When I opened my e – mail the other day, a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen. She greeted me by name and started talking warmly. Every now and then she stopped to smile at me．She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother．It was very cool and lovely．
Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail. Facemail lets you send an e-mail that gets read to the receiver on line by an attractive male or female or by a clown（小丑）．The software , which is free , can be downloaded at www.facemail.com. Facemail faces are lifelike , and they simulate（模仿）emotions based on emotions that you put in your text．
The company that develops the Facemail, is sure there will be broad uses in many fields．The reason why e-business is not popular, the company says, is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch. But what if you went to the Nike website and Michael Jordan greeted you by name, waited on you and personally closed the sale ? And it is talking with Whirpool Company about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge．Then if Mom can’t be home when the kids get back from school , she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat．
Facemail could get hot fast．Personally , I’m a fan. Facemail is lively and funny at first , but if you select the clown , put a few rude words in an e-mail and add some angry emotions, you’ve got a crazy mail.
64．The main advantage of Facemail is that ．
A．the e-mail can be read in a more lovely way
B．you can talk with the person who sends you the e-mail
C．you can put your own emotions in the e-mail as you like
D．you can write an e – mail to anyone
65．We can infer from the passage that Facemail ．
A．is a software hard to download
B．will take the place of the e-mail system
C．can destroy your e-mail if not properly used
D．is likely to be used in other ways in our daily life and work
66．The writer mentioned Nike website and Michael Jordan to show that ．
A．Michael Jordan will serve you himself on Nike website
B．famous people like Michael Jordan also like to use Facemail
C．Facemail can make shopping on the Internet more interesting
D．Nike company is increasing its sales through the fame of Jordan
67．The writer thinks .
A．Facemail is cool and funny
B．Facemail is a danger to the Internet
C．Facemail needs further improvement
D．people should be careful with Facemail
In October 2010, I left my hometown and family in Virginia and moved to Iowa so I could be coached by Liang Chow. I’d been dreaming of an Olympic gold medal since I was eight—— but gradually, that dream seemed like a million miles away.
On January 2, 2012, while Mom was visiting me in Iowa, I told her, “I don’t like gymnastics anymore. I want to try dancing, or become a singer. I can get a job in Virginia. I just want to come home.”
Mom’s eyes narrowed and her expression turned to stone. “You’re breaking my heart Brie.” She said. “you’ve been doing gymnastics for ten years, and now you want to quit? Have you lost your mind?”
I hadn’t lost my mind, but I had lost my fire. It’s an entirely different thing to push toward that dream when you feel alone.
“I’m not trying to break your heart, Mom,” I said. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
“I know you miss home. But you’ve signed a contract that says you will represent your country to the best of your ability. You’ve got a responsibility to your teammates. And now you just want to walk away? I will not let you be dishonorable. If you don’t like gymnastics, then at the very least, you will finish the season.”
The next afternoon as I dragged myself into Chow’s gym. I thought of the efforts Mom had made in order to pay for my training. I thought of my two sisters: Arielle, who gave up ballroom dancing, and Joyelle, who stopped ice skating so that our single mom could afford to keep me in gymnastics.
For now, here’s what you need to know: Exactly 210 days before I ever attempted my first vault（跳跃）in the London Summer Olympics, my leap of faith came this close to ending in a crash of disaster.
| A．she thought she loved music more |
| B．she was overcome with homesickness |
| C．an Olympic gold was beyond her reach |
| D．the training for the Olympics was too hard |
| A．Heart-broken. | B．Sympathetic. |
| C．Helpless. | D．Calm. |
| A．was born into an athletic family |
| B．realized her Olympic dream |
| C．changed her mind in the end |
| D．had a bad childhood |
| A．A Dream Come True | B．My Leap of Faith |
| C．My Mother | D．A Quitter |
| A．A medical student who will graduate from university. |
| B．A healthcare professional who will give a lecture on cancer. |
| C．A marketing professional who is looking for customers. |
| D．A gymnastic player who wants to give up competition. |
Do you want to speak fluent English like native English speaker, like Obama or Cameron? Do you want to master business English? If your answers are yes, just follow me!
Part Ⅰ:
If you are hunting a chance to improve yourself in English, TOP ENGLISH CITY will be a smart choice. We are members of “the International Language Workshop” and enjoy both of the good honor in English teaching and high quality of our teaching team. We provide affordable, excellent English training programs for those who want to improve both their English knowledge and their language skills.
In TOP ENGLISH GITY, you will be a top English-speaker among your competitors and enjoy the advantage that your competitors have not. You will be proud of being a member of TOP ENGLISH CITY.
Courses designed:
Basic Studies: Sat 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate（中级）Spoken English: Sun. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Standard Spoken English: Sat. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Basic Business English: Sun. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate Business English: Sun. 7:00-9:00 p.m.
TOEFL Super Studies: Sun. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Children’s Weekend: Sat. &. Sun. 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact:
Room 807 American Plaza Tianhexi Rd, 510150 Guangzhou
Tel:86668888-8807
Part Ⅱ: ENGLISH SALON
A place for you to practice your English, to exchange your English learning experiences, to know more about the culture of English-speaking countries, to make more friends who can speak very good English.
You will have free talks, famous English films and songs appreciation, English lectures and games; all are for you to improve yourself in English in the special, full-of-fun Salon.
How to Join:
We are a group with membership system, so if you want to join our group, please make an application to the Tianhe Office of Top English City, filling in the applying forms. You will be given a salon ID card, and becomes our member.
The Qualifications:
You must be fluent in English-speaking or an English lover. Those who are now learning English in the Top English City will be advantageous.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Jin Chanat: 47129198
English Salon, your best friend! Join Right Now!
| A．To raise the interest of readers. |
| B．To show the structure of the passage. |
| C．To list the function of fluent English. |
| D．To give a clue of the advertisement. |
| A．We have all the languages you want! |
| B．Enjoy English, enjoy your beautiful life! |
| C．Want to be an English teacher, follow me! |
| D．Top English City, your smart choice! |
| A．Standard Spoken English and Basic Studies. |
| B．Basic Business English and Intermediate Spoken English. |
| C．TOEFL Super Studies and Standard Spoken English. |
| D．TOEFL Super Studies and Intermediate Business English. |
| A．Requirements. | B．Knowledge. |
| C．Vocabulary. | D．Learning skills. |
| A．Sports section. | B．Family section. |
| C．Advertisement section. | D．Entertainment section. |
For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded killer. For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone’s life as nothing.
Cold can affect other parts of the body. The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned, and all the work of the organizations will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
The expression“give someone the cold shoulder”probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers.
“Out in the cold”means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise —— he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
| A．3 | B．4 | C．6 | D．7 |
| A．I give him the cold shoulder |
| B．I think he is a cold-blooded man |
| C．I think he is a cold fish |
| D．I’m likely to get cold feet |
| A．she is a cold-blooded killer |
| B．she gets cold feet |
| C．she is a cold fish |
| D．she is out in the cold |
| A．cold-blooded | B．cold shoulder |
| C．cold feet | D．cold-hearted |
| A．the relationship between cold and our body |
| B．some expressions about friendship |
| C．some expressions connected with cold |
| D．how cold weather comes into being |
When different species of birds flock (聚集) together, their flight formations are determined by social dynamics both between and within species.
New research from the Universities of Cambridge and Exeter reveals for the first time that, contrary to current models used to explain the movement of flocks, the differences between bird species and social relationships between individuals play a critical role in determining the dynamics of mixed-species flocks.
The unified(群集) behaviour of bird flocks has puzzled scientists for hundreds of years. One naturalist from the turn of the century even suggested telepathy(心灵感应)may be involved. There have since been more logical explanations, including mathematical models that show that repeated interactions among individuals following simple rules can generate coordinated (协同的)group movements. However, these models usually rely on the assumption that individuals within groups are identical and interact independently, which may not reflect reality.
Jolle Jolles, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and author of the paper, said：“Spectacular collective behaviour can be found in a large range of animal species, and we now know that often these complex coordinated group movements may be the result of individuals following simple rules. However, rarely are the individual characteristics and social relationships within them taken into account. Our research highlights that these striking displays of group behaviour are much more complex.”
By analysing high-resolution photographs of mixed flocks of rooks and jackdaws (both from the corvid family), the researchers found that rather than individuals interacting in a consistent fashion throughout the flock, interactions depended on social dynamics between the different species as well as relationships within a species.
The researchers discovered that birds prefer to fly close to members of their own species, and that the larger and more dominant rooks take the lead by flying near the front of flocks. Additionally, the lifelong, monogamous(一妻一夫制的)pair bonds that are characteristic of both species seem to be reflected in flight, as birds often fly particularly close to a single, same-species partner.
Dr Alex Thornton, principal investigator of the Cambridge Jackdaw Project, now at the University of Exeter and author of the paper, said: “Together, our findings demonstrate that to understand the structure of groups — such as bird flocks — we need to consider the characteristics and relationships of the individuals within them.”The underlined word “generate” means ______.
| A．set down | B．take away |
| C．bring about | D．give up |
According to Jolle Jolles, what are seldom considered about coordinated group movement?
| A．Individual characteristics and social relationship between them |
| B．Repeated interactions among individuals and social dynamics |
| C．Telepathy and social relationship between them |
| D．The structure of groups and the varieties of species |
Birds may prefer to fly the closest to _____ .
| A．the largest one | B．the most dynamic one |
| C．the lifelong partner | D．the friendly partner |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How birds interact in simple rules. |
| B．How birds of different feathers flock together. |
| C．Why birds show preference to flocking. |
| D．Why birds display the characteristics. |
A man enters a store to buy milk. He walks out of the store with milk. That is all— milk. At the same time, a woman enters the same grocery store also to buy milk. She buys it. But, she also buys chicken and lemons to make dinner that night. Then she remembers to buy food for her son to eat at school. She also gets a bottle of wine for drinks with friends and a birthday card for her husband's niece. Then she gets coffee for breakfast, ice cream for dessert and remembers stamps to mail the bills. And don't forget soap for the bathroom.
And that is the difference between the female and male brains simply explained in a grocery store. Generally speaking，men do one thing at a time. Women do many. Doing many things at one time is often called “multi-tasking”, a very popular word these days.
Now scientific research supports this theory about male and female brains. A recent study has confirmed what we have known all along—men and women think differently.
Scientist at the university of Pennsylvania studied brain images of 949 people aged from 8 to 22 years old. They found that male brains have more connections on one side of the brain, or hemisphere. In female brain, they found more activity and connections between the right and left sides of the brain. The left side of the brain is known as the side of “reason” The right hemisphere is known as the “creative” side.
Regina Verma is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She co-wrote the report. She says when women are asked to do something difficult they might use different parts of the brain. Men, she adds, generally use just one side of the brain.
As a result, men generally deal directly with a problem. There is a strong connection between the “understanding” and the “action” parts of their brains. Women, however, might include other parts of the brain, like the part connected with reason and the part connected with sensitivity when solving a problem. Women take a less direct path to find a solution.
Dr. Venma warns that the study should not lead anyone to expect some behaviors from women and others from men.By describing the scene of shopping, the writer wants to ____ .
| A．reveal men and women's preference of living expense |
| B．criticize women's wasted living expense |
| C．think highly of women's considerate behavior |
| D．illustrate men and women's different brains |
When asked to deal with a problem, _____ .
| A．men tend to take action straight |
| B．women tend to take action straight |
| C．women tend to use a single part of the brain |
| D．men tend to use connected parts of the brain |
Dr. Verma's warning indicates that _____ .
| A．women and men can hardly learn from each other |
| B．women and men can hardly cooperate well |
| C．women and men can hardly complete multitasks |
| D．women and men can hardly perform the same behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．“reason” brain or “creative” brain |
| B．Multi-tasking or single-tasking |
| C．Costly shopping or economical shopping |
| D．Reason or sensitivity |