A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.
It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.
My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.
This casual attitude toward responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)--starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, strive for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did.When the author walked through her parents’ house, she _______.
| A．was frightened that she had no idea what she wanted from life |
| B．started to think about her own life |
| C．realized I should buy a house. |
| D．wondered why her parents had settled down early |
What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?
| A．Their attitude toward high technology. |
| B．Their ways of making their way to the top. |
| C．Their attitude towards responsibility. |
| D．Their ways of gaining experience. |
Which of the following might the author agree with?
| A．It’s all right to try more before settling down. |
| B．It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier. |
| C．It involves too much effort to rise vertically. |
| D．It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”. |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age. |
| B．Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships. |
| C．“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and love to be taken care of by their parents. |
| D．The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better. |
What is the main theme of the article?
| A．The sudden realization of growing up. |
| B．A comparison between lifestyles of generations. |
| C．Criticisms of the young generation. |
| D．The factors that have changed the young generation. |
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen．I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling （铲） money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months．Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world．
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily．My sister Liz, a prisoner（囚犯，俘虏） of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up．Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms．This allowed me to shovel enough driveways （车道） to pay off my debt．I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other．
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable （便携式的） record player．I was excited．However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen．“We have one more gift for you．” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage．There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle．
“It’s not fair,” I complained．“I worked so hard for my bike．and it’s not even new．Then Liz gets a new bike．She didn’t have to do anything for it．” My dad smiled．“She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her,” he said．What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike．
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up．As we grew, Liz and I became true friends．
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later．That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me．He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart （逐渐疏远） in the face of my ability to travel．He gave me my best friend．
What do we know about the author’s bike?
| A．It was worth $120． |
| B．Allen bought it for him． |
| C．It was very fashionable． |
| D．He didn’t like it actually． |
Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
| A．He had paid off his debt． |
| B．He had learned to ride a bike． |
| C．He could also own Liz’s bike． |
| D．He could sell his bike to Liz． |
Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
| A．His sister got a new record player． |
| B．His father didn’t care about him． |
| C．The record player wasn’t new． |
| D．His sister got a better gift． |
Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her （Paragraph 4）”, the author probably felt___．
| A．moved | B．satisfied |
| C．puzzled | D．disappointed |
The author finally realized that ________．
| A．the new bike actually belonged to him |
| B．the new bike wasn’t bought by his father |
| C．his father actually gave him a more valuable gift |
| D．his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact |
As we enter into this new age of cities in which more than half the world’s population will live in an urban area, we must also take a hard look at how we will care for the significant increase in our elderly population. While many will be living longer, they will be doing so with age-related health issues and disease. Of special concern, the number of people living with dementia（痴呆）worldwide is set to treble by 2050. Alzheimer’s Disease International reports that 44 million people live with the disease now but that figure will increase to 135 million by 2050. With this added pressure to health systems, technology is the critical factor to success.
In Oslo, Norway, a retired engineer, Mr. Helge Farsund cares for his wife, Kari. Kari, who had been an intensive-care nurse who served with the Red Cross in Rwanda, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago. Looking to live as normal a life as possible as Kari’s condition progressed, they are participating in a pilot project studying how a smart home powered by sensors enables people with Alzheimer’s Disease to stay in their home.
The system is created by Abilia. At the center of the system is an iPad-like device. The screen has Skype, which allows carers to regularly check in with patients．
Some l,000 people now have the system installed in their homes, and 25 of them, including the Farsunds, are testing the latest version, which combines the screen with wirelessly connected sensorsaround the house to detect motion. If a door is opened or left open, or if the stove is left on, the system alerts patients and caretakers of danger. The planner also provides spoken reminders about daily tasks, such as when they need to take medicine and events like birthdays as well as enabling caretakers and family members to check in remotely via Skype.
“With this kind of system, it allows people to take care of themselves, which is the most important thing,” says vice president Oystein Johnsen. For him, any move to improve city life needs to begin with people. “Smart cities are coming and they need to start with individuals in their own home,” he says. “It also saves the government money. In Norway it cost one million Norwegian krone (￡100,000) per year to have someone in a home, while this system costs 15,000. That is a lot of money to save.”Which section of BBC news is most likely to include this passage?
| A．Health | B．Entertainment |
| C．Technology | D．Business |
The case of Helge and Kari Farsund in the second paragraph serves to.
| A．expose a social problem |
| B．introduce the main topic |
| C．show sympathy to the elderly |
| D．arouse medical workers’ interest |
Which of the following functions can all be performed by the system?
①To warn people of possible dangers
②To help check in with patients
③To offer people some medicine
④To cure people of Alzheimer's
⑤To remind people of daily tasks
⑥To play movies like an iPad
| A．①②⑤ | B．②③⑤ |
| C．①④⑥ | D．③④⑤ |
According to the last paragraph, Oystein Johnsen will approve that.
| A．smart cities should be human-based |
| B．the system should reduce its cost |
| C．mass production is still impossible |
| D．individuals are responsible for future |
Nowadays, girls are so mean to each other. Many girls are becoming the victims of the harmful behaviors of the female bully.
Emma Tracey was a popular 17-year-old and a well-liked athlete who had already won a soccer scholarship to college. But none of that stopped Emma from becoming the target of online girl on girl bullying (欺凌). Emma began to receive hundreds of online unpleasant comments via the latest social networking site called www.formspring.com.
In March 2011, Emma committed suicide and although all agreed that the online bother was not the single factor that led to Emma’ death, everyone did agree that it was a contributory factor.
Unfortunately, Emma’ story is not unique. A 2010 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center states “Cyberbullying victims were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyberbullying. Girls are 57% more likely to be victims of aggressive cyberbullying and 92% more likely to be the criminals.”
Suicide is obviously the extreme and no one can minimize the tragedy of it. However, there are other damages that occur as a result of aggressive bullying. It can damage self-confidence and lead to feelings of worthlessness, and also increase social isolation and make victims become withdrawn, depressed, anxious, and unsafe. So what causes girls to be so unkind towards each other?
A term known as relational aggression may best describe the cause of girl on girl bullying. It starts with a clique (派系) usually led by a girl with a high level of social status and popularity. In order not to lose her position, she will control girls within the clique and take action if she feels threatened. At the leader’s directive the girls within the clique will spread rumors and lies and annoy other girls continuously.
The bullying starts at school but will quickly go to cyberbullying due to anonymity (匿名) and lack of punishment. Girls will easily do so in the anonymity of the Internet. Finally the cause will be summarized as the unsafety and jealousy of one girl and the twisted loyalty of members within her clique. Underneath the confident exterior (外表) of a female bully lie desperate unsafety.The example of Emma Tracey is given to show.
| A．popular youth are not easy to become the target of bullying |
| B．today’s youth don’t like to study any more |
| C．suicide is a serious problem among youth |
| D．cyberbullying is quite common among teenagers |
The bullying will quickly go to cyberbullying mainly because .
| A．it’s free to post comments online |
| B．the bullies don’t have to give their names online |
| C．it will not attract much attention |
| D．it will not affect their real life |
Which of the following is NOT the cause of bullying?
| A．Lack of safety |
| B．The twisted loyalty of members within a clique |
| C．Jealousy of others |
| D．Trying to be friendly |
We can infer from the last paragraph that a female bully .
| A．has strong self-confidence |
| B．has strong leadership skills |
| C．is actually weak inside |
| D．is usually good at study |
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) —they arrived before polling stations even opened, dressed for the school day in striped ties and blazers, dress slacks and tartan skirts, book bags over their shoulders —and, for the first time in British history, ballot (选票) cards in hands on September 18.
Scotland’s experiment of allowing more than 109,000 Scottish teenagers aged 16 to 17 took part in the Scottish independence referendum (公民投票), in which Scotland finally decided not to become independent.
The age group only made up a small part of the 4.29 million total voters, but they have “demonstrated how the youngest voters can be some of the most enthusiastic in a mature democracy”, commented The Associated Press. Casting their ballots, they were “proud and passionate” to help their nation decide whether to break away from the UK after 307 years in union.
At age 16, Scottish residents are allowed to join the military, get married, and work. Eighteen is the legal drinking age, as well as the UK’s voting age. But in 2013, Scottish law was changed to allow 16- and 17-year-olds in Scotland to vote in the referendum. The government pushed for the change because “younger voters are more likely to vote with their hearts, not their heads—and embrace fundamental change by voting for the pro-independence Yes Scotland campaign”, NBC News said.
But when the decision was handed down, some worried that high school students might not be as informed as adult voters. However, many experts said that assumption was wrong.
Professor Jan Eichhorn of the University of Edinburgh insisted that Scottish teenagers were as likely to read newspaper articles and campaign materials as their parents. They would simply get these resources through social media.
“There’s no evidence to suggest that they’re less capable than adults of voting, from a research point of view,” Eichhorn told NPR.
Scotland’s move to let younger teenagers vote in the referendum has led to a discussion about whether the voting age ought to be lowered to 16, both in the UK and the US.
“By 16, most people have about as stable an ideology (思想意识) as they are going to get,” Professor Jason Brennan of Georgetown University wrote for CNN, arguing that the US should also think about allowing younger US citizens to vote.The Scottish independence referendum was held on Sept. 18 ______.
| A．to encourage youngsters to be concerned with politics |
| B．to lower the minimum voting age to 16 for the referendum |
| C．to decide whether Scotland would become independent from the UK |
| D．to elect who would be the new leader of Scotland |
According to the passage, we can learn ______.
| A．Scotland gained its independence from the UK eventually. |
| B．It is possible for the USA to lower the voting age to 16 in the future. |
| C．All the people in Scotland thought highly of the government’s decision to lower the voting age to 16. |
| D．Scottish teenagers aged 16 are allowed to join the military, get married, work and drink alcohol now. |
What does the underlined word “embrace” (in para.4) probably mean?
| A．Admit to | B．Object to |
| C．Know about | D．Approve of |
What is Jan Eichhorn’s opinion of the Scottish teenagers aged 16 to 17?
| A．They are as informed and capable as adults of voting. |
| B．They make no difference to the voting result. |
| C．They are too enthusiastic to make informed decisions. |
| D．They are unwilling to be involved in the decision of the country’s future. |
If you go to Ethiopia, you’ll find a strange palm-like structure, which is called WarkaWater. It gathers water from fog and condensation（水珠）and is invented by an Italian firm.
When Italian designer Arturo Vittori and Swiss architect Andreas Vogler first visited Ethiopia in 2012, they were shocked to see women and children forced to walk miles to access what, for them, had always been within easy reach, water.
Only 34 percent of Ethiopians have access to a reliable water supply. Some travel for up to six hours a day to fetch some or, even worse, has to use pond water polluted by human waste, subject to the spread of disease.
Worldwide, about 768 million people—two and a half times the U.S. population—don’t have access to safe drinking water. So just imagine if we could just pull water out of thin air? That’s what Vittori and Vogler asked once they saw the severe problem and promised to take action. Their firm, Architecture and Vision, has since come up with WarkaWater, a grand palm-like structure that may look like something you’d see in a modern art museum, but it’s been designed to harvest water from the air.
WarkaWater, which is named after an Ethiopian fig tree, is composed of a 30-foot bamboo frame containing a fog-harvesting nylon net that can catch water easily, can be easily lowered for repairs and allow communities to measure the water level. Collecting water through condensation is hardly a new technique, but the creators of WarkaWater say their tree-inspired design is more effective, maximizing surface and perfecting every angle to produce up to 26 gallons of drinkable water a day—enough for a family of seven.
Western organizations have been working to provide clean water access in Africa for decades, so WarkaWater joins a very long list of earlier attempts. So far, high-tech solutions, like the once promising Playpump, have failed, mostly due to high costs and maintenance issues.
This is where WarkaWater stands apart—a lower-tech solution that is easy to repair and far more affordable than digging wells in the rocky Ethiopian plateau.What does the underlined phrase “subject to” in the third paragraph most probably mean?
| A．Owing to | B．Opposite to |
| C．Sensitive to | D．Giving rise to |
WarkaWater is designed mainly to ______.
| A．gather clean water efficiently |
| B．reduce water supply costs |
| C．simplify maintenance |
| D．preserve water supplies |
According to Paragraph 6, what caused Playpump to fail?
| A．Lack of advanced technology |
| B．Unsuccessful designs |
| C．Lack of money and maintenance issues |
| D．Unreasonable structures |