“Indeed,” George Washington wrote in his diary in 1785, “some kind of fly, or bug, had begun to eat the leaves before I left home.” But the father of America was not the father of bug. When Washington wrote that, Englishmen had been referring to insects as bugs for more than a century, and Americans had already created lightning-bug(萤火虫). But the English were soon to stop using the bugs in their language, leaving it to the Americans to call a bug a bug in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The American bug could also be a person, referring to someone who was crazy about a particular activity. Although fan became the usual term, sports fans used to be called racing bugs, baseball bugs, and the like.
Or the bug could be a small machine or object, for example, a bug-shaped car. The bug could also be a burglar alarm, from which comes the expression to bug, that is, “to install (安装) an alarm”. Now it means a small piece of equipment that people use for listening secretly to others’ conversation. Since the 1840s, to bug has long meant “to cheat”, and since the 1940s it has been annoying.
We also know the bug as a flaw in a computer program or other design. That meaning dates back to the time of Thomas Edison. In 1878 he explained bugs as “little problems and difficulties” that required months of study and labor to overcome in developing a successful product. In 1889 it was recorded that Edison “had been up the two previous nights discovering ‘a bug’ in his invented record player.”We learn from Paragraph 1 that ________.
| A．Americans had difficulty in learning to use the word bug |
| B．George Washington was the first person to call an insect a bug |
| C．the word bug was still popularly used in English in the nineteenth century |
| D．both Englishman and Americans used the word bug in the eighteenth century |
What does the word “flaw” in the last paragraph probably mean
| A．explanation. | B．finding. | C．origin. | D．fault. |
The passage is mainly concerned with________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the word bug |
| B．the development of the word bug |
| C．the public views of the word bug |
| D．the special characteristics of the word bug |
Do you like seahorses? What do you know about them?
The seahorse is actually not a horse but a fish, and much smaller than any regular horse. In general, a seahorse is about an inch long. It is a beautiful fish that likes warm waters, swims upright (直立的), and looks a little like a chess piece.
Seahorses are an unusual kind of animal because the males (雄性) give birth to babies. Mating (交配) takes place in cooler waters on spring and summer nights with a full moon. The females (雌性) put their eggs into the bodies of the males, and the males give birth to baby seahorses.
The seahorse can use each eye separately, which allows it to search for food without moving the rest of its body. Seahorses situate themselves near deep, fast-running channels rich in plankton, a kind of life on which they feed. They can catch food from an inch and a half away. Seahorses can change from gray or black to yellow or purple within seconds to fit in with their surroundings, and in this way escape from most of their enemies.
One of the surprising facts about seahorses for most people is that they are vertebrates (脊椎动物). They can turn and curl freely, and like to swim in pairs connected by their tails. Their tails are powerful, and they can use them to grasp the surrounding seaweed (海藻) to keep themselves from being swept away. So seahorses are usually found in warm water filled with seaweed.
Now that you know all these facts about seahorses, don’t you find them more interesting? We can learn from the passage that seahorses _______.
| A．are beautiful, and live on seaweed |
| B．are as big as regular horses |
| C．live near deep channels |
| D．like to be alone |
The third paragraph tells us that _______.
| A．male seahorses lay eggs |
| B．seahorses mate in spring or autumn |
| C．male seahorses give birth to babies |
| D．seahorses mate in warmer waters at night |
Which of the following protects seahorses from being eaten by their enemies?
| A．Their fast speed of swimming. |
| B．Their ability to change colours. |
| C．Their unique eyes. |
| D．Their strong tails. |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word "grasp"?
| A．Eat. | B．Hold. | C．Make. | D．Handle. |
The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day. From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
| A．the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere |
| B．most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music |
| C．fast food spreads from Spain to the United States |
| D．some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills |
What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?
| A．American novels. | B．Hollywood movies. |
| C．McDonald’s. | D．American music. |
Why did the government set some rules for the films shown in Spain?
| A．To protect foreign culture in Spain. |
| B．To earn more money from Spanish films. |
| C．To limit the number of foreign movies. |
| D．To unite the European Community. |
What do you think Spanish tapas might be?
| A．The name of a drink. | B．The name of a restaurant. |
| C．A clothing brand. | D．A certain kind of food. |
Actress Hayden Panettiere recently got into trouble with Japanese fishermen as she tried to stop them from killing dolphins.
The 18-year-old star with some other surfers sailed out to reach the dolphins in order to stop them from being driven into a nearby pool and killed, but the six surfers, from Australia and the United States, were stopped by a fishing boat before they could reach them. The fishermen blocked their way with a boathook (钩篙). It was an ugly, unfriendly and life-threatening struggle before the surfers were forced to return to the beach. It is believed that the dolphins were later taken into a pool and killed.
Panettiere, who is a brave surfer and loyal animal protector, made up her mind to save the dolphins of Japan and said, "It was really frightening. Some of us were hit by the boathook, but in the end all we were really worried about the dolphins. It was so sad. We were so close to them and they were jumping out of the water to see us." Breaking down in tears, she added, "One little baby dolphin stuck his head out and looked at me and the thought that it’s no longer with us is really hard to take."
The surfers left the country to avoid arrest (逮捕) by the Japanese police. Panettiere is now back in Los Angeles.
More than 22,000 dolphins are killed by fishermen in Japan every year. Many Japanese believe dolphins should be treated like fish. They have been hunting dolphins for centuries and see any criticism (批评) of this as an attack on their culture. Why did the surfers get into trouble with the fishermen in Japan?
| A．They said something that hurt the fishermen. |
| B．They entered a pool which wasn’t allowed to go into. |
| C．They attacked Japanese culture. |
| D．They tried to stop the fishermen from killing the dolphins. |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that Panettiere ________.
| A．was really frightened and sad |
| B．succeeded in saving the dolphins |
| C．cried when they were hit by the boathook |
| D．didn’t like the Japanese fishermen |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．What Happened While Surfing in Japan |
| B．Hayden Panettiere Cried in the Sea of Japan |
| C．People Worldwide Are Against Killing Dolphins |
| D．Protect the Wild Animals |
A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house，the same house I grew up in，I had a sudden，scary realization．When my parents bought the house，in 1982，they were only two years older than I am now．I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later．
It seemed ridiculous．On a practical level，there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon．More importantly，I wouldn’t want to．I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years，or what kind of job I’ll have．And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place．
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents．When our parents were our age，they’d got their education，chosen a career，and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives．
My friends and I--“Generation Y”--still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives．Whatever we end up doing，we want to make sure we’re happy doing it．We’d rather take risks first，try out different jobs，and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place．We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account．
This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”(自大的), “impatient”, and “overprotected”．Some of these complaints have a point．As children, we were encouraged to succeed in school，but also to have fun．We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cell phones，the Internet，instant messaging，and video games．
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.When the author walked through her parents’ house，she _______.
| A．had no idea what she wanted from life |
| B．realized I should buy a house |
| C．started to think about her own life |
| D．wondered why her parents had settled down early |
What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?
| A．Their attitude toward responsibility． |
| B．Their ways of making their way to the top． |
| C．Their ways of gaining experience． |
| D．Their attitude towards high technology． |
Which of the following might the author agree with?
| A．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier． |
| B． It’s all right to try more before settling down． |
| C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically． |
| D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”. |
What is the main theme of the article?
| A．The sudden realization of growing up. |
| B．Criticisms of the young generation. |
| C．A comparison between lifestyles of generations. |
| D．The factors that have changed the young generation. |
You have some great ideas. But they don’t come out because of what your friends say or because you think that only a few people can be creative geniuses(天才). And, you, of course, think that you couldn’t be one of them. But actually, this is not true at all.
Anyone who is a creative genius will tell you that creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be developed. If you don’t learn how to develop creative thinking, this skill, just like a muscle, will become poor and useless. On the other hand, keep working at it, and this skill will soon be ready for action whenever you need it. So how do you develop your own personal style of creative thinking?
You should realize that your brain has a greater capacity (容量) and a higher speed than the world’s biggest and fastest computer. So it’s important to get as much information as you can every day. Read, watch and listen to everything around you —good and bad. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know, and the more your brain will be exercised.
Try something new every day and let your experiences show you more about the world and people around you. You need to step out of your comfort zone (舒适地带) more and more each day.
Follow these suggestions, and begin thinking beyond your "limits" from today. You’ll soon have a life full of interesting and exciting adventures. Who knows, your idea might be the next great idea to change the world.Most people can’t be creative geniuses because they _______.
| A．don’t have great ideas |
| B．don’t want to develop their ideas |
| C．are too shy to talk about their ideas |
| D．don’t believe they can be |
The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph means ________.
| A．creative thinking | B．the muscle | C．personal style | D．great capacity |
What do we learn from the passage?
| A．No computer can store as much information as human’s brain. |
| B．It is not necessary to remember everything around you. |
| C．Try something new, as long as you are comfortable with it. |
| D．It is harder to exercise the brain than the muscles |
The passage is intended to tell readers _________.
| A．how they can learn from creative geniuses |
| B．about ways to develop their creative thinking |
| C．about the importance of exercising the muscles |
| D．the reasons why they can’t be creative geniuses |
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