My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.
If you come to visit, you’ll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN (个人身份号码)to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it’s dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I’ve put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I’ve put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, “How will I live without them?” What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.How to develop a new system. | B.The function of the PIN. |
C.A home for the future. | D.Easy life in the future. |
What’s the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?
A.To let readers know why his ideas are new. |
B.To let readers know how special his house is. |
C.To explain the importance of the PIN and the console. |
D.To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are. |
The writer’s new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.
A.it has been controlled by computers |
B.you can make a telephone call anywhere |
C.it has your favorite music following you |
D.the writer is able to change his new idea into practice |
What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?
A.An IT expert. | B.A famous doctor. |
C.An idealist | D.An experienced teacher. |
What can’t be done in the writer’s new house?
A.turns on the lights | B.play music |
C.get a telephone call | D.go swimming |
In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person’s class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure.
The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken.
Clothes are available at a price within most people’s reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working—class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people to look at them.
1. In the past, a person’s appearance could not tell other people about his ________.
A. healthB. diet C. occupation D. habits
2. The clothes people choose to wear tell us about their ________.
A. education B. richness C. backgrounds D. hobby
3. A working—class person may start a new fashion because ________.
A. she wants to draw the attention of other people
B. she wants to look different and healthy
C. she wants to show their wealth
D. she wants to show their taste
4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich.
B. Working—class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives.
C. Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes.
D. Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich.
四、.阅读理解
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers(梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Masachusctts, a hundred policemen scarched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three—quarters of a mile to the lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims(声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty—five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers(应征者).”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes looks quite fantastic(奇特的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
1. Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who __________.
A. climb on roofs B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleepD. walk in a half—awake state
2. It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
3. There was a college student who got into the habit of ___________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three—quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
4. Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
第二卷(共35分)
第四部分:写作(共两节,满分35分)
任务型读写(共10小题;每空1分,满分10分)
阅读下列短文,根据所读内容在文章后的表格中填入恰当的单词。注意:表格中的每个空格只填1个单词
Can the thought of loved ones help reduce pain? This may indicate the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected. A study was recently conducted by researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles.
In the study, the researchers asked 25 women to participate who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship for more than six months. The women received painful heat stimuli(刺激)to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions.
In one set of conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair. “When the women were just looking at pictures of their partner, they actually reported less pain to the heat stimuli than when they were looking at pictures of an object or pictures of a stranger, ” said study co-author Naomi Eisenberger, director of UCLA’s Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, “Thus, the mere reminder of one’s partner through a simple photograph was capable of reducing pain.”
In another set of conditions, each woman held the hand of her boyfriend, the hand of a male stranger and a squeeze ball. The study found that when women were holding their boyfriends’ hands, they reported less physical pain than when they were holding a stranger’s hand or a ball while receiving the same amount of heat stimulation.
“This changes our idea of how social support influences people,” Eisenberger said.
“This study proves how much of an impact our social ties can have on our experience and fits with other work emphasizing the importance of social support for physical and mental health,” Eisenberger added.
The researchers advised that the next time people are going through a stressful or painful experience, if they cannot bring a loved one with them, a photo may do.
Title |
76 of loved ones helps reduce pain |
77 of the study |
To prove the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected. |
Research objects |
Conducted on 25 women 78 the same amount of heat stimulation to their forearms. |
Research process |
·In one set of conditions, the participants gazed photographs of their boyfriend, a 79 and a chair. ·In 80 set of conditions, the women held the boyfriend’s hand, a male stranger’s hand and a ball. |
Research results |
·Less pain were 81 by the women looking at pictures of their partners than when they were looking at pictures of an object or pictures of a stranger. ·Holding their boyfriends’ hands, they reported 82 physical pain than when 83 a stranger’s hand or a ball. |
84 |
Social ties have great 85 on our experience and are important for physical and mental health as well. |
Today when a man steps onto the moon, or something new and important happens, the world learns about it immediately. What did the newspapers say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly anything about it at all. There were only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very little. Some of the things they said were not even correct. In 1904 the Rights built a second machine. They called it “Flyer No. Two”. They invited some reporters to a field near Dayton to watch them fly. Unfortunately there was some mechanical trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspapermen went away. They were disappointed and did not come back. The Rights went on with their work. In 1905 they built an even better machine, “Flyer No. Three”. They were able to stay up in the air for half an hour and more in this machine. They were ale to turn and climb in the air. Farmers, travelers on the roads around Dayton often saw them flying. But when these people told newspapermen about it, they refused to believe them.
The Rights offered “Flyer No.Three” to the United States Government. The Government was not interested. They seemed to think the Rights wanted money in order to build an airplane. They did not understand the Rights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was impossible. At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their plane to pieces. The parts were put into a huge wooden case. It seemed nobody was interested.
1. What does the beginning sentence of the passage suggest?
A. The speed of information spreading today makes it possible to learn the world quickly.
B. People of today are only concerned with space exploration.
C. Reporters of today cover important events in a different way.
D. People in the past didn’t care about the outside world.
2. What can we know about “Flyer No.Three”?
A. The Rights had such a successful flight that it aroused the government’s interest.
B. The Rights were able to fly it for half an hour and even turn and climb in the air.
C. There was something wrong with the craft and it did not fly at all that day.
D. The Rights took the plane to pieces and put it into a wooden case immediately after the flight.
3. When the Rights offered “Flyer No.Three” to the United States Government, the Government_______.
A. decided to build an airport for the brothers
B. showed great interest in the machine
C. didn’t believe in the possibility of the flight
D. asked the brothers to put the machine in a wooden case
4. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
A. There were only a few reports about the first successful flight in the papers.
B. Some reporters were invited to watch the second flight experiment.
C. Many people witnessed the successful flight but the newspapermen refused to believe them/
D. Before 1903 no one had ever stepped on the moon.
Rules
Students are asked to submit essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material plagiarized(剽窃) from another source will be disqualified.
Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student’s name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
Essays must be turned in by 4:00 p.m. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
Essay-Writing Tips
Catch your readers’ interests--- Your opening should immediately pull your readers into your essay. Asking a question or starting with an anecdote, quotation, or surprising statement is a good way to do this.
Create a picture--- Use active words that show your readers what is happening. Instead of telling your readers vaguely that “the room was disordered”, paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
Have a purpose--- Well-written essays do more than just describe an incident or express a viewpoint, and they also communicate a message.
Check for mistakes--- Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper and make suggestions. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you’ve overlooked.
Format your essay--- Neatly type your essay on white paper. Choose an attractive cover for submission. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times. Every contestant (选手) will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity or athletic game this year.
First Prize: $150
Second Prize:Dictionary and thesaurus
Third Prize: Pen set and journal
Special thanks to the Centerville Writers’ Association for the prizes to help encourage our aspiring authors. Good luck to all contestants.
1. The first writing tip given is mostly about________.
A. the use of quotations and anecdotes in an essay
B. using active verbs and lively adjectives
C. How a student should begin an essay
D. how to submit your essays
2. The prize section of the poster is included in order to _________.
A. show organizations how to donate prizes
B. inform teachers of the prizes available
C. persuade students to enter the essay contest
D. convince students to buy the local newspapers
3. Thanks are given to the Centerville Writers Association because it has_________.
A. offered to judge the contest B. prepared the essay-writing tips
C. organized the essay contest D. donated prizes for the contest
4. What do we know by inference from the passage?
A. The computer lab usually closes at 4:15 p.m. each day.
B. Winning essays will be published in the Centerville Times.
C. Every contestant will benefit from the essay contest.
D. The essay contest is held annually at Centerville High School.