My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in: Someone will give you an electronic PIN to wear. The PIN tells the house who you are and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights near you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you, too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it for you. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to want something. There is a home control console (控制台) which is a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you the key to my car, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the key. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that in ten years from now, most new houses will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've got.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others'. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, ”How did I live without them?”The writer’s house is made of the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．bamboo | B．wood | C．glass | D．software |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
| A．An IT expert. | B．A famous doctor. |
| C．A sportsman. | D．An experienced teacher. |
The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because______________.
| A．it has your favorite music following you |
| B．you can make a telephone call anywhere |
| C．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
| D．it is controlled by computers |
What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．How to develop a new system. | B．The function of the PIN. |
| C．How great the computers are. | D．Easy life in the future. |
The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a script from a doomsday movie, which has aroused more experts' concern about this serious problem.
Many climatologists and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a concerted global effort to rein in greenhouse gas emission 排放).
In the decades to come, Asia --- home to more than half the world's 6.3 billion people – will lurch (突然倾斜) from one climate extreme to another, with poor farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels.
"It's not a pretty picture:' said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam. Global warming and changes to weather patterns are already occurring and there is enough excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come.
Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come, Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration (移民)and widespread humanitarian crises.
According to predictions, glaciers will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to be abandoned or build sea defenses, storms will become more violent and insect and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms.
All this comes on top of rising populations and increasing demand for food, water and other resources. Experts say environmental degradation(退化)such as deforestation and pollution will likely increase the influences of climate change.
In what could be a foretaste of the future, Japan was hit by a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms in this year, while two-thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill. The year before, a winter cold snap and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India.
In the passage, the author indicates that the weather predictions for Asia are _ _
| A．frightening | B．exciting |
| C．surprising | D．satisfying |
Which of the following is NOT included in the weather prediction?
| A．Some Pacific islands will have to build sea defenses. |
| B．Storms will become stronger. |
| C．The diseases spread by water will move into new areas. |
| D．Two-third of Bangladesh will be flooded. |
The passage is intended to_ _ .
| A．tell people not to believe in the weather prediction for Asia |
| B．inform people of natural disasters that happened in Asia |
| C．increase people's awareness of the severe consequence of gas emissions |
| D．introduce a movie to environmental experts |
The passage is probably taken from__ _ .
| A．a newspaper | B．a trade journal |
| C．a biology book | D．a fashion magazine |
◆Walking tall, and safely
Some women simply refuse to give up high heels, despite slush ( 雪泥) , ice and snow. Now there's Winter Trax for them, designed to fit over high-heel boots and make their walk on the wild side a little more safe. Metal coils (圈 ) wrap around rubber at the front end of the shoe, with the heel end open.
◆Snow skirt steps up into fashion
Down with snow pants. Up with snow skirts! Montreal's Fantasy Wolrd Heroes has created these skirts to layer over minis and jeans as the snow season sets in. In a range of colors and available in wool, lends and quiltings, they come in four sizes and adjustable.
◆
Doc Martens, those army-inspired leather boots, are back. They were last popular when Kurt Cobain was all the rage(风靡一时 ). So far, just a few teens and fashion people have been spotted wearing the slight fat boots, but they have already appeared on stylish models like Irina Lazareanu and Agyness Deyn.
Neon stores sold Doc Martens 15 years ago and its owner Irving Tajfel wasn't sure at first if he was ready to relive the trend.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Doc Martens at a fashion fair in Barcelona last year. Then I saw all the cool fashion kids wearing them in Paris. That got me thinking that it was about time Doc Martens came back in style here." Tajfel said.
We can know from the passage that WinterTrax .
| A．makes women like Doc Martens more |
| B．protects the back end of high-heel boots |
| C．makes women enjoy high-heel:boots in winter |
| D．protects women from being robbed |
When in Barcelona last year, Irving Tajfel probably_ .
| A．wore a pair of Doc Martens |
| B．found Doc Martens was put on show |
| C．placed an order for Doc Martens |
| D．saw fashion kids wearing Doc Martens |
Which of the following can be used to fill in the blank?
| A．Leather boots are popular again |
| B．Kurt Cobain and its music |
| C．How to choose high-quality boots |
| D．Doc Martens make a brave return |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．High-heel boots. | B．Seasons. |
| C．Clothes fashion. | D．Weather. |
If you are trying to achieve big goals in your life and work, the chances are that, from time to time, you hit rock bottom. Nothing works, nothing goes right, and nothing succeeds. At times like these, you may feel like throwing in the towel. But before you do, read the following story. It might just change your mind.
One day, a small business owner decided he'd had enough. Enough of the endless work, enough of the lack of response, enough of the disturbing loneliness.
He went into the woods to have one last talk to the wise man. "Mr. wise man," he said. "Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't give up?"
The answer took him by surprise. "Look around you," the wise man said. "Do you see the fern f蕨类植物）and the bamboo?"
“Yes:' the man replied.
“When I planted the fern and the bamboo, I took very good care of them. I gave them both equal amounts of food and water. I gave them sunlight in spring and protected them from the storms in autumn. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not give up on the bamboo. In the, second year, the fern grew even better than before but nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not give up on the bamboo. In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But l would not give up. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. Still would not give up."
Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout(芽)came out from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small. But day by day the sprout grew. Within six months, the sprout had risen to a height of 100 feet. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive." "Did you know, young man, that all this time you have been struggling, you have been growing? Grow the roots that you need to produce your fruit."
"Don't compare yourself to others. All things have different purposes, and different journeys. The bamboo has a different purpose from the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come. You will rise high."
The small business owner left the forest. And never went back.
If nothing seems like it is happening in your life, despite all the work you're putting in, remember that you're probably growing roots not fruit. Stick with it. One day not far from now, there'll be a great harvest.
The underlined phrase "throwing in the towel" in Paragraph l probably means .
| A．crying out | B．showing off |
| C．giving up | D．running away |
After the wise man planted the fern and the bamboo,
| A．he cared for the fern only |
| B．they didn't receive any care from him |
| C．he gave up the bamboo in the fifth year |
| D．the bamboo seed never stopped growing |
From the passage we can conclude that the small business owner will
| A．not turn to the wise man for help again |
| B．not give up in face of difficulties |
| C．give up his business later |
| D．grow some bamboo later |
Which of the following best describes the story in the passage?
| A．Never give up hope. |
| B．Practice makes perfect. |
| C．Time and tide wait for nobody. |
| D．One should try and achieve bigger goals in life. |
To Friend or Not To Friend
We all love our parents and turn to them when we’re in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to education themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there’s also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don’t get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It’s a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don’t want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn’t take it personally if their child ignores their request, “When a teen ignores a parent’s friend request, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list. From Paragraph 2, we learn that _______.
| A．parents feel secure about their privacy online |
| B．social networks successfully fill the generation gap |
| C．parents have realized the importance of social networks |
| D．social networks offer a platform for parents to communicate |
Teenagers may refuse a parent’s friend request because _______.
| A．they hide something from their parents |
| B．they are unwilling to be watched by parents |
| C．their parents tend to fall behind in technology |
| D．their parents make negative comments on them |
The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．privacy online |
| B．social networks |
| C．the generation gap |
| D．parents’ friend requests |
The passage is written mainly for _______.
| A．parents | B．teenagers |
| C．teachers | D．researchers |
Last week I talked with some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it re-grows, you can get at least 5 cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career. We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.
| A．a doctor | B．a model |
| C．a teacher | D．a reporter |
Many graduates today turn to cosmetic s surgery to ________.
| A．marry a better man\woman |
| B．become a model |
| C．get an advantage over others in job-hunt |
| D．attract more admirers |
According to the passage, the author believes that ________.
| A．everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost |
| B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs |
| C．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career |
| D．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery |
The best title for the passage should be “________”.
| A．Young Graduates Have Higher Expectation |
| B．Young Graduates Look to Surgery for Better Jobs |
| C．Young Graduates’ Opinion About Cosmetic Surgery |
| D．Young Graduates Face a Different Situation in Job-hunt |
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