Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas．But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands．
The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO—Scientific Animations Without Borders．It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones．The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives．
One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops．The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits．Then let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown．Using a mortar（碾槌） and stick, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside．
The videos use computer animation（动画）．Some of the animated characters are a little funny looking-like a farmer with a long nose．But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera（霍乱）．Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood．He says, “The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea．”
The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones．They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology．With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the internet．As a result, in one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages．" This is just incredible impact," said Francisco Seufferheld．
The team has made a few videos so far．These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents．Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year．What is the text mainly about?
| A．A best-selling mobile phone |
| B．A valuable educational project for farmers |
| C．United States support for developing countries |
| D．A new type of scientist –farmer relationship |
The SAWBO program is introduced in order to ____．
| A．raise farmers’ standard of living |
| B．do some research on mobile phones |
| C．develop farmers’ practical skills |
| D．help farmers prevent insect damage to crops |
The biggest advantage of the program is that it______．
| A．includes health video on preventing cholera |
| B．can be passed to farmers using Bluetooth technology |
| C．can be used to sort and dry the neem fruits |
| D．is easy for farmers to understand |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “ pound” in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．moved | B．beat | C．picked | D．cut |
It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.
Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them.According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______.
| A．to discuss the heated issue with the French |
| B．not to use sporting comparison with Australians |
| C．to have the Australians start a subject |
| D．not to ask people of the three countries personal questions |
We can learn from the passage that___________.
| A．Australians may not show off their education before others |
| B．Australians like to criticize other people |
| C．you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French |
| D．you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom |
What is the theme of the passage?
| A．How to adapt to the life abroad. |
| B．What to argue about with foreigners. |
| C．How to find better topics. |
| D．What to talk about with foreigners. |
Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____
| A．effective communication with foreigners |
| B．customs of the three countries |
| C．his or her own experiences |
| D．how to be a good listener |
Unknown to most Facebook users, the social network actually offers a lot of privacy controls and security features which can help you lock your account, so you can speak freely. If it’s used properly, you’ll never have to worry about whether you will have to “friend” your boss or your mom. You can friend anyone you want while staying comfortable in the knowledge that not everyone gets to see everything you post.
The problem with carrying out these privacy options is that they’re just too confusing for most non-tech clever people to handle. And often, most people don’t want to bother to take the time to learn. To simplify the process, we’re offering one easy step you can take today to help make your Facebook experience safer, more secure, and more private.
Just make “Friend Lists”. Yes, it will take some time, especially if you’re connected to a couple of hundred friends already. But this step, while not the quickest, is fairly simple. And it will be one of the most useful things you can do on Facebook.
Friend lists, as the name suggests, are lists for classifying your friends into various groups. The nice thing about this feature is that once you set these lists up, you won’t have to do it again. We suggest that you put your work colleagues and professional acquaintances into a friend list named “Work”, personal friends you’re not very close with into a list called “Acquaintances”, and people you’re related to into a list called “Family”. Those three main categories will separate out the groups of “friends” who you may want to hide some information from.
To create a friend list, click on “Friends” at the top of the Facebook homepage. In the left-hand column, click “Friends” again under the “Lists” section. Now you’ll see a button at the top that says “Create New List”. Click it. In the pop-up that appears, you can name your list and pick members. If you’ve ever shared an application with your friends, the process of doing this will be very familiar.
When you’ve finished making lists, you’ll be able to use them when selecting who can see what (or who can’t!) when configuring (配置) the security settings described below. What function isn’t understood by most people on Facebook?
| A．Surfing the Internet. |
| B．Setting safety protection. |
| C．Sharing personal information. |
| D．Making foreign friends. |
What can we learn about Facebook according to the text?
| A．Its process of privacy-setting is too complex. |
| B．It displays everything people post. |
| C．It lacks privacy controls and security features. |
| D．Its post is designed for technical people. |
What advantage can we get from making friend lists?
| A．We can avoid our bosses adding us as friends. |
| B．We can share applications with friends. |
| C．We can separate acquaintances from family. |
| D．We can hide different information from different friends. |
| Experience the Colorado River the Hualapai Way! River Runners Offers the ONLY One Day White-water Trip ANYWHERE at the GRAND CANYON! Since 1973, Hualapai River Runners has been conducting white-water rafting journeys on the Colorado River. Our experienced guides expertly sail along the river and share the history of the Canyon and the Hualapai people with you. Visitors experience the excitement of whitewater rapids and then stop to enjoy the impressive beauty of Travertine Falls and a tasty lunch. No charge for children 2 years and under. One-Day Trip Retail $249.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation) White-water rafting tours begin in Peach Springs. Hualapai River Runners transports you to Diamond Creek, which is the starting point for the 37 mile rafting tour. Lunch is included and upon arrival at the rafting tour termination point (终点), fly out of the Grand Canyon by helicopter to Grand Canyon West. Two-Day Trip Retail $549.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation) Two-day rafting trips with one night on the Colorado River. All supplies and meals are included. Two days in the Grand Canyon, on the Colorado River, allows more time to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Tours Include: • Round-trip transportation from Peach Springs to the starting point and from the termination points back to Peach Springs. • Snack, drinks and lunch (vegetarian meals available upon request). • Waterproof dry bags for storing your cameras, sunscreen, dry clothes, etc. The helicopter part of transportation is weather permitting. If the helicopter transportation is cancelled because of bad weather, the raft will continue an additional two hours to South Cove and a maximum $20.00 per customer will be given back. Special website booking rate 15% off rafting in June 2011. So book now! Call us Toll Free Today! Tel: 1-888-868-9378 |
Where do white-water rafting tours start?
| A．Travertine Falls. | B．The Grand Canyon. |
| C．Grand Canyon West. | D．Diamond Creek. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the trip?
| A．Hualapai River Runners provides dry clothes. |
| B．You will get $20 back if you are not satisfied. |
| C．The trip is free of charge for children under 2. |
| D．Online booking has a better offer all year round. |
It can be learned from the text that _________.
| A．the guides can help you learn sailing |
| B．the cost includes snack, drinks and lunch |
| C．the helicopter transportation can save you three hours’ time |
| D．the Grand Canyon is well-known for its history |
What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To explain how to make a rafting trip. |
| B．To explore the Hualapai culture. |
| C．To attract people to the sights. |
| D．To introduce the history of the Colorado River |
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, which assesses the proficiency (熟练) of English language of a person in an academic setting. Various institutions, scholarship programs require this test as a trusted and effective indicator of a person’s ability to communicate in English.
TOEFL is available in CBT—Computer-based Technology, PBT—Paper-based Technology and IBT—Internet-based Test formats to assess the proficiency of the English Language. IBT TOEFL is a four-hour test comprising sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. In areas where internet-based test is not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. PBT is a three-hour test comprising four sections: Listening, Structure and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension and Writing.
Taking TOEFL test opens many doors to get admission in foreign universities. More than 7500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries rely on TOEFL test scores to check proficiency for English Language. It is very convenient to take this test and it is available in 165 countries worldwide.
It measures your academic skills that whether you are ready to study or train at under graduate or post graduate level in foreign universities or not. In the test candidates are provided with a passage from text books and questions based on lectures, and you can be asked to speak or write in response related to that passage.
As the test is made up of 100 % academic questions, so many universities consider it the most effective test while taking any admission. To take TOEFL test you should:
—Improve your writing skills;
—Improve your vocabulary;
—Practice other reading passages on the TOEFL Test;
—Be familiar with the format of the test;
—Practice for listening test on the TOEFL test.
To take admission in World’s famous Harvard University, the minimum TOEFL score required is 587 on the paper-based test, 240 on the computer-based test, or 94-95 on the internet-based TOEFL.The underlined word “comprising” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
| A．explaining | B．forming | C．combining | D．including |
Which section is NOT included in IBT TOEFL?
| A．Reading. | B．Structure and Written Expression |
| C．Speaking. | D．Writing. |
According to the passage, many students are required to take TOEFL test probably because the test can________.
| A．improve their academic skills |
| B．provide scholarship programs in many countries |
| C．indicate their proficiency of English language |
| D．decide your graduation from foreign universities |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Advantages of TOEFL test | B．Introduction to TOEFL test |
| C．Preparations for TOEFL test | D．Assessment of TOEFL test |
Argentina in the late nineteenth century was an exciting place. Around 1870,it was experiencing an economic(经济的)boom, and the capital, Buenos Aires, attracted many people. Farmers, as well as a flood of foreigners from Spain and Italy, came to Buenos Aires seeking jobs. These jobs didn′t pay well, and the people felt lonely and disappointed with their new life in the city. As the unhappy newcomers mixed together in the poor parts of the city, the dance known an the tango(探戈舞)came into being
At the beginning the tango was a dance of the lower classes. It was danced in the bars and streets. At that time there many fewer women the men, so if a man didn′t want to be left out, his only choice was to dance with another man so that he could attract the attention of the few available women. Gradually, the dance spread into the upper classes of Argentinean society and became more respectable.
In Europe at this time, strong interest in dance from around the world was beginning. This interest in international dance was especially evident in Paris. Every kind of dance from ballet(芭蕾舞)to belly dancing could be found on the stages of the Paris theaters of the Paris theaters. After tango dances from Argentina arrive in Europe, they began to draw the interest of the public an they performed their exciting dance in cafes. Though not everyone approved of the new dance, saying it was a little too shocking, the dance did find enough supporters to make it popular.
The popularity（流行）Of the tango continued to grow in many other parts of the world. Soldiers who returned to the United States from World War I brought the tango to North America. It reached Japan in 1926,and in 2003 the Argentinean embassy in Seoul hired a local tango dancer to act an a kind of dance ambassador, and promote tango dancing throughout South Korea.The origin of the tango is associated with
A Belly dances B. American soldiers
C. Spanish city D. the capital of ArgentinaWhith of the following is true about the tango?
| A．It was created by foreigners from Spain and Italy. |
| B．People of the upper classes loved the tango most |
| C．It was often danced by two male in the beginning |
| D．A dancer in Seoul became the Argentinean ambassador. |
Before World War I, the tango spread to
| A．America | B．Japan | C．France | D．South Korea |