Computer technology has become a major part of people’s lives. This technology has its own special words. One example is the word mouse. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a small device that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer on the computer screen.
Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early 1960s. The first computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer.
Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hakers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.
Another well-known computer word is Google. It is the name of a popular “search engine” for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people who started the company named it Google because in maths, google is an extremely large number. It is the number one followed by 100 zeros.
When you “Google” a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it . Some people like to google their friends or themselves to see how many times their names appears on the Internet.
If you Google someone, you might find that person’s name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Web log. A blog is a personal Web page. It may contain stories, comments, pictures and links to other Web sites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
Blogs are not the same as spam. Spam is unwanted sales messages sent to your electronic mailbox. The name is based on a funny joke many years ago on a British television show, “ Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Some friends are at an eating place that only serves a processed meat product from the United States called SPAM. Every time the friends try to speak, another group of people starts singing the word SPAM very loudly. This interferes with the friends’ discussion---just as unwanted sales messages interfere with communication over the Internet.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Computer technology. | B．Computer history. |
| C．Computer words. | D．Computer experts. |
Why is the small device called a mouse?
| A．Because it was a carved block of wood. |
| B．Because it has two metal wheels. |
| C．Because it moves like a real mouse. |
| D．Because it has a “tail” at one end. |
What do we know about hackers?
| A．They are not computer experts. |
| B．They don’t write software programs. |
| C．They sometimes try to steal information. |
| D．They are always bloggers. |
As a computer term, spam refers to________.
| A．junk mail | B．electronic mailboxes |
| C．sales messages | D．processed meat products |
| ]HIGHFIELD COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SCHOOL REPORT Form Teacher: G. Baker Pupil’s Name: Simon Watkins Term: Summer 2014 Form: Ⅳ B
FORM TEACHER’S REMARKS HEADMASTER |
According to the comments of the Physical Education teacher, Simon_______.
| A．is too talkative in the class |
| B．doesn’t exercise his body at the right time |
| C．likes to work with his classmates |
| D．becomes weak because he doesn’t exercise at all |
Which of Simon’s subjects will attract the headmaster’s attention in future?
| A．Biology and Maths. |
| B．History and French. |
| C．English and Chemistry. |
| D．Physics and Physical Education. |
Which of the following statements best describes Simon?
| A．He has made great progress in language classes. |
| B．His potential has been fully reflected in science classes. |
| C．His grade in maths makes him a born scientist. |
| D．He needs to improve his attitude on certain subjects. |
Based on the school report, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Simon didn’t bother his teacher to revise French. |
| B．Basically, Simon did a good job in science. |
| C．Simon is a determined learner in English. |
| D．Simon is able to pay attention to history for long. |
Australia’s koalas could be wiped out within 30 years unless urgent action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply.
The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. Previous estimates put the number of koalas at more than 100,000, but the latest calculations suggest there could now be as few as 43,000.
The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching.
The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them.
Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia’s east and south, are very fussy (爱挑剔的) about what types of the leaves they eat.
Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: “The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It’s really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don’t have any koalas.”
She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government’s Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala’s status as one of the country’s favourite animals would not be a factor. “There’s a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don’t consider that,” Mr Beeton was reported as saying by the AFP agency.The writer gives the example of the area in northern Queensland in Paragraph 3 to show that _____.
| A．the forests are being damaged heavily |
| B．the environment is being polluted seriously |
| C．koalas usually live in wild mountainous areas |
| D．the number of koalas is dropping quickly |
Global warming is an important cause of koalas’ reduction because _____.
| A．koalas can hardly stand the hot weather |
| B．the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value |
| C．koalas cannot get enough water to drink |
| D．the leaves koalas eat cannot grow in hot weather |
According to Bob Beeton, _____.
| A．koalas are his favourite animals |
| B．a decision will be made to protect koalas |
| C．they needn’t pay special attention to koalas |
| D．koalas needn’t be protected at all |
EDGEWOOD ---- Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Sappuccinos and Hot Chocolates.Then, durning the first period teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.
By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.
“Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good,” Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.
They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.
Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.
Not that it was easy. Chevaliver’s first problem to overcome was product-related. Should school be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (营养) guidelines.
The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.What is the text mainly about?
| A．A special educational program. |
| B．A best selling coffee. |
| C．Government support for schools. |
| D．A new type of teacher-student relationship. |
The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to ________.
| A．raisemoney for school affairs |
| B．do some research on nutrition |
| C．supply teachers with drinks |
| D．develop students’ practical skills |
How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman’s opinion of the chi tea?
| A．She met her in the shop. |
| B．She heard her telling others. |
| C．She talked to her on the phone. |
| D．She went to her office to deliver the tea. |
We know from the text that Ginger Gray _________.
| A．manages the Dixie PIT programin Kenton Country |
| B．owns the school’s coffee shop |
| C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School |
| D．sees that the drinks meet health standards |
Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
Sounds unusual, doesn’t it? But it’s not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan-----to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore.
China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.
China’s bullet train (高速客车), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries.
For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries. China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ____________.
| A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions |
| B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways |
| C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries |
| D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism |
According to the passage, the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is___________.
| A．technical issues | B．safety of the system |
| C．financial problems | D．maintenance of railway tracks |
Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
| A．Critical. | B．Reserved. |
| C．Doubtful | D．Positive. |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．New Railway Standards |
| B．Big Railway Dreams |
| C．High-speed Bullet Trains |
| D．International Railway Network |
| Gallery Policies for Visitors to National Gallery of Art, Washington |
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| Visitors must present all carried items for inspection upon entry. After inspection, all bags, backpacks, umbrellas, parcels, and other things as determined by security officers must be left at the checkrooms, free of charge, close to each entrance. All oversized bags, backpacks and luggage must be left at the checkrooms near the 4th Street entrance of either the East or West Building. These items will have to be x-rayed before being accepted. Items of value, such as laptop computers, cameras, and fur coats, may not be left in the checkrooms but may be carried into the galleries. We regret that we do not have enough space for visitor items larger than 17×26 inches into the Gallery or its checkrooms. Additional security procedures and checks may be taken according to the decision of the Gallery. |
For the safety of the artworks and other visitors, nothing may be carried on a visitor’s back. Soft front baby carriers are allowed, but children may not be carried on shoulders or in a child carrier worn on the back. Pushchairs are available free of charge near each checkroom. Smoking is prohibited. Food and drink are not permitted outside the food service areas. Unopened bottled water may be carried only in a visitor’s bag. Cell phones may not be used in the galleries. Animals, other than service animals, are not permitted in the Gallery. Skateboarding is prohibited. Picture-taking (including video) for personal use is permitted except in special exhibitions and where specifically prohibited. Tripods (三角架) are not allowed. Please do not touch the works of art. |
When people come to visit the Gallery, they should ____________.
| A．leave all their carried items at the checkrooms |
| B．have all their carried items x-rayed at the entrance |
| C．take all their carried items with them without inspection |
| D．have all their carried items inspected at the entrance |
What does the Gallery feel sorry for?
| A．Visitors have to keep their valuable items in the checkrooms. |
| B．The size of visitor items allowed into the Gallery is limited. |
| C．It cannot keep oversized visitor items due to limited space. |
| D．Visitor items over 17×26 inches must go through additional checks. |
Parents with small children visiting the Gallery _____________.
| A．can carry their children in soft front child carriers |
| B．can carry their children on their shoulders |
| C．can carry their children in child carriers worn on the back |
| D．ought to pay if they want to use pushchairs for their children |
Visiting photographers should make sure that ____________.
| A．pictures and videos are allowed for personal use anywhere in the Gallery |
| B．tripods are allowed except in some special exhibitions |
| C．picture-taking and videoing are totally forbidden in the Gallery |
| D．pictures and videos can be taken in some places for personal use |
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