It’s Friday morning in the year 2030, and you’re running late. You got carried away watching the music video that was playing in the corner of your bathroom mirror while you were brushing your teeth. How will you get to your office at Mega Giga Industries on time?
A quick check of your Internet–connected refrigerator tells you your train is a bit behind schedule, too. So you decide to drive your environmentally–friendly fuel cell car instead—or rather, let your car drive you. It’s programmed to know the way and it will get you there without speeding, getting lost, or crashing.
Settling into your office chair, which changes color to match what you’re wearing, you pick up yesterday morning’s newspaper. Printed on reusable electronic paper, it immediately rewrites itself with today’s headlines. Now it’s time for your big meeting. Uh-oh! You’ve left your handwritten notes at home. No problem. The digital ink pen you used has stored an electronic copy of what you wrote.
Your wristwatch videophone (可视电话) suddenly rings. Your best friend’s face pops up on the screen (屏幕) asking what you’re doing this weekend. Will you play virtual soccer with the U.S. Olympic team? No, no. Your friend says, so you have to take the new elevator (made of microscopic fibers many times stronger than steel) 60000 miles into space.
Could this scene really take place in just twenty years? The researchers who are now developing all this stuff think so. These gadgets (小器械) may be as common in 20 years as cell phones and DVD players are today.
57. What is the BEST TITLE for the passage?
A. Life in the Future B. Future Transportation
C. Life Today and Tomorrow D. Development of the Internet
58. Your future car has all of the following features (特点) EXCEPT .
A. being programmed to know the way B. using environmentally-friendly fuel
C. driving you to different places safely D. having an Internet-connected refrigerator
59. How many high-tech products are mentioned in Paragraph 3?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.
60. We can learn from the passage that in twenty years .
A. going to space may be common
B. DVD players will be much more popular
C. playing virtual soccer with Olympic teams won’t be attractive
D. wristwatch videophones will completely take the place of cell phones
The devastation of Typhoon Morakot over Taiwan and eastern China is a reminder that the northwest Pacific is the most dangerous region in the world for tropical storms.The worst of these are typhoons, which are the same as hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, or cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia.They all have winds of more than 118km/h (73mph) spinning around a central core.
These storms start off as a mass of thunderstorms in the tropics outside the Equator.Given the right conditions, they form a bigger and more organised storm and feed off warm seas at more than 26.5C (80F) to get the fuel that they need to become a fully-fledged(羽毛丰满的) typhoon, hurricane or cyclone.Each storm is like a heat engine, extracting heat from the warm, humid air over the sea and turning it into phenomenal amounts of energy — equivalent to about 200 times the entire world’s electrical generating capacity.But warm, moist air is not enough — these storms also need slack winds aloft, because strong high-altitude winds can rip off the top of the storm clouds and send the entire storm tumbling(翻跟头).
The damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds, or the storm surges from the sea as the winds pile up water into a huge battering ram(冲击夯) that floods coastlines.But the devastation from Typhoon Morakot came from its unbelievable rainfall — about a year’s average rain in some places — that set off landslides and mudslides.
1.According to the first paragraph, the common point among typhoons,hurricanes and cyclones is _______.
A.that they all come from the oceans
B.that they all have winds of over 118km/h spinning around a central core
C.that they all cause great damage
D.that they all can generate electricity
2.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Typhoon Morakat devestates Taiwan and eastern China
B.How is the typhoon formed?
C.Typhoon Morakot was how to devestate the areas it travelled
D.How terrible is Typhoon Morakat!
3.The devastation from Typhoon Morakot is mainly from ______.
A.its wind B.its rainfall
C.landslides and mudslides D.the storm
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.Taiwan is off the northwest Pacific
B.the damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds
C.tropical storms often happen
D.tropical storms only need warm, moist air
第二部分阅读理解(共25小题;第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题1分,满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
Do you know of Guo Degang? In recent months he has become well known in China as a crosstalker.He has never performed on TV before, but attending his crosstalk performance is becoming increasingly fashionable in Beijing, especially for youth and school children.
Guo arrived in Beijing from Tianjin in 1995 and came across a teahouse where he found several young people performing crosstalk.Being a crosstalker himself, he couldn’t help taking to the stage.Gradually, more and more people came to the teahouse to see him perform.He soon found himself playing to audiences numbering more than 100 in a teahouse that could only contain 80.
As his popularity grew, Guo thought over the future of his art.“Traditional crosstalk is at least half an hour long, but performances are no longer than five minutes on TV, which kills much of the story.TV is part of the fast-food culture and crosstalk is a face-to-face art form — it needs interaction (交流), and is not suited to TV,” Guo said.He decided to bring it back to its roots: the teahouse and theater.
In 1996, Guo and some young crosstalk actors founded Deyun Crosstalk Association.Over the next ten years, the association organized countless performances in teahouses across Beijing.Despite their growing popularity, Guo ensured (确保) that ticket prices were kept low to make the art form accessible to everyone.Tickets to his performances are still 20 yuan today.And in keeping with technology and modern times, the association set up a BBS site on the Internet where fans could download recordings and discuss performances with actors.
He hopes that through their efforts, more young people will learn to appreciate crosstalk and perhaps train to be crosstalkers themselves.
1.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Guo Degang and his traditional crosstalk
B.A traditional art form—crosstalk
C.The development history of crosstalk
D.Deyun Crosstalk Association
2.From the passage, we can know the crosstalk originates(源于) from ________.
A.the TV show B.the teahouse and theater
C.the cinema D.the common people
3.According to the passage, Deyun Crosstalk Association set up a BBS site on the internet to ________.
A.let fans download recordings
B.have fans discuss performances with actors
C.keep up with modern technology
D.ask more people appreciate their favorite crosstalk
4.From the passage, we can know the following EXCEPT________.
A.the crosstalk is a face-to- face art which needs interaction
B.Guo was a crosstalker when he was in Tianjing
C.the performances of Guo are very popular
D.the tickets to Guo’s performances may rise in future
The stereotype(固有观念)of computer scientists as nerds who stay up all night coding and have no social life may be driving women away from the field, according to a new study published this month. This stereotype can be brought to mind based only on the appearance of the environment in a classroom or an office.
“When people think of computer science the image that immediately pops into many of their minds is about the computer geek(怪人)surrounded by such things as computer games, science fiction and junk food,”said Sapna Cheryan, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology and the study’s lead author. “That stereotype doesn’t appeal to many women who don’t like the portrait of masculinity(男性化).”
Cheryan set up four experiments involving more than 250 female and male students who were not studying computer science to look at possible reasons why the proportion of women in the field is dropping while the proportion of women in such disciplines as biology, mathematics and chemistry is increasing.
In the first experiment,students entered a small classroom that either contained objects stereotypically associated with computer science such as Star Trek posters, video game boxes and Coke cans, or non-stereotypical items such as nature posters, art, a dictionary and coffee cups. The students were told to ignore these objects because the room was being shared with another class. After spending several moments in the classroom, the students filled out questionnaires(调查问卷)that asked about their attitude toward computer science.
Women exposed to the stereotypical setup expressed less interest in computer science than those who saw the non-stereotypical objects. Men placed in the same situations did not show a similar drop in interest in computer science. Cheryan said this study suggests that a student’s choice of classes or a major can be influenced by the appearance of classrooms, halls and offices.
1. The underlined word “nerds” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to “______”
A. dull personsB. active personsC. intelligent personsD. funny persons
2. Women are less likely to choose computer science because__________.
A. it is too difficult for them
B. they have wrong understanding of it
C. the lifestyle of computer scientists turns them away
D. they don’t like the social life of computer scientists
3. A woman would probably lose interest in computer science when she sees a ______.
A. Star Trek poster B. nature posterC. dictionaryD. coffee cup
4. What can influence a woman’s choice of classes, according to the passage?
A. The contents of computer science.
B. The space in the classroom.
C. The number of students in the classroom.
D. The classroom environment.
Whether you have a toddler(学步儿童)or a teen, here are five of the best strategies to improve nutrition and encourage smart eating habits;
1. Have regular family meals.
2. Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.
3. Be a role model by eating healthily yourself.
4. Avoid battles over food.
5. Involve kids in the process.
But it’s not easy when everyone is juggling busy schedules and convenience food, such as fast food which is so readily available.
Here are some ways to incorporate all five strategies into your routine/schedules.
Family meals are a ritual(日常惯例)for both parents and kids. Children like to know family meals in advance and parents get a chance to catch up with their kids. Kids who take part in regular family meals are also:
more likely to eat fruits, vegetables and grains
less likely to snack on unhealthy foods
less likely to smoke or drink alcohol
In addition, family meals offer the chance to introduce kids to new foods and to act as a role model for healthy eating.
Teens may turn up their noses at the prospect(期望)of a family meal—not surprising because they’re busy and want to be more independent. Yet studies find that teens still want their parents’ advice, so use mealtime as a chance to reconnect.Also, consider trying these strategies:
Allow your teen to invite a friend to dinner.
Involve your teen in meal planning and preparation.
Keep mealtime calm—no lectures or arguing.
What counts as a family meal? Any time you and your family eat together—whether it’s takeout food or a home-cooked meal, strive for nutritious food and a time when everyone can be there. This may mean eating dinner a little later to accommodate a child who’s at sports practice. It can also mean setting aside time on the weekends, such as Sunday brunch, when it may be more convenient to gather as a group.
1. The following are the reasons that prevent children from having family meals well EXCEPT that_______.
A. they are independent from their parents’ advice
B. they are busy dealing with their lessons
C. there are convenience foods so readily available
D. family meals are not as good as convenience foods.
2. Which of the following is NOT the best strategy to encourage smart eating habits?
A. Let children have meals independently.
B. Don’t scold children during the meals.
C. Set a good example to children.
D. Don’t skip any one of the three meals.
3. The underlined phrase “turn up their noses at” is nearest in meaning to “_______”.
A. look forward to B. keep up withC. look down uponD. be addicted to
4. In the author’s opinion, the most important thing is______.
A. strictly obeying the strategies all the time
B. involving kids in the process of meals.
C. never allowing children to have snacks.
D. letting children prepare their meals.
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1. If you’re with a self-challenging spirit, you probably choose_______.
A. West Rim—Grand Canyon Tour
B. Hoover Dam—AM/PM Mini Tour
C. Airplane Tours & Helicopter Tours
D. Las Vegas to Hollywood 1 Day Tour
2. To take Hoover Dam—AM/PM Mini Tour, how much will a couple and their twin daughters pay?
A. $150. B. $75. C. $112.5 D. $37.5
3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Mather Point is included in the only luxury Motor Coach Tour.
B. Two tours mentioned both involve the Hoover Dam.
C. Lake Mead is a man-made project.
D. Travelers can enjoy plays at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
4. The passage is most probably chosen from________.
A. a newspaper B. a magazineC. a TV ad D. a website