The first reality TV show in the world was called Expedition Robinson and it was shown in Sweden in 1997. Half the population of the country watched the final event and a new kind of TV program was born. Two years later in Holland , the first series of Big Brother was filmed. Again, it was a great success and the final program was watched by 15 million people. Now more than 20 countries around the world have Big Brother or Expedition Robinson on their TV screens. The ordinary people who take part in the programs are known by millions of people in their own countries and reality TV has become big, big business.
For the TV producers, reality TV is a dream which comes true because many of the
programs cost nothing to make. At some point, the television viewers are asked to telephone the program to vote or to apply to take part in the show. It is the cost of these telephone calls that pays for the shows. One of the most popular shows is Pop Idol. In the show a group of attractive young people are made into pop stars. TV viewers vote for their favorite person on the show. The winner makes a record and millions of copies of the record are sold. His or her pictures are published on the covers of magazines or on the front pages of newspapers, and then, they are quickly forgotten.
But not everyone is happy about reality TV. In Portugal, two TV channels got into trouble because they showed too much of the personal lives of the people in the shows. In France, reality TV is called “rubbish TV” and the TV studios of Big Brother were attacked three times in one week. In Greece, Big Brother was described as “ against human rights and civilization”. Those who take part in the reality TV shows are usually _____.
| A．successful people | B．pop TV stars | C．attractive people | D．famous film stars |
Who would pay for the cost of the reality TV shows according to the passage?
| A．TV producers who make reality TV shows |
| B．TV actors who take part in reality TV shows. |
| C．TV viewers who telephone reality TV shows |
| D．TV companies which broadcast reality TV shows |
It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
| A．everyone is happy about reality TV. |
| B．reality TV will do well in many countries. |
| C．all the people in Europe are in favor of reality TV |
| D．reality TV will not be broadcast in any countries. |
Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music for relaxation. As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.com to download music files. But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs’ copyright bursts onto the screen. The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright. Lawsuits（诉讼） have been filed against four websites offering free downloads. In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation(赔偿)for their losses. Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website. This caused a heated discussion on Interact file sharing.
“Baidu’s defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying. Downloaders may face lawsuits or fines,” said an official.
Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn’t think that getting music from websites is wrong. She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends. When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others’ work without paying.
However, other teenagers have different ideas. Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers. “If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD,” she said. “So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than pursuing file-sharers.”
77. Which of the following best describes the passage?
A. Downloading material can be illegal. B. It’s good to get free music on the Internet.
C. Music on the Internet is of better quality. D. Baidu is a popular web company.
78. The four web companies were put to court because _________.
A. they got copyrighted songs without paying
B. they downloaded copyrighted music for people
C. they offer free music on line
D. they make copyrighted files for free downloads
79. How do some of the teenagers feel while downloading free music after the lawsuit?
A. A bit guilty. B. Awfully sorry. C. A little sad. D. Extremely angry.
80. It can be inferred from the text that _________.
A. Web companies are still ignoring the copyright laws.
B. Teenagers haven’t got money to buy CDs.
C. Teenagers are probably still downloading free music.
D. Teenagers prefer CDs with copyright to pirated music.
Schools across the country are turning green. So-called green schools are built from recycled and environmentally friendly materials. They are designed to use less energy than traditional school buildings. In the next few years, Southern California alone plans to open 150 green schools. Studies have shown that there are good reasons to go green, including good air quality that cuts down on asthma(哮喘)attacks and airborne germs that can cause illnesses. Students learn better in classrooms that have natural light and ideal temperatures. Green schools have lower energy bills. Go On, Get Green
Here’s how to save energy and help the environment.
Light Savers
Turn off the lights in a room when it is not in use. This bright idea can produce big savings on energy costs. Some schools use sensors that automatically shut off the lights when there is no motion in a room.
Heat Smart
Your school’s thermostat(温度调节器)should be set to 78℃in warm weather and 68℃in cooler weather. The temperature can be even farther from the comfort zone at night and on weekends, when no one is using the school building.
Reuse, Recycle
Reuse paper, cans, bottles and batteries. Use both sides of notebook paper. Carry a lunch box rather than a paper bag. Recycle whatever you can reuse.
Don’t Drip(滴水)
Leaky taps can waste large amounts of water. A small, steady flow can add up to hundreds of gallons a year. Report drips if you see them.
73. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Green Schools. B. Reusing and Recycling. C. Light Savers. D. No Dripping.
74. Some schools are called green schools because ______.
A. they are built from new materials B. they are painted green
C. there are more trees in these schools D. they are built from recycled materials
75. All of the following are advantages of a green school EXCEPT __________.
A. the air quality of the school is great
B. the temperature is comfortable
C. the school has lower energy bills than a traditional school
D. it is more beautiful than a traditional school
76. In a green school, students will ________.
A. use both sides of their notebook paper B. not use lights at all
C. use paper bags to carry food D. get sick more easily
Banks view online banking as a powerful “value-added” tool to attract and keep new customers while helping to eliminate costly paper handling or teller（出纳员）interactions in an increasingly competitive banking environment .
Today , most large national banks , many local banks and credit unions offer some form of online banking , variously known as PC banking , home banking , electronic banking or Internet banking . Online banks are sometimes referred to as “brick-to-click” banks , both to tell them from “brick-to-mortar” banks that haven’t yet offered online banking , as well as from “virtual”（虚拟）banks that have no physical branches or tellers whatsoever .
The challenge（挑战）for the banking industry has been to design this new service channel in such a way that its customers will readily learn to use and trust it . Most of the large banks can now offer fully safe ,fully functional （功能的）online banking for free or for a small cost . As more banks succeed online and more customers use their sites , fully functional online banking will likely become as commonplace as automated teller machines (ATM).
Online banking has a lot of advantages . Unlike your corner bank , online banking sites never close; they’re at hand 24 hours a day , seven days a week , and they’re a mouse click away . If you’re out of state or even out of the country when a money problem appears , you can log on instantly to your online bank and take care of business . Online bank sites generally carry out and confirm （确认）deals at or quicker than ATM processing speeds . Many online banking sites now offer fashionable tools to help you manage all of your valuable items more effectively .
69．The word “eliminate” in the first paragraph probably means “ ”.
A．keep B．remove C．reduce D．improve
70．What is the challenge for the banking industry according to the text ?
A．To make online banking attractive . B．To open new services all over the world .
C．To offer online banking for free . D．To take care of business 24 hours a day .
71．From the text we can conclude that .
A．“brick-to-click” banks are in fact another kind of physical banks
B．the function of a “brick-to-click” bank is as common as that of an ATM
C．a “ brick-to-mortar” bank is no better than a virtual one
D．customers can deal with their banking by a mouse click
72．What would be the best title for this text ?
A．Banking of Various Forms B．Improvement of Banking Industry
C．Development of Online Banking D．Functions of the “Brick-to-Click” Bank
A lot of grown-ups worry that spending too much time playing video games isn’t good for a kid’s health. Now some doctors have noticed that kids who bring their hand-held game players to the hospital seem less worried about being there. These patients also seem to experience less pain when they are concentrating on a superhero adventure or a car race. At the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Maryland, young patients are finding hospital visits easier to deal with, thanks to a test program called the Hospital-based On-line Pediatric Environment (HOPE). Patients in HOPE have a life-threatening condition where their kidneys(肾脏)no longer filter(过滤)wastes from their blood. To get their blood cleaned, these kids must be hooked up to dialysis(透析) machines at the hospital three times a week, for at least three hours each time. HOPE allows kids to play online sports, racing, and adventure games with each other. Eventually they will be able to connect with kids in other hospitals who are suffering from the same problem. "We want to use the power of the Internet to bring together kids who feel that they are separated by their illness, and let them know that they are not alone," said Arun Mathews, the doctor who heads the program. He loves video games himself and got the idea to connect kids all over the country. Many researchers elsewhere are testing video game programs that might help young patients. For example, nine-year-old Ben Duskin of San Francisco, who was struggling with cancer helped to design a video game where players get rid of cancer cells. That’s all great news, because doctors already know that reducing pain and worry helps patients heal faster.
64. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Playing video games too much is bad for kids’health.
B. Playing video games seems to be beneficial to young patients’ recovery.
C. Doctors find that reducing pain helps patients recover faster.
D. Doctors invent a game to help kids in hospitals.
65. How long will it take a patient to get his blood cleaned in a week?
A. About 3 hours. B. About 6 hours. C. About 9 hours. D. About 21 hours.
66. According to Arun Mathews, the main purpose of HOPE is to _________.
A. encourage kids to play online games
B. teach kids how to design video games
C. help kids who are suffering from illness connect with each other
D. make parents worry less about their kids playing video games too much
67. Which of the following plays the most important role in the HOPE project?
A. Music. B. The Internet. C. Novels. D. Films.
68. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Nine-year-old Ben Duskin, who has a cancer, is very brave and clever.
B. Many parents want their children to play video games because it’s good for their health.
C. Doctors are not sure whether reducing pain and worry can help the patients recover faster.
D. HOPE allows kids to play online games only with the kids in the same hospital.
Ⅳ.阅读理解（第一节共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分；第二节共5小题，每小题1分，满分5分。两节满分共35分）
Just because you are in a wheelchair doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the competitiveness(竞争) —the all-around fun —that playing sports offers you. More and more wheelchair users are playing sports every day —some even on a professional level. The following are just a few examples of the different choices you have.
Wheelchair basketball is a very common wheelchair sport. It was started over forty years ago as part of a medical recovery(康复) program. Over the years it has grown rapidly. Today wheelchair basketball is a professional sport that has more than 180 teams across the United States. In order to play wheelchair basketball, it is essential to have a lightweight wheelchair. Several different kinds of sports wheelchairs are on the market today just for sports fans.
Another wheelchair sport, quad rugby(橄榄球), was specifically designed for people who can’t move their arms or legs and are unable to play wheelchair basketball. It is a mixture of wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. To play the game you must have two teams of four players each.
Power soccer is another fun wheelchair sport that can be very fun and exciting. Players in power soccer must have an electric wheelchair. Two teams have two 30-minute halves to push the soccer ball over the other team’s goal line. The first team to reach the other team’s goal line most frequently wins.
Based on the sport you choose to take part in, there are several things you can buy for your wheelchair, including belts, gloves, bags for carrying things, drink holders and special back supports.
1. In which part of the newspaper will you read this passage?
A. Technology. B. Society. C. Culture. D. Health.
2 In the beginning, wheelchair basketball was started for the purpose of ______.
A. holding professional games around the US
B. spreading the sport all over the US
C. helping patients return to a normal life
D. making people want to play sports
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. To introduce some possible sports to wheelchair users.
B. To introduce some products to the wheelchair users.
C. To encourage wheelchair users to compete with each other.
D. To talk about the differences between these sports.