The first newspaper was written by hand and put up on walls in public places. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 BC. In the 700s the world’s first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn’t have a regularly printed newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.
The first regularly published newspaper in English was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant, which came out in March 1702.
In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston .But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704, John Campbell started the Boston Newspaper, the first newspaper published daily in the American colonies（殖民地）. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers.There are now about 1, 800 daily papers in the United States.
Today, as a group, newspapers in English have the largest circulation (发行量)in the world .But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun . It sells more than eleven million copies every year.The first regularly printed European newspaper started in ________.
| A．Rome in 59 BC | B．Germany in 1609 |
| C．Amsterdam in 1620 | D．England in 1621 |
The first daily newspaper in English started in _________.
| A．1620 | B．1621 | C．1590 | D．1702 |
What does the author want to inform us?
| A．History of newspapers |
| B．History of daily newspapers |
| C．The beginning of newspapers |
| D．On reading newspapers |
The Internet is full of headlines that grab your attention with buzzwords (流行词). But often when we click through, we find the content hardly delivers and it wastes our time. We close the page, feeling we've been cheated. These types of headlines are called "click bait".
A headline on Busin,esslnsider.com reads: "This phrase will make you seem more polite". First, when you click through, you find another headline: "Four words to seem more polite." Then, on reading the article, you find it's actually an essay about sympathy. And what are the four words? They're "Wow, that sounds hard." On some video websites, you might encounter headlines such as "Here's what happens when six puppies visited a campus". Turns out it's just some uneventful dog footage (镜头).
Nowadays, with the popularity of social media, many news outlets tweet (推送) click bait links to their stories. These tweets take advantage of the curiosity gap or attempt to draw the reader into a story using a question in the headline. These click bait headlines are so annoying that someone is attempting to save people time by exposing news outlet click bait through social media. The Twitter account @SavedYouAClick, run by Jake Beckman, is one such example.
Beckman's method is to grab tweets linking to a story and retweet them with a click-saving comment. For example, CNET tweeted "So iOS 8 appears to be jailbreakable but...", with a link to its coverage of Apple's product announcements. Beckman retweeted it with this comment attached: "... it hasn't been jailbroken yet."
Since founding the account, Beckman's Twitter experiment has brought him more than 131,000 followers. Beckman said that @SavedYouAClick is "just my way of trying to help the Internet be less temble." Asked about his goal, he said, "I'd love to see publishers think about the experience of their readers first. I think there's an enormous opportunity for publishers to provide readers with informative updates that include links so you can click through and read more.The article on Businesslnsider.com turns out to be___.
| A．useful suggestions on politeness |
| B．an essay about another topic |
| C．an article hard to understand |
| D．a link to a video website |
Why are readers often cheated by tricky headlines?
| A．Social media has become more popular. |
| B．Readers have questions to be solved. |
| C．Such headlines are fairly attractive. |
| D．There're always stories behind them. |
Beckman attached his comment to CNET's tweet to ___
| A．criticize CNET |
| B．save readers' time |
| C．advertise apple's new product |
| D．tell readers something about iOS 8 |
In the last paragraph, Beckman appeals that _____
| A．publishers be more responsible for the link |
| B．readers think about their needs before reading |
| C．publishers provide more information for readers |
| D．people work together to make the Internet less temble |
When I first heard about geocaching（地理寻宝），I was skeptical. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like an interesting idea.I at least wanted to try it once.
Having familiarized myself with how the game works,I set out in search of my first cache. My trip took me through a series of lively hutong（胡同）,past a number of small temples, and right into the courtyard of a quiet youth hotel.I spent several minutes looking around, but couldn't find anything. Just before l was about to give up,I spotted a colorful object in the crack of a wall. Could it be the hidden cache?
At that moment a group of backpackers amved. According to the game's rules, people who are not in the game must not be allowed to find out about secret caches. So I pretended to make a phone call while waiting for them to leave. When the coast was clear,I grabbed the object. It was the cache! I opened it and pulled out a crumpled（皱的）sheet of paper with several names and celebratory messages written on it.I added my own and replaced the cache in its hiding place, ready for the next geocacher to find.
It may seem like a simple game, but the idea that there are caches hidden all around us is exciting. Once you're hooked, it's easy to set yourself the goal of finding every single cache in a neighborhood or even an entire city. The real treasure, however, is not the cache itself, but the places it takes you to.
Hunting for further caches has since introduced me to places which I didn't even know existed. Some are peaceful parks, while others are forgotten historical sites.A few caches have even been in places I passed regularly without giving them any thought. Now,Ifeel a much closer connection.What was the author's initial attitude to geocaching?
| A．He thought it interesting. |
| B．He wanted to try it at once. |
| C．He showed little interest in it. |
| D．He found it unsuitable for him. |
Where did the author find the cache?
| A．In a hutong. | B．In a temple. |
| C．In a well. | D．In a hotel. |
When a group of backpackers were approaching, the author____.
| A．pretended to be cleaning the yard |
| B．made a call to other geocachers |
| C．didn't allow them to come in |
| D．tried to keep the cache secret |
In what way does the author benefit from geocaching?
| A．He's more familiar with the city. |
| B．He has found much treasure. |
| C．He has made more friends. |
| D．He has mastered hunting. |
Ever since Canadian psychiatrist Michael R. Phillips, who works in China, released his report saying China’s suicide rate from 1995 to 1999 reached 0.023 percent, the country has been ranked among those with the highest suicide rates in the world. But Jing Jun, a professor of sociology in Tsinghua University, challenges that view and presents the true picture through his nationwide research.
Jing and his students took one year to set up the first national database on suicide rate to grasp the overall trend of suicides in China. They collected data from the Health Statistics Annuals of the World Health Organization (sample size 10 million), and the country’s Health Statistics Annuals (which cover 100 million people). The database covers 23 years, from 1987 to 2009. Jing calculates the suicide rate in China based on these data. Though the suicide rate was comparatively high in the early years, his study shows it has dropped in recent years, as opposed to the ascending trend in the rest of the world.
According to Jing’s calculation, China’s suicide rate had dropped to about 0.01 percent in 2004. In 2009, the figure dropped further to 0.007 percent, which is rather low compared with the global rate of 0.016 percent. Even if the “missing” suicides were added, China’s suicide rate in 2009 would still be below 0.008 percent.
Jing has found that one of the main reasons why the suicide rate has dropped was the steady and big decline in the number of suicides committed by rural women. In the early years, researchers generally agreed that the suicide rate among Chinese women was higher than among men, which is pretty rare in the rest the world. But the suicide rate among Chinese women, especially in rural areas, has declined remarkably in recent years. In fact, it is almost equal to that of Chinese men.
As a sociologist, Jing regards suicide as a social issue, and believes improvement of social policies will reduce the suicide rate even further. More people’s lives can be saved if the authorities adjust to social environment for the better, he concludes.From Jing’s search, we can see ________.
| A．China has been ranked among those with the highest suicide rates in the world |
| B．in the rest of the world suicide rate has been rising quickly in the last few years |
| C．different from Michael R. Philip’s idea, the trend of suicides in China is declining |
| D．the suicide rate among Chinese women is lower than that of men |
The data in Para. 2 is mainly to prove that ________.
| A．the result from Jing’s research is believable |
| B．Jing’s research is more complicated than Michael R. Phillip’s |
| C．Jing has made great efforts to make the research |
| D．China’s suicide rate was comparatively low all the time |
Why has the suicide rate in China dropped steadily according to Jing Jun?
| A．Because the life level of Chinese people has improved a lot. |
| B．Because China’s government has adopted measures to reduce the suicide rate. |
| C．Because the number of Chinese women who commit suicide has declined. |
| D．Because the world environment affects the suicide rate in China. |
In Jing’s opinion, what should be done to reduce the suicide?
| A．Pay more attention to rural women. |
| B．Continue to improve social environment. |
| C．Set up more mental health centers. |
| D．Make policies to prevent suicides. |
We can infer that the text is _______.
| A．a news report |
| B．a research report |
| C．a description of suicides |
| D．an introduction to a professor |
A month after Hurricane Katrina, I returned home in New Orleans. There lay my house, reduced to waist-high rains, smelly and dirty.
Before the trip, I’d had my car fixed. When the office employee of the garage was writing up the bill, she noticed my Louisiana license plate. “You from New Orleans?” she asked. I said I was, “No charge.” She said, and firmly shook her head when I reached for my wallet. The next day I went for a haircut, and the same thing happened.
As my wife was studying in Florida, we decided to move there and tried to find a rental house that we could afford while also paying off a mortgage (抵押贷款) on our ruined house. We looked at many places, but none was satisfactory. We’d begun to accept that we’d have to live in extremely reduced circumstances for a while, when I got a very curious e-mail from a James Kennedy in California. He’d read some pieces I’d written about our sufferings for Slate, the online magazine and wanted to give us (“no conditions attached”) a new house across the lake from New Orleans.
It sounded too good to be true, but I replied, thanking him for his exceptional generosity, that we had no places to go back. Then a poet at the University of Florida offered to rent his house to me while he went to England on his one-year-paid leave. The rent was rather reasonable. I mentioned the poet’s offer to James Kennedy, and the next day he sent a check covering our entire rent for eight months.
Throughout this painful experience, the kindness of strangers has done much to bring back my faith in humanity. It’s almost worth losing your worldly possessions to be reminded that people are really nice when given half a chance. The garage employee’s attitude toward the author was that of ________.
| A．unconcern | B．sympathy |
| C．doubt | D．tolerance |
What do we know about James Kennedy?
| A．He was a writer of an online magazine. |
| B．He was a poet at the University of Florida. |
| C．He learned about the author’s sufferings via e-mail. |
| D．He offered the author a new house free of charge. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．the author’s family was in financial difficulty |
| B．rents were comparatively reasonable despite the disaster |
| C．houses were difficult to find in the hurricane-stricken area |
| D．the mortgage on the ruined house was paid off by the bank |
From Paragraph 4, we can know that the author’s new house ________.
| A．was located in the University of Florida |
| B．was offered by a poet and the rent was expensive |
| C．was sponsored by James Kennedy with its 8-month rent |
| D．was well-equipped but the rent was low |
The author learned from his experience that ________.
| A．worldly possessions can be given up when necessary |
| B．generosity should be encouraged in some cases |
| C．people benefit from their sad stories |
| D．human beings are kind after all |
If boy wizard Harry Potter uses his magic to capture (迷住) the hearts of millions of teenagers, high school students Gabriella and Troy have charmed American boys and girls with their stories of campus life.
They are the leading characters in High School Musical, a series of hugely successful films in the US. The sequel (续集), High School Musical 3, came out on October 24 and has topped the American box office for two straight weeks.
The show has everything attractive to teenagers — dancing, catchy music, puppy love and good looks. The story starts when high school basketball star Troy and brainy Gabriella — two teenagers who are worlds apart — meet during the winter break. At a karaoke contest they discover their love for singing and an interest in each other. When school starts, Troy finds out that Gabriella is the new girl at his school.
Eager to find the magic they had during karaoke, Troy and Gabriella decide to audition (试镜) for the school’s upcoming musical. This angers the school’s drama queen Sharpay. However, they overcome difficulties and become the leading actors.
But the story doesn’t end there. High School Musical 2 follows their adventures over summer vacation when Sharpay tires to break up Troy and Gabriella. In the latest sequel, high-school seniors are facing the possibilities of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from high school.
Joined by the rest of their friends, Troy and Gabriella stage a musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.
“The success of the High School Musical films shows Disney’s long-term efforts to attract youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems to babyish,” wrote New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff. “For the time being, the movie has made fictional high school students as recognizable as that 79-year-old mouse.”What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Boy wizard — Harry Potter. |
| B．High school students Gabriella and Troy. |
| C．A successful show — High School Musical. |
| D．Disney’s long-term efforts. |
How many films are there in this series of films?
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
What can you learn from the words “two teenagers who are worlds apart”?
| A．They live far away from each other. |
| B．They used to know each other well. |
| C．They have a big difference between each other. |
| D．They study at different schools. |
What happens in High School Musical 2, according to the passage?
| A．Troy and Gabriella audition for a school musical. |
| B．Troy and Gabriella meet at a karaoke contest. |
| C．Troy and Gabriella graduate from high school. |
| D．Sharpay tries to break up Troy and Gabriella. |
What does New York Times reporter Dave Itzkoff mean?
| A．High School Musical is possibly more attractive to youngsters. |
| B．The high school students don’t like Mickey Mouse. |
| C．Mickey Mouse is more attractive to youngsters. |
| D．Mickey Mouse is too old to be recognized by youngsters. |
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