Digital Trend: BOOKLESS LIBRARIES
What if you could fit all of a library’s collection in the palm of your hand? That’s part of the idea behind an upcoming bookless public library in San Antonio. Called Biblio Tech, the system will lend out e-readers loaded with 10,000 titles for two-to-three –week periods. But don't bother holding on to the device longer than that because it’s programmed to go dead.
Other libraries have tried similar programs: In 2002, the Santa Rosa Branch Library in Tucson, Arizona, launched a digital-only facility, and a bookless project was proposed last year in Newport Beach, California. Those digital-only projects folded—residents wanted their paperbacks—but Stanford University maintains a successful bookless engineering library with over 65,000 titles. Officials say digital libraries are a low-cost way to educate the masses and argue their rise is inevitable.
Still, some insist print isn’t doomed. A recent Wall Street Journal article notes that e-book purchases skew（倾斜）heavily toward the sort of “light entertainment” novels you can pick up at the grocery store. A survey from the Pew Research Center shows that about 90 percent of digital readers still crack open physical books.( After all, there are only four Twilight books. How hard is it to drag those around?)From the first paragraph, we can tell _____.
| A．you can always keep all of the books in your hands, |
| B．Biblio Tech will lend readers 10,000 books temporarily. |
| C．the books will not be stored in your device forever. |
| D．the bookless public library can be found in San Antonio now. |
The following statements are true except that _____.
| A．the Santa Rosa Branch Library lend out e-readers with 10,000 books. |
| B．the physical books are still popular despite those bookless projects. |
| C．Stanford University sets a successful example of bookless engineering. |
| D．some officials agree that digital libraries are educative and unavoidable. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 2?
| A．succeeded | B．opened | C．accepted | D．failed |
Some people insist that print will not disappear because _____.
| A．e-books are mainly sort of “light entertainment” novels. |
| B．most of the digital readers prefer books about physics. |
| C．a majority of e-reader users still choose to read paperbacks. |
| D．it is easy to take 4 Twilight books everywhere. |
Indians are the world’s biggest bookworms, reading on average 10.7 hours a week, twice as long as Americans, according to a new survey.
The NOP World Culture Score Index surveyed 30,000 people in 30 countries from December 2004 to February 2005.
Analysts said self-help and desirable reading could explain India’s high figures.
Time spent on reading meant fewer hours watching TV and listening to the radio—India came fourth last in both.
The NOP survey of 30,000 consumers aged over 13 saw China and the Philippines take second and third place respectively in average hours a week spent reading books, newspapers and magazines.
Britons and Americans scored about half the Indians’ hours and Japanese and Koreans were even lower—at 4.1 and 3.1 hours respectively.
R. Sriram, chief executive officer of Crosswords Bookstores, a chain of 26 bookshops around India, says Indians are extremely entrepreneurial (有开创精神的) and reading “is a fundamental part of their being”.
“They place a great deal of emphasis on reading. That’s the reason why they do well in education at home and in universities abroad,” he said.
“People educate themselves and deal with change throughout their lives. And the way to do that is to update themselves with books.”
Mr. Sriram says social changes have also made a difference: “Earlier people could turn to their parents and grandparents for advice．Now they turn to books.”
1. According to the time spent on reading, which of the following answers is right?
A. Indians>Americans>Chinese>Koreans
B. Americans>Chinese>Philippines>Japanese
C. Chinese>Indians>Americans>Philippines
D. Indians>Chinese>Philippines>Americans
2. The sentence “India came fourth last in both.” in paragraph four means_____.
A. Indians have no time to watch TV and listen to the radio
B. Indians are busy with their work every day
C. Indians spent more time on reading so that they have fewer hours watching TV and listening to the radio
D. People in other countries spent more time watching TV and listening to the radio
3. The time that Chinese spent on reading may be______ a week.
A. 5.35 hours B. less than 10.7 hours but more than 5.35 hours
C. more than 10.7 hours D. 10.7 hours
4. The Indians do well in education and universities abroad because_____.
A. they have excellent teachers in every school
B. they have qualities that are needed to succeed
C. they put much emphasis on reading
D. they live in a developed country
5. Which of the following is not mentioned in this passage?
A. Indians live a very rich life in their homeland.
B. Indians are those who spend much time on reading or studying.
C. Indians are those who spend fewer hours watching TV and listening to the radio.
D. Now the Indians turn to books for advice.
People turn to magic chiefly as a form of insurance—that is, they use it along with actions that actually bring results. For example, hunters may use a hunting charm (咒语). But they also use their hunting skills and knowledge of animals. The charm may give hunters the extra confidence they need to hunt even more successfully than they would without it. If they shoot a lot of game (猎物), they credit the charm for their success. Many events happen naturally without magic. Crops grow without it, and sick people get well without it．But if people use magic to bring a good harvest or to cure a patient, they may believe the magic was responsible.
People also tend to forget magic’s failures and to be impressed by its surface successes. They may consider magic successful if it appears to work only 10 percent of the time. Even when magic fails, people often explain the failure without doubting the power of the magic. They may say that the magician made a mistake in reciting the spell or that another magician cast a more powerful spell against the magician.
Many anthropologists (人类学家) believe that people have faith in magic because they feel a need to believe in it. People may turn to magic to reduce their fear and uncertainty if they feel they have no control over the outcome of a situation. For example, farmers use knowledge and skill when they plant their fields. But they know that weather, insects, or diseases might ruin the crops. So farmers in some societies may also plant a charm or perform a magic rite (仪式) to ensure a good harvest．
1. From the passage, we can learn that the writer of the passage may be _______.
A. a hunter B. a farmer
C. a magician D. an anthropologist
2. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A. Magic And Hunting.
B. Magic And Farming.
C. Why Magic Works?
D. Why People Believe in Magic?
3. The underlined word “spell” (Paragraph 2) most likely means ______.
A. magic words B. magic events
C. words or expressions D. magicians
4. People believe in magic because________.
A. magic powers are greater than natural powers
B. magic can turn dreams into reality
C. they are not sure of themselves
D. magic can bring good results
5. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Even though magic fails, believers in magic will explain the reason.
B. Believers in magic usually overstate the power of magic.
C. People use magic to reduce their uncertainty and give them extra confidence.
D. Magic can solve problems people can’t deal with in a natural way.
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2.5分，满分50分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Sydney Airport International Terminal-Arrivals Area
SPECIALTY RETAIL
Newslink: Two separate Newslink stores cater to all your reading needs including newspapers, magazines and the latest bestsellers.
Downtown Duty Free: Make sure you shop at Downtown Duty Free for great savings on a range of items including perfume, alcohol, skincare and cigarettes. It's your last chance before customs
Beach Culture: A must for those into the Latest in beach clothing. Top surf, street and fashion labels including Mambo, Stussy and Quicksilver, including children's sizes.
DINING
Blue Sky Cafe: Speedy service leaves you time to keep an eye on the arrivals gate. Morning pastries, fresh juice, breakfast rolls and coffee while you wait.
McDonald’s: hamburgers, fries, drinks, muffins and shakes—all your family favorites. Breakfast served until 10: 30.
SERVICES
ATM: ATMs are conveniently located throughout Arrival and Departures. Dollars, pounds, francs and RMB are all available.
Vodafone Rentals: This communications center offers the very latest technology for mobile phone rentals, sales and servicing.
1. Where is this passage likely to appear?
A. A morning newspaper. B. A monthly magazine.
C. A geography book. D. An official guide.
2. The underlined phrase “cater to” probably means _______.
A. satisfy B. afford C. support D. help
3. If you want to have some coffee while waiting for your flight, you can go to ________.
A. Vodafone Rentals
B. Blue Sky Cafe
C. Downtown Duty Free
D. McDonald' s
4. At Beach Culture you can buy ________.
A. newspapers and magazines B. skincare and cigarettes
C. Mambo and Stussy D. fresh juice and breakfast rolls
5. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. You can have breakfast at McDonald's at 11:00 a. m.
B. You’ll save money if you buy alcohol or perfume at Downtown Duty Free.
C. You’ll not find any beach clothing for your seven-year-old boy in Beach Culture.
D. ATM service offers enough to enjoy yourself.
Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, or chemical fertilizers and that they were processed without food additives. Livestock are raised without the routine use of antibiotics（抗生素）or growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified. They may also be required to be produced using energy-saving technologies and packaged using recyclable materials when possible.
Early consumers interested in organic food would look for non-chemically treated, fresh or minimally processed food.
They mostly had to buy directly from growers: “Know your farmer, know your food” was the motto. Personal definitions of what constituted ( 组成)“organic” were developed through first-hand experience: by talking to farmers, seeing farm conditions, and farming activities. Historically, organic farms were relatively small family-run farms — which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers’ markets.
However, since the early 1990s organic food has had growth rates of around 20% a year. As of April 2008, organic food accounts for 1 - 2% of food sales worldwide. Currently organic food production is legally regulated. Many countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.
Several studies have attempted to examine and compare conventional and organic systems of farming. The general consensus（共同看法）is that, in the short term, organic farming is less damaging for the following reasons:
● Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides (合成农药) into the environment — some of which have the potential to harm soil, water and local wildlife.
● Organic farms are better than conventional farms at keeping diverse ecosystems, i.e., populations of plants and insects, as well as animals.
● Organic farms are more energy efficient and produce less waste.
Another report published in March 2008 by The Organic Center claims that organic food is on average 25% more nutritious than conventional food.
However, many critics believe that the increased land needed to farm organic food could potentially destroy the rainforests and wipe out many ecosystems. And organic products cost 10 to 40% more than similar conventionally produced products. Processed organic foods in supermarkets are 65% more expensive.
1. Early consumers knew what food was “organic” by _______.
A. firsthand experience B. the “certified organic” label tag
C. its packaging D. examining its organic certification
2. We can infer that _______.
A. in America, organic food can only be bought in small stores or farmers’ markets
B. organic food is also available in large supermarkets at present
C. organic food is produced by large-scale farms
D. organic food is often beautifully packaged
3. According to the passage, organic food is considered as _______.
A. junk food B. delicious snacks C. green food D. conventional food
4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The benefits of organic food. B. The cost of organic food.
C. The disadvantages of organic food. D. Organic food and conventional food.
5. Which of the following statements does NOT support the view that organic farming is more environment-friendly?
A. Organic food is generally thought to be more nutritious.
B. Organic farms are more energy efficient and produce less waste.
C. Organic farms are better than conventional farms at maintaining varieties of plants, insects and animals.
D. Organic farms do not release synthetic pesticides into the environment.
Bicycles are a great way to get around. They are fun to ride, especially down hills. And, as you speed along the road, you might also think of ways in which you could improve your bike – make it safer, more efficient, or more comfortable. In fact, the two-wheeled machines make for some cool science projects.
This year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held last May in Cleveland, had three bicycle projects from three countries. Like many of the other experiments presented at ISEF, the bike projects showed that some of the most interesting scientific research often begins by taking a closer look at things you care about.
Renato Angulo Chu had even grander ambitions. The 12th-grader from Lima, Peru, wanted to address some of his country’s economic troubles.
“I see a problem in my country,” Renato said, “If you go to the forests in Peru, in some places you can not find electricity. If you go with my bicycle, you can turn on the lights.”
Renato, 16, spent 3 years designing his special Multibike. The device looks like a fixed exercise bike. It has wires fixed along the frame and a blender fastened to the back. Turning the pedals operates the blender. The same principle can be used to sharpen knives or sweep city streets.
The Multibike can work either as a fixed bike or as a bicycle able to travel city streets and country road. It’s made from inexpensive materials, and the user gets exercise while pedaling to operate a machine.
“You pedal the bike, and you can mix any drink you want,” Renato said. More importantly, he added, the same concept could be used to bring light to houses in remote regions of the rainforest.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Bicycles are the best way to go about.
B. Bikes should be made more comfortable to ride
C. You can improve your bicycle for science research.
D. Many inventions are connected with the bicycle.
2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. ISEF is an exhibition displaying bicycle experiments designed by students.
B. Looking closely at things you are concerned about can lead to scientific research
C. Renato’s improvement of the bicycle has solved the country’s great problem.
D. Renato’s special bicycle will soon be put into use in remote areas.
3. The underlined word “address” in the third paragraph probably has the same meaning as _______.
A. make address written B. give up C. work at D. speak at
4. Renato’s special Multibike has all the following functions except ______.
A. making knives sharp
B. mixing any kind of drinks
C. producing electricity
D. operating a machine with its own electricity
5. It can be inferred that Renato’s special bicycle is mainly designed for ______.
A. distant areas in the rainforest without electricity
B. the use of his own family to make life easier
C. the competition of ISEF to win money to support remote rainforests
D. enough exercise by pedaling it.
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