In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to supply players.
When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters（花名册） will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.
The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.
“Our experience in China has been that it is going to be explosive in its growth,” said Stern. The strategy（战略，策略） in China is television. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that it needs a global market to compensate for tough times on home soil.
“It doesn’t matter where the players come from, all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout（寻找，觅得） internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number two overall in this year’s draft — are icons（偶像）in-waiting. It is the ultimate（最后的，根本的） revolution — the rest of the world teaching the US how to play basketball. According to the report, .
| A．Michael Jordan is still playing a very important role in NBA |
| B．the part played by the foreign players in NBA will be great |
| C．Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA |
| D．European countries will host the 2004 NBA games |
The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the meaning of _______ ___.
| A．NBA intends to make China its “marketing center” |
| B．NBA is planning to set up some training centers in China |
| C．there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to play against the Sacramento Kings |
| D．the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on all the TVs in China |
What seems to be the biggest change that is happening to NBA?
A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the league.
B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.
C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.
D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play basketball. When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was referring to _ _.
| A．farms in the States | B．native Americans |
| C．the NBA training center | D．the USA |
Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?
| A．The Non-American Basketball Players | B．NBA Is Coming to China |
| C．The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA | D．NBA Is Making Big Progress |
Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. He has no legs. He also has no limitations(局限).
“ I know anything’s possible ,” the 12-year-old told TODAY ’s Ann Curry.
He can play baseball and football, play the keyboard and drums, and play video games with his brothers.
When Nick was born, he suffered a disease only found in 11 other people. The Santonastassos had three other children, and they decided to treat Nick the same as others, with love but without excuse
“ We’re supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us,” his father Michael said. But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick’s is Tiki Barber, the former football superstar who retired last year and became a reporter for TODAY. Curry told Nick that for his birthday, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him was Barber.
“ You’re an inspiration,” Barber said. “ There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage.
You give them strength.”
Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn’t do that with Nick.
“Absolutely not, “Nick’s mother Stacey said. “ If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop.”
“ It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again,” Nick added.
Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey. His drawing was a tree with a spreading canopy (树冠) and deep toots. Above the tree were the words, “The roots of a family are…” Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word for the message: “ Love.”
It won the contest. The judges didn’t know Nick’ physical condition. He won on merit (成绩), the same way he does everything else in life.How did the Santonastassos treat Nick?
| A．They gave him much more care | B．They treated him as a normal boy |
| C．They made excuse for his failure | D．They protected him from failure. |
In the opinion of Barber, Nick__________.
| A．would learn a lot from his failure. | B．would become a star in playing skateboard. |
| C．set a good example to other disabled kids | D．proved a real hero to other heroes |
What message did Nick’s drawing express?
| A．Love is the “root” of a family. | B．Each family has its own value among its members. |
| C．Trees without deep roots can’t grow tall and strong | D．Roots are the most important of a tree. |
According to the passage, ______ other people have the same disease as Nick’s.
| A．two | B．three | C．eleven | D．twelve |
What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．Nothing Is Impossible | B．Keep Trying Forever | C．The roots | D．Nick and his Skateboard |
Scientists have created a “ human-like robot” that can dance and do the housework.
“ Mahru” has been developed to imitate humans and can move its lips, eyebrows and pupils(瞳孔). The machine can also move its upper and lower body freely and automatically stop itself when walking.
In addition, it has been programmed to give out two kinds of pleasant smells to match its emotions.
The 1.5 tall robot was produced by researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and is the first South Korean- developed machine of its kind.
“‘Mahru’ will open the way for the commercial use of humanoid robots doing housework,” You Bum-Jae, leader of the development research team ,said. “‘Mahru’ can dance while walking on its legs and is able to work in place of a human.”
Through an advanced motion capture (捕获) system, “Mahru” can follow a variety of human movements and move its hands freely enough to deal with any obstacles that may get in its way when walking.
State-funded KIST showed the robot during a presentation at its head office in Seoul.
People here were treated to an entertaining demonstration which saw the robot show off the full range of its skills, most notably s series of dance moves.
The research team added that they had designed another “ Mahru”, this time with sensors(传感器) allowing it to distinguish(分辨) between faces and objects.
The showing of “ Mahru” came a week after researcher in Japan said they had created the “most human-like” robot in the world. A team at robotics department of Osaka University in Japan claimed that “ robogirl”, Repliee R-1, “ looks, moves and interacts (相互作用) like a human, and has silicone(硅胶) skin that feels almost human to the touch.” “Mahru” made by KIST can do the following things EXCEPT____________
| A．dance with other human –like robots | B．move its body freely |
| C．stop automatically when walking | D．express certain feelings through smells |
According to what You Bum- Jae said in Paragraph 5, his research team wants to ________.
| A．help robots with doing housework | B．show its scientific power |
| C．make Mahru offer more fun | D．explore Mahru’s commercial use |
When Mahru” meets something in its way, it will be likely to________.
| A．go around it | B．turn back quickly |
| C．deal with it using its hands | D．ask humans for help |
According to the last paragraph, Repliee R-1 __________.
| A．is another Mahru | B．was made by KIST |
| C．has skin feeling similar to humans’ | D．looks like a boy |
The passage is probably a __________.
| A．news report | B．research report | C．healthy report | D．entertainment report |
"S. H.E. is going to sing at the CCTV annual Spring Festival Evening Party, is that true?" cried out Peng Weiye, a Senior 2 girl in Shanghai and die-hard S. H.E. fan.
After checking it on the Internet, Peng quickly phoned friends to spread the news. For fans like her, S. H. E. ’s performance is perhaps the only part of the old fashioned evening to get excited about.
The Taiwanese band is made up of Selina, Hebe and Ella. Their name comes from the first letter of each of the singers' English names.
Last week S. H. E. announced they would perform in Las Vegas, US, over Christmas and then in Guangzhou on January 15.
At their Shanghai show on October 30, hundreds of parents waited outside the Hongkou Stadium. Inside, thousands of teenagers sang, cried and shouted as the band performed.
"I love their music, healthy image and everything related to them. Thank God that, although my parents don't understand why I love them so much, they still bought me a ticket for that show," said Peng about the Shanghai performance.
It is not just on the mainland that the three girls have made audiences much excited. In the past year the band has passed through Taiwan, Hong Kong and even Singapore and Malaysia.
When the three high school girls entered a singing contest in Taiwan in 2000, none of them ever dreamed of being a superstar. "We had never met before, and we didn't talk at all at the beginning," recalled Ella.
When asked about the secret of their success, she said, "Our average looks and not-so-expensive clothes keep us close to our fans. We are happy to be the girls next door, your singing sisters."
"It's really a magical journey, from day-dreaming high school girls to singers performing on the same stage as our idols(偶像). Nothing but magical," she said. Why was Peng Weiye, a Senior 2 girl, so excited?
| A．S.H.E. band will get the old fashioned evening exciting. |
| B．S. H.E. will perform in Las Vegas over Christmas. |
| C．Her parents bought her a ticket for S. H. E. Is Shanghai show. |
| D．S. H.E. will perform on the CCTV Spring Festival Evening Party. |
How did the Taiwanese band get the name?
| A．Their fans gave the name to them. | B．Their idols had a deep influence on them. |
| C．A singing contest gave their idea of the band name. | |
| D．The first letters of Selina, Hebe and Ella form the band name. |
What do you know about Peng Weiye?
| A．She stayed outside the Hongkou Stadium to listen to S. H. E. 's performance. |
| B．She will watch the performance in Guangzhou on January 15. |
| C．She pays close attention to everything about S. H. E. |
| D．She was grateful that her parents understood and supported her. |
Which is true about S. H. E. ?
| A．The secret to their success is their pretty faces and lovely clothes. |
| B．They were close friends when they entered a singing contest. |
| C．They caused a storm of excitement in Southeast Asia. |
| D．They have well prepared to perform with their idols. |
Which do you think is NOT the reason for S. H. E’s popularity among their fans?
| A．Their music and their healthy image. |
| B．Their success meets their fans’ day dream of becoming others’ idols. |
| C．They can make audience much excited |
| D．Their average looks and not-so-expensive clothes keep them close to their fans. |
Let’s say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, the nail is a mean rumor (谣言) about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you’re obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there’s still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done.
There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying (欺悔). When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it’s usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It’s the same thing as teasing, only it’s done behind someone’s back instead of to his or her face.
When you spread a rumor about someone, you’re sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You’re making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it’s okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider.
We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again.
Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let’s say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard (暴风雪) is coming. Expecting a day off, you don’t do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle（毛毛雨）, and school isn’t off after all. You get zeroes on your work.The purpose of the first paragraph is to .
| A．help readers know what a rumor is | B．attract readers to read the following paragraphs |
| C．emphasize the damaging effects of rumors | D．explain how a rumor spreads |
To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on .
| A．whether it is done behind someone | B．whether it is painful or not |
| C．whether it is a kind if bullying | D．whether it is spread fast |
If a rumor is spread about someone, others may .
| A．point out his or her advantages | B．keep away from him or her |
| C．not feel he or she is an outsider | D．be hurt if getting close to him or her again |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that .
| A．it is hard to keep rumors a secret | B．rumors can destroy your interest in learning |
| C．believing rumors can lead to bad choices | D．rumors can control your whole life |
The purpose of this passage is to .
| A．advise on how to deal with rumors | B．teach us how to judge a rumor |
| C．find out why rumors spread fast | D．explain why rumors hurt |
Experts do not really know when people began keeping fish as pets. But they say that people have been interested in fish for thousands of years. Some say the ancient Sumerians were the first civilization to keep fish in ponds more than four thousand years ago. The Chinese kept and studied carp and goldfish more than one thousand years ago. The ancient Romans kept eels as pets. And the Greek philosopher Aristotle made what is believed to be the first known study of sea life, including sharks and dolphins.
Keeping fish at home in small water tanks called aquariums is extremely popular today. And everyone seems to enjoy visiting huge public aquariums that have opened around the world.
By the middle of the eighteen hundreds, science had shown that plants, fish and other sea creatures could survive together under water. So it was no longer necessary to change the water in a tank for the fish to live there. This led to the building of the first public aquariums.
The first aquariums opened in London, England in 1853. in the next fifteen years, other aquariums opened in Europe and the United States. By 1928, there were about forty-five public aquariums.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been recognized as the first aquarium in the United States and it shows visitors the underwater life in the bay. The Georgia Aquarium opening in 2005 says it is the largest in the world. It has more than one hundred thousand sea animals in thirty million liters of water including two whale sharks---the world’s largest fish.
Another aquarium re-opened in 2005 in Camden, New Jersey. The Adventure Aquarium first opened in 1992. It spent about fifty million dollars expanding its building and improving its exhibits.
Aquariums provide the public with many chances to experience life under the sea. They can be found in most areas of the world. People might even want to start an aquarium at home and join the millions of people around the world who keep fish as pets.Which aquarium opened again after its rebuilding ?
| A．The Monterey Bay Aquarium. | B．The Adventure Aquarium. |
| C．The Georgia Aquarium. | D．The first aquarium in London. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned to have kept fish as pets?
| A．The ancient Sumerians. | B．The ancient Romans. | C．The Chinese. | D．The ancient Indians. |
Which of the following is correct?
| A．People were not interested in fish until the middle of the eighteen hundreds. |
| B．The Moneterey Bay Aquarium is regarded as the best aquarium in America. |
| C．Plants, fish and other sea creatures could not survive together under sea. |
| D．People have to change the water in a tank frequently for the fish to live there. |
The passage is written mainly .
| A．to tell people the importance of keeping fish as pets |
| B．to explain why people want to visit aquariums |
| C．to let people know the development of the aquariums |
| D．to describe different aquariums |
What does the underlined word “aquariums” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Exhibition centres where people can watch and enjoy different species of fish. |
| B．Small boxes made of glass, where people keep fish in, usually at home. |
| C．Places which shows visitors the underwater life in the bay. |
| D．Places which provides the public with many chances to experience life under the sea. |