C
The largest television network in America is not ABC, CBS, or Fox. Nor is it one of the cable net—works such as CNN, which carries only news and news stories. It is not ESPN, the all-sports cable net-work, or even MTV, which is famous for its music videos. Rather it is PBS, Public Broadcasting System, a non-profit public broadcasting TV service. PBS has 349 member television stations in the U. S. and some member stations by cable in Canada.
PBS only attracts a minority of all TV viewers, about 2 percent. The industry leader, NBC, however, attracts 11 percent of viewers. But the growth of public television in the past two decades has been dramatic. This is especially noteworthy when one considers that public television stations must often survive on very limited budgets, on viewers’ donations, and on private foundations and some governmental funding.
The level of quality of PBS programs, whether in national and international news, entertainment, or education, is excellent. Almost a whole generation of children throughout the world is familiar with Sesame Street and the characters of The Muppet Show. PBS is especially well known for the quality of its many educational TV programs. Over 95 percent of all public television stations have tele-courses. These courses are accepted and supported by more than 1,800 colleges and universities throughout the US. Each year, over a quarter of a million students take courses this way.
59．According to this article, PBS received part of its funding from._______.
A. private organizations B. public schools
C. advertising agencies D. other television stations
60．What is PBS most famous for?
A. Cable services. B. Generous donations.
C. Educational programs. D. Live news broadcasts.
61．Which of the following is true about public television stations?
A. The majority of their viewers are minority people.
B. Ninety—five percent of their programs are tele—courses.
C. They are shrinking in number because they make no profits.
D. Their courses are accepted by many universities in America.
62．Which of the following has the highest percentage of viewers?
A ABC B. PBS C. NBC D. Fox
Those who have suffered from insomnia know the sinking feeling of watching the clock tick．Now a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that lying in bed awake may actually contribute to the problem of sleeplessness．
The study of 79 adults（average age 72）with insomnia aimed to determine whether brief behavioral interventions for insomnia would help．Traditional behavioral therapy（疗法）requires at least half a dozen hour-long sessions with a therapist — a costly commitment many patients either can't make or don't have access to．Other options include sleep-aiding medications or supplements．In the current study，the 39 participants in the behavioral therapy group received a 45- to 60-minute instructing session，plus a 30-minute follow-up session and two 20-minute phone calls．
Doctors offered the following behavioral interventions for improving sleep: reduce time in bed; get up at the same time every day，regardless of sleep duration; don't go to bed unless sleepy; and don't stay in bed unless asleep．
The other 40 participants in the study were given printed educational materials about insomnia，which included the same instructions given to the intervention group，but without the individualized sessions with a therapist．Two weeks later，the latter group also got a 10-minute follow-up phone call．
At the end of four weeks，the behavioral treatment group was significantly more likely to show improvements in sleep than the printed-materials group．By that time，55% of those who received behavioral treatment no longer met the criteria for insomnia，compared with 13% of the group that got educational brochures．
The good news comes at the same time as a report on the health effects of insomnia from the U．K．'s Mental Health Foundation．The report，Sleep Matters，suggests a link between insomnia and poor relationships，low energy levels and an inability to concentrate．Poor sleep has already been linked to depression，immune deficiency and heart disease．What is the meaning of the underlined word “ insomnia”?
| A．sleeplessness | B．depression |
| C．heart disease | D．immune deficiency |
What is the disadvantage of traditional behavioral therapy?
| A．It can’t help． |
| B．It costs a lot of money． |
| C．It requires sessions with a therapist． |
| D．It includes sleep-aiding medications． |
How to improve sleep according to the doctor?
| A．Lying in bed awake． |
| B．Get up early every day． |
| C．Don’t go to bed late at night． |
| D．Don’t stay in bed if you are not asleep． |
We can learn from the text that insomnia may cause the following results except________．
| A．depression | B．concentration |
| C．immune deficiency | D．heart disease |
When Josephine Cooper was growing up，she learned the importance of charity from her parents．Although they made a modest living for their family of 10，they insisted on sharing with those less fortunate．
Half a century later，Mrs Cooper became a beloved volunteer at the San Diego Food Bank，where she devoted herself to helping others．She organized and ran a distribution center from a church，helping it become the organization’s largest emergency food distribution center in San Diego．She was one of 25 outstanding senior volunteers in the nation selected and invited to Washington D．C．to receive the award．
“She was the main person who helped us make that program grow,” said Mike Doody，former director of the Food Bank．“She had a way of getting people to work together and to work hard．She was determined and stubborn，but in a good way．She had a good heart．” People knew her as “Grandma” because of her selflessness and her devotion to helping hungry children and families．“She reminded people of their Grandma．” Doody said．
As a widow with a young child in 1979，Mrs．Cooper was helped through a difficult financial time when the Food Bank provided her with groceries．“She dedicated her life to giving back,” said her daughter，Monica Cooper．It wasn’t unusual for a local church to call Mrs Cooper to ask her to aid a needy family．“She would give people food out of her cupboard．Sometimes we would cook a meal for a family living out of their car,” Cooper said．
Although Mrs Cooper was honored to receive the national award for her volunteer work，she said being able to help others was her reward．She died of liver disease and kidney failure，aged 93．The underlined word “charity” in Paragraph 1 refers to．
| A．offering help | B．donating money |
| C．providing services | D．showing sympathy |
Which of the following is true of Mrs Cooper?
| A．She died at an early age． |
| B．She refused the national award． |
| C．She was kind and devoted． |
| D．She was not easy to get along with． |
Mrs Cooper’s story suggests that．
| A．everyone needs a Grandma nearby |
| B．children are what their parents are |
| C．a sound mind is in a sound body |
| D．a mother’s love never changes |
There are 67 counties in the state of Alabama. Each county is rich with history and its own unique stories. Colbert County, located in the northwest corner of the state, has its share of exciting stories and claims to statewide fame. The county was created on February 6, 1867, and Tuscumbia became the county seat (the town in which the offices of the county government are located).
One of the most famous residents of Tuscumbia was Helen Keller. Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. Her home was a white frame cottage built by her grandparents. Since ivy (常春藤) grew everywhere, the house was called Ivy Green. It was here, at the water pump in the backyard, that Keller learned the word “w-a-t-e-r” with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Visitors to Ivy Green can walk under boxwood trees that are 150 years old. The home has furniture that the Keller family used. It also has Keller’s Braille (盲文) books and her original Braille typewriter.
Spring Park is Tuscumbia’s most popular park and favorite tourist attraction. This park has the world’s largest manufactured waterfall called Coldwater Falls. The Spring Park Light and Water Show is an amazing sight to see. It takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at sundown. The water appears to dance to music and colored lights. The music played during the show is recorded by singers and musicians from Alabama.
Fame Recording Studios is in the city of Muscle Shoals in Colbert County. The studio is the first successful recording studio in Alabama. It is best known for creating “Southern rock,” “Southern soul,” and “county soul.” Well-known performers like Aretha Franklin and musical groups such as Alabama and Lynyrd have made recordings at this studio.
Visitors can continue to explore music in Alabama by visiting the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia. Built in 1990, this site recognizes the musical talents of more than 500 Alabama residents in a wide variety of musical styles, including country and rhythm and blues.
Truly, Colbert County has a lot of wonderful locations to visit. Guests will not be disappointed in a visit to this delightful place.Which of the following is TRUE about Alabama and music?
| A．Alabama musicians have established exhibits for visitors. |
| B．There are a great many talented musicians in Alabama. |
| C．Music is the most important industry in Alabama. |
| D．Alabama residents enjoy listening to music. |
How many locations related to music in Colbert County are mentioned in the text?
| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
The author writes the text mainly to persuade the reader __________.
| A．to learn from Helen Keller |
| B．to visit businesses in Alabama |
| C．to stop for a visit in Colbert County |
| D．to listen to Southern styles of music |
The text is most probably taken from __________.
| A．a story book | B．a book review |
| C．a personal diary | D．a travel magazine |
| NEMS |
NEWRI Environmental Master of Science |
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| NEWRI: Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute |
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| Be a leader in environmental science and engineering through the NEMS programme |
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| NEWRI Environmental Master of Science (NEMS) is a primary graduate education and research programme conducted by Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU’s) NEWRI, with summer attachment at Stanford University. It aims to train engineers and scientists to meet the increasing environmental challenges for Asia and the wider region. |
NEWRI-Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute NEWRI is enabling Singapore to be a global center of environmental science and technology in providing technological solutions to the world. It is committed to environmental and water technologies through its ecosystem of education, research and developmental activities. NEWRI is trying its best to pull together NTU’s water and environment-related centers and institutes, gathering one another’s strengths for the benefit of industry and society. |
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| Master of Science Applications ● Applications open now and close on 30 May 2013 for Singapore applicants. ● Graduates having relevant engineering or science background, including final-year students, are invited to apply. ● Applicants are required to have a certificate of GRE. Further information and application materials are available at the Website: http:// www. Cee.ntu.edu.sg/Graduate/NEMS |
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| Highlights of Programme: ★ Students spend a full summer term at Stanford taking regular courses and continue with the rest of their academic programme at NTU. ★ It is a 12-month full-time course in environmental science & engineering. ★Students under NEMS will have opportunities to do research projects under NEWRI as well as to continue for the Doctor’s degree. ★ Graduating students receive the NTU degree and a certificate from Stanford for their summer attachment. |
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| Scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses at both Stanford and NTU are available |
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| Enquiry contact: Ms Christian Soh Tel：(65) 6861 0507 Fax:(65) 68614606 Email: nems@ntu.edu.sg Information on other graduate programmes available at： www.ntu.edu.sg/cee/program/postgrad.asp |
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If one wants to apply for the NEMS programme, it is essential for him to __________.
| A．make contact with Ms Soh |
| B．have passed the GRE test |
| C．possess a university diploma |
| D．major in engineering or science |
Students admitted to the NEMS Programme __________.
| A．are required to obtain a Doctor’s degree |
| B．will first have regular courses at Stanford |
| C．needn’t be released from their regular jobs |
| D．can receive degrees of both NTU and Stanford |
What’s the main purpose of the NEMS programme?
| A．To offer scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses. |
| B．To strengthen the cooperation between NTU and Stanford. |
| C．To introduce Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute. |
| D．To train experts on environmental science and engineering. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．30 May 2012 is the deadline for NEMS application. |
| B．Applicants for NEMS should have relevant work experience. |
| C．Other centers and institutes for environmental and water technologies also exist in NTU |
| D．Singapore is the global center of environmental science and technology. |
A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked decline in the use of emotional words over time. The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise.
They found that almost all of the categories showed a drop in these “mood words” over time. Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage.
“It is a steady and continuous decrease,” said Dr Alberto Acerbi. He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape. “One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media. Maybe these media — movies, radio, drama, had more emotional content than books.”
Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour：the ratio (比率) between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events.
During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash. But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War. Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends. In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true.
“It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression (压抑) of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing ‘filled with romance and sex’… perhaps,” they conclude, “songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body.”
The word "decline" (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to_________.
| A．increase | B．rise | C．decrease | D．change |
A study of more than five million books indicated a decrease in “mood words” over time except_______.
| A．in the use of the words of historical events |
| B．in the category of fear |
| C．in the category of literature |
| D．in the category of joy |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．A study of emotional words. |
| B．A study about vocabulary in literature. |
| C．Reasons for the use of emotional words decreases in literature. |
| D．A study on increase in the category of fear. |