When Babbage was working at Cambridge, a new idea occurred to him. He wanted to construct a calculating machine to work out the solutions（解法）to maths problems not only with correctness but also with a speed beyond the power of any human mind. His machine could solve problems involving（涉及）long rows of figures in one continuous operation（运算）.
In 1822 Babbage exhibited his invention and won a prize from the government. After that, he immediately started to work on a larger machine designed to solve more difficult problems. Although he received some money left by his father, the money was not enough to support his design. He wrote to the government about his plan and was given ￡2500 to start with, a sum worth much more in those days than it is now.
Babbage continued his work in London for four years. Then his health broke down, and he had to take a long holiday abroad. When he returned to London in 1828, he was at the end of his resources. Many bills remained unpaid. His chief assistant and co-workers quarreled with him and left with many expensive tools. For one year no work was done. During this period, Babbage, whose mind was always active, suddenly thought of a completely new idea for the machine. He rushed to meet the government officials to explain his new idea. But this time, they were unwilling to help him. For eight years, they refused to say whether they wanted the machine or not, and their final answer was “No.”
From 1828 to 1839, Babbage held the position of professor at Cambridge very successfully. But his greatest work was the unfinished calculating machine which stood covered in dust in his house. It was the beginning of the modern computer.
60．The machine Babbage designed would solve difficult maths problems _________.
A．in one operation with few mistakes
B．in more than one operation without any mistakes
C．in more than one operation with slight mistakes
D．in one operation without any mistakes
61．Babbage failed to continue his research work in 1828 mainly because _______.
A．he was in poor health B．he almost ran out of money
C．his co-workers argued with him D．he spent all his money on his bills
62．Babage explained his new idea to the government officials, expecting that _________.
A．they would agree to his plan B．they would pay for his new idea
C．they would support him with money D．they would exhibit his new design
63．From the passage, we can infer that __________.
A．Babbage failed to be a famous scientist at Cambridge
B．Babbage always had new ideas but gave them up easily
C．Babbage always needed support from the government officials
D．Babbage was the first designer of the modern computer
III 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3oC on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 metres.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3OC and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected - Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 metres."
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 metres higher by the end of the century.
41. The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "__".
A. rapidly B. approximately C. contradictorily D. apparently
42. What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?
A. It is causing the ice to melt faster.
B. It is making much of the continent colder.
C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.
D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.
43. What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?
A. Rising sea levels. B. Warming sea water temperature.
C. Water pollution. D. Growing ice sheets.
44. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.
B. The average temperature has increased by 3OC in recent decades.
C. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.
D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.
45. The best title for the passage is ______.
A. Our planet in danger B. Antarctica melting away
C. Action plan to save Antarctica D. Let's save the ozone layer
Ⅲ 阅读 (共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并存答题卡上将该
项涂黑。
Increasingly over the last few years,we have become familiar with the range of small electronic devices or “smart” accessories (附件,饰品 ) . Pocket heart -rate monitors for joggers and electronic maps are just the first examples of many new products that promise to change our lives in all sorts of surprising ways.
As a scientist at New York University . Rosalind Picard tries out different smart accessories before they go on the market. One of these was the so-called " frown (皱眉)headband". Rosalind was shocked to realize just how often she frowned. Stuck in a traffic jam recently, Rosalind kept hearing the sounds of the tiny sensor inside the band worn around her forehead -each time she frowned in annoyance, the sensor gave out a signal.
Another computer scientist , Stevcn Feiner, is working on a pair of glasses that will do more than help you to see .Imagine you want to try a restaurant in a foreign city but you're not familiar with the dishes on the menu. If you are weanng a pair of Steven's glasses . all yau have to do is glance above the restauran’s doorway and your glasses will immediately become windows to the Tntemet, offering you full details of the meals served inside. The glasses could also be used to help people make speeches,give chefs access to the latest recipes and even provide doctors with
patient information while they carry out operations.
At the moment, Steven's invention looks more like a large ski mask than a pair of glasses.
It's a headset connected to a hand-held computer and a Global Positioning System ( GPS ) receiver, which tracks the wearer's position. But he says that these head-worn displays will eventually get smaller and lighter as technology improves.
And, of course, this new technology has a fashionable as well as a useful application. A chemical engineer named Roben Langer has invented a new microchip that, if put inside a ring,can give off different smells according to a person's mood. That, of course, may or may not appeal to you. And,in the end , it is shoppers . not scientiscs , who will determine which of these smart accessories will succeed as fashionable items and which are sure tO join history's long list of crazy inventions.
It is clear,however ,that as computers get smaller and cheapcr. Lhcy will pop up in all sorts
of easily-wearable accessories . even in the buttons on your coat. WhaCs morc, this is something that's going to happen a lot sooner than we all expect.
41. When Rosalind wore the headband, she was surprised a___________
A. how well the sensor worked B. how she was affected by traffic
C. how strong the signal was D. how uncomfortable it was
42. For people eating out , Steven’ s glasses can___________
A . give them a restaurant's location
B. let them see a restaurant's environment
C. inform them about a restaurant’s menu
D. tell them about a restaurant's quality
43. What is the current problem with Stevcn's glasses?
A. Limited function. B. Inconvenience.
C. High cost. D. Poor Internet access.
44. In general, what does the writer think about smart accessories?
A. They will soon be widely available.
B. Much more research is needed into them.
C. Only a few of them will appeal to shoppers.
D. Most of them are considered to be crazy inventions.
45. What's the writer's purpose in writing this passage?
A. To advertise some smart accessories.
B .To tell interesting stories about smart accessories.
C. To argue that smart accessories are fashionable.
D. To introduce the idea of smart accessories.
Everyone gathered around and Paddy read out loud, skowly, his tone growing sadder and sadder. The little headline said: BOXER RECEIVFS LIFF SENTENCE.
Frank Cleary.aged 26,professional baxer. was today found guilty of the murder of Albert Cumming . aged 32,laborer ,last July. The jury (陪审团)reached its decision after only ten minutes, recommending the most sever punishment the court could give out.It was, said the judge.a simple case. Cummjng and Cleary had quarreled violently at the Harbour Hotel on July 23rd and police saw Cleary kicking at the head of the unconscious cumming. When arrested Cleary was drunk but clear-thinking…
Cleary was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour .Asked if he had anything to say , Cleary answered，“Jusr don't tell my mother.”
It happened over three years ago, " Paddy said helplessly. No one answered him or moved.for no one knew what to do. "Jus don't tell my mother. said Fee numbly. "And no one did!Oh. God! My poor. poor Frank!"
Paddy wiped the tears from his face and said. 'Fee dear, pack your things. We'll go to see him.
She half-rose before sinking back. her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. "I can't go . she said without a hint of pain . yet making evcryone feel that the pain was there. "It would kill him to see me. I know him so well - his pride. his ambition. Let him bear the shame alone.it's what he wants. We've got to help him keep his secret. What good will it do him keep his secret what good will it do him to see us? "
Paddy was still weeping. buL not for Frank, for the life which had gone from Fee's face .for the dying in her eyes. Frank had always brougt bitterness and misfortune ,always stood between Fee and himseLf. He was the cause of her withdrawal from his hart and the hearts of his children.
Every time it lookcd as if there might be happinegs for Fee . Frank took it away. But Paddy's love for her was as deep and impossibile to wipe out as hers was for Fiank.
So he said. " Well, Fee, we won't go But we must make sure he is taken care of. How about if l write to Father Jones and ask him to look out for Frank?
The eyes didn't liven . but a faint pink stole into her cheeks " Yes. Paddy.
Do that . Only make sure he knows not to tell Frank we found out .Perhaps it would ease Frank to think for certain that we don't know"
51. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Frank was found guilty Of murder because he was a professional boxer.
B. The family didn't find out what happened to Frank until three years later
C. The jury and the judge disagreed on whether Frank had committed murder.
D. Frank didn't want his family to find out what happened because Paddy disliked him.
52. Paddy didn't cry for Frank because he thought
A. Frank did kill someone and deserved the punishment
B .Frank should have told Fce what had happened
C. what had happened to Frank was killing Fee
D. Frank had always been a man of bad moral character
53. Which of the following suggests that Fee was deeply shocked by what happened to Frank?
A. " Her eyes in her small white face stared as if dead. "
B. " Let him bear the shame alone . its what he wants. "
C. " Every time it looked as if there miLhL be happiness for Fee , Frank took it away "
D. " The eyes didn't liven . but a faint pink stole into her cheeks "
54. "She half-rose before sinking back…" (in Paragraph 6) shows that
A. Fee was so heart-broken that she could hardly stand up
B .Fee didn'e want to upset Paddy by visiting Frank
C .Fee couldn't leave her family to go to see Frank
D Fee struggled betwccn wanting to See Frank and respecting his wish
55. What is Fee's probable relationship with Frank and Paddy?
A Son and brother B Son and husband
C Brothcr and lover D Lover and husband
One of the main challenges facing many coutries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization and the growing multi-language trend. “One of the main reasons for economic failure in many African countries is the fact that,with a few important exceptions,mother-tongue
education is not practiced in any of the independent African states." said Neville Alexander.Dutctor of the Project for the Study of Aitemative Education in South Africa at the University of Cape Town.
In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from Immigration . many countries have inuoduced language laws in the laws in the last decade .In some ,the use of languages other than the national language is banned in public spaccs such as advertsing posters. One of the first such legal proviaions was the 1994 " Toubon law' in France. but the idea hs been copied in many counuics since then. Such efrorts to govern language use are often
dismisscd as futile by language experts . who are well aware of the difficulty of controlling fashions in specch and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.
It is especiaLly difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the 'purity" of a language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare . English has continually absorbed
foreign words into its own language. EngLish is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world. But the has not been a barrier to acquiring prestige and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to understand the role of state regulation is that it bas never been the Aryllo-Saxon way of doing things. English has never had a state-controlled
autharity for the language, similar, for example . to the Academie Francaise in France.
The need to prorect national languages is for most western Europeansa recent phenomenon- especially the need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields.
Public communication, educauon and new modcs of communication promoted by technology,may be key fields to defend.
46. Neville Alexander believes that___________.
A. mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries
B. lack of mother-tongue education can lead to economic failure
C. globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trends
D. globalization has resulted in the econonuc failure of Africa
47 . The underlined word " futile" (in paragraph 2) most probably means "___________"
A. useless B. pracucal C. workable D. unnecessary
48. Why do many English-speaking; cuuntries not support the language protection efforts described in the passage?
A. They think language protection laws are ineffective.
B. They want their language to spread to other countries.
C. They have a long history of taking words from other languages.
D. It reduces a language's ability tO acquire intenatiunal importance.
49.what can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. English has taken over fields like public communication and education.
B. Europeans have long realizcd the need to protect their national Languages.
C. Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language.
D. Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English.
50. The best title for the passage is___________.
A. Fighting against the rule of English
B. GlobaLization and multi-language trends
C. Protecting local languages and identities
D. to maintain the purity of language by law
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own．My mother was one of those people．
My father died when I was one-year-old．While I was growing up, we led a very hard life, but my mom gave me a lot of love．Each night, she seated me on her lap and, spoke the words that would change my life, "Kemmons, you are sure to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it．"
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said that I would never walk again．Every night my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me whatever those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to．She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her．A year later, I walked on my own to school!
When the Great Depression broke out, my mother lost her job．Then I left school to support the two of us．At that moment I decided never to be poor again．
Over the years, I experienced a lot of business success．But the real turning point happened on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951．I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was very angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child．That was too expensive for an ordinary American family．I told my wife that I was going to open a motel （汽车旅馆） for families that would never charge extra money for children．Many people did not believe me at that time．
Not surprisingly, mom was my strongest supporter．As in any business, I experienced a lot of difficulties．But with my mom's words in my heart, I never doubted I would succeed．Fifteen years later, I had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn．In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $l billion a year．
You may not have started out life in the best situations．But if you find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you．What Kemmon's mother often told him during his childhood was____．
| A．caring | B．moving | C．encouraging | D．interesting |
Who played the most important role in making the author walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors． | B．Nurses． | C．His friend． | D．His mom． |
What caused Kemmon to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel． | B．His wife's suggestion． |
| C．His previous business success． | D．His mom's support． |
Which of the following best describes Kemmon's mother?
| A．Modest, helpful and hard-working． |
| B．Loving, supportive and strong-willed． |
| C．Careful, beautiful and helpful． |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive． |
Which of the following led to Kemmon's success?
| A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family． |
| B．Mom's encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work． |
| C．Clear goals, mom's encouragement, a poor family and higher education． |
| D．Mom's encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities． |