Nowadays，the Internet，with its ability to connect people throughout the world，is changing the way people learn languages．There is still no way to avoid the hard work through vocabulary lists and grammar rules，but the books，tapes and even CDs are being replaced by email, video chat and social networks．
Livemocha, a Seattle company, has created a website devoted to helping people learn more than 38 languages by exchanging messages over the Internet and then correcting each other’s messages. The lessons，whether they are flashcards，quizzes，audio recordings or written and spoken essays，are delivered through the Intemet．
Michael Schutzler, Livemocha's chief executive(主管), says the website’s advantage is the ability to practicel with a real person. “The great irony(讽刺)is that even if you have learned a foreign language in the classroom for years，you don’t have confidefice to go into a restaurant and have a conversation with a foreigner,"he said．The casual connection with real people throughout the world, however brief, are not just fun and surprising but show more about how the language is really used．
Livemocha is now experimenting with a variety of ways that resemble the games on other social websites to motivate people．The flashcard exercises，for instance，are scored, and the totals earned by studying and teaching appear on the users’front page．
Besides，each person can set up a profile(简历)which includes a short description of his age，location and what language he would like to learn．Therefore，if you want to study one language，you will easily find many people who are fluent in it．Andl an email or two is all it takes to find a study partner．
There are more and more companies like Livemocha offeritig online language learning to students throughout the world. And instead of merely helping people practice different languages，they also enable people to share interests and make new friends.For what purpose did Livemocha create the website?
| A．To offer new ways of language learning． |
| B．To make an advertisement for their company． |
| C．To share interests and make new friends． |
| D．To tell his inspiring story to more people． |
What is the advantage of the Internet language learning?
| A．Books，tapes and even CDs are completely out of use． |
| B．Leamers can practice languages with real people． |
| C．People can learn more than 38 languages in all. |
| D．There is no need to learn vocabulary and grammar． |
Why does the writer give us the example of flashcard exercise in Paragraph 4?
| A．To show what Livemocha is doing to inspire website users． |
| B．To introduce how Livemocha scores the website users’ work. |
| C．To explain why Livemocha experiments with other social websites． |
| D．To tell what Livemocha prepares for the front page of the website． |
How can one find a study partner on Livemocha?
| A．He needs to set up a profile about his past experience． |
| B．He should deliver his written essays to the website. |
| C．He needs to give lessons over the Internet． |
| D．He can select suitable people and email them． |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Livemocha will open more branch companies． |
| B．Online learners can practice languages free of charge. |
| C．More learners will turn to online language learning． |
| D．Livemocha will be turned into a dating website． |
Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“ I think we are knocking at the door of immortality (永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “ I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate.”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what has been possible in the past. “ There is a great push so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “ Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “ It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Center. “ At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying “ we are knocking at the door immortality”, Michael Zey means_____.
A. they believe that there is no limit of living
B. they are sure to find the truth about long living
C. they have got some ideas about living forever
D. they are able to make people live past the present life span
2. Donald Louria’s attitude toward long living is that_____.
A. people can live from 120 to 180
B. it is still doubtful how long humans can live
C. the human body is designed to last about 120 years
D. it is possible for humans to live longer in the future
3. The underlined “ it” (Para. 4) refers to_____.
A. a great push
B. the idea of living beyond the present life span
C. the idea of living from 200 to 300
D. the conservative estimate
4. What would be the best title for this text?
A. Living longer or not
B. Science, technology and long living
C. No limit for human life
D. Healthy lifestyle and long living
Facing the threat of the Internet, the traditional newspaper is thinking about what it can do to meet the challenge. To make teens get into the habit of reading, the French government is considering what kind of efforts it should pursue. It seems that the two questions have nothing to do with each other, but a recent announcement made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has connected these two issues together. The announcement gives an answer to both of them.
. President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a rescue plan for France' s ailing print media, including measures to save printing and distribution costs. The plan also gives French teenagers a surprise as their 18-year-old birthday gift: France will offer all 18-year-olds a free daily copy of the newspaper of their choice.
"The habit of reading the press should start at a very young age," Sarkozy said, presenting the conclusion after talking to a group of journalists and officials in Paris. The President said the newspapers themselves would provide free copies for 18-year-olds, while the state would cover the cost of delivering them to many thousands of homes.
The plan is an attempt to introduce teenagers, who frequently only get their news online, to the delights of the printed world. A similar idea has been tested by L'Ouest-France (法兰西部报) over the past few years. It offered some 18 to 24-year-olds a free paper once a week for a year. L' Ouest-France reported that 15% of young people wanted to continue with a paid subscription after the year was over.
People in France welcomed the plan which should get more kids interested in current affairs and make reading be a pastime, as well as rescue the newspaper industry.
1. What does the underlined word " ailing" (in Paragraph 2) probably mean?
A. newly established B. in difficult situations
C. most popular D. warm-hearted
2. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. the government will pay for the delivery of newspapers to 18 -year-olds
B. the government will buy newspapers for 18-year-olds for one day
C. some of the government officials are against the plan
D. President Nicolas Sarkozy would like to help the government
3. What is people' s reaction to the plan in France?
A, They think it a waste of money.
B. They will buy newspapers themselves for 18-year-olds.
C. They think highly of it and support it:.
D. They are worried the young will leave the Internet.
4. Which of the following can serve as the best for the passage?
A. A surprising plan from the President
B. Help rescue the newspaper industry
C. Form the reading habit for the young
D. Free newspapers fly to teens
In my profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.
Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing.
Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine - laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.
This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV - infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.
A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, " I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me. "
1. What is the boy Tyler's attitude towards death?
A. pessimistic. B. optimistic. C. sorrowful. D. fearful.
2. Tyler requested the writer to dress him in red when he died simply because ___________.
A. red is a lucky color B. red might help to cure him
C. his mom could spot him easily D. he could find more mates by wearing red
3. Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?
A. My unusual profession. B. A caring mother.
C. Mother and son. D. Dying in red.
4. The underlined word dynamo in the fourth paragraph here means ________________.
A. a promising and helpful youth B. an extremely energetic person
C. a rare and beautiful flower D. a magic and understanding superstar
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo farts contain no methane（甲烷）and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas. While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries. "Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government. "And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent," he said. Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers. But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep. Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. The idea is controversial（争议）, but about 20 percent of health conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already. "It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal（散养动物）," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.
1. According to the passage, global warming is now mainly caused by _____ .
A. methane B. carbon dioxide
C. livestock passing wind D. not mention in this passage
2. What does the underlined phrase “the idea”（paragraph 9）refer to? A. Australians should give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep.
B. The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient.
C. Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. D. The bacteria could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
3. How will Australian scientists solve the problem of global warming?
A. Eating more kangaroos.
B. Killing more cattle and sheep. C. Letting cattle and sheep pass less wind.
D. Transferring the special bacteria in kangaroos’ stomachs to cattle and sheep.
Computerised trading agents may help humans build better markets
THANKS to declining markets, investment banks are getting rid of many of their highly-paid traders. When markets recover, the banks might be tempted to replace them with rather cheaper talent. One alternative has been around for a while but has yet to catch on: autonomous trading agents-computers programmed to act like the human version without such annoying costs as holidays, lunch breaks or bonuses. Program trading has, of course, been done before; some blamed the 1987 stock market crash on computers instructed with simple decision-making rules. But robots can be smarter than that.
Dave Cliff, a researcher at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Bristol, England, has been creating trading robots for seven years. In computer simulations he lets them evolve "genetically", and so allows them to adapt and fit models of real-world financial markets. His experiments have suggested that a redesign of some markets could lead to greater efficiency. Last year, a research group at IBM showed that Mr Cliff's artificial traders could consistently beat the human variety, in various kinds of market. Nearly all take the shape of an auction(拍卖). One well-known type is the English auction, familiar to customers of the salesrooms(拍卖场)of Christie's and Sotheby's, where sellers keep mum on their offer price, and buyers increase their bids by stages until only one remains.
At the other extreme is the Dutch auction, familiar to 17th-century tulip-traders in the Netherlands as well as to bidders for American Treasury bonds. Here, buyers remain silent, and a seller reduces his price until it is accepted. Most markets for shares, commodities, foreign exchange and derivatives are a mixture of these two types: buyers and sellers can announce their bid or offer prices at any time, and deals are constantly being closed, a so-called "continuous double auction".
Mr Cliff's novel idea was to apply his evolutionary computer programs to marketplaces themselves. Why not, he thought, try and see what types of auction would let traders converge(趋同) most quickly towards a balance price? The results were surprising. In his models, auctions that let buyers and sellers bid at any time like most of today's financial exchanges were less efficient than ones that required relatively more bids from either buyers or sellers. These "evolved auctions" also withstood big market shocks, such as crashes and panics, better than today's real-world versions. Mr Cliff's most recent results, which will be presented in Sydney, Australia, on December 10th, show that the best type of auction for any market depends crucially on even slight differences in the number of buyers and sellers.
Bank of America has been investigating these new auctions, along with robotic traders, for possible use in electronic exchanges. The hope is that today's financial auctions and online marketplaces might work better by becoming more like their English and Dutch ancestors.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. A review of two kinds of auctions. B. An introduction of trading robots.
C. A survey of the trading market. D. About trading alternatives.
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. Mr Cliff’s robot traders have now been used in real-world markets.
B. Robot traders can evolve like creatures.
C. There is room for improvement in efficiency in trading markets.
D. The English auction is the most popular trading form.
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. Existing auctions cannot withstand market shocks
B. The Dutch auction is better than the continuous double auction
C. It’s hard for traders to reach a balanced price
D. The best type of auction takes place when the number of the buyers is equal to that of sellers
4.What’s the author’s attitude toward robot traders?
A. Prejudiced B. Objective C. Critical D. Optimistic
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