E
Computer mouse is no longer so strong. A Canadian engineer has invented a system that enables a computer user to push a cursor（光标）across a screen simply by moving his or her nose .He calls his nose-driven mouse a mouse.
The inventor ,Dmity Gorodnichy ,came up with the idea for the mouse while building computer software that would help astronauts operate the Canadarm—a long robotic arm on the U.S. space shuttle .His system employs a web-camera that recognizes a computer user’s nose from 25 pixels ,or points of light. Dmity chose the nose because its position remains relatively constant no matter which way the head moves .The system keeps track of the pixels, and the user matches the movements of his or her nose with the progress of the cursor across the screen.
The mouse keeps track of the eyes too. Two blinks（眨眼）are a “double click,” which turns the mouse on or off.
The mouse has received mixed comments from those who hold opposite opinions. One called it “a pointless waste of technology” . Another predicted that the nouse will fail to catch on because it makes users “look silly.” Dmity has already adapted the nouse for NousePong, a video game ,and NousePaint ,a drawing program.
He also predicts that the mouse will attract the people who have suffered from specific disease-pain ,senselessness ,or trembling in the hand caused by the frequent repetition of movements of the wrist and fingers ,such as typing at a computer keyboard .His next plan is to adapt the nouse for use by paralyzed（瘫痪）patients in hospitals .With two blinks of the eyes ,patients could double-click for help.
72．The best title for this passage is probably .
A．Mouse Driven by Nose
B．Cursor Moved Without fingers
C.New Computer System for Astronauts
D．New Type of Mouse for Patients
73．The nouse is a system working by means of .
A．keeping track of the points of light
B．moving one’s nose or blinking
C.moving cursor across the screen
D．matching the user’s nose with eyes
74．The underlined phrase “catch on” means “ ”.
A．become popular B．be used C.get improved D．be made
75．Dmity predicts that the nouse will be more used to help .
A．those who have eye trouble
B．develop a video game and drawing program
C.those traveling in space
D．the disabled with the hand and paralyzed patients
The winter holiday season is the busiest time of the year in the US, and Thanksgiving is the one holiday this time of year that doesn’t get the attention it deserves — it is often overshadowed by Christmas. However, I still feel the festive atmosphere in my family.
Each year, I attend not just one Thanksgiving dinner, but typically between three and four. Thanksgiving lasts all throughout the second half of the week. I travel to different houses to spend time with different parts of my family. We usually eat a giant amount of traditional Thanksgiving foods such as deviled eggs, ham, green beans, potatoes, and breads. We don’t eat the traditional turkey like many families do, but we have just about everything else that someone would want to eat.
After eating, we sit around and chat. Usually someone has brought a guest, such as a new boyfriend/girlfriend or a new baby, so there’s always a chance to get to know the new family member, as well as catching up with family that I haven’t seen for a long time.
My extended families are very different, which makes for different holiday experiences. My other’s family is very polite and quiet, and that makes the dinner with them seem very formal. My father’s family is the opposite. They’re loud and don’t even try to control what words come out of their mouths. Their Thanksgiving usually includes yelling at whatever football game is on the television. It’s very casual and relaxed. Either way, it’s nice to be able to see my family and spend time with them.
In my eyes, Thanksgiving is a holiday based on being thankful for what you have, spending tine with family, and eating a lot more food than you probably should. Not all these things go with its history, but it makes for a nice tradition. The underlined word“overshadowed”in the first paragraph probably means ________.
| A．compared |
| B．celebrated |
| C．related |
| D．made to feel less important |
How does the author usually celebrate Thanksgiving?
a. eating turkey.
b. chatting with her family.
c. watching the annual Thanksgiving shows on TV.
d. attending several Thanksgiving dinners with different parts of her family.
| A．a, b. |
| B．a, c. |
| C．b, d. |
| D．c, d. |
What does the author think of her parents’families?
| A．She thinks that her parents’families have a lot in common with each other. |
| B．She believes that her mother and father’s families should learn from each other. |
| C．She prefers her father’s family’s casual way of celebrating Thanksgiving to her mother’s family’s way. |
| D．She enjoys spending time both of her parents’families although they are quite different. |
Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has a good heart,but always afraid to apply for a new job.
One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appoint⁃ment was at 10 a.m. and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man askedhim how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said,“Well, Icould take you to the office for your interview. It’s the least I could do. Please, I insist.”Jimmy agreed.
Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked,“Do you really need to be interviewed?”Jimmy’s heart sank.“With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?”He thought to himself.
Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy’s surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning.
“Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into this office. I just know you’d be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!”Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee . Why did Jimmy apply for a new job?
| A．He was out of work. |
| B．He was bored with his job. |
| C．He wanted a higher position. |
| D．he hoped to find a better boss. |
What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview?
| A．A friend’s car had a flat tyre. |
| B．A wild man was pushing a car. |
| C．A terrible car accident happened. |
| D．An old man’s car broke down. |
Why did the old man offer Jimmy a ride?
| A．He was also to be interviewed. |
| B．He needed a traveling companion. |
| C．He always helped people in need. |
| D．He was thankful to Jimmy . |
How did Jimmy feel on hearing the interviewer’s question?
| A．He was sorry for the other applicants. |
| B．There was no hope for him to get the job. |
| C．He regretted helping the old man. |
| D．The interviewer was very rude. |
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.What led the British government to build the London Underground？
| A．Traffic jams and pollution. |
| B．Population and pollution. |
| C．Overcrowding and traffic jams. |
| D．The poverty and subway problems. |
How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
| A．It made the tunnels larger. |
| B．It put fans in the tunnels. |
| C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. |
| D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train. |
The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
| A．be troublesome | B．become popular and fashionable |
| C．keep up with | D．seize |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway. |
| B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened. |
| C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic. |
| D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened. |
Did anyone find the names of “Great Britain”, “the United Kingdom”, “England” and “the British commonwealth” which have the same meaning? Strictly speaking, these names all refer to something different. None of them are exactly the same as any of the others.
The British isles refer to the main islands and several thousand small ones as well, which you can see on the map. Great Britain, or Britain, refers to the larger of the two main islands. But the word “Britain” is often used as a short form for the United Kingdom or you call it the UK .
Now as for England, it refers simply to the largest of the three countries on the island of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is the name of the state and the official name of the country, which many people popularly refer to England.
Finally, the Britain commonwealth is the usual name for what is left of the British Empire. This change shows the weakening of British Empire and the rising of the national liberation movements throughout the world today.According to the passage, we know that ____ .
| A．Great Britain has the same meaning as Britain |
| B．the United Kingdom has the same meaning as Britain or England |
| C．all the names in the first paragraph have the same meaning |
| D．all the names refer to England |
It is clear that the British isles refer to ____ .
| A．Britain, England and the UK. |
| B．the two main islands and thousands of small ones |
| C．three countries and several islands |
| D．Great Britain or the United Kingdom |
Which of the following shows the right relationship (关系) between the British isles (BI), Britain (B) and England (E)?
A. B>BI>E B. BI>E>B C. E>B>BI D. BI>B>EIf you want to write to someone in Edinburgh that lies in Scotland, you should write the address as ____.
| A．Edinburgh, England |
| B．Edinburgh, Great Britain |
| C．Scotland, Edinburgh, England |
| D．Great Britain, Scotland, Edinburgh |
Family traditions were important in our house, and one was more appreciated than our annual trip to the woods for the perfect Christmas tree.
“Dad, can we watch when you trim(修剪) it?” my eldest son ,John ,asked on the way home.
“I won’t be cutting this year,” my husband said.” You and your brother Dan are old enough to measure things, fit the tree to the stand and do it by yourselves. Think you boys can handle it?”
They seemed to grow six inches in their chairs at the thought of such an amazing responsibility. “We can handle it,” Dan promised. We won’t let you down.”
A few days before Christmas, Dan and John rushed in after school. They gathered the tools they’d need and brought them out of yard, where the tree waited. I left the older boys to their work and brought David inside for his early supper. A moment later I heard the happy sounds as the boys carried the trees into the living room. Then I heard the sound become dead silence. I hurried out to them. The tree was too short. John crossed his arm tight across his chest. His eyes were filled with angry tears.
The tree was central to our holiday, but it was not what I worried about. I didn’t want the boys to feel ashamed every time they looked at it. We had a terrible problem on our hands. I couldn’t lower the ceiling, and I couldn’t raise the floor either. There was no way to repair the damage. If I couldn’t fix the problem, maybe I could get creative with it. A thought came to my mind, which turned to the solution.
I followed them back into the living room.. “We can’t make the tree taller,” I said. “But we can put it on a higher position.” Dan turned his head sideways, measuring the distance with his eyes . “We can put it on the coffee table and put the lights and decorations on before we lift it up . Thus, we won’t need a ladder. It just might work! Let’s try it!”
When my husband got home and looked at the big tree on top of the coffee table, Dan and John held their breath.
“What a good idea!” he declared, as if the boys had gone beyond all his expectations. “Why didn’t I ever think of such a thing ?”
John broke into a grin. Dan’s chest swelled with pride. David squealed.Who trimmed the Christmas trees this year?
| A．David | B．The writer |
| C．The children | D．The writer’s husband |
By “ grow six inches” ( Paragraph4), the writer means that the children might feel _____.
| A．excited | B．nervous | C．terrible | D．worried |
What was the writer worried about according to Paragraph 6?
| A．The Christmas tree | B．The husband’s health |
| C．The holiday | D．The boys’ pride |
How was the short tree turned into a perfect one?
| A．By making it taller | B．By lowering the ceiling |
| C．By placing it on a table | D．By raising the floor |
What the writer’s husband said in the end shows that ________.
| A．he expected too much of the children |
| B．he was satisfied with what the children had done |
| C．it was stupid of the children to think of such an idea. |
| D．the children shouldn’t have given up the responsibility |