Television will turn 86 years old on September 7, 2013, and it has never looked better. In its youth, television was a piece of furniture with a tiny, round screen showing unclear pictures of lowbudget programs. In spite of its shortcomings, it became well-received. Between 1950 and 1963, the number of American families with a television jumped from 9% to 92% of the population.
As the audience got larger, the technology got better. Television sets became more reliable through the 1960s. Both of the reception and the picture improved. The major networks started broadcasting programs in color.
Even greater improvements were coming according to Sanford Brown, who wrote an article for the Post in 1967. Surprisingly, just about every prediction he made in the article became a reality. For example: All sets in the notdistant future will be color instruments. He also predicted that TV sets would become smaller, simpler, more reliable and less expensive and may forever put the TV repairman out of work. Smaller sets do not, of course, mean smaller screens. TV engineers expect screens to get much bigger. However, today's 3D TV is even farther away, if it's coming at all. There is some doubt whether the public would be eager to pay for it, in view of people's cold reception given to 3D movies.
But the technology with the greatest potential, according to Brown, was cable television (有线电视), which was still in its early stages then. As he predicted, the future of cable television was highly interactive. It wasn't cable television that gave Americans their electronic connection to the world, however. It was the Internet. He even foresaw the future office: using picture phones, bigscreen televisions for conferences, and computers providing information, at the touch of a button.
Brown ever said, “The future of television is no longer a question of what we can invent. It's a question of what we want.”What can we infer about television sets in the 1960s?
| A．They were very popular with Americans. |
| B．Their appearance remained unchangeable. |
| C．They showed blackandwhite pictures. |
| D．Their pictures were of poor quality. |
Which of the followings did Sanford Brown fail to predict?
| A．Television's good quality. |
| B．The invention of 3D TV. |
| C．The more functions of TV. |
| D．The potential of cable TV. |
From the passage we know _________.
| A．TV will certainly take the place of computers |
| B．There won’t be further improvement on TV |
| C．TV repairmen will be out of work in the future |
| D．3D movies don’t appeal to people very much |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The shortcomings of television. |
| B．The advantages of television. |
| C．The development of television. |
| D．The invention of television. |
An epidemic (流行病) of the use of street-culture language broke out in some English exams, according to examiners.
A report said there were “a surprising number of small mistakes” in standard (标准) English. It asked teachers that they should prevent pupils from using "street language and text style", adding, “Most answers require formal expression of language.”
“Many concerns were expressed by examiners about basic errors, often appearing in the work of clearly able students,” the report continued.
It added that the use of street and text language “appeared with surprisingly regularity in the work of students who clearly desired a higher grade”.
“Most answers require formal expression but even when an informal style is appropriate--students should know the examination context and, in particular, should not use street language and text style.” it said.
There is rising concern about pupils’ writing skills, especially among boys. National test results for 11-year-old boys’ writing standards had fallen this year. Only 55 percent reached the level expected of an 1l-year-old by the time they left primary school, the results showed.
Many educationalists are now arguing that teachers should also think of ways of improving writing standards.
The report said spelling was “in general inconsistent (不一致)” and “variety of vocabulary and of sentence structure is often limited”. It went on, “Punctuation (标点符号) errors continue to be widespread.”
However, it added, “Some examiners felt that this year they had met an improvement in the whole structure of students' writing.”
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The street-culture language is being examined in English exams.
B. Street language is appearing in the standard English exams.
C. The English say no to the street-culture language in daily life.
D. What the street-culture language is in England.
The underlined word “appropriate” (in Paragraph 5) means “ _______”
A. comfortable B. possible C. acceptable D. valuable
What problems concerned examiners?
A. Small mistakes in spelling and punctuation,
B. Limited vocabulary of boy pupils.
C. Teachers teaching writing skills.
D. Poor sentence structure, and errors in spelling and standard English.
How does the author feel in writing this passage?
A. worried but positive B. worried and negative
C. concerned and sad D. warm and excited
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. In English exams, most answers require informal expression of language.
B. When an informal style is correct, the students are allowed to use it.
C. Boys' writing skills are worse than those of girls in England.
D. There is no improvement in the whole structure of students' writing.
When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really, and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term. They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with this emotion of fear, they will become less functional around you, and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot, but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation (积极性). Today’s work place is all about relationships. Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they’re recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence---knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
The underlined phrase “shooting oneself in the foot” means _____ in this passage.
A. throw or walk in a specific direction or towards a specific objective
B. to grow forth (向前) from the ground
C. to move or pass suddenly or swiftly
D. to injure or harm one's own interests
An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when ___.
A. he cannot work at his best B. he is forced to do things
C. he feels his brain shut down D. he thinks of his work as too heavy
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. People tend to associate leadership with fear.
B. Working conditions affect people’s physical health.
C. Smart people are more functional in the work place.
D. Good relationship is the key to business success.
To positively influence employees, a leader should first of all ____.
A. develop his own personality B. provide better suggestions
C. give his employees a pay raise D. hide his own emotion of fear
Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to_____.
A. provide a variety of project for employees
B. help raise employees’ living standards
C. deal wisely with employees’ emotions
D. give employees’ specific instructions（指导）
Standard English is the formal（正式的）English that you need to use when you write in coursework or in the exam. Standard English is the form of English you learn in school. All written English should be standard—that means it should be clear enough for anyone in Britain to understand it. Standard English developed as the main form of printed English in the 15th Century. At the time, every region of Britain used to spell words differently, but printers needed a fixed spelling. Printers like Caxton chose the East Midlands dialect form which was used in London and the South East. Soon Standard English replaced（取代）all written dialect forms – the other forms of English spoken around the country. It also replaced French and Latin in law and in academic（学术的） work. In the 18th Century, people wrote dictionaries and grammar books which standardized spelling — Dr Johnson’s Dictionary of 1755 fixed many of the spellings we still use today. All written English should be Standard English — any grammar rules you learn are for Standard English and you will definitely need to learn them to avoid making mistakes in your work. The rules of Standard English mean using the correct forms of words with the correct spellings.
Avoid slang words（俚语）—words that your teachers or friends wouldn’t understand. You’ll lose marks if the examiners can’t understand what you say or write. Don’t use dialect words. Every region has words or phrases that are only used there. Don’t use them in your coursework, because you won’t be understood. Make sure you revise grammar and punctuation（标点）you have learned, and learn the list of commonly misspelled words you have made. Clichés are ideas or sayings which have been used so often that they’ve become boring and unoriginal. Phrases like, “As good as it gets” “At the end of the day” “In the fullness of time” are all clichés. So are images like, “as fierce as a lion” “as cunning as a fox”. If you use them you will sound boring and unimaginative— that could mean you lose marks for writing and speaking style. So avoid clichés.
What three things do you have to think about when using English?
a. no slang word or dialect b. no grammar and spelling mistake. c. no phrase
d. no cliché e. no punctuation
A. abc. B. bcd. C. abd D.. ade.
What is standard English?
A. the English spoken by British people.
B. the English spoken by American people.
C. the English spoken by British people in 15th Century.
D. the English used in London.
What is the cliché according to the passage?
A. the English full of slang words.
B. the long phrases which are used often.
C. the boring ideas or sayings because of being used often.
D. all the English which is used outside of London and the southeast of Britain.
Why do we need to use Standard English?
A. Because no one can understand dialect words.
B. Because local dialect belongs to certain region, not every one can understand it.
C. Because there are many kinds of English in the world, we need Standard English to make communication easier.
D. Because standard English has been used for a long time.
Which statement is true?
A. All the spoken English should be Standard English.
B. Written English should be formal and standard.
C. Standard English means people should use the words from Dr Johnson’s Dictionary.
D. Standard English replaced all written dialect forms in the 18th century.
Early in the 16th century men were trying to reach Asia by traveling west from Europe. In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South America. The man who finally found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was Ferdinand Magellan (麦哲伦). Magellan sailed from Seville in August, 1519 with five ships and about 280 men. Fourteen months later, after spending the cold winter on the coast of Patagonia, he discovered the channel which is now called Magellan Strait (海峡). In November, 1520, after many months of dangers from rocks and storms, the three remaining ships entered the ocean on the other side of South America. They then continued, hoping to reach Asia. But they did not see any land until they reached the islands off the coast of Asia. Before they arrived at these islands, later known as the Philippines (菲律宾), men were dying of starvation (饥饿). While they were staying in the Philippines, Magellan was killed in battle. The remaining officers then had to get back to Spain. They decided to sail round Africa. After many difficulties, one ship with eighteen men sailed into Seville three years after leaving. They were all that remained of Magellan’s expedition. However, their achievement was great. They were the first men to sail round the world.
The purpose of Magellan’s expedition was to ________.
A. find a seaway from the Atlantic to the Pacific B. sail round the world
C. carry men to Philippines D. make a voyage to Asia
How long did Magellan and his sailors spend before they reach Magellan Strait?
A. 280 B. 1519 C. 1520 D. Fourteen months
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage concerning the expedition?
A. Cold winter in Patagonia. B. Lack of equipment.
C. The death of Magellan. D. Dangers from rocks and storms.
The number of the ships lost on the whole expedition was ________.
A. two B. three C. four D. five
The best title for this passage is ________.
A. The First Expedition to sail round the world
B. The Most Dangerous Expedition
C. The Discovery of the Philippines
D. The Discovery of Magellan’s Strait
When nature is left alone, a balance is reached among the animals and plants living in one area. But when man starts his work in nature, the balance is likely to be destroyed. He grows a crop and takes it away to eat; then there are no dead leaves to fall on the ground, holding water while it sinks into the surface, or decaying (腐烂) and adding humus (腐殖质) to the soil. Unless a farmer acts with knowledge and skill, he is therefore most likely to make the land poorer. To take the place of the useful matter in the crops that he removes, he uses some kind of fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers are of great help, but the waste products of animals and decaying remains of plants should also be put on the land. In some places, it is a habit to burn waste material lying about, but such burning destroys the useful matter in the dead plants. Although the ashes that are left are valuable when put on the land, a better practice is to bury the waste so that it decays and increases the humus in the soil.
In the past, when the world population was much lower than it is now, a man had little difficulty in ordinary times in growing the food that was needed. When a field had been used some years and had become tired, the farmer could move to another place. The tired land then slowly recovered. Gradually grasses and other plants would appear on it and its productive power would slowly return to normal through their decay. But nature, left alone, would take a long time to bring back the land to its former state; the length of time required would depend on local conditions, but it might well be ten years.
It is a bad practice to grow the same crop in a field year after year. If the crop is changed, the land will suffer less because it is treated and used in a different way. Different plants have different effects on the soil. Therefore, a change of crop will do less harm than the growing of the same crop year after year and a regular change to grass will do good to the soil. Much will therefore be gained if different crops are grown one after another, a method known as the rotation (轮作) of crops.According to the passage, the land will become poorer________.
| A．if all the dead leaves are cleared away |
| B．if the humus is increased after the harvest |
| C．if dead leaves decay in the soil by themselves |
| D．if waste plant material lying about is buried |
We can learn from the passage that the tired land has gradually recovered_______.
| A．when grasses and other plants appear again |
| B．when the treatment is given by nature alone |
| C．after new grasses and other plants have decayed again |
| D．after nature has been left alone for several months |
A modern farmer can hardly move to another place as he did before because_______.
| A．the productive power of a new field isn't higher than that of an old one |
| B．there are few free fields left for him to do farming |
| C．it takes a farmer more than ten years to start farming in a new field |
| D．there will be too many grasses in a new field to grow crops |
It is most likely that the author will go on to ______ in the paragraph following the passage above.
| A．introduce other methods of planting crops |
| B．deal with how to prevent land getting tired |
| C．start another topic of how to make use of land |
| D．explain what the rotation of crops is |
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