the phones to snap pictures of test questions. Another concern was that students might take inappropriate pictures of classmates to later share or post on a Website. Cell phones without cameras are allowed on campus, but must be turned off. Camera cell phones will be confiscated if found on campus, and disciplinary action will be taken, officials said.
Some students were disheartened to hear about the ban. “I’d be lost without my phone,” said Kendall Paul, a Magnolia High School student. “All my numbers are in it. I’ve never used it to cheat and I don’t know anyone who has at our school, so I think it’s kind of stupid.” But other students said they saw it all the time at their school.
“You would take a picture of the test and then send it to the next person taking the test,” said Melissa Sparks, a student.
“They would send the question and the answer, or just the number of the question and the answer. It’s quicker that way,” another student said.
Parents often provide their children with cell phones for use in emergencies and to keep better track of them. “My Mon wants me to have my phone with me at all times for emergence purpose. So, it goes with me wherever I go,” Paul said.According to this passage, which of the following statement is true?
| A．Cell phone can’t be taken into the School District. |
| B．The students’ parents are in favor of the ban. |
| C．Students have different opinions about the ban. |
| D．Students can use cell phones without camera freely at school. |
The writer would agree that____.
| A．every coin has two sides |
| B．the School District’s ban is right |
| C．parents care about their children too much |
| D．schools should not invade students’ rights |
The underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to the fact that ____.
| A．some students cheat in exams |
| B．the School District’s ban is stupid |
| C．some students get lost without their camera cell phones |
| D．some students cheat in exams with camera cell phones. |
Crime is a serious problem in Britain. One sort of crime which particularly worries people is juvenile crime—that is, crimes committed by young people. For some years, juvenile crime has been increasing. There are two main sorts of juvenile crime：stealing and violence. Most people do not understand why young people commit these crimes. There are, I think, a large number of different reasons.
These crimes are not usually committed by people who are poor or in need. Young people often dislike and hate the adult world. They will do things to show that they are rebels. Also in Britain today it is easier for young people to commit crimes because they have more freedom to go where they like and more money to do what they like.
There are two other possible causes which are worth mentioning. More and more people in Britain live in large towns. In a large town no one knows who anyone else is or where they live. But in the village I come from crimes are rare because everyone knows everybody else.
Although it is difficult to explain, I think the last cause is very important. Perhaps there is something wrong with our society which encourages violence and crime. It is a fact that all the crime children are exposed to films and reports about crime and violence. Many people don’t agree that this influences young people, but I think that young people are very much influenced by the society they grow up in. I feel that the fault may be as much with our whole society as with these young people.
How many causes of juvenile crime are mentioned in the text?
| A．two. | B．three | C．four | D．five |
According to the passage which young group from Britain is least likely to commit crimes?
| A．adults in big cities |
| B．adults who are in great need of help |
| C．young people in big cities |
| D．young people in the countryside |
In the last paragraph, the underlined part “our society which encourages violence and crime” means ___.
| A．people don’t care much about violence and crime |
| B．the people who commit crimes are not punished severely |
| C．some criminals escaped being punished |
| D．social environment has a bad effect on young people |
What’s the main meaning of this passage?
| A．Different kinds of juvenile crime. |
| B．The causes of juvenile crime. |
| C．Increasing crime rate in Britain |
| D．Stealing and violence in Brotain |
Everybody has to buy or sell things sometimes. Even students who are usually not very rich, have to learn something about making purchases intelligently. As a student, you may find, for example, that you need to a walkman or winter clothing. You may want to buy a television or a used car. Of course, you want to get good value for your money. If you are considering a major purchase, or any purchase you should remember several important things.
※Study first, and then decide what to buy. You can learn a lot just by reading books and advertisements.
Remember that a high quality product will probably last longer and work better. Of course, for a superior product you are expected to pay more. An inferior product may not give you the same quality, but the price could be low. A poor quality product could be expensive and a valuable one could be on sale at a greatly reduced price.
※Don’t worry. Take your time. After you decide what product you want to buy, go to many different stores. If you cannot find the product you want, you try to order it directly from the factory or ask the store to order it for you.
Look for a good deal. If you wait, you may probably find that your product will go on sale and you may be able to save 10,20, or even 50 percent of the original price.
Finally, before you buy, make sure that that product is guaranteed. If you find the lowest possible price, you will generally be happy with your purchase and also keep more money in the bank.Which of the following should you care more while shopping?
| A．The price of the product | B．The information of the product |
| C．The size of the product | D．The quality of the product |
According to the writer, waiting before shopping probably means_____.
| A．saving money | B．wasting money |
| C．losing the product | D．wasting time |
If you want to have a good purchase, you should do all the following except ____
| A．getting enough information about the product |
| B．taking your friend’s advice |
| C．making sure about the guarantee of the product |
| D．waiting until the proper time |
The main purpose of the passage is to tell us that ____.
| A．how to find the product you want |
| B．how to have a good purchase |
| C．how to save money |
| D．how to buy product with high quality. |
The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems—how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.The passage mainly deals with________.
| A．the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer |
| B．the relationship between genius and success |
| C．the decisive factor in making a genius |
| D．the way of gaining some sense of distinction |
By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could________.
| A．come to understand the inner structure of writing |
| B．join a fascinating circle of writers someday |
| C．share with a novelist her likes and dislikes |
| D．learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security |
In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.
| A．her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success. |
| B．her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance |
| C．she acquires the magic of some great achievement |
| D．she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success |
| B．A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing. |
| C．As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his|her effort. |
| D．What really matters is what you do rather then who you are. |
“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version（版本）of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it.” One customer sent a message saying,’ You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs .Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year form homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer. The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind “can be understood as “_______”
| A．to give the thief an alert mind |
| B．to express the owners’ anger to the thief |
| C．to remind the thief of this conscience |
| D．to make the thief give up his mind |
Different from other security software, Retriever can_______.
| A．record the stealing process | B．help recognize the lost laptop |
| C．lock down the computer remotely | D．send a spoken message |
One function of the program is that it allows the owner to _______ at a distance.
| A．change some access details for switching on the laptop |
| B．turn on the laptop by using the original password |
| C．operate the laptop by means of and alternative password |
| D．erase the information kept in the stolen laptop |
Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
| A．With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year. |
| B．A new soft ware provides a means to reduce laptop theft. |
| C．Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers. |
| D．A new program offers a communication platform with the thief. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号