（1）American schools are looking for ways to save money on bustransportation because of high fuel prices. （2）Some schools, especially in rural areas, are changing to a four-day week. （3）That meanslonger days instead of the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.
Beginning in the fall of 2008，students in the Maccray schooldistrict in Minnesota will be in school Tuesday through Friday. Eachschool day will be sixty-five minutes longer. The district expects to " save about 65，000 dollars a year in transportation costs. The districthas about 700 students living in an area of 900 square kilometers.
In Custer, South Dakota, students have been going to schoolMonday through Thursday since 1995. The change has saved an estimated one million dollars over just the past eight years.
But he sees other benefits, too. Students get more instructionaltime. And activities that used to interfere with classes are now heldon non-school days.
In the future, the growth of online classes could make it possible to require even fewer days in school. High fuel prices are driving college students to take more online classes. And in somestates, high school students can take them, too.
In New Mexico, the first school district changed to a four-dayweek in 1974 because of the Arab oil boycott. Now, 17 out of 89districts use it.
A four-day school week sounds like a great idea for studentsand teachers because they are too tired. But working parents mayhave to pay for child care for that fifth day. The Lake Arthur SchoolDistrict has just 160 students. Lake Arthur used a four-day schedulefor twelve years. But a few years ago it went back to five days. The following sentences can be added in Paragraph 1 _________. More children may have to walk, ride their bikes or find otherways to get to school. But, as another effect of the high prices, they may not have to go to school as often.
| A．at the beginning of （1） | B．between （1） and （2） |
| C．between（2） and （3） | D．at the end of （3） |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that _________.
| A．students in the district will go to school four days a week be-sides Monday |
| B．the district will spend 65，000 dollars every year on transportation costs |
| C．students in the district will stay at school 260 minutes longerthan before |
| D．students in the district live near the school |
A four-day school week is a good idea because _________.
| A．the price of fuel is higher than before |
| B．there are so many students that the city streets are full of traffic |
| C．students and teachers are tired and students can get more instructional time |
| D．both A and C |
_________is carrying out a four-day schedule these days.
| A．The Lake Arthur School District |
| B．The Maccray school district in Minnesota |
| C．The school district in Custer, South Dakota |
| D．All the school districts in New Mexico |
Interactive Home-security Systems
Tarik Celebi, who lives in San Francisco suburb, takes his home-security system with him to work, to dinner, just about anywhere．By his cell phone, he "arms" his home-security alarm from his car before he leaves for work．During his workday, he gets e-mail alerts every time his front door opens, even though he's miles away．If the door opens at an unusual time ---say midday when no one should be coming or going --- he can order a 30-second video clip from the camera that watches the door．If it's just his mother-in-law getting a package delivery, no worries．
Celebi is one of the first users of the latest interactive home-security systems．In addition to sounding alarms when the house is broken into and notifying homeowners or police, as traditional systems do, the interactive systems give users new ways to remotely control their systems and their home environment．Different from traditional home-security alarms, which homeowners typically have to press buttons on a keypad to turn on before they leave their homes, the interactive systems enable consumers to arm and disarm systems from smart phones, iPads and PCs, no matter where they are．
Most traditional systems are set up to sound an alarm if doors or windows are opened． The interactive systems give homeowners more options．For example, users can elect when they want to be notified．They might want an e-mail or a text every time a door is opened, or only during the hours of 3 to 4 p．m．, when kids come home from school．Like Celebi, they can add cameras and get video clips when doors open．That could be helpful in making sure kids aren't bringing friends home when they're not supposed to．
Nationwide, about 20% of homes have traditional home-security systems．About half stop using them because they tire of the trouble．Being able to arm systems even while dashing to the subway or while at work will increase their usage of the new interactive systems．Although the new functions add costs to home security, the interactive-systems are believed to push home-security systems' usage rates closer to 30%, which would be a big movement for an industry that's been largely stuck at 20% for the past decade．"We all know it's going to get bigger, though we don't know how long it's going to take," Eric Taylor, an officer from San Francisco Security Department says．What may Celebi first do if his front door opens at a wrong time when he is away?
| A．Inform the police． | B．Call his mother-in-law． |
| C．Arm the security alarm． | D．Observe through video． |
The interactive systems enable the user to ______.
| A．improve his home environment remotely |
| B．lock his house's door while he is miles away |
| C．operate the home-security systems at any place |
| D．stop some friends of kids from entering automatically |
What's the advantage of the interactive systems over the traditional ones?
| A．They are cheaper. |
| B．They have more ways to inform the users. |
| C．They can give quicker reaction． |
| D．They are easier to set up. |
What is the last paragraph mainly about?
| A．The importance of security industry. |
| B．The functions of the interactive alarms. |
| C．The popularity of home-security systems. |
| D．The market potential of the interactive systems. |
One might expect that the ever-growing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holiday-makers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the long-term future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere, and every month another rock-bound Pacific island is advertised as the 'last paradise(天堂) on earth'.
However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of sea-side holidays, over-crowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests , full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holiday-makers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routesfor the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only the environment of a country can suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The one-time farmer is now the servant of some multi-national organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain ; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning world-wide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years’ time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.The example of Nepal is used to suggest _________ .
| A．its natural resources are untouched. |
| B．its forests are exploited for farmland |
| C．it develops well in health and education. |
| D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists. |
What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4 ?
| A．They are happy to work their own lands. |
| B．They have to please the tourists for a living. |
| C．They have to struggle for their independence. |
| D．They are proud of working in multi-national organizations. |
Which of the following determines the future of tourism ?
| A．The number of tourists |
| B．The improvement of services. |
| C．The promotion of new products. |
| D．The management of tourism |
The author’s attitude towards the development of the tourist industry is __________.
| A．optimistic | B．doubtful |
| C．objective | D．negative |
Moocs (massive open online courses) are free, but without tutoring, and are open to anyone, anywhere in the world. The courses are flexible – normally three to five hours of study a week – done at any time, short (5 to 10 weeks) and video-rich. They are also heavily dependent on crowd sourcing: you can discuss a course with fellow students through online forums, discussion boards and peer review. Students don't have to finish the courses, pass assessments or do assignments, but, if they do, they get a certification of participation.
The Open University launched FutureLearn, the UK's answer to US platforms such as Coursera, EdX and Udacity, which have been offering Moocs from top US universities for the past two years. The response has been incredible, with more than three million people registering worldwide. Meanwhile, in 2012, Edinburgh University became the first non-US institution to join Coursera's partnership, comprising 13 universities. “We already run 50 online master's degrees, so this was a logical expansion,” says Professor Jeff Haywood, Edinburgh's vice-principal. “It's an investment in teaching methods research. How am I going to teach introductory philosophy to 100,000 people? That's what I call educational R&D.” He adds “If you look ahead 10 years, you'd expect all students graduating to have taken some online courses, so you've got to research that. Our Moocs are no more in competition with our degrees than a lifelong learning course because they don't carry credits.”
Cooperation is key, Haywood stresses. It is far better to offer 20-30 courses in your own areas of expertise(专门技能) and let other institutions do likewise. Professor Mike Sharples, FutureLearn's academic lead, goes further: “We've tied the elements available before into a package of courses offered by leading universities worldwide on a new software platform, with a new way of promoting it and also a new social-learning teaching method. You won't just receive an exam, but be able to discuss and mark each other's assignments.”
Bath University, one of more than 20 universities working with FutureLearn, launches its first course, Inside Cancer, next January, and regards Moocs as a way of breaking down age barriers. "There's no reason why someone doing GCSEs should not look at our Moocs and get quite a way through them, or someone at PhD level and beyond," says Professor Bernie Morley, expert for learning and teaching.
Moocs have these features EXCEPT that_______.
| A．Moocs are free of charge for anyone |
| B．Moocs can be adjusted according to people’s learning pace |
| C．Moocs provide teachers’ instructions if you have some difficulty |
| D．Moocs have a platform for learns to share their learning experience |
What can be inferred from Professor Bernie Morley in the last paragraph?
| A．People with various learning levels will probably show interest in Moocs. |
| B．People at PhD level have already known everything about Moocs. |
| C．Inside Cancer will be the most popular course for someone doing GCSEs. |
| D．Moocs are not so competitive as lifelong learning courses due to the problems of credits. |
The passage mainly deals with _____.
| A．the various opinions on FutureLearn |
| B．the advantages of online teaching methods |
| C．the popularity of no-credit courses |
| D．the emergence of a new learning platform |
The movies just wouldn’t be the same without the warm buttery taste of popcorn. Amazingly, this delicious treat started its life as a corn kernel (玉米粒) , not just from any corn. Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico and spread to China, India and elsewhere. It is the only kind of corn that will pop. Today, most of the world’s popcorn is grown in the United States.
Every popcorn kernel contains a tiny drop of water，surrounded by soft starch (淀粉). When the popcorn is heated, the water turns into steam. This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel, forcing it to explode. The soft starch increases about 40 times in size as the corn kernel turns itself inside out.
In the 1500s popcorn was an important food source for the Aztec Indians of central and southern Mexico. But it wasn’t only food. It was also used in ceremonies or on red dresses and in necklaces. By the time the Europeans arrived in America，popcorn had spread through most of the American Indians.
Some early American settlers ate popcorn with cream and sugar for breakfast. But it wasn’t until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular. The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn. The first mobile popping machine was invented in 1885, and popcorn was sold by street sellers much like hot dogs that are sold today.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the popcorn business still thrived as people could still afford it. Then in the 1950s television arrived and popcorn consumption decreased. People stayed home and stopped going to the theatre. But the link between movies and popcorn had already existed. Soon people began making popcorn at home on the stove and, later，microwave popcorn was introduced. Today the movies have regained popularity and popcorn has once again become the favorite.Popcorn was first planted in________.
| A．China | B．America | C．India | D．Mexico |
Why does the corn kernel pop when heated?
| A．Because it is covered with soft starch. |
| B．Because the pressure inside is too big. |
| C．Because the starch becomes bigger in size. |
| D．Because there is water inside the kernel. |
We can know from the passage that________.
| A．popcorn began to be farmed in the late 1800s |
| B．popcorn was only a kind of food in the 1500s |
| C．hot dogs used to be sold by street sellers |
| D．people stop eating popcorn while watching movies now |
The underlined word “thrived” in the fifth paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．started to disappear | B．was seriously affected |
| C．suffered a lot | D．developed very well |
It's not quite a rat. Nor is it a squirrel, or a mouse. It's definitely a rodent (啮齿目动物), and it's also a brand-new family of mammals.
The locals of the Southeast Asian country of Laos call the creature a kha-nyou (ga-nyou). The kha-nyou have long body hair, short legs, and a hairy tail less thick than a squirrel's. They're vegetarians living in the rocky hills of Laos, and they come out at night, but for more information, you'll have to ask the Lao people.
"It was for sale on a table next to some vegetables. I knew immediately it was something I had never seen before," said Robert Timmins, a researcher for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Timmins was working in Laos to stop people from selling endangered animals when he spotted the species. Criminals who trade illegal wildlife can make a lot of money, but they also push the animals closer to disappearing from the planet.
The kha-nyou live in karsts, or rough rock. Mark Robinson, a scientist with the World Wildlife Foundation, set out with Lao villagers to find a few more of the rodents for study. They climbed onto a karst, trapped with rice, and caught several.
“To find something so unusual in this day and age is just extraordinary,” said Timmins. “For all we know, this could be the last remaining animal family left to be discovered.”
It’s a big deal to discover an entirely new family of animals. Humans, for instance, belong to the same family as great apes, chimpanzees, and gorillas. So even though kha-nyous look like rats, they’re really very different. The last time scientists discovered a new family of mammals may have been in the 1970s, when they found new bats in Thailand.
Timmins seems to have the gift for finding new animals in Laos—he discovered a new species of rabbit there in 1999.
Scientists call the kha-nyou Laonastes aenigmamus, which means “mysterious mouse that lives among the stones.”But if that's too hard, Timmins and Robinson suggest you call them “rock rats”.Which of the following is not the name for this new creature?
| A．Karsts. | B．Kha-nyou. |
| C．rock rats. | D．Laonastes aenigmamus. |
Which of the following cannot describe the new species of rodent?
| A．They live among the rocky hills of Laos. |
| B．They live on meat of other animals. |
| C．They look like rats but are of different kind. |
| D．They are of the latest discovery of a new species. |
Which of the following is the last discovery of new species of animal except the rodent?
| A．A new kind of bats. | B．Great apes. |
| C．A new kind of squirrel. | D．A new kind of rabbit. |
It implies in the passage that ______.
| A．finding a new animal family in Southeast Asia is easy |
| B．finding a new animal family in modern time is extremely rare |
| C．in Southeast Asia new species of animals are often discovered |
| D．animals that look like the same are of the same family |
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