Sometime in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch(门廊) will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You’ll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will read stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You’ll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on this brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspapers of the future. Pictured as part of broader home-based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers will unite print and broadcast reporting, and offer news and analysis with video images of news events.
Most of the technology is possible now, but making more people believe that they don’t need to read a newspaper is the next step. But refusing computers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realizes that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable.
Despite technological advances, it could take tens of years to replace newsprint with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial interests in the paper industry.
1. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of computer newspapers?
A. They are cheaper than traditional newspapers.
B. They are more convenient to read.
C. You can choose the kind of voice you want to hear.
D. You can easily save information for future use.
2. Which of the following is a reason why it will take a long time to complete the changeover?
A. The technology is impossible now.
B. Computer newspapers are too expensive.
C. The popularization of computers needs a long time.
D. Traditional newspapers are easier to read.
3. It can be inferred that journalists are against computer newspapers because _________.
A. they don’t know how to use computer
B. they think computer newspapers take too much time to read
C. they think the new technology is bad
D. they have been trained to write for traditional newspapers
4. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Newspapers are out of fashion.
B. Newspapers of the future will be on the computer.
C. New communications technology.
D. Computer newspapers are well liked
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some new studies about animals. | B．People’s wrong ideas about animals. |
| C．Why the number of animals has dropped. | D．The importance of protecting animals. |
According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
| A．are less clever than rodents | B．can find their home |
| C．can read maps | D．are good planners |
Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
| A．The species of grass in grasslands. | B．The species of trees in grasslands. |
| C．The number of flowers in grasslands. | |
| D．The number of animals in grasslands. |
In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?
| A．Geography. | B．Culture. | C．Travel. | D．Nature. |
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s have a look．
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies．We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants．Sometimes，people may get caught with their pants down．They are found doing something they should not be doing．And，in every family，one person takes contro1．Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do．Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things．Money that is likely to be spent quickly can bum a hole in your pocket．Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants．If you have less money than usual，you may have to tighten your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. l really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I immediately spend it.
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him will think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. What is this passage mainly about?
| A．What pants mean in English. | B．Some special English expressions. |
| C．Some funny English expressions. | D．Some expressions related to clothes. |
Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?
| A．Get caught with one's pants down. | B．Have ants in one's pants. |
| C．Wear the pants in the family. | D．Bum a hole in one's pocket. |
If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he
| A．has done something wrong | B．used to live a rich life |
| C．has put on the wrong pants | D．doesn’t have enough money |
Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably_
| A．doesn’t save money | B．earns much money |
| C．never wastes his money | D．spends more than he earns |
My friend Robert started a new job this week and he’s been in the training class for two days. The employer has a very strict dress code—dark blue shirts and pants.
On the first day, an older gentleman in his class did not have the proper clothes and he was strictly told that he would be fired if he didn’t have the right clothes the next day. He explained, “Sir, I had not been told about this. Because of my larger size, it’s sometimes difficult to find the right clothing for a price I can afford.”
Last night, Robert and I decided that this old man shouldn’t lose the chance of work simply because he couldn’t afford the clothes. I had some cash on hand and Robert took it with him this morning just in case it was needed.
When training started this morning, the trainer was ready to fire the older gentleman. “You have 10 minutes to be in proper clothes,” he was told. At this point, Robert spoke up and asked if he could have 10 minutes to get him the clothes. He then ran out to the store and bought the proper-sized pants and a shirt; he returned with both and gave them to the older man.
The older gentleman began to cry and told him that he couldn’t accept such a gift from a stranger. Robert told him he had to because he had lost the receipt(收据) and couldn’t return them—a little white lie. The pants were a perfect fit, the shirt was a bit tight but he was able to keep his job.
“My wife and I tried to gather together some money last night, but we didn’t have enough to buy the clothes,” he told Robert. “It’s unbelievable to me that anybody would do such a thing for only knowing me a day!”
More unbelievable is how good it has made Robert and me feel to do this.If the older man did not have the proper clothes, he would _____
| A．be punished | B．be offered another job |
| C．put off the training class | D．lose his job |
The money which was paid for the clothes belonged to _____
| A．the trainer | B．the older man |
| C．the writer | D．Robert |
How did Robert persuade the older man to accept the clothes?
| A．He told the older man that he would lose his job if he did not take them. |
| B．He told a lie that the clothes didn’t fit himself. |
| C．He told the older man that he could save money and return it later. |
| D．He told the older man that he had no way to send them back. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Proper clothes for a stranger | B．Fight against strict rules |
| C．A strange employer | D．An unbelievable thing |
When TV news programmers report wars or diseases, the editors rarely use the most horrifying pictures of dead or wounded victims because they don’t want to upset their viewers. Even so, viewers are usually warned in advance that they“may find some of these scenes disturbing”, so they can look away if they choose. But the men and women whose job is to record those scenes, the TV cameramen, have no such choice. It is their duty to witness the horrors of the world and record them, no matter how unpleasant they may be. As a result, it is one of the most dangerous, exposed and emotionally taxing jobs the world has to offer.
Today, the demand for their work is rising. The explosion of satellite broadcasting and 24hour news in recent years has created an almost insatiable（不能满足的）demand for TV information. But major broadcaster sand the TV news agencies（部）, such as Reuters and WTN, have never had enough staff（人员）to meet thje worldwide demand for up-to-date pictures, so increasingly they turn to freelance（自由职业的）TV cameramen.
These freelance cameramen are independent operators tied to no particular organization. They will work for any company which hires them, for just a few hours or for several weeks in a war zone. But if the freelance cameraman is injured in the course of the job, the TV company is not responsible for him. The freelance must survive on his own.
“TV will always need hard, vivid and moving pictures which are fresh, but these companies feel uncomfortable with large numbers of employees on their books.”Explains Nik Cowing, once a foreign editor for Britain’s Channel 4 news and now a BBC news presenter.
“By hiring freelancers, they can buy in the skills they need only when they need them. It also enables them to reduce the risk.”He says.In the last sentence of the first paragraph,“taxing”most probably means“”.
| A．depressing | B．satisfying |
| C．demanding | D．encouraging |
TV news agencies turn to freelance cameramen in order to.
| A．save expense and avoid（避免）risks |
| B．buy pictures which are the most stimulating（剌激的）to the senses |
| C．look for pictures that are of fine qualities |
| D．get first-hand information and pictures |
The freelance cameramen.
| A．have better skills than other cameramen |
| B．are tied to many TV news agencies |
| C．have to take great risks in the course of work |
| D．need to reduce risks of work for TV companies |
It is implied in the passage that.
| A．TV cameramen have to witness disasters and killings whether they like them or not |
| B．TV cameramen are a special group of people who enjoy horrifying pictures |
| C．TV cameramen should be given greater choice of work |
| D．the development of TV resulted in the growing demand for TV cameramen’s work |
The main idea of the first paragraph is.
| A．TV programs are reducing the use of horrible pictures of death and wound |
| B．it is a requirement of work for TV cameramen to disregard people’s feelings |
| C．it is the duty of TV cameramen to record horrifying scenes |
| D．TV cameramen’s job is extremely dangerous and emotionally taxing |
In some countries in which there is very little rain at any time, the farmers have to irrigate their fields. Irrigation is easy enough if there is a great river near the crops, and if there is plenty of water in it. Canals carry the river water to the fields when necessary. In some seasons there may be too much water in the river, and the water may flood all the land near it. At other times the river water may not be enough for all the farmers, and then it will be difficult to irrigate the fields.
To prevent these difficulties, a dam may be built across the river. This will store water for dry seasons, and in wet seasons it will prevent the flooding of the land. A great lake will, no doubt, be formed behind the dam, and this may mean that houses and fields will be covered with water. Most people will accept that and will be ready to move to other places. Then the country can have the right amount of water at all times; more crops will be grown, there will be more food for everyone, and there will be no more floods.
Dams have been built for centuries in different parts of the world. Modern dame are usually built of concrete（混凝土）but earth dams were used in India and Sri Lanka about 2500 years ago. There was another across the River Tigris very long ago, and large numbers of irrigation canals were made in Iraq to irrigate the land. The Romans were great dam-builders and there was also a famous dam at Ma’ rubin Arabia.
We cannot use sea water for irrigation; the salt will not allow the crops to grow. Fresh water is always needed, and it is very difficult and costly to make fresh water from sea water. This is done in a few countries, but the fresh water is for drinking. There is not enough at present for irrigation. Perhaps a scientist will one day invent a cheaper way of producing fresh water from the sea.The first paragraph mainly talks about.
| A．the problems caused by river water |
| B．the necessity to irrigate the field |
| C．the water shortage in some countries |
| D．the canals carrying water to fields |
A dam is usually built.
| A．to cover the houses and fields |
| B．for people to have the right amount of water at all times |
| C．to grow crops better |
| D．to form a large lake |
The underlined word“that”means.
| A．a dam will be built across the river |
| B．a dam will store water for dry seasons |
| C．in wet seasons a dam will prevent the flooding of the land |
| D．houses and fields will be covered will water |
The third paragraph suggests that.
| A．modern dams are made of concrete |
| B．Romans once built many great dams |
| C．there was too much water in 1rap in the past |
| D．modern dams are better than early dams |