Late that afternoon I took the train back to Sydney . There I found another surprise waiting for me . My room at the hotel had been given to somebody else and they had no room for me. Harkin had known my travel plans and had planned everything . How could he have booked the room only for three days ? There was nothing to be done but to find another hotel. The waiters were happy to find me a new hotel , and when I said that I was happy to stay at the airport , thinking it might be cheaper than staying in the city , they suggested the Holiday Inn at the airport . There was one small matter : the room rate was $ 300 per night . The best hotel in Katoomba had wanted only $ 145 . I asked if there was anything cheaper they might suggest but they warned that most hotels would already be full by this time.
The hotel was far from the train station , so I had to take a taxi , at $ 25 . On the way to the Holiday Inn , we passed a hotel just two blocks from the Holiday Inn that advertised a room rate of $ 104 . At the desk I asked if their room rate could go down a lot . “ No , this is a 4-star hotel,” the waiter told me . “ In that case ,” I replied , “ I’ll just walk the two blocks to the cheap hotel.” But she warned me that they were probably full and that if I didn’t take the room , it might not be available when I came back . Finally , I decided to take the room.
The room itself was big , but the air conditioning couldn’t keep up with the Australian heat . I couldn’t sleep until about 1:00 am. Why did the writer have to look for another hotel ?
| A．He didn’t book early. | B．Harkin made a mistake. |
| C．He was short of money. | D．He wasn’t well received. |
How did the writer feel when hearing the room rate at the Holiday Inn ?
| A．Nervous. | B．Happy. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Relaxed. |
Why did the writer take the room finally ?
| A．It’s a 4-star hotel . | B．It’s around the station. |
| C．It was mid-night then. | D．The room was in great demand. |
What does the text mainly talk about ?
| A．A hotel hunting experience. | B．An unforgettable day. |
| C．A warm-hearted waiter. | D．An introduction to hotels. |
The average American child spends three to five hours a day watching TV. In 1961, the average child began to watch television at age three; however, today it is nine months. Yet, most parents think that television has bad influence on their children. For example, in the early 1970s, my parents believed that my bad eyesight was the result of sitting too close to the screen, and they therefore made my stay at least six feet from it. Today, most people have no such worry, but many new ridiculous (荒谬的) sayings have appeared:
*TV makes kids stupid. Many children watch more educational programs when they are pre-schoolers. When they grow up, they can read more books and have much better ideas to solve difficult problems than other children.
*TV makes kids violent. The real story is not so simple. Hundreds of studies show that watching violence on TV makes children more aggressive (好斗的). But a study of over 5,000 children also finds that some positive programs make children kinder. The problem is that kids are increasingly watching shows with violence instead of those suitable for their age.
*Sitting around watching TV makes kids overweight. An experiment finds that when children watch less television, they do lose extra weight; however, reducing their television time does not make them more active. The real problem lies in snacking (吃零食). A widespread habit for kids, and junk-food advertisements.
*TV helps kids get to sleep. The opposite is true. The more television children watch, the more likely they are to have irregular sleep and nap(小睡) patterns. Allowing kids to watch television is part of the problem, not the solution.Which one is the advantage of educational TV programs?
| A．They will make children solve difficult problems better than others. |
| B．they will improve children’s ability to get along with others. |
| C．They are likely to make children more aggressive. |
| D．They will make sure of children’s success in the future. |
Why are children spending much time watching TV likely to be fat?
| A．Watching TV makes children lazy and inactive. |
| B．Children are attracted by the food advertisement on TV. |
| C．Watching TV doesn’t burn up as much fat as doing sports. |
| D．Children like to snack while watching TV. |
What influence does watching TV have on a child’s sleep?
| A．Children are likely to sleep deeper after watching TV. |
| B．Children’s sleep time will be greatly reduced. |
| C．It will make children form a bad habit of sleeping. |
| D．It will make children sleep easier. |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To increase people’s knowledge of watching TV. |
| B．To warn parents of the disadvantages of watching TV. |
| C．To explain the bad influences that watching TV has on children. |
| D．To correct parents’ wrong ideas of television’s effect on children. |
I took the bus to work for many years. No one knew each other; the passengers all sat there sleepily in the morning. The bus was cheerless and silent.
One of the passengers was a small gray-haired man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens every morning. No one ever paid very much attention to him.
One July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled. The driver nodded guardedly(戒备地). The rest of us were silent.
The next day, the old man boarded with a big smile and said in a loud voice: “A very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured “Good Morning” in reply.
The following weeks, our friend was dressed in a nice old suit and tie. His thin hair had been carefully combed. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.
One morning he even had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. The driver turned around smiling and asked: “Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes. The other passengers whistled and clapped at him. Charlie waved the flowers before he sat down on his seat.
Every morning after that Charlie always brought flowers. Some passengers also brought flowers for him. The bus became a happy place.
Then, one morning, as autumn was closing in, Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn’t there the next day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or—hopefully – on holiday somewhere.
When we came nearer to the center for senior citizens, one of the passengers asked the driver to wait. We all held our breaths when he went to the door.
The old gentle man was fine, but one of his close friends had died over the weekend. How silent we were the rest of the way to work.
The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, stooping (弯腰) a bit more, a little bit more gray, and without a tie. Inside the bus was silent. Even though no one had talked about it, all of us sat there silently, our eyes filled with tears and a bunch of wild flowers in our hands. From the passage, we can infer that .
| A．people always cared about each other on the bus |
| B．people were unhappy and sleepy on the bus because they were tired |
| C．smiles can shorten the distance between people |
| D．people are not good at communicating in the country |
What are we sure about the old man?
| A．His name was Charlie. |
| B．He worked at the center for senior citizens. |
| C．He got sick over the weekend. |
| D．He was in great sorrow when we saw him the next Monday. |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．The atmosphere on the bus was cheerful and lively at first. |
| B．People were surprised at the old man’s first greeting. |
| C．People were worried about the old man’s absence. |
| D．People on the bus at last shared happiness and sorrow together. |
Which would be the best title for the passage？
| A．How to Shorten the Distance between People |
| B．Smiles Make a Bus Feel Like Home |
| C．Charlie, A Smiling Gentle Man |
| D．The Key to Friendship — Communication |
Home to me means a sense of familiarity and nostalgia（怀旧）. It’s fun to come home. It looks the same. It smells the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you. Home is where we can remember pain, love and some other experiences: We parted here; My parents met here; I won three championships here.
If I close my eyes, I can still have a clear picture in mind of my first home. I walk in the door and see a brown sofa surrounding a low glass-top wooden table. To the right of the living room is my first bedroom. It’s empty, but it’s where my earliest memories are.
There is the dining room table where I celebrated birthdays and where I cried on Halloween---when I didn’t want to wear the skirt my mother made for me. I always liked standing on that table because it made me feel tall and strong. If I sit at this table, I can see my favorite room in the house, my parents’ room. It is simple: a brown wooden dresser lines the right side of the wall next to a television and a couple of photos of my grandparents on each side. Their bed is my safe zone(区域). I can jump on it anytime---waking up my parents if I am scared or if I have an important announcement that cannot wait until the morning.
I’m lucky because I know my first home still exists. It exists in my mind and heart, on a physical property（住宅）on West 64th street on the western edge of Los Angeles. It is proof I lived, I grew, and I learned.
Sometimes when I feel lost, I lie down and shut my eyes, and I go home. I know it’s where I’ll find my family, my dogs, and my belongings. I purposely leave the window open at night because I know I’ll be blamed by Mom. But I don’t mind, because I want to hear her say my name, which reminds me I’m home.Why does the author call her parents’ bed her “safe zone”（Paragraph 3）?
| A．It is her favorite place to play. |
| B．Her needs can be satisfied there. |
| C．Her grandparents’ photos are lined on each side. |
| D．Her parents always play together with her there. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．The old furniture is still in the authors first bedroom. |
| B．The author can still visit her first physical home in Los Angeles. |
| C．The authors favorite room in her first home is the dining room. |
| D．Many people of the authors age can still find their first physical homes. |
Sometimes when she feels lost, the author will_________.
| A．open the window at night |
| B．lie down in bed to have a dream |
| C．try to bring back a sense of home |
| D．go to Los Angeles to visit her mom |
What is the authors purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To express how much she is attached to her home. |
| B．To declare how much she loves her first house. |
| C．To describe the state of her family. |
| D．To look back on her childhood. |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send orders to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, showed a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the wheelchair and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells(神经细胞). These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓)to the muscles(肌肉) to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outside world and also to control the machine.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮)and sends them to a computer. The computer understands the signals and directs the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that recognize objects in its path. They help the computer react to orders from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that understands brain signals and turns them into simple orders. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be divided into two kinds: communication, and controlling the machine. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to ensure that they can use the technology over long periods of time.How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp → computer → cap →wheelchair |
| B．computer → cap → scalp →wheelchair |
| C．scalp → cap → computer →wheelchair |
| D．cap → computer → scalp →wheelchair |
The team will test with real patients to ______.
| A．make profits from them |
| B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer |
| D．learn about their physical condition |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Computer Technology Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
If you are in a crowd, a first and most important thing is to make yourself familiar with your surroundings(周围的事物) and mentally notice alternate exits. No matter where you are, make sure you always know how to get out.
Make sure you know the type of ground you are standing on. For example, in a crowd of moving people wet ground can be dangerous, causing you to fall. You should know the general atmosphere of the event, as panic situations can often be predicted. When in danger, a few seconds can make all the difference, giving you the possibility of taking advantage of your escape route. Always stay closer to the escape route
If you find yourself in the middle of a moving crowd, do not fight against the pressure, do not stand still or sit down, because you could easily get injured or even be killed by being stepped on by other people. Instead, move in the same direction of the crowd; take advantage of any space that may open up to move sideways to the crowd movement where the flow is weaker. Keep your hands up by your chest, which will protect your chest during the movement.
If you fall, get up quickly. If you can’t get up because you are injured, get someone to pull you back up. If you fall and can not get up, keep moving by crawling(爬行)in the same direction of the crowd. Do not lie on your stomach or back, as this is dangerous for your body.
The worst situation is to be pushed by the crowd against an immovable object. Try to shun
High walls, as the crowd pressure can build up rapidly. After you’re pushed forward, the way you move is on a diagonal(斜线). There’s always space between people. You work your way out that way till you get out of the crowd. When you are in a crowd the first thing you do is ____.
| A．fight against the pressure |
| B．stay closer to an immovable object |
| C．move in the same direction of the crowd |
| D．be familiar with the surroundings |
When you are in the middle of a moving crowd, ____.
| A．you must go to the exit quickly |
| B．you must not stand still or sit down |
| C．you’d better stop moving forward |
| D．you should push your way out |
The underlined word “shun” in the last paragraph probably means ____.
| A．leave for | B．keep off |
| C．jump on | D．break down |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How to survive the rush crowd |
| B．How to enjoy yourself in a crowd |
| C．How to protect yourself outside |
| D．How to run away from people |
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