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 corps |
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 |
We humans love to scare ourselves. Newspapers and TV news are full of shock-horror stories about the killer flu virus(流感病毒)but are there things we can do to cut our risk of catching it?
Every year, people in Britain catch the flu virus and some of those who are already ill, or are very young, may die. It is very sad, but modern treatment means that many deaths can be avoided.
Experts tell us that the world is another flu epidemic(流行)and that the latest bird-flu virus would be the most likely cause. Humans can catch the disease only after closely contacting with a sick bird. However, if someone who had normal flu was to come into contact with bird flu, this could be very dangerous. The bird flu virus could attach(附在)itself to the human flu virus, mutate and then start to spread from person to person.
Coughs and sneezes(打喷嚏)always have spread diseases, especially colds and flu, and they still do. If bird flu does begin to infect humans, it will spread through coughs and sneezes.
If you want to stay free of flu and someone coughs or sneezes at you, what should you do?
First, keep your hands away from your face and wash them and your face as soon as you can. If a cough or a sneeze spray misses your face and you accidentally touch a droplet with your hands and then touch your face, the flu or cold bug could creep into your system. The chances of most people catching bird flu are very small because __________.
| A．they are strong enough to resist the infection |
| B．only after closely contacting a sick bird can they be infected |
| C．bird flu does not happen very often in the world |
| D．only those who are ill can be infected |
In the passage the underlined word “mutate” probably means“__________”.
| A．differ | B．produce | C．increase | D．change |
If a man with common flu is infected with bird flu, __________.
| A．there must be no cure for him |
| B．the disease will spread among humans |
| C．he must feel cold |
| D．he is likely to die |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Bird flu is the most dangerous disease. |
| B．Normal flu can be easily changed into Bird flu. |
| C．We don’t need to worry about flu virus. |
| D．The person who has normal flu and comes into contact with bird flu can easily get Bird flu. |
The last paragraph of the passage tells us __________.
| A．the reason why people with flu often cough |
| B．coughs and sneezes are very dangerous |
| C．how to protect ourselves from being infected |
| D．how to avoid coughs and sneezes |
A 16-year-old boy finds himself on a boat in the Pacific Ocean after escaping a shipwreck(海难). Even worse, he is left with a huge tiger for company. But he manages to survive after 227 days of fighting against all the hardships of the sea.
Pi, the lead character in Oscar-winning Ang Lee’s new movie Life of Pi, went through an inspiring journey of growth and self-discovery. So did 19-year-old Suraj Sharma, the Indian actor who plays him.
But it was a lucky chance that opened up the opportunity for the new star. Sharma was a regular student who lived with his mathematician parents in Delhi, India. As the director traveled to Mumbai to find his Pi, the teenager went along with his younger brother, who had acted in a couple of movies, to audition(试镜). But little did Sharma know that he would end up winning the role from 3, 000 hopefuls.
Lee said he saw Pi in Sharma: “Not only does he have a compelling and wise look. He has this rare talent.” The director said that in the final round, Sharma gave one of the “most compelling readings we had. In the end, he was in tears.” Understandably, Sharma didn’t want to let Lee down. “He (Lee) had given me this opportunity. I had to give it my best,” Sharma told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Sharma swam for four or five hours a day until he was completely comfortable with the water. He also worked on his body because he had to first gain weight and then quickly lose weight as the story developed. He even had rats run all over him to prepare for his role. Lee was impressed by the teenager, especially his endurance and patience in staying in a water tank for many hours each day. Sharma was only 16 when Lee signed him. After three years of shooting, Sharma said he had matured with Pi’s journey.What is the function of the first paragraph?
| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To appeal to readers to watch a movie. |
| C．To attract readers to continue reading. |
| D．To suggest the theme of this passage. |
We can know from the passage that ________.
| A．Sharma wanted to become a mathematician |
| B．Sharma had acted in a couple of movies |
| C．Sharma was sure to win in the audition |
| D．Many teenagers wanted to act the role Pi |
What does the phrase “to let somebody down” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．To make somebody disappointed. |
| B．To seat somebody down. |
| C．To reject somebody’s requirement. |
| D．To take down somebody’s information. |
Which of the following words can be used to describe Sharma?
| A．Confident and passionate. |
| B．Talented and diligent. |
| C．Strong and courageous. |
| D．Endurable and easily-excited. |
The passage is intended to introduce ________.
| A．the thrilling escape from a shipwreck |
| B．how an Oscar-winning movie attracts audience |
| C．a young actor became matured when acting in a movie |
| D．the difficulty in winning a role in a movie |
China's top labor official said the country is planning to push back the age at which workers can retire.
Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, demonstrated that we did not put a timetable on the move when he spoke about it during a forum at the weekend.
"Delaying the retirement age is a very complicated issue and we will study it according to the situations of population and employment and consider different groups of people," Yin said.
He noted that hikes in the retirement age have been brought in by many countries and can be a good way to deal with an aging population and ensure the healthy and stable development of social security.
The life expectancy of Chinese people is now 73 years and is expected to rise to 74 during the next five years, he said.
Nearly three out of 10 Chinese people will be older than 60 by 2040, according to a United Nations forecast.
The retirement age in China currently is 60 for men and 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers.
The idea of delaying the retirement age is being widely supported by government officials, while many laborers and non-government employees were less enthusiastic about the prospect of working for longer. Currently, they have to pay into their pension plans for at least 15 years before they can retire.
Chen Xianlian, a female worker at a motorcycle parts manufacturer in Chongqing municipality is among those who would like to see the retirement age left as it is. “I have to do lots of tough and repetitive work every day and I feel very tired after my working day,” the 41-year-old said. “All my colleagues are discussing the government's possible move to lift the retirement age. None of us wants to work any extra years.”
University graduates also fear that any rise in the retirement age could limit their employment opportunities.We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．China is not planning to push back the age at which workers can retire |
| B．China is discussing the problem of delaying the retirement age now |
| C．China is probably going to delay the retirement age |
| D．China has pushed back the age at which workers can retire |
The underlined word “hikes” in Paragraph 4 means ________.
| A．increasing | B． marching | C． pushing | D． discussing |
According to the current policy, Chen Xianlian has to work ________ more years from now before her retirement
| A．14 | B． 9 | C． 19 | D． 15 |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．All the Chinese people support the new policy. |
| B．The life expectancy of Chinese people is expected to rise to 73 during the next five years. |
| C．The retirement age in China will be 60 for men and 55 for female civil servants and 50 for female workers. |
| D．The government did not set a fixed timetable on the new policy. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．Chen Xianlian is a civil servant. |
| B．Delaying the retirement age is a very complicated issue. |
| C．Many countries have begun to delay the retirement age. |
| D．It may be harder for the university graduate to find a job in the future. |
You probably hear it all the time — people telling you to “learn English”. But does this mean children in English-speaking countries don’t need to bother learning a new language? Not at all. In fact, an even larger number of young people will soon be taught foreign languages, thanks to the mental advantages of bilingualism.
Psychologists once thought that growing up bilingual might lead to verbal delays－a late or absent development of talking. But US magazine Scientific American has revealed that this is not true, and reported that children who speak more than one language “show greater mental flexibility, a superior grasp of abstract concepts and a better working memory.” As the New York Times put it, “being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter.”
In Europe, learning foreign languages is increasingly popular. A European report shows that from 2005-2010, the percentage of European students learning a foreign language rose from 67.5 percent to 79.2 percent. Most European kids start learning another language at age 6. In Belgium, it starts at 3. New reforms being introduced in the UK will mean all children could be taught a foreign language, such as Mandarin or Greek, from the age of 7. The most popular foreign language for European kids was English, followed by German and French.
In comparison, Americans don’t give a fig for learning foreign languages. Compared to 50 percent of European adults who are bilingual, only 9 percent of adults in the US are fluent in more than one language, according to a 2011 report. American students are often not exposed to a second language until high school.
However, recent statistics show demand is growing in the US for people to become more bilingual. According to a USA Today chart released in July, 21 percent of US children speak another language at home. A number of institutions in the country are also pushing foreign languages in schools. Three school districts in Delaware will launch Chinese and Spanish programs next year. More people are learning Chinese, French and Spanish.Psychologist used to believe that children who grow up bilingual ________.
| A．are more flexible mentally |
| B．are slow in the development of talking |
| C．have a poorer working memory |
| D．are smarter in understanding abstract concept |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Americans are more interested in learning another language than Europeans |
| B．British kids began to learn foreign languages at the earliest age |
| C．21% of US children study a foreign language in the school |
| D．not all schools in America are teaching foreign languages |
What does the underlined phrase “give a fig for” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．attach importance to |
| B．have talent for |
| C．invest money in |
| D．have demand for |
Which are the most popular foreign languages in the US?
| A．Mandarin and Greek. |
| B．English, German and French. |
| C．Chinese, French and Spanish. |
| D．Chinese, German and Greek. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Chinese is becoming more popular in western countries.
B. The benefits and advantages of growing up bilingual.
C. Western worlds are paying more attention to learning foreign languages.
D. The differences between bilingual education in Europe and USA.
It was once unheard-of to be a businessman in China. Nowadays, though, it’s quite common to become your own boss. Let’s say you have an idea. Maybe you want to open an English school or sell Japanese comics. First, you need a business plan. It sets out what you’ll sell and how much everything will cost. Most businesses that fail didn’t have this. If you need to borrow money at the start, banks will ask for a detailed plan.
The best starting place for a business plan is the 4Ps: product, place, price and promotion. All these must be strong to be successful.
□Product
Your product must have something unique. What makes it special compared to other similar products? If you want to start a noodle shop that has nothing new, don’t expect people to show much interest. You can research your product. For food, let people try it for free. For toys, let a few children play with them to see if they like them.
□Place
There’s no point having a product that people want to buy if your shop is in an empty mall. Think about which type of person is going to buy what you sell. Where do they usually go shopping? When looking at possible places, spend the day there. See how many people pass by. Also, are there other shops nearby selling similar products? If so, how can you be better than them?
□Price
Work out how much it costs to make or provide your product. As a general rule, your price will be double the cost. After all, you’re also paying for rent, staff and you need to eat too!
□Promotion
How can you attract people to your shop? Advertising in newspapers and on TV is expensive. Perhaps you can get free advertising by getting a newspaper to write about your business.What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．How to start a business. |
| B．Starting a business soon. |
| C．Starting your own business. |
| D．Preparations for starting a business. |
According to the author, the reason why most businesses fail is due to lack of ________.
| A．a business plan | B． a shop | C． money | D．successful businessmen |
If you want to start a noodle shop, you should ________.
| A．expect people to show much interest |
| B．research your noodles |
| C．let people try it at a low price |
| D．let children have a try |
What does “If so” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
| A．There are shops selling the goods like yours. |
| B．Many people pass by. |
| C．You should think about which type of person is going to buy what you sell. |
| D．You should spend the day on possible places. |
You are selling toys to children. It costs 5 yuan to make each one. How much should you charge the children for each toy?
| A．15 yuan. | B． 5 yuan. | C． 10 yuan. | D． 50 yuan. |