If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meanings of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.
As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?
| A．Reading and listening. | B．Reading and writing. |
| C．Writing and speaking. | D．Speaking and listening. |
The underlined phrase "come across" in Paragraph 2 can probably be replaced by "_______".
| A．discover | B．meet by accident |
| C．find on purpose | D．look for |
The author seems to agree with the view that_______.
| A．everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day |
| B．you needn't practice listening if you keep on reading every day |
| C．being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening |
| D．you should take notes of whatever you are hearing |
The passage is mainly about how to_______.
| A．choose suitable listening materials |
| B．deal with new words in reading |
| C．improve your English as quickly as possible |
| D．become fluent in speaking and writing English |
Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices． The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone． Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security．
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks． This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it． Law enforcement（执法） agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data． And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information．
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices． They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information． The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded （上传） to any computer that the device is connected to． The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer．
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns． There’s the idea tha
t because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications（恶意程序） that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it．”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”． It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cellphone towers near the user’s location． This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed．
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google． The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems． Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws． He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it． And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?
| A．Because the systems can store users’ information |
| B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them． |
| C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy． |
| D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems． |
Allan Friedman believes that ________．
A．wireless compa nies focus on personal privacy． |
| B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will |
| C．phone companies may sell private information secretly |
| D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking |
What do we know from Paragraph 3?
| A． Location tracking information is stored online． |
| B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information． |
| C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone． |
| D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users． |
| B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems． |
| C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications． |
| D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information． |
It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery． Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey． There were no Christmas carolers （唱颂歌的人） walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up （用木板封住的） houses and broken windows． Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets． It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place．
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit． Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door． In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner． Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door． She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair． She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years．
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled． "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in． The children climbed around, wearing only diapers （尿布）． There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet． There was no Christmas tree or decorations． My heart sank． It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family． We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand．
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying． "We are just getting by．" I opened my arms and gave her a hug．
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door． I realized how warm I felt inside．
This was 
unlike anything I had ever experienced． We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other．From Paragraph 1, we can infer that Camden may be a place where ________．
| A．the living conditions were terrible | B．people had no belief |
C．there was no sign of  life |
D．little sunshine was received |
What impression did the woman leave on the author?
| A．She was shy and cold to visitors． | B．She was confident and energetic． |
| C．She wasn't good at dressing herself up． | D．She looked much older than her age． |
By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant __________．
| A．they were waiting for help | B．they were looking for food and clothing |
| C．they were going to move away | D．they were living a very poor life |
The passage mainly tells us that _______________．
| A．the poor can also help others | B．assisting the poor needs actions |
| C．people should help each other | D．having more children causes poverty |
As the population of the planet increases, so does the number of homes, businesses, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted. Humans demand these lights. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets sage. The problem is that researchers are finding that all the light is having a negative effect on humans and wildlife as well.
Less than 10 years ago I drove to a thinly populated section of my town, lay down in the middle of the road and watched an attracted meteor shower(流星雨). The area was short of homes, street lights and traffic. If I did that today, I wouldn’t be able to see the meteor shower as well, and I would surely be run over by a car.
Nowadays scientists are finding light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide pollution. If you’ve ever taken a flight at night, the view is beautiful, but you must remember that all the light you see is wasted electricity. The crew of the space shuttles see an even bigger picture of ho
w extensive the wasted electricity is worldwide.
Additionally, electricity needs to be generated, and the generation of electricity creates pollution by giving off greenhouse gases. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life.
Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lighted buildings, as they become puzzled by the light. It has been long known that tiny sea turtle hatchlings become lost and follow lights on the shore instead of heading towards the sea.
Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative effect. Following some guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution. The author tells the story in the second paragraph mainly to _________.
| A．remember the past beauty of the town. |
| B．stress the advantages of less pollution |
| C．show the great changes of the town |
D．prove the bad effects of li ght pollution |
In the passage the author advises people _________.
| A．to try to reduce unnecessary light. |
| B．not to ignore the beauty around. |
| C．to set proper light for animals |
| D．not to destroy the animal’s living conditions. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Light pollution is difficult to deal with. |
| B．Light pollution is a threat to some animals. |
| C．Light pollution has nothing to do with global warming |
| D．Astronauts can’t see clearly in space due to light pollution. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph which follows the last par
agraph?
| A．The author’s contribution to light pollution |
| B．Other sources of light pollution |
| C．Ways of reducing light pollution |
| D．More bad effects of light pollution |
RINGSTEAD B
AY, DORSET
A picturesque 210 ft crescent (弦月状) of pebbles with clean water--- that’s a perfect escape from some of the busier beaches around Weymouth. You reach it by passing through the village of Upton, then along a narrow country road. Next to the car park is a well-stocked shop. The cliffs behind RINGSTEAD Bay are an excellent place for fossil hunting.
Accommodation: Glenburn Hotel (01305 832318, www. Glenburnhotel.com) with doubles from ￡79 including breakfast.
BRANSCOMBE, DEVON
Lying on the East Devon Heritage Coast, Branscombe has good facilities with t
oilets and a car park close to the beach, as well as a small picnic area. A well-stocked shop sells the most attractive dairy ice cream. Next to the shop is the Sea Shanty restaurant—open every day until 5 pm during the summer.
Accommodation: The Mason’s Arms, Branscombe Village (01297 680300, www. Masonsarms. Co.uk) with doubles from ￡65 pp with breakfast.Which beach is the most wonderful place for summer bathing?
| A．COMPTON BAY. | B．BRANSCOMEBE. |
| C．KINGSGATE BAY. | D．RINGSTEAD BAY. |
If you want to know more information about Fayreness Hotel, you’d better refer to the following website_____________.
| A．www. Masonsarms. co. uk | B．www. Fayreness. Com |
| C．www. Glenburnhotel.com | D．www. Sandpipershotel.com |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract more tourists. |
| B．To describe some beautiful beaches. |
| C．To tell us the most beautiful places in UK are beaches. |
| D．To tell us where to spend summer. |
Andrew Carneigie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted partly from his ability to sell the product and partly from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments. Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. “He who dies rich, dies disgraced”, he often said. Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie-Mellon University. Other philanthropic(慈善的) gifts are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts. Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today.The author quoted(引述) “he who dies rich, dies disgraced” in the passage to show______.
| A．He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. |
| B．He opposed charity. |
| C．The wealthy die from their fortunes |
| D．The wealthy die from not contributing to society. |
Carnegie’s success includes following aspects EXCEPT_____.
| A．his policy of expanding. |
| B．his ability to sell the product |
| C．his ability to produce the product |
| D．his hard work |
Which of the following may NOT be philanthropic gifts to society according to the passage?____
| A．the Carnegie Institute of Washington. |
| B．the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. |
| C．the steel industry. |
| D．the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. |
What is the meaning of “Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity.” in the passage?________
| A．Few Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
| B．Many Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
C．we all enjoy Andrew Carnegie’s generosity today. |
| D．Many Americans were given Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号