Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to(可利用)the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar(相似)to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons.
State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to ____________.
A.use for their schoolwork | B.access the Internet |
C.work at home | D.connect them to libraries |
Why is the word “speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks(引号)?
A.They don’t really talk. | B.They use the computer language. |
C.Laptops have speakers. | D.None of the above reasons is correct. |
Which of the following is true about Westlake College?
A.All teachers use computers. | B.1500 students have laptops. |
C.It is an old college in America. | D.Students there can do everything. |
“A window on the world” in the last paragraph means that students can ____________.
A.attend lectures on information technology |
B.travel around the world |
C.have free laptops |
D.get information ![]() |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.The program is successful. | B.The program is not workable. |
C.The program is too expensive. | D.We don’t know the result yet. |
Indonesia’s coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are in trouble. Coral mining, Industrial pollution and poisonous agricultural runoff all play a role in their destruction, but the fishermen have been the worst offenders. They not only bomb fish but also poison them with cyanide, an equally destructive practice. The fishermen are also among the biggest potential victims(受害者). Two thirds of Indonesia’s 7, 000 coastal villages are close to coral reefs and thus depend for their livelihood on the harvest of reef fish. The disappearing reefs are already leading to a dramatic decline in the productivity of coastal fisheries and to increasing fights among fishermen.
Indonesia’s reefs are vast – they cover 51, 000 square kilometers, surround 17, 500 islands and stretch 3,500 kilometers – but they are not infinite. Many foreign experts and Indonesians fear that the region’s entire marine environment could be seriously damaged if the reefs keep dying at their present rate. “The overall picture is depressing,” says Ian Dutton, Indonesian director of an environmental group.
Depressing, but not hopeless. Despite the destruction, environmentalists have in recent years made significant progress in changing the hearts and minds of the fishermen. Working closely with local Indonesian authorities in North Sulawesi and less populated eastern Indonesia, where most of the country’s reefs are located, they have succeeded in preventing destructive fishing practices and coral mining from overwhelming the reefs.
Increasing numbers of fishermen are waking up to the threat and protecting the life-sustaining coral before it’s too late. Nuhung, a 56-year-old fisherman, says, “I always knew blast fishing was harmful. Then I suddenly realized that by bombing the reefs I was destroying not only my own but my children’s future.”The fishermen are named “worst offenders” because .
A.they defend their rights of mining the coral reefs too eagerly |
B.they wake up too late to realize the terrible situation |
C.they use the fishing ways, which destroy the coral reefs |
D.they pretend to follow the government’s rules |
In the text the author .
A.presents us some facts and people’s opinions as well |
B.shows that he’s worried about the situation, but still feels a little hopeful |
C.says he’s delighted and meanwhile, depressed |
D.disagrees with what’s being done and gives suggestions |
The underlined word “infinite” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means .
A.incomplete | B.short | C.unfit | D.limitless |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?
A.But for the fishermen’s protection, the reefs would disappear soon. |
B.More and more fishermen have realized their mistakes. |
C.Without the coral reefs, the fishermen would have nothing for their livelihood. |
D.Some practical measures have been taken to stop the situation worsening. |
This passage may be taken from______.
A.a magazine | B.a novel | C.a newspaper | D.a storybook |
Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on
May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.
Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.
Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes(笔画) in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.
Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons, especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.
Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students. Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.
A.she wanted to learn another style of paintings |
B.she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania |
C.her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well |
D.her father didin’t want her to learn painting again |
Which year was the most critical to her career and life?
A.1860 | B.1864 | C.1877 | D.1914 |
Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?
A.Her father had a decisive effect on her painting |
B.Her painting featured scenes of everyday living |
C.She used various colors and long lines in her works |
D.She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A |
Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.
A.her poor eyesight | B.her old age | C.lack of interest | D.her family |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A.during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing. |
B.the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism |
C.her works were controversial though highly recognized |
D.her students showed great respect for her |
A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That’s the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed at least an ounce of salt water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000 deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish. At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish.
During the next two decades, 78 of the men died from heart disease. The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese or Eskimos. This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol(胆固醇)levels.The passage is mainly about _________.
A.the high incidence of heart disease in some countries |
B.the changes in people’s diet |
C.the effect of fish eating on people’s health |
D.the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures |
We can infer from the passage that there are fewer heart disease deaths ________.
A.in countries of the yellow-skin race |
B.in highly-developed countries |
C.in the countries with high consumption of fish |
D.in the countries with good production of fish |
The phrase “this relationship” in paragraph 6 refers to the connection between _________ and the level of heart disease.
A.the amount of fish eaten | B.regular fish-eating |
C.the kind of fish eaten | D.people of different areas |
From the passage we know the author is most probably ______.
A.a heart doctor | B.a science researcher |
C.a supporter of healthy eating | D.a university student |
Everyday rubbish could provide a valuable source of energy thanks to a clever new invention. Smelly methane(沼气)gas expelled from landfill sites containing tones of rotting household waste could be used to produce a valuable energy resource. In Europe alone land fill tips produce 94 billion cubic meters of methane per year but currently only one percent of what could be a valuable source of energy is used, the rest is burnt off to prevent an explosive build up of gas.
Methane gas forms when organic matter breaks down and is drawn off from large rubbish tips by pipes sunk into the middle of the waste. Until now this process wasn’t possible on small sites because the pipe allowed oxygen to seep in and that stop the breakdown process.
Viktor Popov of the Wessex Institute of Technology has now developed a system to modify existing landfill sites by making them airtight while the methane is extracted from sunken wells. The site is covered by a special three-layered skin whose two outer layers are made of clay with a pressurized(加压的)layer of carbon dioxide gas in the middle. As the methane is sucked out through a central well it is replaced by carbon dioxide from the middle layer rather than oxygen, allowing the breakdown process to continue.
Unfortunately there are no plans to use the power of methane even though Popov claims his invention could provide a valuable source of energy over the next 20 years.The passage mainly introduces ______ to us.
A.how to make methane | B.a new way to make use of rubbish |
C.the valuable things in rubbish | D.the amount of rubbish beig reused |
From the passage we can see that _____.
A.in Europe 94 billion cubic meters of methane is produced every year |
B.some of the waste will explode if it is not burnt off |
C.99% of the rubbish has been burnt off in Europe |
D.only a very small part of this kind of energy is used in Europe |
In the passage the underlined word “that” refers to ______.
A.methane gas | B.the long pipe | C.oxygen | D.the rubbish |
Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Oxygen can cause the breakdown process to stop. |
B.When the methane is sucked out, oxygen will enter from the middle layer. |
C.Carbon dioxide doesn’t affect the breakdown process. |
D.The new invention has not been put into use. |
John Steinbeck once said, “All American believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like speaking publicly against mother-love or hating moonlight”.
I can’t say I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The Pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. When I am on a boat in the middle of the lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming. Fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life from many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the jobs gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Michel. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19-inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life-changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime-time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March is sight, the excitement of heading out to Lake Tus caloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______
A.American are believed to be the offspring of fishermen. |
B.it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing. |
C.all American are expert at fishing. |
D.those who dislike fishing would not love their mother. |
The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______.
A.when he was reading “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck |
B.when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell |
C.after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama |
D.after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone |
According to the author, ______.
A.people can get to know VIPs when fishing |
B.people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing |
C.fishing is a way of communication |
D.fishing is a way of life for most American people |
What is the purpose of the writing?
A.To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing. |
B.To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing. |
C.To make others understand the industry of fishing. |
D.To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year. |