“Any time! Any where! Decades ago there was no such thing” – “Communication”.
Then, September 7th
1987, the global system for mobile communication or GSM was born. And international agreements that laid out the standards, regulations and practices gave rise to a global mobile phone industry.
To be honest, the world’s first mobiles were not so attractive and the range of effectiveness wasn’t very good. But they became a must-have among those wealthy people who could afford that. However, by advantage of GSM which has many different elements to it, we can all enjoy the ability to go around the world in 217 countries, land in that country and know that a phone would work.
There are other cell phone systems using different technology in the world. The majority of the United States and parts of South America have been using something called CDMA which is very rare in Europe. In some Asian countries like China, GSM and CDMA both exist at the same time. But the GSM Association claims 85% of the global mobile phone market. They estimated there are now about 2.5 billion different users who make more than 7 trillion minutes of calls everyday, and that’s not all.
20 years later, the mobile phone is so much more than just a phone. You can use it to send text messages, take pictures, show video, even surf the internet.
“The phone itself is involved from just being a communication tool, to be a tool for round-the-clock connectivity, you can not live without it even in a minute.” Mobile consultant Nick Lane also points out with so many customized styles and features, your mobile phone will become a symbol of you.
Where will the global mobile phone industry be in another 20 years? Certainly, there will be more connections than better coverage. As for where else technology will take us, one can only imagine.According the passage, we can know that GSM is ____________.
| A．a global-used mobile phone | B．a global mobile phone industry |
| C．a global mobile phone association | D．a global mobile communication system |
It's most difficult to find a CDMA mobile phone in ____________.
| A．the United States | B．South America | C．Europe | D．China |
From this passage, we can infer that ____________.
| A．as soon as the first mobiles appeared, they became popular and many people have one |
| B．with a GSM mobile phone, you can make a phone call in most parts of the USA |
| C．there are only two cell phone systems in the whole world: GSM and CDMA |
| D．most of the mobile phone users in the world now are using the GSM mobile phone |
By pointing out “your mobile phone will become a symbol of you”, what does Nick Lane want to tell us about the mobile phone in the future?
| A．You can have a mobile phone with the unique look and functions as you like. |
| B．Others can find us without any difficulties if we carry our mobile phone. |
| C．The mobile phone can be used as a permit when you enter some places. |
| D．The mobile phone we carry can show others how wealthy we are. |
What does the writer feel about the GSM development in the following 20 years?
| A．Satisfied. | B．Worried. | C．Confident. | D．Confused. |
Your best friend is possibly the most important person in your life. But sometimes friendship’s road is not always smooth, or it’s a total dead end. What do you do when this happens?
Scenario(设想) 1: Drifting Apart(渐行渐远)
You’ve found that your friend no longer wants to jog (慢跑)with you. She’d rather hit the chat rooms, or she’s become crazy about hanging with her new interest.
It’s a bummer when old friends start having less in common. But it might still be worth trying to get into your friend’s new interest, trying something new on your own, or meet some new folks who like doing the things you enjoy. Another thing to try is talking to your friend about it- in a non-this-is-your-fault(过错) way. The goal is telling how you feel, not “winning”.
Scenario 2: Fights
“Yes, he is.” “No, he isn’t.” the argument could continue forever.
No matter how sure you are that you’re right, friendship is based on RESPECT. Since you and your friend aren’t clones(克隆), you will disagree sometimes! Is it worth fighting over? If it is trivial(无价值的), why not give it up? Agree to disagree(保留不同意见) and get on well with life. Even if you’ll never agree, try to see the other person’s viewpoint. At least honor his right to have his own opinions. Never get physical. Violence can make a small problem into a disaster.
Scenario 3: End of the Road
Is the friendship over? If you are not the one ending it, it feels as if a knife cut your heart into pieces. But the thing is that you can’t force someone to be your friend. Give yourself time. But don’t freeze in a looking-back, holding pattern(模式). Be open to new friendship. You never know when the “best friend forever” will come along.The underlined word “bummer” in the third paragraph can be replaced by “________ thing”.
| A．normal | B．common |
| C．unpleased | D．guilty（负疚的） |
You are advised not ______ when your friend reduced communication with you.
| A．develop the same interest as our friend does |
| B．blame（责怪） your friend for not being as friendly to you as before |
| C．give in to the friend who has hurt your feeling deeply |
| D．stick to the friendship that was built up in the past |
In the writer’s opinion, showing disagreement ______________.
| A．will surely lead to the end of a long friendship |
| B．shows that you don’t respect your friend |
| C．is natural and normal behavior of human being |
| D．means you have nothing in common with your friend. |
The purpose of the passage is to teach you ________________.
| A．how to mend a broken friendship |
| B．how to keep a long friendship |
| C．what to do when a friendship changes |
| D．what to do to win new friends |
“Earthquake!” The word flashed in my brain. A roaring sound filled my ears. I tried to hide beneath my desk. The desk did a wild tap dance, slipping and sliding towards the center of the room. I twisted(扭曲) my body and grabbed at the windowsill(窗沿) behind me, somehow kicking free of my dancing chair. I tried to stand. My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator(弯曲的自动扶梯).
My fingers shook, grasped and held the windowsill tightly. Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animals. I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare. Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and desks. One girl was screaming. A boy was trying to move across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl(肩上爬行).
I cried aloud, “I’m going to die. I’m going to die. Save me, I’m not ready to die, I’m not ready!”
I moved forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched fingers(握紧拳头). Suddenly I realized that the rocking had stopped. Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.The roaring sound was made by ____________________.
| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
When the writer clenches his fingers he is ___________________.
| A．afraid | B．angry |
| C．injured | D．impatient |
Paragraph 2 describes the ________________________.
| A．injuries suffered by the writer |
| B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom |
| D．the writer’s fear of death |
At the end of the passage there is a feeling of ___________________.
| A．fear | B．hope | C．sorrow | D．excitement |
One of the best-known women in the world is a small doll(洋娃娃). This famous doll, called Barbie, was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. Now Barbie is known everywhere. Before Barbie, all dolls were made to look like babies. People thought that this was a way to teach young girls how to become a good mother. Barbie was the first doll made to look like an adult instead of baby.
From the beginning, Barbie was a modern career(职业) girl. There was a different Barbie for each job: nurse, teacher, police officer, race car driver, professional basketball player, pilot, as well as the very first female to fly in space. Barbie made it possible for young girls to dream about a future other than being a mother and a housewife. It showed girls that they had choices and could become anything they wanted to be. At the time, these ideas were very new and positive. The movement for equal opportunity(机会) for women had just begun and women wanted to have the same chance as men to do important work.
However, Barbie’s approval(认同) as a role model has not lasted. Today, many people criticize(批评) Barbie for making young girls too concerned about their appearance(外表). These people complain that the beautiful, well-dressed Barbie seems to tell girls that while they can hope to have different career, it is more important for them to be beautiful and thin. The female figure that Barbie represents has also been criticized for being unrealistic(不现实). Young girls might think that Barbie’s figure is beautiful and desirable(可取的). However, if Barbie were a real person, she would be six feet tall and wear a size three shoe!What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．The roles of a modern woman. |
| B．The image(形象) of Barbie dolls |
| C．What is role models? |
| D．What is beauty? |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Barbie was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. |
| B．Barbie was the first doll that was made to look like an adult. |
| C．Barbie served as a role model for girls when she was created. |
| D．Barbie is criticized by many young girls today. |
The author suggests that Barbie’s figure is ________________.
| A．beautiful and desirable |
| B．unrealistic and impossible |
| C．real and delicate(易损的) |
| D．tall and modern |
Daniel Olin was 11 years old when his parents moved to Canada. He liked his new school and made friends there, but then things at home started to change. His mum and dad began to argue and the arguments got worse and worse until one day, Daniel's mum left. With his father working long hours, Daniel felt very lonely and very unhappy. He wanted to escape, to run away. And that’s what he did.
Very early one terribly cold morning when the snow was deep on the ground, he packed a bag with some clothes, some chocolate and a map of Canada and set off to a forest. He ran and ran until he could hardly breathe.
His feet were heavy with the snow but he still walked on through deep snow, not even watching where he was going.
Then, disaster struck. A rock hidden by the deep snow caught his feet and Daniel fell to the ground. He had broken the bone. He was very cold and was starting to feel tired, but he knew that if he fell asleep in the snow, he would certainly die from the cold.
A tree shook ahead. From within the branches(树枝), a pair of yellow eyes watched Daniel. The puma (美洲狮) had been following him. A puma is a large wild cat with claws that could tear Daniel into pieces. But instead of moving in for the kill, the puma walked up to Daniel and lay across his chest, arms and legs. Daniel was too frightened to move, but soon the warmth of the animal reached Daniel and he began to feel better. From time to time, the puma pressed his muzzle (鼻) against Daniel and rocked his head gently. Clearly, the puma knew that Daniel must not fall asleep. This animal should have been a real danger to Daniel and yet the boy began to feel safe. They remained like that for several hours until Daniel and the puma heard voices.Daniel ran away from home because ______.
| A．he had a big argument with his father |
| B．he wanted to learn to be independent |
| C．he didn’t get enough care from his parents |
| D．his parents were always arguing at home |
Why didn’t Daniel notice the rock that caused him to fall?
| A．Because it was getting dark. |
| B．Because the rock was hidden by snow. |
| C．Because he was frightened by a puma. |
| D．Because he was too sad to notice it. |
Why did the puma press its muzzle against Dan and rock his head gently from time to time?
| A．To keep Daniel warm. | B．To play with Daniel. |
| C．To kill Daniel. | D．To keep Daniel awake. |
What is the best title for the story?
| A．Puma in Danger | B．A Caring Puma |
| C．A Boy in Need | D．A Homeless Boy |
We walked in so quietly that the nurse at the desk didn’t even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. Then, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out a wet mop（拖把）. She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, “Very dirty floors.” “Yes, I’m glad they’ve finally decided to clean them,” the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, “But aren’t you working late?”
Mum just pushed harder, each swipe (拖一下) of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book. After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shining.
She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum bowed politely to the nurse and said, “Thank you.”
Outside, Mum told me “Grandma is fine. No fever(发烧）.”
“You saw her, Mum?”
“Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. It’s a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is not good. You need a brush.”When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do was ______.
| A．to see a patient | B．to please the nurse |
| C．to clean the floor | D．to surprise the story-teller |
When the nurse talked to Mum she thought Mum was a ______.
| A．nurse | B．visitor |
| C．cleaner | D． patient |
After reading the story what can we infer about the hospital? ______
| A．It is a children’s hospital. |
| B．The nurses and doctors there don’t work hard. |
| C．The conditions there aren’t very good. |
| D．It has strict rules about visiting hours. |
Which of the following words best describes Mum? ______.
| A．Strange | B．Warm-hearted |
| C．Clever | D．Hardworking |