When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.
Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.
As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.
Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.
What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.
41. What motivated the author to start her writing career?
| A． |
Her strong wish to share. |
| B． |
Her keen interest in writing. |
| C． |
Her urgent need to make a living. |
| D． |
Her passionate desire for fame. |
42. What problem did the author face when she decided to begin her writing?
| A． |
She was too exhausted to write after a busy day. |
| B． |
She had trouble in deciding on her writing style. |
| C． |
She had to take time to discipline her daughter. |
| D． |
She was unsure about her writing skills. |
43. Why did the author place an alarm clock in the hallway?
| A． |
In case the clock in her room broke down. |
| B． |
In case she failed to hear the ringing. |
| C． |
To force herself out of bed. |
| D． |
To wake up her family. |
44. How did the author manage to finish her novel?
| A． |
By sticking to writing every morning. |
| B． |
By writing when her mind was most active. |
| C． |
By drawing inspirations from classic novels. |
| D． |
By reducing her teaching hours at school. |
45. What can we learn from the author's success in her writing career?
| A． |
It is never too late to change your job. |
| B． |
Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time. |
| C． |
A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action. |
| D． |
Daily life provides ideas for creative writing. |
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http://www.Shaklee. net/ lifestyle—for—heath/productsThis passage is mainly about .
| A．how people should keep fit | B．a healthy diet program |
| C．why people should keep fit | D．ways to lose weight |
The underlined phrase “lose inches” in the passage means .
| A．become shorter | B．become taller |
| C．become fatter | D．become thinner |
According to this passage, all of the following are true except that .
| A．this program makes a change in your lifestyle |
| B．this program can stop you from feeling hungry all the time |
| C．this program allows you 1,700 to 2,000 calories for each meal |
| D．this program tries to tell us what people should do to become slim |
If you click “ http://www.Shaklee. net/ lifestyle—for—heath/products ”you may read
| A．some other programs | B．the content of this program |
| C．some interesting foods | D．some products you can buy |
Attention deficit（不足）hyperactivity（活动过度）disorder is known by the letters A．D．H D．Children with A．D．H．D．might have trouble paying attention．They might not seem to listen and might forget things．They might not be able to stay seated or play quietly．They might talk too much and act and speak without thinking about the results of their behavior．These are among the signs named on the web site of America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention．
Doctors usually identify the disorder in children．But experts say the behaviors often last into adulthood．Researchers have been looking for the cause or causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder．Now, a brain-imaging study offers more evidence that could lead to new ways to treat it．Researchers say they observed shortages in the brain's reward system in patients with A．D．H．D．The study found that levels of some proteins were lower than normal．Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says the lack of attention and self –control that mark A.B.H.D. could be caused by problem in the flow of dopamine（多巴胺）. She says people might have difficulty completing an activity if they cannot expect some kind of reward in return. Researchers studied the pathways on which dopamine travels and A.D.H.D. Doctor Volkow says the researchers then compared the pathways to those of 44 adults without the disorder. “There was a lower concentration of dopamine markers in the brain of individuals with A.D.H.D., specifically in the areas of the brain that are involved with reward and motivation. And the dopamine levels were directly linked to the severity, of the patient’s inattention she says.”
The study used brain images taken at Brookhaven National Laboratory in new York State. Gene-Jack Wang is chairman of the Brookdhaven medical department. He says the finding might also help explain why people with A.D.H.D.
are more likely to abuse drugs or overeat. He says they might be attempting to increase their dopamine levels to make up for the deficits in their reward system.
| Title |
●The finding of |
| The |
●They are lacking in ●Perhaps they don’t seem to listen. ●Perhaps they are ●Perhaps they can’t sit for ●They might talk too much and act and speak without |
| The |
●patients with A.D.H.D are ●Levels of some proteins are lower than normal. ●Levels of dopamine are |
| Reasons of abusing Drugs |
●They are trying to |
In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English -- and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US' s Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany' s University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype (雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. "It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without distu
rbing the person next to you," Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe (转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display (LCD) screen.
Then there' s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes (电极) capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted (植入) in a person' s face, according to research
ers.
During a demonstration (演示) held last Thursday in CMU' s Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed -- without speaking aloud -- a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: "Let me introduce our new prototype".
This particular gadget (器械), when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, "to switch your mouth to a foreign language". "The idea behind the university' s prototypes is to create 'good enough' bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world," Waibel said.
With spontaneous (自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there. What kind of prototype did the Chinese student named Stan Jou try?
| A．Lecture Translation. | B．Translation Glasses. |
| C．Muscle Translator. | D．We don' t know. |
What is the purpose of inventing the translators?
| A．To help students to learn English. |
| B．To help people to watch foreign TV programs. |
| C．To help people travel in foreign countries. |
| D．To promote cultural exchanges between countries. |
What is the best title of this text?
| A．Speak different languages at the same time? |
| B．Flow to learn to speak foreign languages? |
| C．New ways to learn foreign languages |
D．You' r e welcome to learn foreign languages |
Books are not Nadia Konyk's thing. Her mother brings them home from the library, but Nadia rarely shows interest. Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet. She regularly spends at least six hours a day in front of the computer, spending most of her time reading and commenting on stories written by other users. Her mother, Deborah Konyk, would prefer that Nadia read books for a change.
As teenagers' scores on reading tests have declined, some argue that the hours spent surfing the Internet are the enemy of reading—destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. Critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading.
Others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write. What is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web engages viewers with text.
Web supporters believe that strong readers on the Web may eventually surpass those who rely on books. Reading five Web sites, experts say, can be more enriching than reading one book. "It takes a long time to read a 400-page book," said Spiro. "In a tenth of the time," he said, the Internet allows a reader to "cover a lot more of the topic from different points of view."
Some literacy experts say that reading itself should be redefined. Interpreting videos or pictures, they say, may be as important a skill as analyzing a novel or a poem. "Kids are using sound and images so they have a world of ideas to put together," said Donna Alvermann, a professor of literacy education at the University of Georgia. "Books aren't out of the picture, but they're only one way of experiencing information in the world today."
Next year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gives reading, math and science tests to 15-year-old students in more than 50 countries, will add an electronic reading component（软件）. The United States says it will not participate because an additional test would overburden schools.Why are books not the thing of Nadia Konyk?
A．She does reading  mainly through electronic media. |
| B．Her mother doesn’t provide her with enough books. |
| C．She has become addicted to playing games on the web. |
D．Like many youngsters, she has lost interest in reading. |
How many hours does Nadia spend in front of the computer in a week?
| A．Exactly forty-two hours | B．Usually fifty hours  |
C．More than forty hours | D．At most thirty-six hours |
Which of the following statements is correct according to the passage?
| A．To search for information on the web engages viewers without text. |
B．To explain videos is a technique more importa nt than analyzing a novel. |
| C．Children using sound and images may lose their interest in movies. |
| D．People reading well online may surpass those who rely on books. |
Why did the US refuse to participate in the tests with an added electronic reading component? It is because ______.
| A．the teachers and students considered it useless |
| B．such a test would give schools more extra work |
| C．they thought reading was the only way to get information |
| D．none of them showed interest in such an additional test |
Our boat floated on between walls of forest. It was too thick to allow us a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must from time to time be passing through chains of hills which crossed the jungle plains. Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed: where the jungle did not actually spread right down into the river, banks of soft mud prevented us form going ashore. In any case, what would we have gained by landing? The country was full of snakes and other dangerous creatures an
d the jungle was so thick that one would be able to advance slowly, cutting one’s way with knives the whole way. So we stayed in the boat, hoping that when we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman would pick us up and take us to civilization.
As for water, there was a choice. We could drink the muddy river water, o
r die of thirst. We drank the water. Men who have just escaped from what appeared to be certain death lost all worries about such small things as diseases caused by dirty water. In fact, none of us suffered from any illness as a result.
One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw us. We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time: we might not be so lucky as to escape in a stolen boat again. It can be inferred from the passage that the only thing they could see in a boat was _______.
| A．walls | B．chains of hills | C．tall trees | D．vast land |
From the passage, we can learn that _______.
A．the country wa s a civilized society |
B．the country was a tropical jungle country |
| C．they found a place where they could land | D．they were on a journey home |
According to the passage, what happened to the people in the boat at last?
| A．They were arrested. | B．They manage d to escape to safety. |
C．They were saved by some villagers | D．The passage doesn’t mention it. |
The best title for this passage might be _______.
| A．The Problem of Landing | B．An Adventure |
| C．An Entirely New Experience | D．Escape |
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