I’m not so sure I like my friends any more. I used to like them-to be honest. We’d have lunch, talk on the phone or exchange emails, and they all seemed normal enough. But then came Face Book, and I was introduced to a sad fact: many of my friends have dark sides that they had kept from me.
Today my friends show off the more unpleasant aspects of their personalities via FaceBook. No longer hidden, they’re thrown in my face like TV commercials -unavoidable and endless advertisements for the worst of their personalities.
Take Fred. If you were to have lunch with him, you’d find him warm, and self-effacing（谦逊的）.Read his FaceBook and you’ll realize he’s an unbearable, food-obsessed boring man. He’d pause to have a cup of coffee on his way to save a drowning man-and then write about it.
Take Andy. You won’t find a smarter CEO anywhere, but now he’s a CEO without a company to run. So he plays Mafia Wars on FaceBook. He’s doing well-level 731. Thanks to FaceBook, I know he’s playing about 18 hours a day. Andy, you’ve run four companies-and this is how you spend your downtime? What happned to golf?What happened to getting another job?
Take Liz. She is positive that the flu vaccine will kill us all and that we should avoid it. And then comes Chris who likes to post at least 20 times a day on every website he can find, so I get to read his thoughts twice, once on FaceBook and once on Twitter.
In real life, I don’t see these sides of people. Face to face, my friends show me their best. They’re nice, smart people. But face to FaceBook, my friends is like a blind date which goes horribly wrong.
I’m left with a dilemma. Who is my real friend?Is it the Liz I have lunch with or the anti-vaccine madman on FaceBook? Is it the Fred I can grab a sandwich with or the Fred who weeps if he’s at a party and the wine isn’t up to his standard? Who is opposed to the flu vaccine in the text?
| A．Fred | B．Andy | C．Liz | D．Chris |
What’s Andy probably busy in doing now?
| A．He’s running his company |
| B．He’s playing golf all day |
| C．He’s looking for another job |
| D．He’s playing computer games |
According to the text, FaceBook tends to _______.
| A．present another side of people |
| B．offer some foods for free |
| C．show endless advertisements |
| D．get you to more parties |
The text is developed mainly by _____.
| A．giving examples | B．following the time order |
| C．listing figures | D．raising questions |
Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?
| A．The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
| B．The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
| C．The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
| D．The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
according to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
| A．how much money they can earn from their products |
| B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
| C．what livestock to raise |
| D．when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
| B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
according to the engineers, _______will be done by robots in the near future.
| A．all farm work | B．milking cows |
| C．most of the farm work | D．some farm work |
What is the best title for the whole passage?
| A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend | B．Farmers in The Future |
| C．The Agricultural Revolution | D．Computers and Robots |
I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”
“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”
“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the
teacher thought .
| A．he didn’t do a good job in his studies |
| B．he described an unrealistic goal in his paper |
| C．he came from an itinerant horse trainer’s family |
| D．he wrote his paper without the help of his father |
Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?
| A．Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream. |
| B．Because his father stopped him from rewriting it. |
| C．Because he was angry about his teacher’s words. |
| D．Because he had put too much of his heart into it. |
From the story we can infer that the boy was actually .
| A．Monty himself | B．the author himself |
| C．Monty’s friend | D．an unknown person |
According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT
that .
| A．the boy was very interested in having a horse ranch of his own |
| B．the boy might have got a higher grade if he’d rewritten his paper |
| C．the boy succeeded in turning his dream into reality in the end |
| D．the boy wouldn’t have reached his goal without his father’s support |
The author wrote this passage mainly to
| A．tell people how to describe their goals |
| B．warn people against dream stealers |
| C．encourage people to stick to their dreams |
| D．teach people how to write their papers |
Mars Was Not Always Bitterly Cold
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today. The Caltech scientists say they have directly established the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented.
The Caltech scientists say carbonate（碳酸盐） minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite（陨石） that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.
Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius.
The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have confirmed the information.
Caltech Geology Professor John Eiler was another writer of the report. He says knowing the temperature of Mars from long ago provides valuable information. It shows that early in the planet's history, at least part of Mars could support a climate like that of Earth.
The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home." The underlined word “establish” in Paragraph 1 probably means “___________”.
| A．to set up |
| B．to make people accept a belief |
| C．to discover or prove |
| D．to start having a relationship with others |
How did the scientists reach the finding?
| A．By studying Allan Hills meteorite. |
| B．By using spacecraft orbiting Mars. |
| C．By studying minerals gathered on Mars |
| D．By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface. |
According to the fourth paragraph, what have spacecraft orbiting Mars done?
| A．Measuring the temperature of Mars. |
| B．Taking photos of the surface of Mars. |
| C．Confirming that there is water flowing on Mars. |
| D．Finding where human beings will probably land on Mars. |
How did Allan Hills meteorite get its name?
| A．From its original place on Mars. |
| B．From where it was found on the earth. |
| C．From the name of the scientist who found it. |
| D．From the name of the aircraft that discovered it |
Where can we most probably read this passage?
| A．In a biography of scientists. |
| B．In a geography magazine. |
| C．In an environment report. |
| D．In a science report. |
Arthur Miller (1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream.” |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed |
The play Death of a Salesman________.
| A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
| B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
| C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
| D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman________.
| A．achieved huge success |
| B．won the first Tony Award |
| C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
| D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Arthur Miller and his family. |
| B．The awards Arthur Miller won. |
| C．The hardship Arthur Miller experienced. |
| D．Arthur Miller and his best known play. |
As you grow older, you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions—like whether to cut class or try cigarettes. Making decisions on your own is hard enough, but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder. People who are your age, like your classmates, are called peers(同龄人). When they try to influence how you act, to get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone’s reading it. These are examples of how peers positively influence each other.
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball.
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do.
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely.” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this. If you choose friends who don’t cut class, smoke cigarettes, or lie to their parents, then you probably won’t do these things either, even if other kids do.
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle, talk to someone you trust. Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two.What is the topic of the passage?
| A．Friendship. | B．Self-confidence | C．Peer pressure | D．Making decisions |
In the last three paragraphs, the author mainly_____.
| A．explains why friendship is so important |
| B．discusses how peers influence us |
| C．shows how to make more good friends |
| D．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure |
Which of following may help handle peer pressure?
| A．Spending more time with classmates. | B．Choosing friends with no bad habits. |
| C．Taking up more relaxing hobbies. | D．Helping others who are in trouble. |
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