When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations, she and her husband were overjoyed. So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister, Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally--the beauty and the star of the family--and felt happy about her achievements.
But since the baby's arrival, the sisters have become distant. Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby. Sally, who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a baby before."
Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite. Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister--and Sally doesn't like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competitions don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.
In a study of the University of Cincinnati, 65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings. In a few cases, these emotions were so strong as to have affected their entire lives.
Many adult brothers and sisters are close, supportive--yet still tend to compete. Two brothers I know turn into killers when on opposite sides of a tennis net. Off the court, they are the best of friends. My own younger sister can't wait to tell me when I've put on weight. However, she's a terrible cook and that pleases me; I tease her when she comes to dinner. Happily, despite these small failings, we have been an important resource for each other.
In between the very competitive and the generally supportive children lie those who say that no friendship should survive. Some brothers and sisters stay at arm's length, but never give upcompetition completely. Why do these puzzling, unproductive, often painful relationships continue to exist?When Joan's son was born, Sally .
| A．felt very happy | B．felt not delighted |
| C．moved away | D．admired her a lot |
What happens to children's desire to compete with their brothers and sisters?
| A．It sometimes will disappear when they grow up. |
| B．It will never disappear throughout life. |
| C．It will improve their relationships when they grow up. |
| D．It will never harm their relationships when they grow up. |
Why does the author's sister often tell her when she's put on weight?
| A．Because she wants the author to go on a diet. |
| B．Because she wants the author to stop calling her a bad cook. |
| C．Because she wants to make fun of the author's weight. |
| D．Because she wants to be honest with the author. |
The underlined sentence means that although some brothers and sisters .
| A．live near each other, they still have competitions |
| B．live away from each other, they stop their competitions |
| C．live together, they often think of ending their competitions |
| D．live within a big family, they often try to end their competitions |
You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going,how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to withstand almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book.They're known as the black box.
When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the device's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the device（装置） was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations,and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated ( 隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.In Paragraph 1，the author wants to say the black box_________.
| A．is an necessary device on an airplane |
| B．comes from a comic book |
| C．can prevent disasters |
| D．can control the function of an airplane |
From the black box on the Yemeni airliner_________could be found.
| A．the scene of the crash and the degree of the damage |
| B．the total number of passengers on board |
| C．data for analyzing the cause of the crash |
| D．homing signals sent by the pilot before the crash |
Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?
| A．New materials became available by that time. |
| B．The early models often got damaged in the crash. |
| C．Too much space was needed for its device. |
| D．The early models didn't provide the needed data. |
The black boxes were painted orange or yellow to_________.
| A．distinguish them from the colour of the plane. |
| B．warn people to handle them with care |
| C．make them easily identified. |
| D．obey the international standards. |
What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?
| A．There is still a good chance of their being recovered. |
| B．There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed. |
| C．They have stopped sending homing signals. |
| D．They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil. |
(RAMALLAH, West Bank) — Israel（以色列） freed 26 Palestinian（巴勒斯坦） prisoners early Wednesday, the second of four groups to be released as part of an agreement that started the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which had broken down since 2008. In all, 104 prisoners are to be released in four rounds over the coming months.
In the West Bank and Gaza（加沙）, the mood was overexcited as hundreds of Palestinians welcomed the prisoners back home, after many had spent more than 20 years behind bars.
Crowds of people rushed toward the 5 prisoners released to Gaza, raising them on their shoulders, waving Palestinian flags and dancing to music. Relatives held signs that read “we will never forget our heroes.” More than 2,000 people welcomed the 21 prisoners released to the West Bank, who were greeted at a ceremony by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
Hazem Shubair, thrown into prison in 1994 for the death of an Israeli according to the Israeli Prison Service, was over delighted upon his return to Gaza. “I am speechless,” he said. “Thanks to God. God is greater than the aggressors (meaning Israel)”.
Abbas said a final peace agreement with Israel was possible on the release of the prisoners. “There will be no final agreement without the release of all the prisoners,” he told the violent crowd.
Israel’s Supreme Court (最高法院) earlier refused an appeal that intended to cancel the prisoner release. An organization of bereaved (失去亲人的) families behind the appeal has said it fears the prisoners, all in connection to the deaths of Israelis, will return to violence once freed.Why did Israel free 26 Palestinian prisoners early Wednesday?
| A．Because they would take part in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. |
| B．Because that was part of an agreement between Israel and Palestinians. |
| C．Because the current Israeli-Palestinian peace talks failed. |
| D．Because the peace talks had broken down since 2008. |
How many Palestinian prisoners had been released by Wednesday?
| A．21 | B．26. | C．Over 26. | D．104. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Wednesday’s release was the whole part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. |
| B．The other 104 Palestinian prisoners will be freed in the coming months. |
| C．All the Palestinian prisoners were greeted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. |
| D．All the Palestinian prisoners were welcomed warmly. |
There will be no final peace agreement between Israel and Palestinians until______.
| A．all the Palestinian prisoners kept in Israeli prisons are set free |
| B．all the prisoners return to violence once again |
| C．God is greater than the aggressors |
| D．Palestinians welcome some prisoners back home |
From the last paragraph we know _______.
| A．Israel stopped to release the rest of the Palestinian prisoners |
| B．some Israelis didn’t agree to release the Palestinian prisoners |
| C．all the Israelis are in favor of setting the Palestinian prisoners free |
| D．the Palestinian prisoners will return to violence once freed |
The Internet of Things (IoT) aims to get everything and everyone talking. Attaching sensors to “things”, such as cows, cars and refrigerator, and then assigning them unique IP addresses allow them to “talk” to the Internet. Of course, the IoT will involve much more than a handful of sensors. Networking company Cisco estimates that 50 billion Internet-connected devices and objects will
be sending over data by 2020.
| Specific Benefits The IoT will allow people to track things and processes like never before. Airplane manufacturers will be able to continuously track the condition of airplane parts, allowing them to do preventive maintenance and avoid costly downtime. Consumers could install smart meters in their homes to monitor energy usage and observe energy price changes in real time. That would allow people to adjust their habits and use electrical appliances during lower-priced hours. |
| Some Fears Some critics fear that the IoT could end up being a fashion that people lose interest in over time. Having Twitter feeds on refrigerator doors may sound cool at first, but the attraction could fade as quickly as the excitement over last year’s smartphone! Other critics are doubtful that companies making Internet-connected appliances will provide long-term software updates. If that happens, a refrigerator or washing machine that should last 10 years or more could last two or three due to software that’s outdated. |
| A Positive Example Early this year, owners of the Tesla Model S electric car received a recall notice alerting them to a charger plug needing to be fixed. Amazingly, owners of the Model S sat back while the company performed an “over the air” wireless update. Customers confirmed the update by tapping on the car’s touchscreen console to see that the Model S was running the latest software version. No trip to the dealer was required! Perhaps Tesla’s remote fix is a sign of things to come. Someday soon, people’s lives might become a lot more efficient and convenient thanks to the IoT. |
How do researchers get everything and everyone talking?
| A．By establishing the IoT and launching a handful of sensors. |
| B．By connecting sensors with them and appointing them unique IP addresses. |
| C．By communicating with them all the time through the IoT. |
| D．By sending people to track them day and night and collect useful data. |
According to the article, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．IoT can help people do preventive maintenance and save money. |
| B．IoT can help people monitor energy usage and observe price changes timely. |
| C．IoT can help people adjust their habits and use electrical appliances more smartly. |
| D．IoT can help people investigate things and update a lot of important data. |
What else do critics worry about the IoT besides its probably ending up being a fashion?
| A．People will lose interest in it as quickly as the thrill over last year’s smartphone. |
| B．Refrigerators and washing machines will be replaced by other devices in a few years. |
| C．Whether related companies will provide long-term software updates or not. |
| D．The software provided by companies will be outdated easily and quickly. |
According to the passage, when owners of the Tesla Model S electric received a recall notice, they ______.
| A．just waited in the car while the maintenance is being done through wireless update |
| B．were required to go to the nearest 4s store to make some adjustments or repairs |
| C．could definitely depend on the IoT to send them the charger plug to be fixed |
| D．had to confirm the update with the help of the equipment provided by the company |
When I left home for college, I sought to escape the limited world of farmers, small towns, and country life. I long for the excitement of the city, for the fast pace that rural life lacked, for adventure beyond the horizon. I dreamed of exploring the city, living within a new culture and landscape, and becoming part of the pulse of an urban jungle.
Yet some of my best times were driving home, leaving the city behind and slipping back into the valley. As city life disappeared and traffic thinned, I could see the faces of the other drivers relax. Then, around a bend in the highway, the grassland of the valley would come into being, offering a view of gentle rolling hills. The land seemed permanent. I felt as if I had stepped back in time.
I took comfort in the stability of the valley. Driving through small farm communities, I imagined the founding families still rooted in their grand homes, generations working the same lands, neighbors remaining neighbors for generations. I allowed familiar farmhouse landmarks to guide me.
Close to home, I often turned off the main highway and took a different, getting familiar farms again and testing my memory. Friends lived in those houses. I had eaten meals and spent time there; I had worked on some of these farms, lending a hand during a peak harvest, helping a family friend for a day or two. The houses and lands looked the same, and I could picture the gentle faces and hear familiar voices as if little had been changed. As I eased into our driveway I’d returned to old ways, becoming a son once again, a child on the family farm. My feelings were honest and real. How I longed for a land where life stood still and my memories could be relived. When I left the farm for college, I could only return as visitor to the valley, a traveler looking for home.
Now the farm is once again my true home. I live in that farmhouse and work the permanent lands. My world may seem unchanged to casual observers, but they are wrong. I know this: if there’s a constant on these farms, it’s the constant of change.
The good observer will recognize the differences. A farmer replants an orchard (果园) with a new variety of peaches. Irrigation is added to block of old grapes, so I imagine the vineyard has a new owner. Occasionally the changes are clearly evident, like a FOR SALE sign. But I need to read the small print in order to make sure that a bank has taken possession of the farm. Most of the changes contain two stories. One is the physical change of the farm, the other involves the people on that land, the human story behind the change.
I’ve been back on the farm for a decade and still haven’t heard all the stories behind the changes around me. But once I add my stories to the landscape, I can call this place my home, a home that continues to evolve and changes as I add more and more of my stories.
A poet returns to the valley and says, “Little has changed in the valley, and how closed–minded you all are!” He comments about the lack of interest in sports, social and environmental issues in the poverty and inequality of our life. He was born and raised here, so he might have the right to criticize and lecture us. Yet he speaks for many who think they know the valley. How differently would others think of us if they knew the stories of a grape harvest in a wet year or a peach without a home?The most important reason why the writer wanted to move to the city is that_________.
| A．he did not want to work on the farm |
| B．he wanted to make new friends |
| C．he was eager for a different life there |
| D．there were more things to do there |
What made the writer relax as he drove from the city to the country?
| A．He could see for miles and miles. |
| B．The traffic moved more slowly. |
| C．The people he passed seemed to be calmer. |
| D．The land seemed familiar to him. |
When driving through the valley the writer was guided home by________ .
| A．familiar farmhouses which left him a good memory |
| B．houses that had sheltered generations of the same family |
| C．land that had been worked by a family for generations |
| D．large farms which stretched out right before him. |
When he was in college, why was the writer sad when he returned to his family home?
| A．He remembered how hard he used to work. |
| B．He realized that he was only a visitor. |
| C．He recognized the old housed and land. |
| D．He remembered his next door neighbors. |
Which of the following most likely indicates that there is a sad human story behind a physical change on the farm?
| A．A new variety of peach is being planted. |
| B．Irrigation is being added to a grape operation. |
| C．A piece of land is being sold by a bank. |
| D．A farm is being sold to a large corporation. |
The fact that most upsets the writer with the poet is that________.
| A．the poet prefers to live in the urban area |
| B．the poet thinks that the folk people are backward |
| C．the poet says that little has changed in the valley |
| D．the poet’s criticism and comments are not objective |
Boy’s schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity(阳刚) , the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to agree with a stereotype, a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to agree with the “boy code”of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.
The report, presented at a conference of the International Boys’Schools Coalition in London attended by the heads of private and state schools, goes against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls. Tony little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their females peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boy’s learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia. Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused”approaches such as themes and characters that interest them. Because boys generally have more acute(sharp)vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on”lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine(女性的)and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes” James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to agree with a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships, “In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means.” The study reported.In the eyes of the author, a single-sex school would__________.
| A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real man” |
| B．help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys |
| C．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely |
| D．naturally stress in boys the traditional image of a man |
The phrase “received wisdom” (paragraph 3) is most likely to mean____________.
| A．better education | B．common belief |
| C．good behavior | D．strong responsibility |
What does Tony Little think of the British education system?
| A．It fails more boys than girls thoroughly |
| B．It makes boys more emotional than girls |
| C．It fails to give boys the attention they need |
| D．It focuses more on mixed school education |
Which is one of the advantages of single-sex schools according to Abigail James?
| A．Teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys |
| B．Boys can focus on their lessons without being disturbed |
| C．Boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in |
| D．Teaching can be designed to promote boy’s team spirit |
According to Abigail James’s report, which of the following is characteristic of boys?
| A．They enjoy being in charge and master |
| B．They love to be greatly encouraged |
| C．They are violent and sexist |
| D．They have sharper vision |
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