It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final touch on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. I wanted to save it, but my cursor(光标) had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked (用力猛拉) the battery out.
Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a crucial（紧要关头） undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. Then, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD.
I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs. But no Windows CD in there. I was forced to call the computer company's Global Support Centre. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it annoying to make small talk with someone when I don't know what continent they're standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we've been having when there was a monsoon(季风) at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point.
"My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don't have the Windows Setup CD."
"So you're having a problem with your Windows Setup CD." She has apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention.
It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper. Her only duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels.
To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows' creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don't know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn't have it. No matter how many times I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was calm and polite.
When my voice hit a certain decibel (分贝), I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician.
"You don't have the Windows Setup CD, ma'am, because you don't need it," he explained cheerfully.
"Windows came preinstalled on your computer!"
"But I do need it."
"Yes, but you don't have it." We went on like this for a while. Finally, he offered to walk me through the use of a different CD, one that would erase my entire system. "Of course, you'd lose all your e-mail, your documents, your photos." It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache. "You might be able to recover them, but it would be expensive." He sounded delighted. "And it's not covered by the warranty (产品保证书)!" The safe began to seem like a good idea, provided it was full.
I hung up the phone and drove my computer to a small, friendly repair place I'd heard about. A smart, helpful man dug out a Windows CD and told me it wouldn't be a problem. An hour later, he called to let me know it was ready. I thanked him, and we chatted about the weather, which was the same outside my window as it was outside his.Why did the author shut down her computer abruptly?
| A．She had saved what she had written. |
| B．She couldn't move the cursor. |
| C．The computer refused to work. |
| D．The computer offered to repair itself. |
Which of the following is the author's opinion about the woman at the Global Support Centre?
| A．She sounded helpful and knowledgeable. |
| B．She was there to make callers frustrated. |
| C．She was able to solve her computer problem. |
| D．She was quick to pass her along to a technician. |
According to the passage, the solution offered by the technician was_________________.
| A．effective | B．economical | C．unpractical | D．unsatisfied |
"It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache" in the last but one paragraph means that_____________________.
| A．the technician's proposal would make things even worse |
| B．the technician's proposal could eventually solve the problem |
| C．files stored on her computer were like a safe |
| D．erasing the entire system was like curing a headache |
It can be inferred from the passage that the differences between the Global Support Centre and the local repair shop lie in all the followings except ________________.
| A．efficiency | B．location | C．setup CDs | D．attitude |
Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap（水龙头）?
In America, people will include a case or two of bottled water when buying the week's groceries（日用杂货）．When they are going to a soccer game or activity, it's common for them to grab a cold bottle of water out of the fridge with them．In fact, Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world, about 29 billion bottles a year．
But all these plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuels and pollute the environment．In order to make all the 29 billion bottles, producers use 17 million barrels of crude oil, which is enough to keep a million cars going for 12 months．
So why don't people drink water straight from the tap? Some people have a strong belief that bottled water is better than water out of the tap, but that's not necessarily true．In the US, the local governments make sure water from the tap is safe．There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may go into the water．
People love the convenience of bottled water．But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a reusable steel container instead of plastic．
Some argue that plastic bottle recycling can help．Recycled bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or clothing．Unfortunately, only one in six bottles is recycled．The rest make it to landfills（垃圾填坦场） or end as trash in other places．Plastic bottles take hundreds of years for them to disintegrate．
Water is important for you, so keep drinking it．But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change．
And yes, you can make a difference．Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours．How many cars can be kept going for a year by the crude oil used to make 29 billion bottles?
| A．100． | B．I,000． | C．100,000． | D．I,000,000． |
Why do Americans prefer bottled water?
| A．Bottled water is better than water from the tap． |
| B．Bottled water is cheaper than water from the tap． |
| C．Bottled water contains beneficial chemicals in it． |
| D．Bottled water is more convenient than water from the tap． |
What does the underlined word "disintegrate" in the fifth paragraph probably mean^
| A．Be well recycled． | B．Become less poisonous． |
| C．Break into small pieces． | D．Go down below a surface． |
The author's intention of writing this passage is to recommend Americans
| A．drink more water from the tap |
| B．send plastic bottles to landfills. |
| C．use water bottles to power light bulbs |
| D．buy bottles filled with water from the tap |
When middle-aged Alex quit his job and made up his mind to become a self-employed writer, no one could tell for sure whether he would succeed or not．He found a cold storage room in a building, set up a used typewriter and settled down to work．
After a year or so, however, Alex began to doubt himself．He found it was difficult to earn his living by selling what he wrote．But Alex determined to put his dream to the test—even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadowland （虚幻世界） of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．
One day Alex got a call, "We need an assistant, and we're paying $ 6,000 a year．" $ 6,000 was real money in 1960．It would enable Alex to get a nice apartment, a used car and more．Besides, he could write in his spare time．As the dollars were dancing in Alex's head, something cleared his senses．He had dreamed of being a writer ?full time．"Thanks, but no," Alex said firmly and swiftly, "I'm going to stick it out and write．"
After Alex got off the phone, he pulled out everything he had: two cans of vegetables and 18 cents．Alex put the cans and cents into a paper bag, saying to himself," There's everything you've made of yourself so far．I'm not sure I ever felt so low．"
Finally his work was published in 1970．Instantly he had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experience．The shadows had turned into focus of attention．
Then one day, Alex found a box filled with things he had owned years before．Inside was a paper bag with two cans and 18 cents．Suddenly he pictured himself working in that cold storage room．It reminds Alex, and anyone with a dream, of the courage and persistence （坚毅） it takes to stay the course （持续到底） in the shadowland．Why did Alex give up his job?
| A．Because he didn't like the working conditions． |
| B．Because he couldn't earn enough to make a living． |
| C．Because he wanted to be a full-time writer． |
| D．Because he felt he had no potential in his job． |
What did Alex express when he answered the call?
| A．He refused the job offer． |
| B．He was willing to give them a hand． |
| C．He expected them to pay him more money． |
| D．He would write in his spare time． |
What kind of person is Alex?
| A．Determined． | B．Modest． |
| C．Shy． | D．Brave． |
Which of the following can summarize the passage best?
| A．Look before you leap． |
| B．Two heads are better, than one． |
| C．Hold on to your dream, and it will come true． |
| D．A bird in hand is worth two in the bush． |
No matter how long your life is, you will, at best, be able to read only a few books of all that have been written, and the few you do read should include the best. You can be pleased with the fact that the number of such is relatively small.
It is to be expected that the selections will change over time. Yet there is a surprising uniformity (一致性) in the lists which represent the best choices of any period. In every age, the list makers include both ancient and modern books in their selections, and they always wonder whether the moderns are up to the great books of the past.
What are the signs by which we may recognize a great book? The four I will mention may not be all there are, but they are the ones I’ve found most useful in explaining my choices over the years.
Great books are probably the most widely read. They are enduring best sellers. Gone with the Wind has had relatively few readers compared to the plays of Shakespeare or Don Quixote. It would be reasonable to estimate that Homer Iliad has been read by at least 25,000,000 people in the last 3000 years.
Great books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. Whether they are philosophy or science, or history or poetry, they treat of human, not academic problems. They are written for men, not professors. To read a textbook for advanced students, you have to read an elementary textbook first. But the great books can be considered elementary in the sense that they treat the elements of any subject matter. They are not related to one another as a series of textbooks, graded in difficulty or in the technicality of the problems with which they deal.
Great books are always contemporary, the most readable and instructive.
Great books deal with the continuously unsolved problems of human life. There are mysteries in the world that mark the limits of human knowing and thinking. Inquiry not begins with wonder, but usually ends with it also. Great minds acknowledge mysteries only honestly. Wisdom is encouraged, not destroyed, by understanding its limitations.Which is not the criterion in the following when considering a great book?
| A．Although not a best seller, it must be the most widely read． |
| B．A great book can be read without any effort． |
| C．Great books are never out of date． |
| D．Great books will not disappoint you if you try to read them well． |
According to the author, Gone with the Wind is .
| A．a best seller | B．disliked by readers who like Shakespeare |
| C．read more often than Don Quixote | D．a great book |
In the passage the underlined word “pedantic” means ．
| A．showing the feelings, esp., those of kindness, which people are supposed to have |
| B．serving as practical examples |
| C．being elementary |
| D．paying too much attention to details in books |
The best title for this passage is .
| A．Great Books in Your Life | B．Great Books in Your Specialty |
| C．How to Find a Great Book? | D．What Is a Great Book? |
Today’s teens have a knowledge of the Internet that often surpasses that of their parents. Because so many teens are Internet savvy, it is important that they also have an understanding of the dangers that exist online and how to deal with them. Watch teens share their own "Real-Life Stories" about issues affecting them on the Internet such as cyberbullying (网络欺凌), online enticement, and giving out too much personal information. 
The ad is intended for ___________.
| A．kids loving to play games online |
| B．only victims of Internet use |
| C．kids and their parents who want to learn about the safety online |
| D．pre-school students who know little about Internet |
If you visit the website, you can ________.
| A．share your friends "Real-life Stories about issues affecting them on the Internet |
| B．have an understanding of the dangers that exist online and how to deal with them |
| C．say and do terrible things to each other online |
| D．ask for help when you have difficulty with your study |
If you visit www.cybertipline.com, you can __________.
| A．contact your local law enforcement |
| B．search our knowledge base for answers to all of your questions about the online world |
| C．report any incident of Internet use |
| D．help your siblings learn how to avoid the dangers that exist on the Internet. |
Which of the following stories you can share on the Real-Life Stories?
| A．Teen murdered by man she met in chat room. |
| B．Problem of losing weight. |
| C．Left home alone. |
| D．Hurt by second hand smoke in the Internet cafe. |
For a commuter rushing to catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and leftovers (剩饭) in the microwave. What most passengers don’t realize is that their minute is already there.
Every commuter train that departs from New York City — about 900 a day — leaves a minute later than scheduled. If the timetable says 8:14, the train will actually leave at 8:15. In other words, if you think you have only a minute to get that train — well, relax. You have two.
The courtesy (礼貌) minute, in place for decades and published only in private timetables for employees, is meant as a grace period（宽限期）for those who need the extra time to get off the platform and onto the train.
“If everyone knows they get an extra minute, they’re going to waste time doing unimportant things,” explained Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North Railroad. Told of this article, Ms. Anders laughed. “Don’t blow our cover!” she said.
Entirely hidden from the riding public, the secret minute is an odd departure from the railroad culture of down-to-the-second accuracy. The railroad industry helped invent the concept of standard time, and time zones were established in the United States in the 1880s, 35 years before they were written into law. And most commuters know their train by the precise minute it departs. The trains quickly make up the minute: at all other stops, the public timetable prevails. The phantom minute does not exist at commuter railroads in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. But in New York, the secret minute dates back decades.
“That’s been done forever, from my knowledge,” said Jack Swanberg, 70, an unofficial historian of Metro-North. “I was the trainmaster starting in 1970 and I’m sure it’s been the case since 1870 for all I know.”The courtesy minute was hidden from the public to _____.
| A．prevent the passengers’ idleness | B．help invent the concept of standard time |
| C．show the railroad company’s consideration | D．follow the ancient tradition of New York City |
The underlined part “Don’t blow our cover” in Para. 4 probably means “_____”.
| A．Don’t publish the timetable | B．Don’t blame commuter trains |
| C．Don’t make it known by the public | D．Don’t forget our chances of catching trains |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．The courtesy minute exists in many cities in the US. |
| B．One minute means a lot for most of the commuters. |
| C．The courtesy minute has been in place for about ten years. |
| D．Most railroad staff in New York have no idea of the courtesy minute. |
The passage mainly talks about _____.
| A．the railroads in the US | B．the secret New York minute |
| C．the mistake of the railroad industry | D．the history of New York commuter trains |
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