Edward Estlin Cummings was a poet well-known for how he wrote his poems He wrote his poems with capital (大写的) letters in the words . For example, the title of one of his poems is “The little horse is newlY” The “Y” is a capital letter. He also used “i” instead of “I” to refer to himself in the poems.
Edward was born on October14, 1894 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Edward’s father was also named Edward. Young Edward’s mother was named Rebecca. She loved to spend time with her children. She also taught Edward Jr how to write poems. Edward’s sister was born 1896 and her name was Elizabeth. Edward’s father was the first professor of Sociology at Harvard University. He later became the minister of one of Boston’s respected churches. He was the one who taught his son to use his hands as well as his mind. Edward Jr used his hands to paint abstract art.
E.E.Cummings was a very smart boy. Edward was 12 when he became a freshman in high school. He loved circuses, ballets, music and amusement parks.
Edward graduated from Harvard in 1916. During World War I , he joined the army and was sent to France where he drove an ambulance. He and his friend from Harvard were arrested because people thought they were German spies. They were kept in one room where they slept , ate , talked and tried to deal with their fears and boredom. Edward wrote his first book, published in 1922, called The Enormous Room, based on his wartime experiences.
E.E.Cummings was a poet that made his own rules in poetry. He was one of the most popular poets of the 20th century.Which is a special feature of E.E.Cummings’ poems?
| A．Their titles are all written with capital letters. |
| B．A special capital letter is used in them to refer to the writer. |
| C．He used “Y” to refer to “you”. |
| D．He used letters in a special way in them |
What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
| A．Edward’s schooling | B．Edward’s parents |
| C．Edward’s family | D．Edward’s childhood. |
E.E.Cummings was arrested in the war because ___________.
| A．he went to France without permission | B．he looked like a Frenchman |
| C．he was thought to be German agent | D．he drove away a car that belonged to the army |
Danielle Steel,America’s sweetheart,is one of the hardest working women in the book business.Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time,she can work on up to five.Her research alone before writing takes at least three years.Once she has fully studied her subjects,ready to dive into a book,she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education.After graduation,she worked in the public relations and advertising industries.Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for.Her achievements are unbelievable:390 million copies of books in print,nearly fifty New York Times best-selling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them deal with the real-life problems of death,new hobbies and new schools. Her 1998 book about the death of her son shot to the top of the New York Times best-selling list as soon as it came out.Twenty-eight of her books have been made into films.She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for one of her books being the Times best-seller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house,a loving family,and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource(资源) and has kept in touch with them by e-mail.While she is often compared to the heroines(女主人公) of her own invention,her life is undoubtedly much quieter.But,if she does have anything in common with them,it is her strength of will and her inimitable style.There is only one Danielle Steel.Danielle Steel is different from other writers in that .
| A．she can write several books at the same time |
| B．she often does some research before writing a book |
| C．she is one of the most popular American women writers |
| D．she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break |
Children who have read “Max and Martha” picture books may know .
| A．how to deal with affairs at school |
| B．what to do if Max and Martha die |
| C．what to do when new babies are born into their families |
| D．how to solve the difficult problems in their writing classes |
One of Danielle Steel’ achievements is that .
| A．some TV plays were based on her books |
| B．her picture books attracted a lot of young men |
| C．one of her books became a best-seller in 1998 |
| D．she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records |
We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel .
| A．lives an exciting life | B．values her readers a lot |
| C．writes about quiet women | D．is pleased with her achievements |
What does the underlined word “inimitable” mean?
| A．hardworking | B．attractive |
| C．strange | D．unique |
A “blogger” is a person who writes on an Internet computer Web site called a “blog（博客）”.The word “blog” is a short way of saying Web log, or personal Web site. Anyone can start a blog, and they can write about anything they like. There are millions of blogs on the Internet today. They provide news, information，advertisements, advice and ideas for many people who read them. They contain links to other Web sites. And they provide a place for people to write about their ideas and react to the ideas of others.
A research company called Perscus has studied more than 300 Web logs. It says that blogs are most popular with teenage girls. They use them to let their friends know what is happening in their lives. The study also says that more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity after a year.
However, some people develop serious blogs to present political and other ideas. For example, the Republican and Democratic parties in the southern state of Kentucky recently started their own blogs. And American companies are beginning to use blogs to advertise their products. At the same time, some long-standing blogs have ended. Last week, blogging leader Dave Winer closed his free blog service “weblogs. com”. He says the site became too costly to continue. He started the blog four years ago. And thousands of people had written on it. They are now upset because they did not know that the site was closing. One blog that is still going strong is called Rebecca’s Pocket. Rebecca Blood created the Web-site in 1999. She wrote about the history of blogs on the site. That article led to a book called “The Weblog Handbook”. It has been translated into four languages so far. Ms. Blood says Rebecea’s Pocket gets about 30,000 visitors a month. She writes about anything and everything — politics, culture and movies. She recently provided medical advice. And she wrote about how to prevent people from stealing money from on -line bank accounts. The author wrote this passage mainly to _________.
| A．introduce an Internet computer Web site called “blog” |
| B．introduce a short way of saying Weblog |
| C．tell readers how to write blogs |
| D．tell readers about blogs |
From the passage we can learn that blogs cover almost everything EXCEPT ______.
| A．account passwords | B．medical advice |
| C．advertisements | D．different ideas |
Dave Winer closed his “weblogs. Com” because __________.
| A．more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity |
| B．American companies used blogs to advertise their products |
| C．people stole money from on -line bank accounts |
| D．He couldn’t afford the increasing money needed to run the blogs |
The reason why Rebecca’s Pocket is still going strong is that ______.
| A．it was created by a woman |
| B．it is about the history of blogs |
| C．it provides useful information and advice |
| D．it has editions in at least four different languages |
What is the author’s attitude toward blog?
| A．Objective | B．Sceptical |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
In the case of mobile phones, change is everything. Recent research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well．
First, let's talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and its parent, the fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a landline goes to a place. If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it．
This has several implications（含义）. The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the “meeting” influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now，however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer “see you there at 8”，but "text me around 8 and we'll see where we all are."
Texting changes people as well. In their paper, “Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging", two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the “talkers” and the “texters”－those who prefer voice to text messages and those who prefer text to voice.
They found that the mobile phone's individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well．
Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the “speakeasy”: the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the “spacemaker”: these people focus on themselves and keep out other people.
Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera- phones intrude（侵入）on people's privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn't worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.According to the two British researchers, the social and psychological effects are mostly likely to be seen on
| A．talkers | B．the “speakeasy” | C．the “spacemaker" | D．texters |
We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters are
| A．quite revealing | B．well written |
| C．unacceptable by others | D．shocking to others |
According to the passage, who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile?
| A．Talkers. | B．The“speakeasy” |
| C．The “spacemaker”. | D．Texters. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The SMS Effect |
| B．Cultural implications of Mobile Phone Use |
| C．Changes in the Use of the Mobile |
| D．Body Language and the Mobile Phone |
Located in the middle of the northern lights belt, Tromso can offer some of the highest levels of northern lights activity on earth. Perhaps Tromso is the world's best place for a Northern Lights Tour.
Join one of our Northern Lights Holidays this winter. It could become one of the greatest experiences in your life.
DESTINATION Troms county, Norway.
PRICE $450 per person
WHEN 2th September until 31st March.
PICK-UP Each evening at 6 PM pitside your hotel.
DROP-OFF Earliest at 12 AM. When we have a sighting we often stay out later, at no extra cost.
SIZE OF GROUP Maximum 8 participants is recommended and normal, but not absolute. A small group allows more freedom in terms of chasing the northern lights.
INCLUDED
- Transportation each day in a comfortable car
- A meal each day
- All necessary equipment such as snowshoes, flashlight, water-filled bottle, woolen underwear, a war, hat, warm shoes, warm stockings, and reindeer skin to lie on, if needed.
- A guide who will do anything necessary to find the northern lights.
EXCITING CHASE
A Northern Lights Holiday means an intense and exciting chase – to the coast or deep into the wild, perhaps even to the Finnish border. Each day on a Northern Lights Tour we contact meteorologists shortly before departure to get accurate information. In order to find out where we will have best chances to see the northern lights.
WE GUARANTEE A GREAT TRIP
The northern lights are unpredictable, but we guarantee that we will do everything to find it. Patience is a keyword on Northern Lights Tour.
ECO-TOURISM
We offer ecologically sustainable and responsible tours. Travelling in small groups is an essential part of the ecotourism concept, as small groups have lesser impact on nature and will not disturb the wildlife unnecessarily.A small group is preferred for the following reasons EXCEPT that
| A．a small group is free to run after the northern lights |
| B．a small group has less effect on nature |
| C．a small group can save the travel cost |
| D．a small group will not disturb wildlife |
The underlined word“it”refers to “”
| A．the northern lights tour |
| B．patience |
| C．equipment |
| D．the northern light |
We can infer that
| A．if tourists stay out late,they have to pay more |
| B．every tourist group is not sure to see the northern lights |
| C．every tourist group get the money back if they don’t see the northern lights |
| D．the northern lights can be seen every day from 20th September to 31st March |
The passage is most likely to be taken from a(n)
| A．advertisement | B．news report |
| C．science textbook | D．tourist brochure |
Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration.
Professor Anne Bamford, of the University of the Arts, London, studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries, including the UK. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average 17 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons. They gave more detailed answers to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime (模仿动作) to answer the test questions successfully.
The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding, increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons.
Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology—90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film. Schools would need 3D-enabled projectors（投影仪）, laptops with good picture capabilities, 3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations (动作) into classrooms.
But Danny Nicholson, an educationist, said the technology would be impractical to use in schools and could be costly. He said, “While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting, I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick (小玩意儿). There are a few cases where a true 3D image might help, but most of the time, good 2D models that can be moved , would be just so effective.”
In Colorado, the US, one school district is already in the process of having 1,000 3D projectors fixed in classrooms. And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils. Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engaged and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version.Danny Nicholson tends to think that .
| A．many pupils prefer 2D models |
| B．3D is a bit expensive for some schools |
| C．true 3D images would not help in classes |
| D．3D technology has a bright future in classes |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．3D classes will soon be given in one school district in Colorado. |
| B．Teachers will use the 3D technology through specific training. |
| C．Many pupils are now more interested in science than before. |
| D．3D technology will replace 2D models in the future. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．2D models are always more effective than 3D images. |
| B．The differences between 3D and 2D images. |
| C．How schools can make full use of 3D technology. |
| D．Pupils behave better when 3D images are used in classes. |