More and more often we heard of people talking about Karaoke（卡拉OK）。 But what on earth it is about， still remains a question for many people. Karaoke is a sort of acoustic equipment which was invented in Japan around the middle of the 1970's. It means "a band without people" in Japanese. In fact， it is just a music tape without words. This equipment first appeared in some public houses and snack bars， and mainly for the customers to enjoy themselves. Most of the music in Karaoke was popular music. Therefore， at times， when anyone felt like it， he might sing songs to the accompaniment of the music that came from the equipment. Shortly after its invention， Karaoke was spread to the whole world. It was introduced to China and was welcomed by many people. Although you are not a good singer， or even sometimes you may sing out of tune， you can always enjoy yourself by singing Karaoke.
1. In this passage "band" means "group of persons ________."
A. who play games on the sports ground
B. who play music together
C. living in the same neighborhood
D. doing things together under a leader and with a common purpose
2. Karaoke is just a ______.
A. cassette tape with only music
B. cassette tape recorder
C. band from Japan
D. voice recording equipment
3. Karaoke was spread to the whole world ________.
A. as soon as it was invented
B. long before
C. not long after it was invented
D. before long
4. The main idea of this passage is ______.
A. all persons like to play Karaoke
B. to introduce Karaoke to the people
C. Karaoke is a wonderful equipment
D. Karaoke is used everywhere including snack bars
Wikipedia (维基百科) is a non-profit website funded by donations, started on 15thJanuary, 2001. “Wiki” means “quick” in the Hawaiian language. These days, most people go straight to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia (百科), to look something up. But how reliable is it?
The site attracts 78 million visitors every month, and it is available in more than 270 different languages. It’s one of the most comprehensive (综合的) resources available, and it’s got much more information than an ordinary encyclopedia. The site is updated on a daily basis by thousands of people around the world. Anyone with an Internet connection can look through and edit the contents or add a new page at any time. And you don’t need any formal training.
Of course, there are some controls. Wikipedia has a team of more than 1,500 administrators who check for false information. And main targets for horrible comments (such as politicians) are forbidden to public editing. But with more than 16 million articles to keep an eye on, it isn’t easy. So, while Wikipedia benefits from being constantly updated with information from all over the world, it’s also open to “vandals”(故意捣乱者).
Some of the damage is easy to notice. Someone drew horns and a moustache on Microsoft chairman Bill Gates’ photo. But other things are harder to spot. The most common form of vandalism involves adding tiny items of false information into the biography of a famous person. Unbelievably, some of this misinformation has appeared in newspapers, withThe Daily Mail, The GuardianandThe Independentall having fallen victim to the tricks. For example, in an obituary (讣告) for British comedian Sir Norman Wisdom, one newspaper claimed that he co-wrote Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime song “There’ll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover”. In fact, he did no such thing.
So if you’re going to use any information from Wikipedia, make sure you double-check it first.What do we know about Wikipedia?
| A．It makes profits from its users. |
| B．It is run by the Hawaiian government. |
| C．It provides a huge amount of information. |
| D．It is the most popular website worldwide. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A． 78 million people visit Wiki each day |
| B．To forbid wrong public editings is quite easy |
| C． Formal education is needed to do editing for Wifi |
| D．Some people change the information on Wiki just for fun |
The example of Norman Wisdom’s obituary is used to show _________.
| A．Wikipedia sometimes contains false information |
| B．some newspapers likeThe Guardianare irresponsible |
| C．Norman Wisdom is unpopular with some people |
| D．Wikipedia affects people’s lives greatly |
What does the author advise readers to do?
| A．To look through Wikipedia frequently. |
| B．To update Wikipedia on a daily basis. |
| C．To turn to other websites for valid information. |
| D．To be careful when using the information from Wikipedia. |
Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord. She did it her way.
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly. Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven. I hated going there every weekend. There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception.
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land. The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat. We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me.
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen. I sang the melody and Mom harmonized. Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over. Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk.
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two. The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad. Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm. While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home. But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced.
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio. Music always comforted me.
My heart skipped a beat. "Moon River" was playing on the radio. I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note.
Then the radio announcer came on. “Here’s one we haven’t heard in a while,” and an unfamiliar song began. I began to cry harder as I heard the words sung over the airwaves. “Come down, come down from your Ivory Tower…” The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons Except that ________.
| A．it was too cold and quiet |
| B．she could only sing one song in the small farm |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________.
| A．left the small farm with Lord |
| B．passed away four years ago |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way |
| D．preferred to be with Lord |
What does the underlined phrase refer to?
| A．shouted | B．comforted |
| C．recalled | D．sighed |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Mom’s music | B．Cherish(珍惜) life |
| C．My happy childhood | D．Our small farmhouse |
Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions. Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must negatively affect people. A person's conception of himself or herself is reflected in the way he or she behaves, and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives.
Shy people, having low self-esteem, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing "the right thing." Shy people are very sensitive to criticism; they feel it confirms their feelings of inferiority. They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliment with a statement like this one, "You're just saying that to make me feel good. I know it's not true." It is clear that while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful.
Can shyness be completely eliminated, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determined and patient efforts in building self-confidence. Since shyness goes hand in hand with a lack of self-esteem, it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Each one of us is a unique, worthwhile individual, interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential. Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fulfilling life.The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
| A．the cause of shyness |
| B．the feeling of shy people |
| C．the effect of shyness on people |
| D．the question in the minds of shy people |
According to the writer, self-awareness is __________.
| A．harmful to people |
| B．a healthy quality |
| C．the cause of unhappiness |
| D．a weak point of shy people |
What is the shy people’s reaction to praise?
| A．They are pleased by it |
| B．They feel they are worthy of it. |
| C．They are very sensitive to it. |
| D．They feel it is not true. |
What can learn from the passage that shyness can _______.
| A．be overcome with determination |
| B．help us to live up to our full development |
| C．enable us to understand ourselves better |
| D．have nothing to do with lack of self respect |
An environment group called the Food Commission is unhappy and disappointed because of the sales of bottled water from Japan. The water, it angrily argues in public, has traveled 10,000 “food miles” before it reaches Western customers. “Transporting water half-way across the world is surely the extremely stupid use of fuel when there is plenty of water in the UK.” It is also worried that we are wasting our fuel by buying prawns from Indonesia (7,000 food miles) and carrots from South Africa (5,900 food miles).
Counting the number of miles traveled by a product is a strange way of trying to tell the true situation of the environmental damage done by an industry. Most food is transported around the world on container ships that are extremely energy-efficient. It should be noted that a ton of butter transported 25 miles in a truck to a farmers’ market does not necessarily use less fuel on its journey than a similar product transported hundreds of miles by sea, Besides, the idea of “food miles” ignores the amount of fuel used in the production. It is possible to cut down your food miles by buying tomatoes grown in Britain rather than those grown in Ghana; the difference is that the British ones will have been raised in heated greenhouses and the Ghanaian ones in the open sun.
What is the idea of “food miles” does provide, however, is the chance to cut out Third World countries from First World food markets. The number of miles traveled by our food should, as I see it, be regarded as a sign of the success of the global trade system, not a sign of damage to the environment.The Food Commission is angry because it thinks that .
| A．UK wastes a lot of money importing food products |
| B．some imported goods cause environmental damage |
| C．growing certain vegetables damages the environment |
| D．people waste energy buying food from other countries |
The phrase “food miles” in the passage refers to the distance .
| A．that a food product travels to a market |
| B．that a food product travels from one market to another |
| C．between UK and other food producing countries |
| D．between a Third World country and a First World food market |
By comparing tomatoes raised in Britain and in Ghana, the author tries to explain that .
| A．British tomatoes are healthier than Ghanaian ones |
| B．Ghanaian tomatoes taste better than British ones |
| C．cutting down food miles may not necessarily save fuel |
| D．protecting the environment may cost a lot of money |
From the passage we know that the author is most probably .
| A．a supporter of free global trade |
| B．a member of the Food Commission |
| C．a supporter of First World food markets |
| D．a member of an energy development group |
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户） where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers.
No account keeping fees!
You’re no millionaire so we don't expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees !
Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make a least two deposits (储蓄)without taking them out in a month.
Convenient
Teenagers are busy—we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet …You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
Maga magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian(so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ________.
| A．parents | B．teenagers | C．winners | D．adults |
The Winners Club provides magazines which ________.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must ________.
| A．be an Internet user | B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a big sum of money | D．be in your twenties |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To set up a club. |
| B．To provide part-time jobs. |
| C．To organize key-cards. |
| D．To introduce a new banking service. |