How men first learned to invent words is unknown, in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words.
The power of words, then, lies in their association-the thing they bring up before our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and the sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increase.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey （表达，传递）his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should, therefore, learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they make our speech silly and vulgar.（粗俗的）Which of the following about a real poet is NOT true?
| A．He is less than a master of words. |
| B．His style is always charming. |
| C．His poem can move men to tears. |
| D．He can express his ideas in words that sing like music. |
Where does the real power of the words come from?
| A．From the words themselves. |
| B．From their characteristics. |
| C．From their curiosity. |
| D．From their association. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The importance of choosing words. |
| B．Where the real power of words come from. |
| C．What great writers are like. |
| D．We should learn to choose words carefully. |
From our smartphones to our latest weaponry, the technology that underpins（支撑） modern life would be impossible without rare earth metals． The importance of rare earths has only grown as emerging markets increase their demand for technologies made with it, as does the renewable energy industry．
The 17 metallic elements are common in the earth-s crust, but the technique used to extract and refine them is labor-intensive, environmentally hazardous and increasingly costly． Thomas Gradael, a professor of geology and geophysics at the Yale School of Forestry Environmental Studies, explains that the钰criticality" of rare earths was only recently understood after China, which dominates the world-s supply of the minerals, cut exports by 40% in 2010, citing concerns over how polluting the rare earth industry was．
Along with colleagues at Yale, Gradael decided to investigate the metals used in modern technologies to determine if there were viable（可行的） substitutes．“Twenty or thirty years ago electronics were being made with 11 different elements," explains Gradael． “Today's computers and smartphones use something like 63 different elements．" Their findings showed that there were no "readily apparent" substitutes for a metal that would not compromise on quality or performance．
However increased mining for these scarce resources can have some nasty side effects for the environment． China, which has intensively mined for rare earths with little regulation, allowing it to dominate the global industry since 1990, has acknowledged the incredible environmental harm caused by the process． “Excessive rare earth mining has resulted in landslides, clogged rivers, environmental pollution emergencies and even major accidents and disasters, causing great damage to people's safety and health and the ecological environment," read a white paper issued by the Chinese cabinet in June last year．
Recycling metal has been advocated by some as a possible way of managing these precious resources-the European Parliament adopted a law curbing dumping of electric waste in 2012． But Gradael says that for rare earths, recycling will have little impact．Rare earths are growingly important in that
| A．they exist in small numbers |
| B． they are essential in modern technologies |
| C．life would be impossible without them |
| D．new technology markets are emerging |
Which one of the following can be used in the blank?
| A．It is in China that rare earths are fully understood． |
| B．Despite the name, rare earth metals are not in fact rare． |
| C．There is a growing concern over the rare earth industry． |
| D．Rare earth metals are difficult to collect though important． |
Gradael investigated the use of rare earths in modern technologies to ．
| A．prove the important role rare earths play |
| B．learn the number of different elements used |
| C．determine whether there are substitutes for rare earths |
| D．research further the quality or performance of rare earths |
Why does the author take China as an example in Para．4?
| A．To tell the wide use of rare earth in China． |
| B．To prove the side effects of rare earth mining． |
| C．To warn people of the possible damage． |
| D．To teach other countries a lesson to follow． |
The text may probably be followed by the paragraphs about
| A．the reasons why recycling works little |
| B．the ways to manage rare earths |
| C．the effects brought about by rare earths |
| D．the attitudes people hold to the law |
Although in 1947 we were still very new to the atomic age, we knew about mushroom clouds． A huge crack spread across the library wall upstairs, sending teachers and students screaming down the hall．
Had a new world war started? Pale-faced, our young science teacher quickly organized us for a fire drill． We huddled in little groups on the beach side of the school grounds and watched the spreading cloud darken the bright spring sky．
Rumors flew every which way, although two hours would pass before we got the full story．One rumor we heard was that the Texas City Monsanto Chemical plant had blown up; children whose parents worked there began to weep．
I froze—that was where my father was working that day．
The school bell called us back inside, and we were dismissed to find our way home the best way we could． I-d walked a quarter of the three-mile trip to my home when a car horn startled me to attention． My Uncle Barney pulled up alongside me in his old Ford． The instant I saw him, I knew my father was gone． Otherwise, Papa would have come for me himself．
As if in slow motion from a great distance, Uncle Barney motioned for me to get in． Numb with grief, I crawled into the back seat． I barely took notice of the man sitting there, and didn’t recognize him until he reached for me． When Papa put his strong arms around me, I forgot for a moment that Cherokees（柴罗基人） aren’t supposed to cry．
Many of my fellow students lost their parents in the explosion． Tragedy would one day come to our family, as it inevitably comes to all, but on the day Texas City blew up, it miraculously passed us by． Because he lost his keys on that April morning, as he explained, my father lived for another 32 years-we were to have a second lifetime forever． What happened according to the first three paragraphs?
| A．A war broke out． | B．An earthquake happened． |
| C．An atomic bomb exploded． | D．A chemical factory blew up． |
How did the science teacher react to the accident?
| A．He was sad． | B．He acted quickly． |
| C．He panicked． | D．He felt helpless． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The author-s father didn-t have to work that day． |
| B．The author-s father had a narrow escape． |
| C．The school was near where the accident happened． |
| D．The author-s uncle broke the news of her father-s death． |
The author cried because ．
| A．she was grateful that her father had survived |
| B．her father was killed in the accident |
| C．she was sad over the tragedy that day |
| D．her father didn’t meet her after school |
What does the author intend to tell us?
| A．Be prepared for the worst． |
| B．Be brave in disasters． |
| C．Cherish everything that you have． |
| D．Parents are the most important people． |
Bicycles, roller skates and skateboards are dangerous. I still have scars (伤疤) on my knees from my childhood run-ins with various wheeled devices. Admittedly, I was a foolish kid, but I’m glad I didn’t spend my childhood trapped indoors to protect me from any injury.
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” But parents can’t handle it when teenagers put this theory into practice. And now technology has become the new field for the age-old battle between adults and their freedom-seeking kids.
Locked indoors, unable to get on their bicycles and hang out with their friends, teens have turned to social media and their mobile phones to gossip and socialize with their friends. What they do online often mirrors what they might otherwise do if their mobility weren’t so heavily restricted (限制) in the age of helicopter parenting. Social media and smartphones have become so popular in recent years because teens need a place to call their own. They want the freedom to explore their identity and the world around them. Instead of climbing out of windows, they jump online.
As teens have moved online, parents have projected their fears onto the Internet, imagining all the potential dangers that youth might face.
Rather than helping teens develop strategies (策略) to deal with public life and the potential risks of interacting with others, fearful parents have focused on tracking, monitoring and blocking. These approaches don’t help teens develop the skills they need to manage complex social situations. “Protecting” kids may feel like the right thing to do, but it denies teens the chances of learning as they come of age in a technology-soaked world.
The key to helping youth in the modern digital life isn’t more restrictions. It’s freedom — plus communication. Urban theorist Jane Jacobs used to argue that the safest neighborhoods were those where communities collectively took interest in and paid attention to what happened on the streets. Safety didn’t come from surveillance (监视) cameras or keeping everyone indoors but from a collective willingness to watch out for one another and be present as people struggled. The same is true online.
What makes the digital street safe is when teens and adults collectively agree to open their eyes and pay attention, communicate and work together to deal with difficult situations. Teens need the freedom to wander the digital street, but they also need to know that caring adults are behind them and supporting them wherever they go. The first step is to turn off the tracking software. Then ask your kids what they’re doing when they’re online — and why it’s so important to them.When he was a child, the writer ______.
| A．became disabled |
| B．spent much time outdoor |
| C．always stayed at home |
| D．was ignored by his parents |
Teens go online mainly because ______.
| A．online games mirror real life |
| B．they want to fight against their parents |
| C．online experiences make them strong |
| D．they need a space of their own |
By mentioning “helicopter parenting” (Paragraph 3), the writer means parents ______.
| A．remove any hidden dangers their kids may face |
| B．use helicopters to track their kids |
| C．prevent their kids from going to school |
| D．protect their kids too much |
According to the passage, helicopter parents may make kids ______.
| A．lose the chances of learning |
| B．handle complex social situations well |
| C．adapt to the digital world quickly |
| D．develop strategies to deal with public life |
The main idea of the passage is that ______.
| A．kids should be given freedom to deal with online risks |
| B．safe neighborhoods come from joint efforts of all |
| C．the digital street is a threat to kids’ safety |
| D．kids should be warned against potential dangers in society |
When Jeff Sparkman draws his cartoon superheroes with colored pencils, he often has to ask other people to tell him what color his masked men turned out to be because he's color-blind. Now, a new smart phone application (app) can help him figure out what colors he's using and how the picture looks to most everyone else.
The DanKam app, available for iPhone and Android for $2.99, is an application that turns the vague colors that one percent of the population with color-blindness sees into the "true" colors as everyone else sees them. In America, an estimated 32 million color-blind Americans—95% are males—can soon have their life improved.
“DanKam takes the stream of data coming in through the phone's camera and changes the colors slightly so they fall within the range that people who are color-blind see,”developer Dan Kaminsky told CNET. He came up with the idea after watching the 2009 film Star Trek with a color-blind friend.
It was then that he got to know more about colorblindness like its varying types and degrees. A vast majority, for instance, have trouble seeing red or green due to a genetic defect(遗传缺陷). Blue-yellow colorblindness, however, is rarer and develops later in life because of aging, illness or head injuries, etc. He started experimenting with one of the most common representations of points in the RGB color model. What the DanKam app attempts to do is to clean up the color space of the image or video signal so that colors can be visible to those suffering from viewing problems. “You can adjust the app to fit your needs. There is a range and not everyone who is color-blind sees things the same.” Says Kaminsky.
Sparkman, a copy editor at CNET, tried out the app and was pleased with the results. "It would be useful for dressing for a job interview," he said. But using it for his art is “the most practical application." It worked well on LED and other lights on electronic gadgets, which means Sparkman can now identify the power light on his computer display as green.According to the first two paragraphs, we can know that DanKam ___________.
| A．is designed to help people with colorblindness |
| B．can turn vague colors into real ones |
| C．is a phone used to help drawing pictures |
| D．appeared in the movie Star Trek |
How does DanKam’s app work?
| A．It puts LED and other lights on electronic gadgets. |
| B．It shows common representations of points in the RGB color model |
| C．It checks color-blind people’s types of degrees of colorblindness. |
| D．It changes the colors so that color-blind people can see them. |
It can be inferred from the passage that colorblindness __________.
| A．cannot be cured by any methods |
| B．is not necessarily inborn disease |
| C．is more commonly seen in women |
| D．makes people unable to tell any colors |
The underlined word visible in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．recognizable | B．enjoyable |
| C．adjustable | D．Portable |
Which of the following is NOT included in the things that DanKam helps Sparkman with?
| A．Choosing clothes. |
| B．Playing computer games |
| C．Drawing his pictures. |
| D．Handling electronic gadgets. |
Regarded as one of the English language's most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn't receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower, middle-class family, the young John didn't attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family's friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father's death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother's passing due to tuberculosis (肺结核), he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn't stop his pursuit of rhythm.
John Keats' next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy's hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the "knowledge" associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout (发作) with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821.John Keats' attitude towards life changed because of________.
| A．his early education from school |
| B．the criticism of a magazine |
| C．Edmund Spenser's poetry |
| D．the deaths of his parents |
What is the common thing between John Keats and his mother?
| A．They read many books. |
| B．They died of the same disease. |
| C．They had a bad childhood. |
| D．They showed strong interest in poetry. |
What do we know from the passage?
| A．Keats once had a chance of becoming a doctor. |
| B．Keats received little education at school. |
| C．In 1816 Keats spent two months writing a poem. |
| D．Endymion was about a real love story. |
While pursuing his dream of becoming a poet at first, John Keats was________.
| A．knowledgeable | B．experienced |
| C．determined | D．impatient |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The poem Hyperion wasn't completed by Keats. |
| B．Edmund Spenser was the greatest poet in Keats' time. |
| C．It is likely that Keats rewrote his poem Isabella. |
| D．Keats' family must have been very poor when he was young. |
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