Technology is the application(应用) of knowledge to production. Thanks to modern technology, we have been able to increase greatly the efficiency of our work force. New machines and new methods have helped cut down time and expense while increasing overall output. This has meant more production and a higher standard of living. For most of us in America, modern technology is thought of as the reason why we can have cars and television sets. However, technology has also increased the amount of food available to us, by means of modern farming machinery and animal breeding techniques, and has extended our life span via(通过) medical technology.
Will mankind continue to live longer and have a higher quality of life? In large measure the answer depends on technology and our ability to use it widely. If we keep making progress as we have over the past fifty years, the answer is definitely yes. The advancement of technology depends upon research and development, and the latest statistics(统计) show that the United States is continuing to pump billions of dollars annually(每年) into such efforts. So while we are running out of some scarce resources(少的资源) we may well find technological substitutes(代用品)for many of them through our research programs.
Therefore, in the final analysis the three major factors of production(land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology. When we need new skills, on techniques in medicine, people will start developing new technology to meet those needs. As equipment proves to be slow or inefficient, new machines will be invented. Technology responds to our needs in helping us maintain our standard of living.
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The definition of technology B. Modern technology
C. The application of technology D. The development of technology
2. Which is the main idea of the passage?
A. Modern technology is the key to the improvement of standard of living.
B. The three major factors of production (land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology.
C. Technology is the response to our needs.
D. The United States is making great efforts to advance its technology.
3. According to the passage, people can live a long life with the help of _______.
A. higher quality of life B. medical technology
C. modern farming machinery D. technological substitute
Since the beginning of time never has there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my mouth． None that came before, none that live today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and think exactly like me． I’m a unique creature．
Vain attempts to imitate others no longer will I make． Instead will I place my uniqueness on display in the market place． I will begin now to highlight my differences; hide my similarities．
I am rare, and therefore I am valuable． I am the end product of thousands of years of evolution; therefore, I am better equipped in both mind and body than all the emperors and wise men before me．
But my skills, my mind, my heart, and my body will weaken, rot, and die for fear that I put them to good use． I have unlimited potential． Only a tiny part of my brain do I employ; only a small amount of my muscle do I apply．
So never again will I be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments nor will I lose myself, anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge． I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will． I am not on this earth by chance． I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand． Henceforth(从今往后) will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy．
I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell． I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I speak to multiply my sales, for this is the foundation on which I will build my career． Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracteD．
I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life that all my problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise． I am nature’s greatest miracle． And nature knows not defeat． Eventually, she achieves victory and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult．It can be inferred from the text that the author is most probably a(n) _________．
| A．robot |
| B．soldier |
| C．salesman |
| D．athlete |
Which of the following can best describe the author’s character?
| A．Intelligent, calm and content． |
| B．Confident, modest and realistic． |
| C．Independent, cold and aggressive． |
| D．Ambitious, confident and optimistic． |
According to the text, which of the following is fundamental to the author’s career building?
| A．Knowledge of mankind． |
| B．Speaking skills． |
| C．Prediction of the market． |
| D．sense of victory． |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Nature’s greatest miracle |
| B．The power of being different |
| C．The great secret of life |
| D．Great opportunities in disguise |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Chinese female scientist Tu Youyou won the 2015 Nobel Prize in medicine on October 5 for her discoveries concerning a novel treatment against Malaria（疟疾）． This is the first Nobel Prize given to a Chinese scientist for work carried out within ChinA．
Tu shared the prize with Irish-born William Campbell and Satoshi Omura of Japan, who were honored for their revolutionary anti-roundworm treatment． 84-year-old Tu is awarded this prize for her contribution to cutting the death rate of malaria, reducing patients’ suffering and promoting mankind’s health． Although she received several medical awards in the past, the 2015 Nobel Prize is definitely the most privilege reward that recognizes Tu’s dedication and perseverance in discovering artemisinin（青蒿素）, the key drug that battles malaria-friendly parasites（寄生虫）．
However, her route to the honor has been anything but traditional． She won the Nobel Prize for medicine, but she doesn’t have a medical degree or a Phd． In China, she is even being called the “three-noes” winner: no medical degree, no doctorate, and she’s never worked overseas． No wonder her success has stirred China’s national pride and helped promote confidence of native Chinese scientists．
The fact that Tu has none of these three backgrounds reminds us that science should be more accessible to all． One shall be able to become a scientist no matter what kind of background he or she comes from, as long as one dives into scientific research． There have been discussions on people who really love science but are never able to achieve much during their whole life． Their contributions can never be ignored． They work so hard to prove the wrong way so that the future researchers will be closer to the right one．
As the first Chinese mainland Nobel Prize Winner of natural science award, Tu’s record-breaking winning also serves as a reminder to those who are too eager for instant success． Science is never about instant success． Tu spent decades on scientific research before its value is officially acknowledged． There is no way to measure how much one devotes to science and compare it with how much reward he or she may get．It can be concluded from the text that __________．
| A．Tu worked home and abroad to conduct her research |
| B．Tu got the Nobel Prize for her anti-roundworm treatment |
| C．The Nobel Prize is the first award to recognize her work |
| D．Her discovery of artemisinin has helped to cut Malaria death rate |
The author seems to agree that a person who is more likely to become a scientist is the one with__________．
| A．a sense of national pride |
| B．relevant academic knowledge |
| C．a desire to achieve success |
| D．enthusiasm for scientific research |
In writing the passage, the author intends to ___________．
| A．inform readers of the news and make comments |
| B．discourage the pursuit of instant success in science |
| C．remind readers of the principles of scientific research |
| D．praise the award winner and encourage scientific research |
Beaches are not only great for lying on and doing water sports, and in fact one of the best ways of enjoying them is a classic beach walk．Here at iWantSun．Co．Uk, we’ve been searching the globe to find you the world’s best and most glorious beach walks, and here’s our pick of the top．
The Footpath of the Gods, Amalfi Coast, Italy
The name says it all really and you truly do feel up there to walking along this wonderful mountain coastal path, which offers some of the most striking views on the planet．The path begins at town of Bomerano to charming Positano along the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Amalfi Coast．The whole walk will take you approximately four and a half hours to complete and pass over narrow rocky paths, past sheer cliffs and shining blue bays．
Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk, Australia
Sydney’s coastline is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the worlD． Here you have national parks, historic sites, steep cliffs, sparkling beaches and quiet bays all in one place．Sydney’s Great Walk runs all the way from Barrenjoey in the north to Royal National Park in the south and takes an incredible seven days to complete．However, if you’re not up to doing the full walk, then there are many different parts of the walk that you can do right in the city．Walking from the city’s famous Bondi Beach to the sweeping curve of Bronte Beach takes just an hour, which takes in some top scenery．
Great Ocean Walk, Australia
The Great Ocean Walk stretches 104 km along Victoria’s famous Great Ocean Road, located on the southern coast of Australia, from the resort town Apollo Bay to the magnificent Twelve Apostles．The Twelve Apostles are the area’s famous stone landmarks which stand out like giants from the seA． The walk passes through a range of landscapes and sights, from national parks, famous surfing spots and deserted beaches, to wild coastlines, cascading waterfalls, lush forests, historic lighthouses and ghostly shipwrecks．Day walks and shorter three-hour walks such as the Wreck Beach Walk or the Lighthouse Cemetery and Lookout Walk can also be enjoyeD．
So next time when you’re looking for a beach holiday don’t just think about the resorts and the sand, but consider a more active sun holiday, discovering some of the best beaches in the worlD．The author intends to tell us ____________．
| A．the wonderful beaches in the world |
| B．the world’s best places for beach walks |
| C．the beautiful beaches in Australia |
| D．the ideal tourism resort for health |
When you arrive at the Amalfi Coast _______________．
| A．you will be fascinated by the scenery |
| B．you must be fed up with the footpath |
| C．you can start walking from Positano |
| D．you may be trapped in narrow rocky paths |
What is special about Sydney’s Great Coastal Walk?
A． It starts from Royal National Park in the south．
B． It takes about more than five hours to complete．
C． It really has the longest coastline in the worlD．
D． It provides visitors a variety of great landscapes．According to the fourth paragraph we can know that __________________．
| A．the Twelve Apostles exists below the surface of the sea |
| B．most visitors can finish the 104 km walk in three hours |
| C．Apollo Bay is at the end of the Great Ocean Walk |
| D．the Wreck Beach Walk can also give visitors pleasure |
As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us．Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks．The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem．
Sharks, in particular, are “in” these days．Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool．
The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction -- up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins．But we have started to reverse the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu．
In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations．
Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years．These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins．
Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products．These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life．
Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business．The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury（奢侈的）goods has become a full-scale war．The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming．Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for high-end products that rely on killing animals．The underlined word “reverse” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______．
| A．follow |
| B．keep |
| C．change |
| D．show |
From the passage, we know _______．
| A．a lot of wild animals have been killed for products |
| B．Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular |
| C．Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks |
| D．the number of African elephants has been increased |
What can we infer from the passage?
A． People have kicked the habit of having shark fin soup．
B． Shark fins will not be available any more in restaurants．
C． Global efforts have succeeded in stopping killing wild animals．
D． More animals for high-end products will be saveD．
Many people rush into the commitment of bringing home a four-legged family member, only to find out that they are not ready for a pet．This often results in the dog being turned over to a shelter where it may not find another home．This can be avoided if potential pet owners take the time to figure out if they are truly ready for the responsibilities of pet ownership．
Being a responsible pet owner involves a financial commitment that goes beyond buying dog fooD． There are also parasite (寄生虫) prevention, boarding costs while traveling and the cost to care for the pet should it become ill or injureD． That is not to say that one must be rich in order to have a dog, but it is important to be prepared for the expenses that come with being a pet owner．
Another consideration is the time commitment．An owner away from home for 14 hours every day is not an ideal situation for a dog．A potential dog owner must also consider the time it takes to care for his or her pet, the time it takes to feed, walk, play with, bathe and clean up．Also, dogs require attention．Be prepared to spend time each day petting and playing with it．
Dogs are dogs, and will act like dogs．This includes barking, digging, having accidents in the house and, possibly, destroying some of the owner’s prized possessions, such as furniture, shoes and cell phones．If the above would cause an owner to want to get rid of the dog, then he or she is not yet ready to be a pet owner．Many wonderful pets end up in shelters simply because they acted like dogs!Who might be qualified to be a dog owner, according to the text?
| A．Jim, who has a daughter sensitive to dog’s smell． |
| B．Dick, a jobless teenager who can hardly pay his rent． |
| C．Kari, a teacher who works eight hours a day． |
| D．Steven, a business man who travels a lot on business． |
To be a responsible dog owner you need to do all the following EXCEPT _________．
| A．finding a shelter for it when you are bored with it |
| B．buying dog food and feeding it |
| C．taking it to hospital when necessary |
| D．spending time each day playing with it |
What does the underlined part in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．Rush to adopt a dog formally． |
| B．Decide to be a pet owner without thinking about it carefully． |
| C．Run into a pet shelter and take one home so quickly． |
| D．Commit to buy a dog and take it home． |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．Dogs Are Dogs |
| B．Pets Are Family Members |
| C．Have Time for a Dog? |
| D．Ready for a Pet? |