“Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell.”
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived in Rome in AD 52 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives.
But have all these developments really improve the quality of our lives?
Picture this: You’re rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have not telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.
One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, “It was hard physically, but not mentally.” She believed life was less materialistic. “The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes,” She said. The boys said they fought less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a “trendy（时髦的）, beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things.”
Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!
Don’t be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don’t check your e-mail every day.
Don’t reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can. It may be fun at first, but it soon gets annoying.
1．The passage is mainly about________.
A．problem with technology
B．improvements of our life with technology
C．the important roles technology plays in our everyday life
D．major changes which will be likely to happen to technology
2．The writer quoted（引用） what a citizen in ancient Rome said at the beginning of the story in order to___________.
A．share a truth about life
B．tell us what life was like long time ago
C．make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen
D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same
3．Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940’s house? Because________.
A．they liked to live simple lives
B．they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions
C．they were troubled by modern inventions
D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them
4．What do you think the underlined word “available” in the first suggestion offered by the writer mean?
A．Busy on line. B．Free C．Be able to. D．Be found by others.
Thousands of people have been killed in a massive(大规模的) earthquake in Japan. The quake -- the most powerful to hit Japan in more than 100 years -- caused massive damage and many people are missing and feared dead.
The 8.9 magnitude quake struck Friday(March 11) off Japan's eastern coast, and prompted(引发) tsunami warnings（海啸警报）across the Pacific as far away as South America and the U.S. West Coast. Several days after a 8.9-magnitude earthquake and resulting 10-meter-high tsunami devastated the coastline. The United States Geological Survey says it was the fifth largest earthquake since 1900. The largest, with a 9.5 magnitude, shook Chile(智利) in 1960.
In Japan, the tsunami swept away boats, cars and hundreds of houses in coastal areas north of Tokyo. The quake shook buildings in the Japanese capital and caused several fires. All train and subway traffic in Tokyo has been stopped, and thousands of people there were unable to get back home. People are just trying to find clean water. Food supplies are running out. In the convenience stores, there are no rice balls left. There is no bottled water left. People are facing a reallyserious situation in the days ahead for these people that are living in areas that were only moderately（普通的） damaged. The final death toll could range from the thousands to tens of thousands, depending on how many of these communities are gone.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the government would do everything it can to minimize（使降到最低） the effects of the disaster. And in Washington, President Obama said the United States is ready to help the people of Japan.The underline word damage means_____________ in the article.
| A．illness | B．disaster | C．terror | D．danger |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．Thousands of people have been killed in a massive earthquake in Japan. |
| B．Only people in areas that were only moderately damaged are facing a really serious situation in the days. |
| C．The tsunami devastatednot only the coastline in Japan, but also the areas across the Pacific as far away as South America and the U.S. West Coast. |
| D．The massive earthquake caused the tsunami. |
According to the passage, which earthquake is the largest one since 1990 ?
| A．the one happened in Japan on March 11, 2011 |
| B．the one in Chile in 1960 |
| C．the fifth largest earthquake since 1900 |
| D．We don't know. |
If you're in Tokyo these days, what you can't get from the convenience store?
| A．newspapers and magazines |
| B．some medicine |
| C．paper napkins and toothpastes |
| D．rice balls and bottled water |
The passage can't be in/on __________.
| A．March 10th newspapers | B．TV | C． Internet | D． Radios |
Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from America. The bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from China are waiting to throw things at you. The lovely dogs from Australia are waiting to laugh at you, and the giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on You.
Tickets Grown-ups：＄2.00
Children：Over 12 ＄1.00 Under 12 Free
Opening time:9:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m. Except Friday 10:00 a.m. — 3 :00 p.m.
Keep the zoo clean！Do not touch，give food or go near the animals.How many kinds of animals are talked about in the passage？
| A．Four | B．Five | C．Six | D．Seven |
Now Mr. Smith is in the zoo with his two sons, one aged 14 and the other 10, how much are the tickets together？
| A．$4.00 | B．$2.00 | C．$3.00 | D．$1.00 |
Which of the following is the visiting time？
| A．8:30 a.m. Monday | B．9:30 a.m. Friday | C．3:00 p.m. Sunday | D．5:00 p.m. Tuesday |
From the passage we can guess the animal “giraffe” must be very _______.
| A．fat | B．long | C．strong | D．tall |
Which of the following can we do in the zoo？
| A．To give some food to the dogs. | B．To touch the monkey on the head. |
| C．To throw things everywhere. | D．To take a few nice photos. |
Jerry was a manager in a restaurant.He was always in a good mood(脾气）and always had something positive to say.This really made me curious, so one day I asked him,"It's hard to be a positive person all of the time.How do you do it?'' Jerry replied ,"Each morning I wake up and sayto myself,"Jerry, you can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood," and I choose to be in a good mood. Life is all about what you choose.And what you choose leads your life."Several years later,I heard that Jerry left the back door open one morning and was robbed(抢劫）.While trying to stop the thief ,he was shot. I went to see him in the hospital.When I asked him how he was,he replied,"If I were any better,I'd be twins." "Weren't you scared when you were in danger?"I asked."Yes. The doctors kept telling me that I was going to be fine, but in their eyes,I read."He's dead."I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" "Well.there was a big nurse asking me if I was allergic(过敏的）to anything."Yes,'I replied ."Bullets(子弹）!Everyone laughed and I told them: I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive." Jerry lived thanks to the great doctors ,and also because of his amazing attitude(态度）.Attitude ,after all ,is everything.What kind of person was Jerry?
| A．He was serious. | B．He was helpful. |
| C．He was allergic. | D．He was happy and smart. |
When Jerry met difficulties in life,how did he deal with them?
| A．He faced them positively. | B．He talked to the writer about them. |
| C．He asked others to help him. | D．He tried to stop thinking about them |
What does the underlined word "curious" mean in Chinese?
| A．敏感的 | B．好奇的 | C．开心的 | D．有趣的 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Jerry was the writer's manager. | B．Jerry was not afraid of dead at all. |
| C．Jerry was nearly dead after he was shot. | D．Jerry didn't believe doctors. |
What is the best title(题目）for this passage?
| A．Action Matters | B．Brave Jerry Beat the Thief |
| C．Attitude Is Everything | D．Jerry ,a Great Man |
Little Mark is only 6, but he has an IQ of 200, a genius among geniuses. But his intelligence comes at a cost. His parents must keep him intellectually simulated（启发）while making sure he is like any other little boy.
Mark has been attracted by the way how the world works since he was a baby. When he was 3, Mark was reading fluently, mostly self-taught. His parents haven't been able to keep him away from books since.
"I tried many times to stop him reading. We worry about his crazy fond of reading because he constantly wants to read every-thing whatever it is.”
A psychologist at the Centre for gifted children tested Mark and gave him an IQ of 200. The average child of Mark's age has an IQ of 100. At 200, Mark is a genius-even compared with other child geniuses.
"With children like Mark you can tell that's a bright child as soon as they walk in. They just have this sort of intensity, and maybe they're not so good at communicating with people," the psychologist said. "He will never fit perfectly into a class where he's with children of his age.”But Mark's mother worries about the "socially isolated" labels. "Nobody wants their child to grow up with that image. I want him to communicate with others freely, but not to be frustrated academically, so it's really hard to find a balance," she says.
Helen Dudeney from the Talented and Gifted Children Association says Mark is one in a million with such a high IQ. She points out that geniuses are still rare and difficult for the public education system to handle. "The lack of coping comes because teachers aren't trained in teaching gifted children," says Dudeney.
Helen believes it's also extremely important for them to be recognized and supported in their talents. Mark's parents are trying to figure out how best to help Mark. At the moment, there are few options. Mark finds first year work boring and simple, but he must learn to complete the work. His mother says, "We just want to be happy. Just to have a happy childhood and want to go to school every day.”By saying "But his intelligence comes at a cost. ",the author means that
| A．Mark must pay for his intelligence at a high price |
| B．Mark's intelligence brings him negative effects at the same time |
| C．Mark's intelligence results from his parents |
| D．Mark's parents make Mark clever at all costs |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Mark's parents are very satisfied with his love for reading. |
| B．Mark began to teach himself reading at the age of 3. |
| C．Many child geniuses are not good at communicating with others. |
| D．It is hard for parents to bring up a genius. |
If there are 6. 6 billion people in the world, the number of geniuses with an IQ of 200 will be
________．
| A．about 4,400 | B．about 5,500 | C．about 6,600 | D．about 7,700 |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A genius' craziness for books |
| B．The life of the genius' parents |
| C．The burden of being gifted |
| D．The characteristics of Mark |
Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sight that Pompeii is famous for—its stadium and theaters, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2,ooo years.
Once Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mt Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano. Mt Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe. But they were not. In August of the year 79 AD, Mt Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ashes began to fall on Pompeii. When the eruption ended two days later, Pompeii was buried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stones and ashes. Then in the year 1861, an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city almost looked the same as it had looked in 79 AD. There were streets and fountains, houses and shops. There was a stadium with 20,000 seats. Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine. They liked bread too; metal bread pans were in every bakery. In one bakery there were 81 round, flat loaves of bread—a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today. Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup.
Ginseppe has died, but his work continues. One-fourth has not been uncovered yet. Scientists are still digging, still making discoveries that draw the tourists to Pompeii. Why do large number of people come to Pompeii each year?
| A．To visit the volcano. | B．To shop and eat there. |
| C．To watch sports and plays. | D．To see how Pompeiians lived. |
Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in 79 AD ?
| A．Because Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully. |
| B．Because the city was buried alive and remained untouched. |
| C．Because scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects. |
| D．Because nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted. |
What do we know about the Pompeiians who lived 2,000 years ago?
A. They lived more or less the same as Italians now do.
B. They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup.
C. They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating.
D. They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in 79 AD.