Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a ＄10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology , laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “ Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do
everything.”
1. The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ________.
A. use for their schoolwork B. use the Internet
C. work at home D. connect them to libraries
2.Why is the word “speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks(引号)?
A. They don’t really talk. B. They use the computer language.
C. Laptops have speakers. D. None of the above reasons is correct.
3. Which of the following is true about Westlake College?
A. All teachers use computers. B.1500 students have laptops.
C. It is an old college in America. D. Students there can do everything.
4. A window on the world in the last paragraph means that students can ________.
A. attend lectures on information technology
B. travel around the world
C. get information from around the world
D. have free laptops
5. What can we infer from the passage?
A. The program is successful. B. The program is not workable.
C. The program is too expensive. D. We don’t know the result yet.
B
Riding School:
You can start horse-riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. on Saturdays). There are 10 kilometres of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday:9:00 a.m. ~ 8:30p.m.
Phone: (412) 396-6754 Fax: (412) 396-6752
Sailing Club:
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage Sailing qualification. You’ll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid. Have fun with other course members afterwards in the clubroom. There are 10 weekly two-hour lessons (Tuesdays 6p.m.~ 8p.m.)
Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00p.m.~ 8:00p.m
Phone:( 412)396-6644 Fax: (412) 396-6644
Diving Centre:
Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely. You only need a swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples.
Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6:30p.m.~ 8:30p.m
Phone: (412)396-6312 Fax: (412) 396-6706
Medical Center:
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems. Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also, all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.
Opening Hours: 24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone: ( 412)396-6649 Fax: (412) 396-6648
Watersports club:
We use a two-kilometre length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing. A beginners’ course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00a.m.~ 4:00p.m
Phone: (412)396-6899 Fax: (412) 396-6890
61. If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous, you should join _______ .
A. Sailing Club B. Riding School
C. Watersports Club D. Diving Centre
62. If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings, you may fax _______ .
A. (412) 396-6752 B. (412) 396-6706
C. (412 ) 396-6648 D. (412) 396- 6876
63. If you are planning to explore the ocean depths, you should attend your lessons at _______ .
A. 24 hours from Monday to Sunday
B. Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m.~ 10:00 p.m.
C. Tuesdays: 6:00 p.m.~ 8:00 p.m.
D. Monday and Friday: 6:30 p.m. ~ 8:30 p.m.
64. If you want to do an activity one evening a week and get a certificate in the end, you can go to _______ .
A. Sailing Club B. Diving Centre
C. Watersports Club D. Riding School
65. Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?
A. Good equipment. B. Nursery for newly-born babies.
C. Various less expensive medicines. D. Well trained staff members.
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Building after building under water．Refugees in shelters．Thousands of others unsure where to go．Bodies in streets．This is what one of America's historic cities was reduced to this week by a powerful storm, Katrina．The mayor of New Orleans says thousands may be dead．Hurricane Katrina also caused death and destruction in parts of Mississippi and Alabama along the Gulf of Mexico．
New Orleans is famous for its wild Mardi Gras celebrations．New Orleans is also a major port for foreign oil and other shipping trade．Yet the city of nearly five hundred thousand people was built below sea level．New Orleans has depended on levees to control floods from the Mississippi River．Katrina struck on Monday．New Orleans avoided a direct hit．But two of the levees failed the next day．Most of the city was flooded．Helicopters dropped huge sandbags to fill the breaks．But the water had no place to go．Pumping stations had no power．
America faces one of the worst natural events in its history．President Bush says the recovery will take years．People were told to leave the path of the storm．But some would not or could not．Many of those worst affected by Katrina are poor and black．African-American leaders and others were angry that government aid did not arrive faster．President Bush visited some of the damaged areas on Friday．He said the way officials reacted to the crisis was unacceptable．
56．Which is true of the following details about New Orleans?
A．New Orleans is a newly-built city of America
B．There were no black people in New Orleans．
C．This is the first time that hurricane has stricken it．
D．It’s a port for foreign oil and other shipping trade．
57．What does the underlined word “levees” (in the second paragraph) mean?
A．dams B． trees C．ports D．ships
58．Which is right about the Hurricane Katrina?
A．It also caused the destruction in parts of Mississippi．
B．A lot of people died in this disaster．
C．It cut off the electricity supply of the city．
D．All of the above is right．
59．What can we learn from the text?
A．President Bush was not concerned about this disaster．
B．The recovery of the city will take a few days．
C． In this city there were no pump stations．
D． In this disaster the government aid didn’t arrive in time．
60. What kind of attitude does the author have toward the government ?
A. appreciative B. optimistic C. depreciative D. humorous
C
A villa (别墅) designed to resist earthquakes with “self-healing” cracks in its walls, thanks to nanotechnology (纳米技术) applications with self-healing polymers (聚合物), is to be built on a Greek mountainside. The villa’s walls will include special particles that turn into a liquid when squeezed (压榨) under pressure, flow into cracks, and then harden to form a solid material.
The NanoManufacturing Institute (NMI), based in Leeds University, will play a key role in an EU project to construct the home by December 2010. The project, called “Intelligent Safe and Secure Buildings” (ISSB) is funded under the EU’s Sixth Framework program. This potentially life-saving scheme is led by German building manufacturer Knauf. The villa will be built in Amphilochia, in western Greece, where Knauf currently runs a manufacturing plant. If the experiment is successful, more tremor-resistant（防震）homes could be built in earthquake zones across the globe. NMI chief executive Professor Terry Wilkins said, “What we’re trying to achieve here is very exciting. We’re looking to use polymers in much tougher situations than ever before on a larger scale.” Monitors contained in the villa’s walls will be able to collect vast amounts of data about the building over time. Wireless sensors will record any stresses and vibrations, as well as temperature, humidity and gas levels.
The walls are to be built from new load-bearing steel frames and high-strength gypsum（石膏）board. Prof Wilkins said, “If there are any problems, the intelligent sensor network will be able to alert residents immediately so they have time to escape.” If whole groups of houses are so constructed, we could use a larger network of sensors to get even more information. “If the house falls down, we have got hand-held devices that can be used over the rubble to pick out where the embedded（嵌入的）sensors are hidden to get some information about how the villa collapsed.” Also, we can get information about anyone who may be around, so it potentially becomes a tool for rescue.
66. The aim of the passage is to ________.
A. report a piece of interesting news B. promote tremor-resistant homes
C. inform us of the nanotechnology development D. tell us about a tremor-resistant home
67. The villa can resist earthquakes because _______.
A. it will be built on a special place
B. the cracks in its walls can be healed by the polymers
C. the special particles can make its walls stronger
D. the intelligent sensor network can tell people where there is a crack
68. If the tremor-resistant home falls down, _______.
A. rescue work can be done more quickly and accurately
B. the intelligent sensor network will stop working
C. no one can be hurt in the earthquake
D. a warning signal will be given to other residents
69. What Prof Wilkins said suggests that _______.
A. he is doubtful about the project
B. he thinks the tremor-resistant home is perfectly designed
C. he is confident in the tremor-resistant home
D. the tremor-resistant home still needs to be tested in a real situation
70. It can be inferred from the passage that tremor-resistant home _______.
A. is still being tried out B. is already under construction
C. has been in wide use D. will be put into wide use soon
B
Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead. But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that — dreams.
The Shanghai MunicipalEmployment Promotion Center poll of 1,276 graduates in several universities and colleges in the city, released last Friday, showed 59.78 percent of respondents considered the possibility of setting up a company or at least a small store. "But they just stop at the 'thinking' stage," it stated.
Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity. They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, the need for advanced study and objections from family members as factors that stood in their way.
More than 90 percent of the interviewees said they would rather take up a job after graduating and then consider starting their own business two or three years down the road.
Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai International Studies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his own boss last year. But he is looking for a job first. "If I fail to find a satisfying job, I would like to establish a company in exhibition services," Guo said.
The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant. With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition brochures at a relatively low price. He is also confident that his English language skills can help him do well in the industry.
"Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said.
Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason driving more university students to set up a business right after their graduation.
Jiang said the university sets up a business guide team made of government officials and professionals. They regularly give training courses to students who show an interest in having their own business. The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed" Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added.
61. Which of the following can be the best title?
A. A Tough Job Market B. Graduates Who Can Only Dream of Being Boss
C. The Ambitious Fresh Graduates D. The Story of Guo Bing
62. Which of the following does NOT stop fresh graduates realizing their dreams of being bosses?
A. The lack of business opportunity and investment.
B. The shortage of business experience.
C. Less skilled English language.
D. Their family members’ objections.
63. In the view of Guo Bing, what is the key factor that makes fresh graduates dream of being boss soon after graduation?
A. Their family don’t support them.B. Their social networking is not good.
C. There are not enough graduate jobs. D. They want to achieve greater success.
64. Which of the following statements is NOT true about Guo Bing?
A. He has started his own business with the help of his relatives.
B. English is his major in the university.
C. He is trying to find a job which can satisfies him.
D. He is a Shanghai native.
65. Who is this article mostly intended for?
A. The parents whose child graduates from university soon.
B. Those who will graduate from university.
C. Those who want to be bosses.
D. The officials who work in the government.
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Swaying palm trees, turquoise-blue water and sugar-white sand make beach lovers sigh with delight. But not all beaches have those ingredients. The most interesting beaches come in different shapes, sizes and colors.
Those who want beauty and something unique can go to the Seychelles’ La Digue Island. Large granite (花岗岩) rock formations overlook beautiful, white-sand beaches. The pinkish-grey rocks look like sculptures that have been forgotten on the beach. Tourists traveling to La Digue Island to see the unique rocks will also discover one of the world’s most beautiful islands.
Hawaii’s Big Island has one of the rarest beaches of all — a beach made up entirely of green sand. The sand, which is formed by dark green crystals called olivine (橄榄石), is deposited (堆积) by volcanic activity. Green Sand Beach lies on the slopes of the world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa.
One of the world’s most unusual beaches lies on the island of Santorini, Greece. The sand on Red Beach gets its reddish color from the red volcanic rocks that make up the cliffs (悬崖) around the beach. Tourists flock (蜂拥) to see the red sand, making Red Beach one of Santorini’s most popular beach destinations.
Black sand makes up the huge beach of Karakare. Through the years, volcanic sand mixed with iron ash to form this black beach on New Zealand’s wild, west coast. With all the beautiful beaches in the world, beach lovers have lots of choices. But for those ready for something different, a unique beach vacation might be just the ticket!
56. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. One of the world’s most unusual beaches B. Beach lovers having more choices
C. A unique beach vacation D. Unique beaches around the world
57. According to the text, ______ would be regarded as the general characteristics of beautiful beaches.
A. swaying palm trees, turquoise-blue water, sugar-while sand
B. rocks, white sand, pinkish-grey rocks, sculptures
C. green sand, slopes of an active volcano
D. black sand, iron ash, wild coast
58. Beaches on the island of Santorini are red because of _______.
A. the cliffs around the beach B. the large granite rocks
C. the red volcanic rocks D. crystals called olivine
59. If you want to see pinkish-grey rocks, then go to _______.
A. Santorini, Greece B. Seychelles’ La Digue Island
C. Hawaii’s Big Island D. New Zealand
60. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Different beaches have different colors.
B. Different places have different beaches.
C. White sand and blue water are the main characteristics of beaches.
D. People have many choices for beach vacations.