An Australian company, Smart Car Technologies, has developed a system that lets drivers know when they’re speeding. When the technology becomes commercially available, it could help lead-footed drivers avoid tickets and also save lives. The company that developed the product hopes to convince Australian government agencies to put the technology into use in their automobile fleets.
The product, called Speed Alert, links real-time location data and speed obtained with the help of GPS to a database of posted speed limits stored in a driver’s PDA or programmable mobile phone. The setup of the product does not need to be hooked up to a car’s speedometer. In fact, it is entirely portable. It will also work with newer phones and PDAs that have built-in GPS receivers. If a driver exceeds the speed limit, the speed is shown and an alert sounds.
Michael Paine, an Australian vehicle design engineer and traffic safety consultant, was hired to analyze the product. He told Live Science that his colleagues in the road safety field are “very enthusiastic” about what they’re now calling “intelligent speed alert.” Other research, according to Paine, shows that 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve speeding. There is also a potentially controversial future use: “Since the system is so portable, it would be easy to make it a requirement for teenage drivers to always use a speed alert device when driving,” Paine said. “The system even has the capability to record speeding violations, so parents can monitor their teenage drivers.”
The product will soon go on sale in Sydney. What’s the purpose of the new product?
| A．To inform us of the new car system. | B．To introduce some improvement in cars. |
| C．To limit certain drivers to safe driving. | D．To popularize the built-in car system. |
The second paragraph mainly talks about .
| A．the project of the built-in product | B．why the system becomes popular |
| C．the functions of GPS in cars | D．how the product is programmed |
Which of the following is true of Speed Alert according to Michael Paine?
| A．Most of the traffic deaths can be avoided. | B．Speeding violations can be easily found out. |
| C．The system will excite some teenage drivers. | D．The product will not be available for adults. |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Speed Alert and Its Future Use. | B．Progress in Car-making Science. |
| C．Warning for Adventurous Drivers. | D．New In-Car Device against Speeding. |
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present．On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office，a street urchin(顽童) was walking around the shining car．“Is this your car，Paul？”he asked．
Paul answered，“Yes，my brother gave it to me for Christmas．”The boy was surprised．“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn’t cost you anything？Boy，I wish…”He hesitated．
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for．He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish，”the boy went on，“that I could be a brother like that．”Paul looked at the boy in surprise，then he said again，“Would you like to take a ride in my car？”
“Oh yes，I’d love that．”
After a short ride，the boy turned and with his eyes shining，said，“Paul，would you mind driving in front of my house？”
Paul smiled a little．He thought he knew what the boy wanted．He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked．
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back，but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There she is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent. And some day I’m going to give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.The street urchin was very surprised when ________．
| A．Paul received an expensive car |
| B．Paul told him about the car |
| C．he saw the shining car |
| D．he was walking around the car |
From the story we can see the urchin ________．
| A．wished to give his brother a car |
| B．wanted Paul’s brother to give him a car |
| C．wished he could have a brother like Paul’s |
| D．wished Paul could be a brother like that |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ________．
| A．to show his neighbors the big car |
| B．to show he had a rich friend |
| C．to let his brother ride in the car |
| D．to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer（推断）from the story that ________．
| A．Paul couldn’t understand the urchin |
| B．the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
| C．the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
| D．the urchin’s wish came true in the end |
The best name of the name story is _________．
| A．A Christmas Present |
| B．A Street Urchin |
| C．A Brother Like That |
| D．An Unforgettable Holiday Ride |
There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California，the largest in area is Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state. California and Florida are the warmer. Henry and his family live in Seattle，a big city，on the Pacific coast. But Los Angeles and San Francisco，also on the Pacific coast，are larger than Seattle. Henry’s cousin，Susan，lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington，D. C. It is the capital，but it is much smaller than New York.How many states are there in the U. S. A. ？
A. Five B. Forty- Five C. Fifty D. FifteenWhich state is the largest in population？
| A．California | B．Rhode-Island |
| C．Alaska | D．Los Angeles |
Which state is the coldest，the newest，and the smallest in population？
| A．Rhode Island. | B．Seattle. |
| C．San Francisco. | D．Alaska. |
Which of the following is true？
| A．The oldest states are the ones along the Pacific coast. |
| B．Washington is the most important and the largest city. |
| C．New York is the largest city in the United States. |
| D．Henry’s cousin lives in the Seattle. |
Why is Washington, D. C. the most important American city？
Because _________.
A. it is the largest city
B. it is the largest in population
C. it is the most beautiful city
D. it is the capital of the United States
This is a talk by a London taxi（出租车）driver.
“I’ve been a taxi driver for nearly ten years. Most London taxi drivers have their own taxis.”
“It’s a nice job most of time. you meet a lot of people. I always work at night，because there is too much traffic during the day. I live twenty miles（英里）outside London and I go to work at 5:30 in the afternoon.”
“I usually go home between 2 and 3 in the morning.”
“Some very strange things happened late at night .The other day I was taking a woman home from a party .She had her little dog with her. When we got to her house，she found that she had lost her key. So I waited in the car with the dog while she climbed in through the window.”
“I waited and waited. After half an hour of ringing the bell I decided to find out what was going on.I tied the dog to a tree and started to climb in through the window. The next thing I knew was that the police came. They thought I was a thief（小偷）.
Luckily the woman came downstairs（下楼）.She must have gone to sleep and forgotten about me and the dog！”The driver always worked at night because it was easier to _____.
| A．drive |
| B．make money |
| C．climb in through the window |
| D．meet a lot of people |
The woman climbed in through the window because _____.
| A．she wanted to have a sleep |
| B．her husband didn’t open the door for her |
| C．she didn’t want to pay the driver |
| D．she couldn’t find her key |
The story happened _____.
| A．early in the morning |
| B．late at night |
| C．20 miles outside London |
| D．near the police station |
Which of the following is wrong？
| A．The driver worked until between 2 and 3 in the morning. |
| B．The police made a mistake. |
| C．The woman had no money to pay the driver. |
| D．The woman had forgotten about the driver and the dog. |
The driver climbed in through the window to
| A．get money from the woman |
| B．return the dog to the woman |
| C．see what was happening in the house |
| D．phone the police |
There is nothing in the Hippocratic Oath that tells doctors what to do when they make a mistake with a patient. Nor is there much on this subject in medical school curriculums or in training programs.
But there should be.
Much was made of the Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report that 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year in hospitals from preventable medical errors, many of them made by doctors.
The report stated much first-hand information to address the problem, but there was little discussion about how doctors, when they have made mistakes, should deal with their patients,
Everyone assumes that the ever-present threat of accusation has made doctors more anxious about admitting error, and no doubt it has, But doctors have always been tight-lipped about their mistakes, in part to preserve an illusion(幻觉，错误的信仰) of medical omnipotence(全能)
Studies suggest that patients are less likely to accuse doctors when they apologize for mistakes, and many hospitals now encourage their physicians to admit their errors. According to an supportive group called The Sorry Works! Coalition, 16 states have already passed laws giving doctors legal immunity(饶恕) for their apologies to patients.
Of course, there are plenty of doctors with a nice bedside manner who can get away with bad treatment. How else to explain patients who often line up in court to support doctors accused of malpractice(失职)？
The surprising truth is that many patients have a hard time knowing whether they are really getting good medical care.
Because so many diseases change randomly over time, patients sometimes spontaneously(自发的) improve despite improper treatment. On the other hand, a patient who receives exemplary medical care may fare badly(情况不好) simply because the illness is hard to treat. In other words, doctors are often praised or blamed, when the outcome is in fact a chance event.
Many, perhaps even most, medical errors probably have little ill effect and go unnoticed by patients. Many lawyers would disagree, but doctors ought to let their patients know when they’ve made a mistake; it humanizes them and builds trust.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The doctor made the mistake deliberately so they do not apologize. |
| B．Doctors never tell the patient they have made a mistake. |
| C．The patients won’t forgive the doctor if he make the mistake. |
| D．The patient will usually forgive the doctor when the mistake are not intentional. |
What does the sentence “But there should be” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．But there should be more subjects in medical school. |
| B．But there should be something more specific in the Oath. |
| C．But the doctor should not make any mistake. |
| D．But there should be something to tell the doctor what to do when they make a mistake. |
What is the author’s attitude toward the opinion that the doctor should apologize when he makes a mistake?
| A．Supportive | B．Critical |
| C．Indifferent | D．Neutral |
Living and dealing with kids can be a tough job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even tougher.
If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important, both when you disagree and when you get along. With any relationship, you need to let the other person know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate, you drift apart. When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn’t solve anything.
Communication begins with the concerns of another. It means that you can’t just come home from school, go up to your room and ignore everyone. Even if you just say “Hi”, and see how their day was for five minutes, it is better than nothing.
If you looked up the word “communication” in a dictionary, it would say “the exchange of ideas, the conveyance of information; means of communication: a letter or a message”. To maintain a good relationship, you must keep communication strong. Let people know how you feel, even if it’s just by writing a note.
When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you’ll listen to what they have to say, but ask them politely to listen to you. Yelling or walking away only makes the situation worse.
This is an example: one night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn’t feel she could just ask to go home. That would be rude. After all, they had been nice enough to take her along with them. Needless to say, she was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, not when Sophie explained why she was late, they weren’t as mad and let the incident go. Communication is the key factor here. If Sophie’s parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.
Communication isn’t a one-way deal: it goes both ways. Just remember: if you get into a situation like Sophie’s, telling the other person how you feel — listening is the key factor to communication.In the writer’s view, dealing with parents is _______ than with children.
| A．more difficult | B．easier |
| C．more uninteresting | D．more interesting |
The main idea of the second paragraph is _______.
| A．the importance of friendship |
| B．to make your feeling known to others |
| C．the importance of communication |
| D．the disagreement between generations |
The example in this passage proves that _______.
| A．Sophie’s parents are willing to listen to her |
| B．Sophie is very polite to her parents |
| C．Sophie did well in explaining her being late |
| D．communication is the solution to misunderstanding |
All the following statements are correct except _______.
| A．If you don’t agree with others, you’d better let them know |
| B．It is better to say “Hi” to others than say nothing |
| C．If you are not able to communicate, walk away |
| D．Communication is a two-way deal |