(2013·辽宁，D)
“Indeed，” George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785, “some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home.” But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen had been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lightningbug(萤火虫). But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Although fan became the usual term, sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseball bugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bugshaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, “to install (安装) an alarm”. Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others' conversations. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant “to cheat”， and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as “little problems and difficulties” that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison “had been up the two previous nights discovering ‘a bug’ in his invented record player.”
We learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
| A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug |
| B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug |
| C．the word bug was still popularly used in England in the nineteenth century |
| D．both Englishmen and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century |
What does the word “flaw” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Explanation. | B．Finding. |
| C．Origin. | D．Fault. |
The passage is mainly concerned with ________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the word bug |
| B．the development of the word bug |
| C．the public views of the word bug |
| D．the special characteristics of the word bug |
Welcome to your future life ！
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035，medical technology is better than ever. Many people your age could live to be 150，so at 40，you're not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging（抗衰老的） treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!
You say to your shirt，"Turn red. "It changes from blue to red. In 2035，" smart clothes" contain particles（粒子）much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change your clothes' color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says，" You shouldn't drink that ！" Your fridge has read the chip （芯片）that contains information about the milk, and it knows the milk is old. In 2035，every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It's time to go to work. In 2035，cars drive themselves. Just tell your" smart car" where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such " smart technology" is all around you.
So will all these things come true? "For new technology to succeed，" says scientist Andrew Zolli，" it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already. " The Internet is one example-what will be the next? We can learn from the text that in the future __________.
| A．people will never get old |
| B．everyone will look the same |
| C．red will be the most popular color |
| D．clothes will be able to change their pattern |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Milk will be harmful to health. |
| B．More drinks will be available for sale. |
| C．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information. |
| D．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer. |
Which of the following is mentioned in the text?
| A．Nothing can replace the Internet. |
| B．Fridges will know what people need. |
| C．Jacket sleeves can be used as a guide. |
| D．Cars will be able to drive automatically. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Food and clothing in 2035. |
| B．Future technology in everyday life. |
| C．Medical treatments of the future. |
| D．The reasons for the success of new technology. |
A black hole is created when a large star burns out. Like our sun, stars are unbelievably hot furnaces（熔炉）that burn their own matter as fuel. When most of the fuel is used up, the star begins to die.
The death of a star is not a quiet event. First there is a huge explosion. As its outer layer is blasted off into space, the dying star shines as brightly as a billion suns.
After the explosion gravity pulls in what's left of the star. As the outside of the star sinks toward the center, the star gets smaller and smaller. The material the star is made of becomes tightly packed together. A star is so dense that a teaspoon of matter from it weighs billion of pounds.
The more the star shrinks, the stronger the gravity inside it becomes. Soon the star is very tiny, and the gravity pulling it in is un-believably strong. In fact, the gravity is so strong that it even pulls light into the star! Since all the light is pulled in, none can go out. The star becomes black when there is no light. Then a black hole is born!
That's what we know about black holes. What we don't know is this ： What happens inside a black hole after the star has been squeezed into a tiny ball? Does it keep getting smaller and smaller forever? Such a possibility is hard to imagine.
But if the black hole doesn't keep shrinking, what happens to it? Some scientists think black holes are like doorways to another world. They say that as the star disappears from our universe, it goes into another universe. In other words a black hole in our universe could turn into a " white hole" in a different universe. As the black hole swallows light, the white hole shines brightly-somewhere else. But where? A different place, perhaps, or a different time-many years in the past or future.
Could you travel through a black hole? Right now, no. Nothing we know of could go into a black hole without being crushed. So far the time being, black holes must remain a mystery.
Black holes are a mystery-but that hasn't stopped scientists from dreaming about them. One scientist suggested that in the future we might make use of the power of black holes. They would supply all of Earth's energy needs, with plenty to spare. Another scientist wondered if a black hole could some day be used to swallow earthly waste-a sort of huge waste disposal（处理）in the sky! When the star begins to die __________.
| A．there is no fuel left in it |
| B．its outer layer goes into space first |
| C．a huge explosion will happen |
| D．it doesn't give off light any longer |
Which of the following doesn't help produce a black hole?
| A．The gravity inside the star is very strong. |
| B．The light can't go out of the star. |
| C．The star becomes smaller and smaller |
| D．The dying star shines very brightly. |
The black hole __________.
| A．continues becoming smaller and smaller all the time |
| B．goes into another universe and becomes a white hole |
| C．can pull in everything we know of in the world |
| D．will appear at another place at a different time |
The author mainly intended to tell us __________.
| A．New Scientific Discovery ： Black Holes |
| B．How Black Holes Came Into Being |
| C．What Black Holes Are |
| D．Travel Through A Black Hole |
Calling the future
When American inventor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876，it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances. Over the last two decades a new means of spoken communication has appeared ：the mobile phone.
The mobile phone is like a two-way radio. But the two-way radio is a limited means of communication. As soon as the users move out of range of each other's broadcast area, the signal is lost. In the 1940s, researchers experimented with the idea of using a number of radio masts（无线电杆）to pick up signals from two-way radios. A caller would always be within range of one of the masts. When he or she moved too far away from one mast, the next mast would pick up the signal. （Scientists referred to each mast's reception area as being a "cell". This is why in many countries mo-bile phones are called "cellphones".）
However，1940s, technology was just at the beginning. The "mobile phones" were huge boxes. They had to be moved by car.
The first real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper. As soon as his invention was complete, he tested it by calling a rival （竞争对手）scientist to announce his success. Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public.
They have changed the way we do a lot of things. One powerful feature is: the short message service（SMS） or text message. It's the perfect communication method for the busy modern lifestyle. The text message has changed the way we write in English. The language construction became more lax （松散的）. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important.
Over the last few years mobiles have become more and more advanced. We have seen the introduction of cameras, global positioning system and Internet access.
Alexander Graham Bell would be surprised if he could see how far the science of the telephone has developed in less than 150years. If he were around today, he might say ： " That's gr8! But I'm v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite. " The article is written to __________.
| A．warn people of the possible risks in using mobile phones |
| B．inform readers of the history and development of mobile phones |
| C．convince people of the uses of mobile phones |
| D．predict the applications of mobile phones |
What's the CORRECT time order about the development of communication?
a. the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell
b. "mobile phones" with very large boxes
c. mobile telephone call made by Dr Martin Cooper
d. mobiles with cameras, GPS and Internet access
| A．a, c，b, d |
| B．b, a，c, d |
| C．a, c，d, b |
| D．a, b，c, d |
The last sentence of the whole passage "That's gr8 ！ But I'm v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite. " may probably mean __________.
| A．That's great! But I'm very busy right now. （I）Will call you to-night |
| B．It's eight now. I'm very busy. （I） Will call you tonight |
| C．That's great! But I'm busy writing now. （I） Will call you at two tonight |
| D．"8" is great! But I'm very busy right now. （I） Will call it "U" to night |
What do you think of the author according to the last paragraph?
| A．Humorous |
| B．Ironic |
| C．Kind |
| D．Worried |
What will power your house in the future? Nuclear, wind, or solar power? According to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT） in the US, it might be leaves-but artificial（人造的）ones.
Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis（光合作用）. Now researchers have found a way to imitate this seemingly simple process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts（催化剂）. Similar to natural leaves, it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell, which uses those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card, scientists claimed that it is promising to be an inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. "One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology，" said Nocera at a conference of the American Chemical Society.
The artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf, by contrast, is made of cheap materials, easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies, Nocera showed that an artificial leaf prototype （原型）could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful, new and inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now, the new leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Be-sides, the device can run in whatever water is available; that is, it doesn't need pure water. This is important for some countries that don't have access to pure water.
With the goal to " make each home its own power station" and" give energy to the poor"，scientists believe that the new technology could be widely used in developing countries, especially in India and rural China. Which of the following orders correctly shows how the artificial leaf is used to produce electricity?
a. artificial leaves split water into hydrogen and oxygen
b. the hydrogen and oxygen gases are stored in a fuel cell
c. the artificial leaves are put in water
d. the fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity
| A．c, b，a, d |
| B．c, a，b, d |
| C．b, c，a, d |
| D．c, a，d, b |
The purpose of the scientists at MIT in developing the new artificial leaf is to __________.
| A．build up more power stations in the world |
| B．provide cheaper energy for developing countries |
| C．offer people in developing countries access to pure water |
| D．gain a deeper understanding of the photosynthesis process |
The main idea of this passage is __________.
| A．an introduction to the history of artificial leaves |
| B．an invention copying photosynthesis |
| C．giving energy to the poor |
| D．mixture of water power and solar energy |
The underlined word " imitate" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by "__________".
| A．produce |
| B．hold |
| C．prevent |
| D．copy |
Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare’s play “The Comedy of Errors”, Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play “Macbeth”, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare’s knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of “critic”, “mountaineer” and “eyeball”. Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including “pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）” from “Othello”, “full circle（绕圈子地）” from “King Lear”, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a wellknown writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off. From the passage, we can see that ________.
| A．Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student |
| B．many of Shakespeare’s works were influenced by earlier writings |
| C．the experience of living in London had no effect on Shakespeare’s works |
| D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works |
Why could Shakespeare’s works survive his time?
| A．Because there were so few people writing plays in his time. |
| B．Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do. |
| C．Because his works were rich in imagination and language. |
| D．Because he was a rich and influential person of his time. |
Shakespeare’s greatest influence should be on .
| A．paintings |
| B．television |
| C．the English language |
| D．music and dance |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works |
| B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare’s plays |
| C．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture. |
| D．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture. |
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