Cole Bettles had been rejected by a number of universities when he received an e-mail from the University of California, San Diego, last month, congratulating him on his admission and inviting him to tour the campus. His mother booked a hotel in San Diego, and the 18-year-old Ojai high school senior arranged for his grandfather, uncle and other family members to meet them at the campus for lunch during the Saturday tour.
“They were like ‘Oh my God, that’s so awesome (棒的)’, ” Bettles said. Right before he got in bed, he checked his e-mail one last time and found another message saying the school had made a mistake and his application had been denied.
In fact, all 28, 000 students turned away from UC San Diego, in one of the toughest college entrance seasons on record, had received the same incorrect message. The students’ hopes had been raised and then dashed (破灭) in a cruel twist that shows the danger of instant communications in the Internet age.
UCSD admissions director Mae Brown called it an “administrative error” but refused to say who had made the mistake, or if those responsible would be disciplined (受训)。
The e-mail, which began, “We’re thrilled that you’ve been admitted to UC San Diego, and we’re showcasing (展示) our beautiful campus on Admit Day, ” was sent to the full 46, 000 students who had applied, instead of just the 18, 000 who got in, Brown said.
The error was discovered almost immediately by her staff, who sent an apology within hours.
“It was really thrilling for a few hours; now he’s crushed (压垮), ” said Cole’s mother, Tracy Bettles. “It’s really tough on them.”
The admissions director said she was in the office on Monday until midnight answering e-mails and phone calls from disappointed students and their parents. She said she took full responsibility for the error. “We accessed the wrong database. We recognize the incredible pain receiving this false encouragement caused. It was not our intent.”How many students received an admission e-mail from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)?
A. 18, 000 B. 28, 000 C. 46, 000 D. 18 Which of the following statements is TRUE about the wrong e-mail message?
A.The mistake was made on purpose to cause pain among the applicants. |
B.It was UCSD admissions director Mae Brown who made the mistake. |
C.UCSD admissions staff got information from the wrong database. |
D.Staff did not discover the mistake until next Monday. |
The admissions director Mae Brown did what she could to __________.
A.protect the person who made the mistake |
B.punish herself for the mistake |
C.make up for the mistake |
D.help the disappointed students enter the university |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Cole Bettles was admitted to the UCSD.
B. Cole Bettles was rejected y a famous university.
C. USCD admissions office often makes “administration errors”。
D. False admission information raised the students’ hopes and then dashed them.
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants. Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and she does not. Greenhorn now refers to ____.
A.a person who is new in a job | B.a new solider |
C.a young horse | D.None of above |
A person who has a green thumb is a person ____.
A.who is good at growing plants | B.whose thumbs are in green color |
C.whose garden is greener than others’ | D.who is younger than his neighbors |
The author is actually talking about ____.
A.colors | B.language | C.politics | D.agriculture |
Several years ago, I read a book Your Money or Your Life, written by Joe Domingguez and Vicki Robin. The major theme of the book is the idea that if you want to cut your spending, you’ll have to begin by stopping trying to impress other people.
The authors divide people into two groups : people whose opinions you care about, and people whose opinions you don’t care about one way or another. It’s easy to stop caring about people whose opinions you don’t care about. Who cares what they think ? As long as you’re not doing something truly immoral —— something that might potentially create a negative reputation for you —— it doesn’t matter what they think.
But shouldn’t you impress other people whose opinions you do care about ? Anyway, they are people you want to meet : customers, friends and family.
The answer is that you don’t need to impress those people with expensive, shiny things. The relationship you’ve built with them —— or you’re going to build with them —— is based on you, not on the material items. They’ll either like you for you or they won’t.
To put it simply, take care of the basics. Keep yourself clean. Keep your weight under control. Wear reasonable clothing. Work on your communication skills. If you have them covered, you don’t need to invest time and money in impressing other people.
Coming to this realization is incredibly valuable. It drops your clothing budget. It drops your automobile budget. It drops your electronics budget. It drops your housing budget. You don’t need a shiny car, an iPhone, or a$50 haircut.
Yes , you may actually still want one or two of these things, but the impetus(动力) comes from what your personal values are, not what other people around you seem to value or what marketing messages you receive.
For some people, it seems impossible. Their social cues come from advertising-laden media and from friends who also get their cues from advertising-laden media.They believe they need a slick cellphone and $100 casual clothes. Their self-worth revolves around that little burst they get from impressing others.
People should learn to break through that situation. In short, don’t play socially by the tiring old rules that revolve around needing to impress people. Instead, spend your time on things that bring real value to you and give real value to others.
66. Which of the following behaviours is “immoral”according to the second paragraph ?
A. Caring about other people’s opinion. B. Dropping your clothing budget.
C. Copying existing works. D. Obeying the traffic rule. 67. To build relationship with others, you should pay attention to the following EXEPT _______.
A. dressing casually B. learning about weight control
C. improving communication skills D. being a tidy person
68. As for people we care about, what does the author advise us to do ?
A. To impress them in a proper way. B. To buy them special gifts.
C. To spare more time to be with them. D. To impress them with shiny things.
69. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. An iPhone is totally unnecessary in our life.
B. Your family members’opinions are always worth caring about.
C. Learning how to impress others helps people save money.
D. You should always be aware of what other people around you seem to value.
70. What is the best title for the passage ?
A. Whose opinions do you care about ? B. Two different groups of people.
C. My favorite book : Your Money or Your Life D. Stop trying to impress other people.
Last week, 169 junior 1 students at No. 35 Middle School of Shenyang took their first no- teacher exam. after the teacher handed out the exam paper, he left the room and never came back. A student collected in the papers when the exam ended.
“that test was not only a test of knowledge, but also a test of moral (道德). We wanted to show students how important honesty (诚实) is, “said Cai Wenguo, the school’s headmaster. The school says no cheating(作弊) happened in the test. Next year, it wants 80% of its exams to be without teachers. But students have different ideas.
“I was happy and excited during the exam because my teachers trusted (信任) me. ”said Lang Yudan, a 13-year-old girl in Class 11.
“Schools must trust students a lot not to use invigilators (监考人). But I think it is too early. Some students will cheat if there are no invigilators. And the students will not be able to ask for help when needed.” said Hua Sha.
“I don’t like having invigilators in exams . When they walk around the classroom, they make me nervous. I would get higher marks without them in the room because I would feel more relaxed.” Liu Qingxi said.
“I think it’s very important to have invigilators in exams. Many students want to check their answers with each other after they have finished papers. And they can also keep the classroom in order when something unusual happens. They may make me nervous, but I still think we need them. ” Shangguan Yuan said.
Not using invigilators may be a good idea. But before using it, schools must tell students the importance of honesty and try to find ways to solve something unusual in exams.
61. The passage mainly (主要地) talks about .
A. how to pass an exam
B. how to make students honest
C. whether there is cheating in exams
D. whether invigilators are needed in exams
62. No. 35 Middle School of Shenyang held a no- teacher exam to .
A. let the students have a good rest
B. teach the students in a better way
C. help all the students pass the exam.
D. find whether the students were honest
63. From what the students have said , we know .
A. invigilators really help them a lot
B. all of them think it is a good idea
C. something unusual never happens in exams
D. not all of them agree with the head
64. What does Hua Sha think about no- teacher exams?
A. It’s a good idea to have no- teacher exams but something must be done first.
B. If there are no invigilators, the students will certainly get lower marks.
C. Exams without invigilators will never be held since students are not honest.
D. She thinks it’s the best way to show that schools trust their students a lot.
65. In the sentence “And they can also keep the classroom in order when something unusual happens ” “they” refers to (指) .
A. students B. headmasters C. invigilators D. schools
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION ( 30 points)
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Computers can injure(伤害) you. Most other injuries happen suddenly. For example, if you fall off a bike and break your arms, it happens very quickly. But computer injuries happen slowly.
You probably know how to ride a bike safely. Now learn to use a computer safely.
Your eyes—— Too much light can injure your eyes, so never sit too close to a comprter screen. Your eyes should be at least 50 centimeters (厘米) from the screen. Remember to look away from it sometimes. This gives your eyes a rest.
When you use a computer, the window should be on your left or your right. If it is behind you, the light will reflect (反射) on the screen. If the window is in front of you , the sun and the screen will both shine(照耀) into your eyes.
Your hands —— Hand injuries can happen because the hands are moved in the same way hundreds of times. If you use a keyboard (键盘) for a long time, follow this rule: Stop sometimes and exercise your hands and fingers in different ways.
Your back —— Some people sit for many hours in front of a computer. If you sit in the wrong way, you can injure your back and your neck. So you should sit with your back straight. The top part of the screen should be in front of your eyes. If you are sitting for a long time, get up every 30 minutes and exercise your arms, legs and neck.
Enjoy your computer, but use it safely.
56. How many kinds of computer injuries are mentioned in this passage?
A. One. B. Two C. Three. D. Four.
57. A computer screen may injure your eyes if .
A. you sit 60 centimeters away B. you remember to look away
C. your eyes are too close to it D. the window is on your left or right
58. Your eyes and hands will be safe if .
A. you work near a window B. you often take rests from working
C. you use a keyboard for a long time D. the window is behind you
59. Which sentence is NOT true according to this passage?
A. You should sit with your back straight while you work on a computer.
B. Staying in front of a computer too long may injure your eyes.
C.When you work on a computer, your hands almost move in the same way.
D. The writer thinks that computer is bad for your health.
60. What would be the best title for the text?
A. How to protect(保护) your eyes B. How to protect your hands
C. How to use a cmoputer safely D. How to protect your back
IN a 30-minute film called The Chase, a girl tries to catch a thief and finally takes him down with martial arts (武术) skills.
Anything special? Thirteen-year-old US girl Sophia Tran wrote, shot and performed in the film. She played the girl in the movie and her father, Steven, played the thief.
Now an eighth-grader at Ladera Ranch Middle School, California, Tran wrote The Chase over the summer of 2008. She shot the film in the fall of 2008 before holding the premiere (首映式) at her home in January the next year.
“It is important to have passion in filmmaking or you are not going to make it,” the quiet teenager said with a smile. “Also, you should read a lot of books about filmmaking.”
Tran thinks that many screenplays don't have any “suspense (悬念) as the film progresses.” She is now working on a movie which she says will be a suspense story.
Steven says his daughter has enjoyed drama and action movies since she was 7.
“She started to be interested in how stories are adapted (改编) to a screenplay,” Steven said. “And she wrote her own books when she was in second grade.”
But Tran also has a big heart. She sold DVD copies of her film The Chase for $10 each to family and friends. She then donated $400 from the DVD sales to her school to buy new computers.
57. Sophia Tran played _____ in her movie.
A. a thief B. a doctor C. a girl D. a police woman
58. Sophia Tran shot the film _____.
A. last year B. in January C. last summer D. less two years ago
59. Sophia Tran thinks ______ are important for successful filmmaking.
A. characters B. stories C. passion and knowledge D. passion and experience
60. According to Sophia Tran, many screenplays are poorly written because _____.
A. they don't keep readers excited B. they mostly end in an unexpected way
C. their dialogues are not interesting D. they are not inspiring