Laptop(便携式电脑) 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 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 to desktop computers. In addition, the portable (手提式)computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and were giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything. 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.1,500 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.get information from around the world |
D.have free laptops |
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. |
What do consumers really want? That’s a question market researchers would love to answer. But since people don’t always say what they think, marketers would need direct access to consumers’ thoughts to get the truth.
Now, in a way, that is possible. At the “Mind of the Market” laboratory at Harvard Business School, researchers are looking inside shoppers’ skulls to develop more effective advertisements and marketing styles. Using imaging techniques that measure blood flow to various parts of the brain, the Harvard team hopes to predict how consumers will react to particular products and to discover the most effective ways to present information. Stephen Kosslyn, a professor of psychology at Harvard, and business school professor Gerald Zaltman, oversee the lab. “The goal is not to influence people’s preferences,” says Kosslyn, “just to speak to their actual desires."
The group’s findings, though still preliminary (初步的), could change how firms develop and market new products. The Harvard group use position emission tomography (PET) scans to monitor the brain activity. These PET scans, along with other imaging techniques, enable researchers to see which parts of the brain are active during specific tasks(such as remembering a word).Correlations (相互关系) have been found between blood flow to specific areas and future behavior. Because of this, Harvard researchers believe the scans can also predict future purchasing patterns. According to an unpublished paper the group produced, “It is possible to use these techniques to predict not only whether people will remember and have specific emotional reactions to certain materials, but also whether they tend to want those materials months later.”
The Harvard group is now moving into the next stage of experiments. They will explore how people remember advertisements as part of an effort to predict how they will react to a product after having seen an ad. The researchers believe that once key areas of the brain are identified, scans on about two dozen volunteers will be enough to draw conclusions about the reactions of specific sections of the population. Large corporations-including Coca Cola, Eastman Kodak, General Motors, and Hallmark-have already signed up to fund further investigations.
For their financial support, these firms gain access to the experiments but cannot control them.If Kosslyn and Zahman and their team really can read the mind of the market, then consumers may find it even harder to get those advertising jingles-out of heir heads.
66. Which of the following statements can be the best title for this passage?
A. Reading the Mind of the Market.
B. Influencing the Customers’ Choice.
C. Influencing the Style of Advertising.
D. Experimenting with the Way to Foretell
67. Why do the Harvard researchers use scientific technology in the experiments?
A. Because they want to find a better way to persuade people into purchasing patterns in the future in the different market.
B. Because they don’t trust the findings already done by other researchers.
C. Because they want to see how particular products can influence consumers and find out the most effective ways to advertise.
D.Because they think the marketing strategies can actually be changed after the experiments.
68. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. People sometimes hide their true feelings when questioned by the marketing surveyors.
B. Stephen Kosslyn and Gerald Zaltman are in charge of the experiment and think ill of the study.
C. Harvard researchers have found some relation between people’s brain and future behavior.
D. Many large companies finance the Harvard group’s further investigations.
69. What does “to speak to” in the 2nd paragraph mean?
A. To communicate with. B. To say to. C. To talk to. D. To respond to.
70. The last sentence of the passage implies that ___________.
A. it is very likely that customers will buy unnecessary things just depending on the ads in the future.
B. in fact, the real purpose of Harvard group’s research is to attract more consumers into the market.
C. Coca Cola or the General Motors can exploit the findings of the experiments in their own marketing.
D. Consumers may find it more difficult to get out of the advertising jungle and it may cause them headaches.
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate (照亮) me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: “Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based in the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: “Yes, I must tell…” we have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist, who will only fill up the healing (愈合的) silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
61. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to _____.
A. become serious about her study B. go to her friend’s house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school D. share poems and stories with her friend
62. In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means_____.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feelings about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
63. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _____.
A. call each other regularly B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other D. dream of meeting each other
64. In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to _____.
A. seek professional help B. be left alone
C. stay with her best friend D. break the silence
65. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experience B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship D. Noble Companions
III. 阅读(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel.
Handel’s father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn’t think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel smuggled a quiet piano into the house so that he could practise in secret.
One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke’s organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel’s father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose.
Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel (决斗) over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince.
Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he’d heard that there weren’t nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera.
After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany.
In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper.
If you ever go to London, look for Handel’s grave in Westminster Abbey, where there’s a wonderful monument to him.
56.How did Handel begin to learn to compose?
A.His father was sure of his future success.
B.His performance impressed a duke.
C.He begged his father to send him to Italy.
D.He practised hard and taught himself music.
57. What does the underlined word “smuggled” mean in the passage?
A. bought secretly B. took secretly C. carried in advance D. possessed personally
58.Why did Handel later settle down in Britain instead of Germany?
A. Because he could find better jobs in London.
B. Because he enjoyed greater fame in London.
C. Because his boss became King of Britain and brought him along.
D. Because London was a wonderful place to learn about opera.
59.Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe Handel, as shown in the passage?
A. bad-tempered B. talented C. enthusiastic D. optimistic
60. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
A. Handel was born in the same year with Bach.
B. Many people worked both as a barber and surgeon.
C. Handel quit his job to learn about opera in Italy.
Handel was buried in London and was built a monument.
Recently the World Health Organization announced that the disease of smallpox(天花)had almost been wiped out in most parts of the world, thanks to widespread vaccination(种牛痘). Most people are vaccinated at least once in their lives and if they wish to travel from one country to another they must be able to prove that they have had a recent vaccination. In this way the disease has been prevented from spreading and today one seldom hears of it at all.
This is mainly because of the great discovery made by a village doctor, Edward Jenner, in about 1798 when he published his report of his new experiment called vaccination (from the word ‘vacca’ meaning a cow). Jenner discovered that people who worked with cattle often suffered from a harmless disease which they caught from the cattle, but these people never seemed to get smallpox. So he experimented by putting the disease into a small opening on the arms of healthy people, and though their arms became painful for a day or two, they soon recovered and none of these people ever got smallpox.
So the news of the wonderful discovery spread to other countries and people
rushed to their doctors to be vaccinated. In many countries the simple way to deal with the arm was done on thousands of people, and the terrible smallpox began to disappear.
71.Vaccination against smallpox has been so successful that _________ .
A.the discoverer made a large amount of money
B.Dr Jenner was given a prize by the World Health Organization
C.smallpox has almost disappeared in most countries
D.smallpox was no longer in existence on earth
72 .Smallpox has been prevented from spreading through the following measures EXCEPT that _____.
A.most people were vaccinated against the disease at least once
B.people going abroad should promise not to spread the disease
C.people travelling from one country to another must prove they
are vaccinated
D.people must be vaccinated shortly before going to foreign countries
73 .What led Dr Jenner to experiment with vaccination was that ________ .
A.he wanted to make a great discovery and publish it
B.vaccination could make people's arms safe
C.he tried to cure the farmers of some disease caught from the cattle
D.those who worked with cattle seemed free from getting smallpox
74.The doctor's new discovery was called ‘vaccination’ for the reason that ________ .
A.he discovered smallpox near a farm
B.he experimented with a disease from the cattle
C.he was working with cattle in the countryside
D.people got the disease of smallpox from the cattle
75.The news of the discovery ________.
A.caught people's attention from all corners of the world
B.spread far and near in the western countries
C.made people rush to Dr Jenner for vaccination
D.helped to get rid of the terrible disease of smallpox
China is going green.In order to reduce air pollution and oil shortages, carmakers have announced their plans to develop hybrid vehicles (混合燃料汽车) for the Chinese market.Toyota’s hybrid car Prius will be ready to drive in China this week.Let’s have a look at the new car.
Any vehicle is a hybrid run on a rechargeable battery and gas.Hybrid cars have special engines, which are smaller than traditional gas engines.The gasoline engine provides 99 percent of the power when the car is going at a steady speed. A specially designed battery motor provides extra power for running up hills or when it needs to speed up.
Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine.The first thing you notice is that it is quieter than a traditional car.At this point, the car’s gas engine is at rest.The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24km/h.If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gas being used, and no waste gas given off.
The computer decides when to use the gas engine, when to go electric, and when to use a combination of the two.If you go over 24km/h, when you step on the gas pedal (油门), you are telling the computer how fast you want to go.
The electric motor recharges automatically using a set of batteries.And when driving at a high speed, the gas engine not only powers the car but also recharges the batteries.When you use the brake, the electric motor in the wheels will work like a generator (发电机) to produce electricity to recharge the batteries.As a result, the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles.
66.The underlined sentence probably means ________.
A.there will be more and more green land in China
B.China’s new cars are combinations of different green models
C.China is still young and lacking in experience
D.the environment is getting better in China
67. What is the most important feature of hybrid cars?
A. They are powered by both a rechargeable battery and gas.
B. They have smaller engines than traditional gas ones.
C. They only use 99 percent of their power to run up hill.
D. They are much quieter than traditional cars.
68. We can know from the story that ________.
A. the gas engine recharges the batteries as well as powering the car
B. using the brake suggests that the gas engine should work
C. the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles without being recharged
D. the batteries can be recharged at any time you want
69. The author writes the passage mainly to________.
A. announce plans to develop hybrid vehicles for the Chinese market
B. let people know how to save their gas when driving a car
C. teach people how to drive a hybrid car
D. introduce a new kind of “green” car
70.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
A.The hybrid car is environmentally friendly.
B.The hybrid car is unable to get itself recharged.
C.The hybrid car has been made in mass.
D.The hybrid car can decide what power to use