“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, yo
u 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 |
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. |
You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another Earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-Born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese.
But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas (海外) Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair.
But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not the people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C.N. Yang(杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. The Chinese love him, but he is an American citizen.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．He wants to tell us something about “ABC”. |
| B．He wants to show that Chinese are well respected in America. |
| C．He wants to tell us some knowledge about the English language. |
| D．He wants to introduce the American culture to us. |
Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because ____.
| A．their bodies are white inside but yellow outside |
| B．they think like Westerners but look like Chinese |
| C．they were born in China but go to study in America |
| D．they like to eat bananas |
C.N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ____.
A. American Chinese are great.B. we love American Chinese
C. The Chinese can win Nobel Prizes D. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens
Among the many things that Brisbane (布里斯班), Australia, does really well, the care for kids is the best one. Here is a list of places that will be suitable for your kids.
Swimming pools
Simple way for happiness: mix kids with water. Of course, this is a choice for the hot summer months.
Parks
Free outdoor fun: it’s suitable for kids of all ages. It’s a place for parents to let kids run wild.
The Children’s Art Centre
The Children’s Art Centre has been very popular. Kids’ favorite here is some exhibitions specially designed for children. But we must pay some money.
South Bank Parklands
South Bank Parklands has everything you need to keep kids amused. Take them for a swim at the man-made beach. On weekends, go through the arts market or go to a cheap movie. South Bank Parklands often gives free performances too.
Roma Street Parkland
Close to bus transport, this parkland is easily accessible（可进入的）. It’s ideal (理想的) for kids of all ages. Younger kids can take a trip on the Jelly Bean Express, a 1.3 km trackless train ride around the parkland. Free entry(进入) and open every day.What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．Brisbane—a beautiful city in Australia. |
| B．How to travel in Brisbane. |
| C．Famous parks and activities in Brisbane. |
| D．Some interesting places for kids in Brisbane. |
. If your kids want to watch performances for free, you can take them to ______.
| A．South Bank Parklands | B．Roma Street Parkland |
| C．The Children’s Art Centre | D．Parks |
. What can we know about Roma Street Parkland?
| A．It opens only at weekends. |
| B．Only younger kids can visit it. |
| C．We need not buy tickets for a visit. |
| D．Younger kids have to walk while visiting it. |
What do kids love best in the Children’s Art Centre?
| A．Man-made beach. | B．Some exhibitions. |
| C．Arts market. | D．Jelly Bean Express. |
Who will be interested in the text most?
| A．Children and parents. | B．Artists | C．Movie lovers. | D．Swimmers. |
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow (乌鸦) landed on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is that?”
The son replied, “That is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It’s a crow.”
After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”
This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone, “It’s a crow, a crow.”
After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time, “What is this?”
This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW’. Are you not able to understand this?”
A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I didn’t at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son.
If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the best way no matter how they behave.”The writer mainly intends to ______ .
| A．tell us the function of a diary | B．call on us to love our parents |
| C．teach us what a crow is | D．introduce a pair of son and father |
The underlined word “affection” (last but one Para.) probably means______.
| A．puzzlement | B．hatred(恨) | C．worry | D．love |
We can infer that the father wrote that piece of diary at the age of ______.
| A．eighty | B．three | C．thirty-eight | D．forty-five |
The old man brought out the diary, which he had kept since his son was born, because ______.
| A．he forgot what had happened | B．he would like his son to read it |
| C．it could remind himself of the past | D．he wanted to find what a crow was |
Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.
Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable. It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.
But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050.A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine time a year. Nowdays it happens more than 100 times.
While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.
The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the next 100 years.
Warmer weat
her makes glaciers（冰川） melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it take up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen abou
t 10-25cm in the last 100 years.
People have been
increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.
Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.
Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea a
nd the world will be flooded with" climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that .
| A．Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea |
| B．all Tuvalu islands are about five meters above the sea level |
| C．drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed |
| D．Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves |
The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain .
| A．it is first places sinking into the sea |
| B．it is sinking into the mud where they stand |
| C．it will disappear in the future |
| D．its trouble is caused by global warming |
What does the underlined word "refugees" (in the last paragraph)mean?
| A．People forced away from their homeland |
| B．Sudden changes caused by world climate |
| C．Animals closely connected with weather |
| D．Bad effect of climate changes |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
| A．The main cause of global warming is human pollution |
| B．The average global temperature has risen by 1-3℃over the past century. |
| C．The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise |
| D．There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped |
In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C. ,the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to use for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said:"Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added." Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?"
Though Sue Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As mi
ght be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. Again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes(堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed.When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials .
| A．were scared and at a loss what to do |
| B．were worried and asked Su Dai fir advice |
| C．decided to ask a force to bear down upon the border |
| D．trembled and decided to give up fighting back |
The underlined phrase "sue for" in Paragraph 2 probably means .
| A．hope for | B．beg for | C．search for | D．send for |
Su Dai used the example of "carrying faggots to put out a fire" to show
.
| A．the ambition of the State of Qin | B．the risk of fighting back |
| C．the serious results of giving in | D．the terrible results of defense |
The story is mainly developed by.
| A．time | B．logic | C．space | D．cause and effect |