Many boys love reading about the legends of old pirates (海盗) and dreaming of their own wild adventures. But modern pirates are not a thing of the past. Last month Somali pirates did their boldest hijacking (劫持) to date. They seized the Saudi supertanker (超大型油轮) Sirius Star carrying crude oil worth about $100 million. They demanded $15 million to free the ship and its crew.
The pirates have kept hitting the headlines this year: 92 attacks have been attempted, with 36 successful hijackings and 268 crew members taken hostage (人质). The Chinese fishing ship Tianyu 8, with 17 Chinese and 8 foreigners on board, has been in their hands since November 14.
Of course piracy (海盗行为) is nothing new. Even since there has been water and ships there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates.
Piracy reached its peak in the mid-1700s. It was during this time in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa that men like “Blackbeard the Pirate” made this profession attractive. But with the creation of stronger national Navies piracy became less popular around the world.
In the mid-20th century, most pirates were petty (小规模的) thieves. They used hooks to sneak (偷偷摸摸) on board ships at anchor, and grabbed all that they could find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if faced by the crew.
However, nowadays piracy has become a multi-million-dollar business at tracting many in poor countries. Pirates are treated like heroes among local fishermen.
They use satellite phones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Once they spot their target, they swarm the ship with fast boats and shoot it by firing AK-47s or even rocket-propelled grenades (火箭榴弹炮). Then they hold the ship and its crews for money.
“The world should take forceful actions together to fight piracy,” said leaders at the Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.
“However, putting in anti-piracy army can only be half of the solution. We have to protect the fair chance of Somali fishermen to get a good living and keep them from the lure of easy money,” said Peter Lehr, a lecturer in terrorism studies. When did piracy reach its peak?
| A．In the 13th century. | B．In the mid-1700s. |
| C．In the mid-20th century. | D．November 14, 2008. |
What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
| A．Pirates were very bold at first. | B．Pirates were very popular then. |
| C．Pirates were very attractive then. | D．Pirates were not so bold at that time. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The pirates have committed 92 crimes successfully this year. |
| B．Piracy became more and more popular as the national Navies became powerful. |
| C．Nowadays, pirates are learning to use modern weapons to commit crimes at sea. |
| D．On November 18, a Chinese ship was attacked by a suspected pirate ship. |
Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here’s where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles — making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles — so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren’t fooled — they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they’re more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate .
| A．children’s and adults’ eye-sight |
| B．the influence of people’s age |
| C．children’s and adults’ brains |
| D．people’s ability to see accurately |
When asked to find the larger circle, .
| A．children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around |
| B．only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around |
| C．children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around |
| D．adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around |
Visual context may work when children get older than .
| A．4 | B．6 | C．10 | D．18 |
Why are younger children not fooled?
| A．Because they are smarter than older children and adults. |
| B．Because their brain can hardly notice related things together. |
| C．Because people’s eyes become weaker as they grow older. |
| D．Because older people are influenced by their experience. |
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical passage about husbands and their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. On arriving at the beach cottage, I kissed Evelyn meeting me at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.” “Oh, Tom, you noticed”, she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me? Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to be understood. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”
From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage ______.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn | C．alone | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because ______.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he had made a lot of money in his Wall Street firm |
| C．he was determined to be a good husband |
| D．the doctor said his wife was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What does “one thing” refer to?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that ______.
| A．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
| D．he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before |
Dear College Dean
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to improve the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lad. It is the tradition of his school to promote education and to be the pioneer of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gif
ts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Students are asked to create PowerPoint presentations and use spreadsheets and database programs, as well as to research many topics on the Internet. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning, giving students the opportunity to find information that without a computer would be much more difficult to find.
If there are more computers, students will also be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of lifeThe purpose of the author in writing the passage is .
| A．to describe the problems caused by lack of computers |
| B．to explain why students are in great need of computers |
| C．to tell us what benefits students can gain from computers |
| D．to persuade the Dean to purchase more advanced computers |
From the passage we can infer that .
| A．present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students |
| B．computers in the college will be updated to meet the student's demands soon |
C．the college has  the responsibility to help the students to prepare for their future |
| D．it is also necessary to expand the college bookstore by using part of the donation |
In paragraph 4, the author mainly wants to tell us that.
| A．computers are beneficial to students' academic success |
| B．computers are helpful to student's competition for success |
| C．students find it convenient to do assignments by using computers |
| D．students wish to use the money to buy more advanced computers |
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts a few minutes or a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation－for example, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year. Situational loneliness Is easy to understand and to predict.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problem socializing and becoming close to others unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Many researchers agree that the loneliest people are between the ages 18 and 25, so a group of psychologists decided to study a group of college students. They found that more than 50% of the students were situationally lonely at the beginning of the term as a result of their new circumstances, but had adjusted after a few months, 13% were still lonely after seven months due to shyness and fear. They felt very uncomfortable meeting strangers, even though they understood that their fear was not reasonable. The situationally lonely students overcame their loneliness by making new friends, but the chronically lonely remained unhappy because they were afraid to do so.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: First of all, they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition. The passage mainly talks about .
| A．the subjects of psychology |
| B．the study on loneliness |
| C．the interests of psychologists |
| D．the treatment of loneliness |
All of the following are true EXCEPT that.
| A．situational loneliness can cause physical problems |
| B．temporary loneliness does not need special attention |
| C．chronic loneliness can cause problems in socializing |
| D．37% of the students can overcome loneliness easily |
The underlined word “chronic” in Paragraph 3 means “”.
| A．resulting from specific causes |
| B．lasting a long time |
| C．changing slightly |
| D．improving their health |
Psychologists want to help the habitually lonely people because.
| A．they are college students |
| B．they are sad and dangerous |
| C．they are not active in communicating with others |
| D．they may have mental and physical problems |
A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice. According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords (声带) can heal.
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. “It’s a proud moment for all of us,” his wife told DNAIndia.com.
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their ent
husiasm. Don’t get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity. But his record–singing for 80 hours straight–is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Granted , I’m not qualified to speak on the subject. I’ve got no world records to my name– and I never expect to have any. Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley (混合曲) of pop songs.
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure. He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades. The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake.
To all of these enterprising (有进取心的) souls I ask, simply, “What was it all for?”
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you becam
e a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you–with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese.
After all, records are made to be broken.From the text, we can learn that the author .
A．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ fea t |
| B．feels it is a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures |
| C．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless |
| D．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords |
Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to .
| A．become an international celebrity |
| B．know all about Guinness record |
| C．practice a great deal |
| D．bear great stress for fear of injury |
We can infer from the article that .
| A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak |
| B．Burbure’ wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record |
| C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior |
| D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health |
The author’s attitude to the Guinness world records mentioned in the passage is .
| A．positive | B．impressed |
| C．negative | D．touched |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．What Was the Point? |
| B．Records Are Made to be Broken |
| C．A New Indian Guinness Record |
| D．The Guinness Book Is Boring |