Please help! I live in Germany with my wife and three kids. My parents live in the UK. I want my kids to have as much contact with their grandparents as possible. The kids all use e-mail, Skype and SMS but my parents won’t. I’ve bought them a laptop, paid for broadband, given them both mobile phones and a digital camera, but they won’t use them. My parents say they hate computers and new technology. What can I do with these “technophobes”?
Daniel, Buremburg, Germany
Actually, the original technophobes were the Luddites, a group of cloth workers in 19th century Britain during the Industrial Revolution. The Luddite cloth workers, who traditionally made cloth by hand, were worried that machines were going to take away their jobs and way of life. These machines could make cloth much faster and cheaper than humans. In 1811 and 1812 the Luddites destroyed the machines that they hated so much, but the British government supported th
e factory owners. Many Luddites were arrested. Charlotte Bronte’s novel Shirley will tell your parents all about it.
Laura, Valencia, Spain
Laura makes some
interesting points, I think. Technophobes has been a common theme in science fiction. Frankenstein, one of the first science fiction, is a warning of what could happen if humans began to experiment with human life.
Freda, Copenhagen, Denmark
One thing you could try is to find hardware that is designed for older people to use. An example is the mob
iles made by the US company, Jitterbug. Instead of icons and menus the Jitterbu
g phones ask users simple “yes/no” questions and have larger keypads. The company realized that there are potentially 100 million older users in the US alone.
Graham, Patras, Greece The underlined part “the technophobes” in the passage refers to ______.
A．those who are rea dy to try new technology |
| B．those who are addicted to the Internet |
| C．those who refuse to use modern technology |
| D．those who are devoted to inventing new things |
Which of the following is TRUE of the Luddites?
| A．They called themselves the technophobes. |
| B．They got full support from their factory owners. |
| C．They preferred to keep their traditional working methods. |
| D．They were killed by the government. |
Who has put forward a practical and useful suggestions?
| A．Laura. | B．Freda. | C．Daniel. | D．Graham. |
The passage is probably taken from _____.
| A．a personal blog | B．a letter between friends |
| C．a personal diary | D．a speech on new technology |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Daniel would buy her parents a novel written by Shirley. |
| B．Charlotte Bronte wrote about technophobes in her novel Shirley. |
| C．Daniel would buy her parents cell phones with icons and menus. |
| D．Daniel worried about her children using e-mails. |
【2015·湖北卷】C
Hilversum is a medium-sized city between the major cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht in the Gooi area of North Holland, the Netherlands. Unlike most of the Netherlands, Hilversum is actually in a hilly area with the soil mostly consisting of sand. Once called the Garden of Amsterdam, it still attracts travelers to come over to cycle and walk through the surrounding forests. They visit it for a relaxing day off from the urban madness. For Dutch people, Hilversum is all about textile (纺织) and media industries, and modern architecture.
In history, Hilversum was largely an agricultural area. Daily life was marked by farming, sheep raising and wool production. A railway link to Amsterdam in 1874 attracted rich traders from Amsterdam to Hilversum. They build themselves large villas (别墅) in the wooded surroundings of the town. One of the families moving in was the Brenninkmeijers, currently the wealthiest family of the Netherlands. They moved in after big success in the textile industry and aided a substantial textile industry in Hilversum. But the textile boom lasted only several decades. The last factory closed in the 1960s.
The change to a media economy started in 1920, when the Nederlandse Seintoestedllen Fabriek (NSF) established a radio factory in Hiversum. Most radio stations called in the large villas in the leafy areas of the town. Television gave another push to the local economy. Hilversum became the media capital of the Netherlands, and Dutch televison stars moved into the leafy neighborhoods surrounding the town.
In the early 1900s, modern architcts W.M. Dudok and J. Duiker placed hundreds of remarkable buildings in Hilversum. These modern architectural masterpieces (杰作) are so many that Hilversum almost feels like an open air museum. Dudok alone shaped most 20th century Hilversum and approximately 75 buildings in 1928-1931. It has wide international fame and is included in many architecture textbooks. The building has a remarkable shape and looks like a combination of “blocks”. Actually, one may start his journey of modern architecture by walking or biking the W.M. Dudok Architectural Route in Hilversum.Hilversum is different from most of the Netherlands in that ______.
| A．it has a large population |
| B．it is cut off from big cities |
| C．it has many beautiful gardens |
| D．it is in a hilly area with sandy soil |
What was the greatest contribution of the Brenninkmeijers to Hilversum?
| A．Building a railway link to Amsterdam |
| B．Helping its textile industry to develop |
| C．Constructing large villas for the poor |
| D．Assisting its agricultural industry |
The beginning of the media industry in Hilversum was marked by the establishment of ______.
| A．a radio factory |
| B．the medial capital |
| C．a radio station |
| D．a TV station |
What is known about W.M. Dudok’s Hilversum Town Hall?
| A．It consists of approximately 75 buildings |
| B．It looks like an open air museum in the city |
| C．It is a classic example in architecture textbooks |
| D．It has shaped most of 20th century Hilvesum. |
【2015·湖北卷】A
“I see you’ve got a bit of water on your coat,” said the man at the petrol station. “Is it raining out there?”“No, it’s pretty nice,” I replied, checking my sleeve. “Oh, right. A pony(马驹) bit me earlier.”
As it happened, the bite was virtually painless: more the kind of small bite you might get from a naughty child. The pony responsible was queuing up for some ice cream in the car park near Haytor, and perhaps thought I’d jumped in ahead of him.
The reason why the ponies here are naughty is that Haytor is a tourist-heavy area and tourists are constantly feeding the ponies foods, despite sighs asking them not to. By feeding the ponies, tourists increase the risk of them getting hit by a car, and make them harder to gather during the area’s annual pony drift(迁移).
The purpose of a pony drift is to gather them up so their health can be checked, the baby ones can be stooped from feeding on their mother’s milk, and those who’ve gone beyond their limited area can be returned to their correct area. Some of them are also later sold, in order to limit the number of ponies according to the rules set by Natural England.
Three weeks ago, I witnessed a small near-disaster a few mils west of here. While walking, I noticed a pony roll over on his back. “Hello!” I said to him, assuming he was just rolling for fun, but he was very still and, as I got closer, I saw him kicking his legs in the air and breathing heavily. I began to properly worry about him. Fortunately, I managed to get in touch with a Dartmoor’s Livestock Protection officer and send her a photo. The officer immediately sent a local farmer out to check on the pony. The pony had actually been trapped between two rocks. The farmer freed him, and he began to run happily around again.
Dartmoor has 1,000 or so ponies, who play a critical role in creating the diversity of species in this area. Many people are working hard to preserve these ponies, and trying to come up with plans to find a sustainable(可持续的) future for one of Dartmoor’s most financially-troubled elements.Why are tourists asked not to feed the ponies?
| A．To protect the tourists from being bitten |
| B．To keep the ponies off the petrol station |
| C．To avoid putting the ponies in danger |
| D．To prevent the ponies from fighting |
One of the purposes of the annual pony drift is ______________.
| A．to feed baby ponies on milk |
| B．to control the number of ponies |
| C．to expand the habitat for ponies |
| D．to sell the ponies at a good price |
What as the author’s first reaction when he saw a pony roll on its back?
| A．He freed it from the trap |
| B．He called a protection officer |
| C．He worried about it very much |
| D．He thought of it as being naughty |
What does the author imply about the preservation of Dartmoor’s ponies?
| A．It lacks people’s involvement. |
| B．It costs a large amount of money |
| C．It will affect tourism in Dartmoor. |
| D．It has caused an imbalance of species |
【2015·上海】B
 |
 The Curse of the Were-Rabbit(2005) is the first full-length feature film made by directors Nick Park and Steve Box with their amazing plasticine(粘土) characters Wallace and Gromit. It won an Oscar in 2006, and if you watch it, you’ll understand why. It’s an absolutely brilliant cartoon comedy. |
| Cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his brainy dog Gromit have started a company to protect the town’s vegetables from hungry rabbits. However, just before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, an enormous rabbit begins terrorising the town. It is attacking all the vegetables and destroying everything in its path. The competition organizer, Lady Tottington, hires Wallace and Gromit to catch the monster alive. But they will have to find the were-rabbit before gun-crazy hunter Victor Quartermaine who is desperate to kill it. |
|
| The screenplay is witty and full of amusing visual jokes. As usual, the voice of Peter Sallis is absolutely perfect for the role of Wallace, and Gromit is so beautifully brought to life, he can express a huge range of emotions without saying a word. And both Helena Bonham-Carter, who plays the part of Lady Tottington, and Ralph Fiennes as Victor are really funny. |
|
| To sum up, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is an amazing film which is suitable for both children and adults. If you liked Wallace and Gromit’s previous adventures and you appreciate the British sense of humour, you’ll love this film. Don’t miss it! |
In the film review, what is paragraph A mainly about?
| A．The introduction to the leading roles |
| B．The writer’s opinion of acting |
| C．The writer’s comments on the story |
| D．The background information |
According to the film review, “monster” （paragraph B） refers to ______.
A. a gun-crazy hunter
B. a brainy dog
C. a scary rabbit
D. a giant vegetableWhich of the following is a reason why the writer recommends the film?
| A．It’s full of wit and humour. |
| B．Its characters show feelings without words. |
| C．It is an adventure film directed by Peter Sallis. |
| D．It is about the harmony between man and animals. |
【2015·新课标全国I】A
Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum
Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00. November 7th The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers”. December 5th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.February 6th An Update on the Cotsword Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.March 6th Eyots and Aits -Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest. Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book
More info: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT www.canalmuseum.org.ukwww.canalmuseum.mobi Tel:020 77130836When is the talk on James Brindley?
| A．February 6th. |
| B．March 6th. |
| C．November 7th. |
| D．December 5th. |
What is the topic of the talk in February?
| A．The Canal Pioneers. |
| B．Ice for the Metropolis |
| C．Eyots and Aits- Thames Islands |
| D．An Update on the Cotsword Canals |
Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames. _____.
| A．Miranda Vickers |
| B．Malcolm Tucker |
| C．Chris Lewis |
| D．Liz Payne |
【2015·福建】C
SIGN YOUR CHILD UP FOR "FLY TO THE MOON CLUB"
AND ENJOY A FREE * FLIGHT TO ANY DESTINATION IN ASIA!
With a registration fee of just $50 per child, children under the age of 12 can join Eagle Airways'FLY TO THE MOON CLUB as members.
They can then enjoy the same benefits onboard Eagle Airways' newest Boeing-797 to any destination in the world!
BENEFITS YOU CAN'T MISS!
• A free * flight to any destination in Asia
• 30% off any course at Tanya Language School
• 20% off any purchase made at Ruby Bookstore
• A free notebook with every purchase above $50 at Starlight Stationery
• A free bowl of dessert for a family of four at Don's Diners dinner ordered
• A birthday gift on your child's birthday
• A free album containing pictures taken during the journey
All bookings made before 12 September will receive free travel insurance for the entire family! ** Insurance is issued by Live Life Insurance Group.10% OFF ALL BOOKINGS for departures from 5 to 11 September
* Child must be accompanied by two paying adults.
** Terms and conditions apply.One of the benefits mentioned in, the advertisement is .
| A．a free flight to any destination in the world |
| B．30% off any book purchased at Ruby Bookstore |
| C．a free bowl of dessert at any restaurant at the airport |
| D．a discount on any course at Tanya Language School |
Which of the following bookings may receive the most benefits?
| A． Booking date Departure date September 13 September 18 |
| B． Booking date Departure date September 2 September 12 |
| C． Booking date Departure date August 15 September 4 |
| D． Booking date Departure date August 16 September 8 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the advertisement?
| A．You need to pay$50 to sign up a child for the club. |
| B．Club members enjoy free travel insurance for any flight. |
| C．The advertisement is intended for students of all ages. |
| D．Any child must be accompanicd by at least one paying adult. |