For many businessmen online education has been a dream. Now it has come true. The investment (投资) in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them. But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers have been lifted.
That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers. It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates applying for jobs at every level.
Having the benefits of a higher qualification without going to the university campus is attractive to many students. Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work. Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life.
In addition to affordable, flexible classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions. They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason.
This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past. It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies. As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age.
Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education.
US institutions have led the way in online education provision. Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life. According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities .
| A．have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment |
| B．have begun to run an internet-based program |
| C．have had a dream of offering online education |
| D．have gained financial investment |
Why do people choose online education?
| A．They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates. |
| B．They can get qualifications from US Department of Education. |
| C．They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely. |
| D．They can invest money in different courses provided online. |
The underlined word “disruption’’ in the third paragraph probably mean .
| A．dissatisfaction | B．attention | C．attraction | D．interruption |
Which would be a good title for the passage?
| A．Adult Education Online |
| B．The Best of USA’s Online Education |
| C．Top US Universities Offering Online Education |
| D．Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education |
Seoul
A dangerous new bird flu in South Korea has spread nationwide despite efforts to make on the virus．Authorities have killed 2.8 million household chickens and ducks since the outbreak began，and the flu has also killed dozens of Baikal teal and other migratory birds．As yet，there are no reports of human infections．Scientists are puzzling over where the H5N8 flu，never before seen in a highly pathogenic（病原的）form，originated．
Portland，Oregon
A tiny chub （鲦鱼)has bounced back from near extinction(灭绝) ．The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)says populations of the Oregon chub are healthy enough to remove the 9-cm-long fish from its list of threatened and endangered wildlife．Last week’s announcement marks the first time an endangered fish has recovered enough to be delisted
After the 1940s, the chub populations dropped sharply from habitat damage by pollution and dams．When the fish was listed by FWS in 1993，only nine remained．Predation(捕食)by large-mouth bass and other non-native fishes was the largest threat to the remaining chub．
Since then, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other groups started 20 new populations of the chub in predator-free ponds Changes to dam management have lowered the threat to remaining habitat．
Mexico City 
The axolotl salamander’s only known home in the wild，the Xochimilco canals of Mexico City，has become increasingly polluted，but recent reports of the salamander’s extinction have been overstated．
Two weeks after announcing that months of searching the canals hadn’t turned up any axolotls，scientists in Mexico City have some good news：two of the unique salamanders were spotted on 4 February “There’s been an alarming reduction in population．”says Luis Zambrano, a biologist at the National University of Mexico，“but I can guarantee that is not yet extinct in the wild．”Which section of a magazine does the passage probably come from?
| A．Around the World | B．Health＆Diet |
| C．Endangered Species | D．Energy＆Environment |
which of the following titles would most probably fit the bank box?
| A．Oregon Chub Swimming off Endangered Species List |
| B．Oregon Chub Put on the Endangered Species List |
| C．Pollution and Dam Management Threatening Oregon Chub |
| D．Predator-free Ponds Set to Be Built for Oregon Chub |
we can learn from the passage that_________．
| A．the population of salamanders is on the rise |
| B．measures have been taken to preserve Oregon chub |
| C．the Xochimilco canals are the only home to the salamander |
| D．scientists are sure about what caused nationwide New Bird F1u |
It was a Saturday morning，a day I believed would end in victory．For weeks，I had been preparing for the match at the county fairgrounds，sponsored(赞助)by our local riding club．My horse，Tonka, and I could run faster than any kid in the county, and I hoped to bring home a blue ribbon．
My mother usually drove me to the riding events, but on this day, my father planned to drop us off at the fairgrounds with the horse trailer(马车) ．
Although we never discussed it, my father’s struggle with alcoholism had become the silent center of our family life．My mother was paralyzed with fear and indecision．Her salary as a part-time nurse couldn’t possibly support four children．No one talked about alcoholism in those days，and it was my family secret．
We climbed on the trailer and my father pulled out of our driveway and headed toward the fairgrounds，picking up speed once we hit the main road．It wasn’t until we felt a big bump that I realized the trailer was out of control．The dream of my riding winner disappeared．Tonka lay on the floor, completely still．No words were possible．I knew he was dead．
Suddenly a man appeared．“Are you all right?”he asked．“Yes．”I answered，although I knew that nothing was all right．“Sit here on the grass，”he said．He bent down to look into the trailer．Tonka remained still．He touched Tonka and then turned to face me．“He is going to be OK．He has just been knocked unconscious．” He rubbed Tonka’s cheeks and gently pulling his ears．Tonka rose to his feet．
Our father was talking to a police officer．He was upset and in pain and took little notice of me．I looked back；the man was gone．
I never forgot him．He gave me strength and a sense of hope in a dark and frightening moment．The writer went to the fairgrounds because he wanted to ___________．
| A．take part in a horse racing | B．buy Mum a blue ribbon |
| C．join the local riding club | D．train his horse there |
We can learn from the third paragraph that ___________．
| A．the family kept silent at home | B．the family lived a secret life |
| C．Father was addicted to alcohol | D．Mum was physically disabled |
What does “he’’ in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．Father | B．The stranger |
| C．The horse | D．The winner |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Once formed，bad habits are difficult to break |
| B．Unexpected kindness is a light that shines in the darkness |
| C．However mean your life is，meet it and live it |
| D．Family is a place of encouragement, a safe harbor in the storms |
[1]While the Internet is a great tool it also makes it easier for bullies to pick on their prey（猎物）. According to the iSafe Foundation,over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying. Here is one story on how researchers are developing software to fight cyber bullies.
[2]Jeffery Michalenka learned his black belt in karate, but despite the fact he was a trained fighter he was often picked on by bullies. "Name called, teasing, when he was younger they would call him heifer(小母牛)," said Deborah Mich~denka,Jeffery's mother.
[3]As in Jeffery's case social media enables bullies to act anonymously while spreading their hatred rapidly. That's why artificial intelligence scientists at MIT are creating a software program to detect cyber bullying.
[4]"Bullies only talk about a few topics. It's usually racial or ethnic slurs(诽谤). It's things about personal appearance,social acceptance or rejection and threats' of violence,'' said Henry Lieberman, MIT artificial intelligence scientist.
[5]The researchers say subtle bullying is often hard to detect but their software can analyze sentences and determine if they are detrimental(有害的)to each gender. On the surface the sentence "you look pretty in pink" appears friendly if it is posted on a girl's wall. But on a boy's wall a cyber bully may be trying to anger the boy.
[6]"It may save a child's life and that's really what matters," Deborah concluded.
[7]Just one more way to fight cyber bullies before another child is hurt online.
[8]The team hopes social network sites will someday use this software to help detect bullying. The researchers are already working with Formspring,a social network site like Facebook. They also want the software to provide advice to the victims on what to do if they receive mean messages.What could be the best title for the text? (no more than 5 words)
What do we know about Jeffery Michalenka from the text? (no more than 10 words)
What things do bullies usually talk about? (no more than 12 words)
What can the software mentioned in the text do? (no more than 15 words)
Why the sentence “you look pretty in pink” appears unfriendly if it’s posted on a boy’s wall? (no more than 14 words)
Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile ( 敏捷的) and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals (抗氧化化学物质) that may help stop the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea' s effect on everything from cholesterol (胆固醇) to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability", or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.
Specifically ,almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. Green tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education,lower smoking rates ,fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness. They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on. But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a tower disability risk, the re-
searchers said.
People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.
Although it' s not clear how green tea might offer a buffer (缓冲) against disabilities, lead researcher Yasutake Tomata did note that one recent study found green tea extracts (提取物) seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women.
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K,which means it could affect drugs that prevent blood clotting (凝固).What does the underlined word "peers" mean in the first paragraph ?
| A．People of the same age. |
| B．Brothers. |
| C．Fathers. |
| D．People living in the same neighborhood. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．"Functional disability" is related to problems with daily activities or basic needs. |
| B．Those who often drink green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| C．Antioxidant chemicals can lead to disease. |
| D．People who drink at least five cups a day are not likely to become functionally disabled. |
What .does the fifth paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Why green tea lovers can keep agile |
| B．How the study was proved. |
| C．What healthier diets include. |
| D．How to lower the disability risk. |
What has the researcher Yasutake Tomata discovered?
| A．Those who drank green tea can' t develop "functional disability". |
| B．Green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. |
| C．Green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women. |
| D．How green tea might offer a buffer against disabilities. |
From the passage we can infer that
| A．vitamin K is contained in caffeine |
| B．vitamin K has influence on some drugs |
| C．vitamin K is bad for our health |
| D．vitamin K is good for our blood |
A euphemism (from the Greek words eu--well and pheme--speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions. Most people, for example, would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed. They would soften the pain by saying:We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep. Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly, or cuddly rather than fat.
Euphemisms are an important part of every language, but it seems that English has an ever-growing number of them. The non-native speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears, he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation. He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom, or comfort station) is, but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog. He might have learned, for example, that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant. If, however, he says to his boss," Congratulations! I hear your wife is in the family way," he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances.
Schools are full of euphemisms. At Frankfurt International School, for example, the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Aca-demic Workshop (in the high school). Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward,and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message.According to the passage, people use euphemisms in order to .
| A．make themselves understood | B．attract attention |
| C．to sound straightforward | D．avoid embarrassment |
. A person who is described as plain and cuddly is in fact .
| A．tall and handsome | B．ugly and fat |
| C．ugly but tall | D．pretty and slim |
When an English lady says she has to see a man about a dog, she might want to .
| A．go to the toilet | B．see an ugly friend |
| C．have her old dog killed | D．see a pregnant woman |
The main purpose of Paragraph 2 is to .
| A．stress that euphemisms are an important part of every language |
| B．inform readers that English has an ever-growing number of euphemisms |
| C．warn English learners to be careful about the meaning and use of euphemisms |
| D．suggest non-native speakers use euphemisms as often as possible |
At Frankfurt International School, the students who receive lessons in Study Center .
| A．work hard at their lessons |
| B．do well in school |
| C．have poor grades in the subjects |
| D．prefer to learn more |
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