In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English
— and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype(雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.
Then there’s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made 
naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed — without speaking aloud — a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.
With spontaneous(自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there. Which of the following statements is not TRUE?
| A．A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily. |
| B．There is no Muscle Translator in the world now. |
| C．Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth. |
| D．The spontaneous translators will help us a lot. |
What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
| A．Lecture Translation. |
| B．Muscle Translator. |
| C．Multiple Translator. |
| D．Translation Prototype. |
What’s the final destination of inventing the language translators?
| A．To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier. |
| B．To help students learn foreign languages more easily. |
| C．To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably. |
| D．To help people learn more foreign languages in the future. |
What can
be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
| A．The translator is so good that it can translate any language into the very language you need. |
| B．The translator is becoming more and more common in the world as a bridge. |
| C．With the help of the translator, you only need to open your mouth when you want to say something without saying the exact words at all. |
| D．The translator needs to be improved before being put into market. |
Where can this passage probably be excerpted from?
| A．A newspaper. |
| B．A magazine on science. |
| C．A fairy tale. |
| D．A scientific fantasy book. |
What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology. With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time, Death will come mainly from accidents murder and war. Today’s leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live？Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on --- in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
45. According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by________.
A. diseases and aging B. accidents and war
C. accidents and aging D. heart disease and war
46. In the author’s opinion, today’s most important advance in technology lies in________.
A. medicine B. the Internet C. brain cells D. human organs
47. Humans may live longer in the future because________.
A. heart disease will be far away from us
B. human brains can decide the final death
C. the basic materials of cells will last forever
D. human organs can be repaired by new medicine
48. What is the best title of the passage?.
A. Bio-technology
B. The Human Body Will Last a Very Long Time
C. New Medicine
D. The Advance in Technology
The Need for Holidays
You’ve no doubt heard people say how much they “need” a holiday，when what they really mean is that they want one．Certainly，people working under pressure feel a very strong desire to escape from work and become less tight during their holidays，and experience a changed environment. For this reason, holidays away from home are now seen by most people as necessary to their quality life. However, work for many people today are office work and mental, rather than physical tasks. These people may seek much more energy taking activities while on holiday, rather than simply lying on a beach.
Once people become used to going on holiday, taking holidays becomes a habit. Even in a recession(经济萧条时期), for many people the holiday is one of the last things to be given up, and indeed many workers have chosen to spend some of their last pay when being laid off on a holiday, perhaps to give themselves a "lift” before facing a gloomy(暗淡的)future.
Perhaps we don't like to admit it, but most of us also enjoy showing off about the places we have been to, and the lovely tans：dark skins we have got. The idea of tanning, however, is becoming less attractive than it was. So many tourists are now able to afford holidays in the sun that tans have become quite common；and although we join a tan together with health(and it is true that a certain amount of sunshine gives us a feeling of being healthy), it has been fully shown that sunshine，especially when received over a short, focused period of time, results in high danger of skin problems, as well as drying out one's skin and leading to more lines on your face later in life.
57．More and more people choose to have holidays because they ________.
A. hate working indoors all the time B. want to get away from work
C. love enjoying the beauties of nature D. become rich and want a better life
58．From this passage we learned that some people can not live without ______．
A. a tan B. a job C. a pay D. a holiday
59．A holiday may __________ when one has to face some difficulties in life．
A. cheer someone up B. help someone find a job
C. be the last thing to be given up D. bring good luck to someone
60．At the end of the passage the writer tries to tell the reader ________.
A. the importance of getting sunshine B. the bad effect of being on holiday
C. the result of getting sun tanned D. the healthy look of being tanned
How can we get rid of garbage? Do we have enough energy sources to meet our future energy needs?
These are two important questions that many people are asking today. Some people think that men might be able to solve both problems at the same time. They suggest using garbage as an energy source.
For a long time people buried garbage or dumped it on empty land. Now, empty land is scarce. But more and more garbage is produced each year. But garbage can be a good fuel to use. The things in garbage do not look like coal, petroleum, or natural gas; but they are chemically similar to these fossil fuels. As we use up our fossil-fuel supplies, we might be able to use garbage as an energy source.
Burning garbage is not a new idea. Some cities in Europe and the United States have been burning garbage for years. The heat that is produced by burning garbage is used to boil water. The steam that is produced is used to make electricity or to heat nearby buildings. In Paris, France, some power plants burn almost 2 million metric tons of the city's garbage each year. The amount of energy produced is about the same as the world produced by burning almost a half million barrels of oil!
But there are problems in using garbage as a fuel. Garbage that burns easily, such as food scraps and paper, must be separated from metals, glass, and other materials that do not burn easily. This separation process is normally costly. Another problem is that burning garbage can pollute the air.
Our fossil fuel supplies are limited. Burning garbage might be one kind of energy source that we can use to help meet our energy needs. This method could also reduce the amount of garbage piling up on the earth.
53. What two problems can be solved by burning garbage?
A. The shortage of energy; Air pollution.
B. The shortage of energy; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.
C. Air pollution; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.
D. Air pollution; the shortage of fossil fuel.
54.Which of the following is NOT a result of burning garbage?
A. The heat produced is used to boil water.
B. The steam produced is used to make electricity.
C. The garbage burned is turned into fossil fuels.
D. The steam produced is used to heat buildings.
55.According to the passage. Which of the following four groups of garbage is ready for burning?
A. food scraps and metals B. paper and glass
C. metals and glass D. food scraps and paper
56.What is the general tone of the passage?
A. optimistic B. indifferent C. advocating D. anxious
If you can speak English，you know a lot of English words. You can read, speak and understand. But there is another kind of language you need to know—the language of the body, a part of what is called non-verbal communication. All over the world，people “talk” with their eyes. When Japanese people meet，they put their hands together. What do the American and the British do?
Americans are more informal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first name，they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable.
British people are more quiet. They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask you home.
When British and American people meet someone for the first time，they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends，and men kiss women friends（on one cheek only）.When a man meets a man friend，he just smiles，and says “Hello”. Men do not kiss each other. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.
49.Body language is ___________.
A. the system of human expression newly invented recently
B. the system of human expression by means of words
C. the system of human expression by sign, movements, etc.
D. a common system of human expression with words and signs
50.When an American man meets a woman friend，he .
A .kisses her B. just smiles C. says “Hello” D. shakes hands
51.British people are.
A. as quiet as Americans B. more formal than Americans
C. less friendly than Americans D. more informal than Americans
52.From the passage we can come to the idea that .
A. most of the body language in different countries may be different
B. most of the body language in different countries is the same
C. all the body language in different countries is different
D. none of the body language in different countries is the same
第二部分．阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下面五篇短文，从每题后所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案。
Many times my friend June would say, “If I ever get rich, I’m getting a completely new wardrobe and moving into a bigger apartment.” I thought of her words and her chances of being rich are about as good as mine. But, to everyone’s surprise, a few years ago June did come into a large inheritance(遗产).
At first June said very little about the money. As the initial(最初的)shock disappeared, she became excited. June is a great believer in making lists, so I wasn’t surprised to find her writing down all the ways she would spend her new wealth.
As time went on, what had been midway down the column was now at the top. At last, I said to her, “You know, it isn’t necessary to spend all your inheritance at once. Take some time; think about it.” “I know, I know,” she answered with a little bit anger.
Then one morning June called. “I’ve decided how I want to use my new inheritance. I want to see what you think,” she said. This wasn’t something I looked forward to, but we had been friends so long.
As we sat, June spread a sheet of paper on the table. To my great surprise, she had written only two words: Charities(慈善), and Grandchildren---in that order. Though I had vowed（发誓）to keep quiet, I couldn’t keep from asking how she came to this decision.
“Well,” she said, “I took your advice and thought about it.” She added, “Helping others means a lot to me, so I’m hoping this gift will help people in need.”
I interrupted. “But what about this big apartment you most hope to have?”
“At first it was hard, but it doesn’t seem as important any more,” she answered with a smile.
Then June moved her hand, and I could see a few words written in tiny letters at the bottom of the page. After having a look at the small print, I burst into laughter. June had written: AND one new wardrobe.
41.From the passage we can learn that the writer ____________.
A. was richer than her friend June B. was no richer than her friend June
C. was poorer than her friend June D. was interested in money as June
42.After making a list of how to deal with her inheritance, June ___________.
A. didn’t change it at all B. had a quarrel with the writer
C. asked the writer for advice D. often made some changes of it
43.When June called the writer to talk about her new decision, the writer ___________.
A. felt that June would do something meaningful
B. refused at first, but changed her mind later
C. was eager to learn more about the new list
D. had decided not to make any comments on June’s list
44.We can learn from the text that ______________.
A. helping others is more important than buying a bigger apartment
B. friendship doesn’t mean accepting the shortcomings of a friend
C. giving away one’s wealth needs time and courage
D. money can’t bring people real and lasting happiness