A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond（保释金）of $1,000．The publisher said．“There’s a story here．This is a man who loves books．He just can’t let go of them．He hasn’t stolen a single book．So what’s the crime ? We think that Mr．Banish has story to tell．We plan to publish his story．”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr．Banish said，”Well，how could I? They became family to me．I was afraid to return them，because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up，throw them around，tear the pages，spill soda on them，get jelly﹙糊状物﹚ on them，and drown them in the toilet．
He continued，“Books are people，too! They talk to you，they take care of you，and they enrich you with wisdom，humor and love．A book is a guest in my home．How could I kick it out? I repaired tor n﹙撕破的﹚ pages．I dusted them with a soft clean cloth．I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air．”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends，My books were HAPPY books．You could tell just by looking at them．Now they’re all back in the libraries，on the lower shelves，on the floors，at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids I can hear them calling me．I need to rescue them．Excuse me．I have to go now．”Why was the man put into prison?
| A．Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so． |
| B．Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries． |
| C．Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed． |
| D．Because he wanted to publish his story． |
From the passage we can learn that the man is
| A．a thief | B．a writer | C．crazy about books | D．unfortunate |
What might happen after the man was set free?
| A．He might stop borrowing books． |
| B．He might start a library of his own． |
| C．He might go on borrowing books from libraries． |
| D．He might return all his books． |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
| A．A funny thief who loves stealing books． |
| B．A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them． |
| C．A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library． |
| D．A person who may have some mental problems |
You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.
“The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd,” Gray told the BBC. “They are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”
We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.
He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.
If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.
When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.
New entrants(新进入者) to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.
Why are we so awkward in lifts?
“You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”
In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed (理解) as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.The main purpose of the article is to______.
| A．remind us to enjoy ourselves in the elevator |
| B．tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette |
| C．share an interesting but awkward elevator ride |
| D．analyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator |
According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.
| A．turn around and greet one another |
| B．look around or examine their phone |
| C．make eye contact with those in the elevator |
| D．try to keep a distance from other people |
Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least
two people in an elevator?
The underlined phrase “size up” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．judge | B．ignore |
| C．put up with | D．make the best of |
According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.
| A．someone’s odd behaviors |
| B．the lack of space |
| C．their unfamiliarity with one another |
| D．their eye contact with one another |
The National Trust in Britain plays an increasingly important part in the preservation for public enjoyment of the best that is left unspoiled of the British countryside. Although the Trust has received practical and moral support from the Government, it is not a rich government department. It is a voluntary association of people who care for the unspoiled countryside and historic buildings of Britain. It is a charity which depends for its existence on voluntary support from members of the public. Its primary duty is to protect places of great natural beauty and places of historical interest.
The attention of the public was the first drawn to the dangers threatening the great old houses and the castles of Britain by the death of the Lord Lothian, who left his great seventeenth-century house to the Trust together with the 4500-acre park and estate surrounding it. This gift attracted wide publicity and started the Trust’s “Country House Scheme”. Under this scheme, with the help of the Government and the general public, the Trust has been able to save and make accessible to the public about 150 of these old houses. Last year, about 1.75 million people paid to visit these historic houses, usually at a very small charge.
In addition to country houses and open spaces, the Trust now owns some examples of ancient wind and water mills, nature reserves, 540 farms and nearly 2500 cottages or small village houses, as well as some complete villages. In these villages no one is allowed to build, develop or disturb the old village environment in any way and all the houses are maintained in their original 16th century style. Over 4,000 acres of coastline, woodland, and hill country are protected by the Trust and no development or disturbances of any kind are permitted. The public has free access to these areas and is only asked to respect the peace, beauty and wildlife.
Over the past 80 years the Trust has become a big and important organization and an essential and respected part of national life. It helps to preserve all that is of great natural beauty and of historical significance not only for future generations of Britons but also for the millions of tourists who each year invade Britain in search of a great historic and cultural heritage.The National Trust is a ______.
| A．government agency depending on voluntary services |
| B．non-profit organization depending on voluntary services |
| C．government department but is not rich |
| D．private organization supported by the government |
The National Trust is devoted to ______.
| A．preserving the best public enjoyment |
| B．providing the public with free access to historic buildings |
| C．offering better services to visitors home and abroad |
| D．protecting the unspoiled countryside and historic buildings |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that Lord Lothian ______.
| A．donated all his money to the Trust |
| B．started the “Country House Scheme” |
| C．saved many old country houses in Britain |
| D．was influential in his time |
All the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT ______.
| A．the Trust is more interested in protecting the 16th century houses |
| B．many people came to visit the historic houses saved by the Trust |
| C．visitors can get free access to some places owned by the Trust |
| D．the Trust has a story which is longer than 80 years |
The underlined word “invade” in the last Paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．come in without permission |
| B．enter with invitation |
| C．visit in large numbers |
| D．appear all of a sudden |
When we found him, he was a sorry sight. His clothes were torn, his hands bleeding. Before we reached him, we saw him fall. He lay a moment. Then he pulled himself to his feet, walked unsteadily a few yards through the woods and fell again. After we got him out, we went back to find the gun that he had thrown down. His tracks showed that for two days he had circled in the forest, within 200 yards of the road. His senses were so dulled by fear and tiredness that he did not hear the cars going by or see the lights at night. We found him just in time.
This man, like others before him, had simply been frightened when he knew he was lost. What had been a near disaster might have turned out as only a pleasant walk, if he had made a few preparations before he stepped from the highway or off a known path.
Whatever sense of direction that a man may have, it’s still largely a question of observation. A skilled woodsman always keeps an eye on his surroundings. He notes the shape of a mountain, the direction water flows through a swamp, and the way a tree leans across a path. With these in mind, he is still likely to turn around many times, but he is seldom lost.
There are exceptions, of course, and once in a while a man does come across some strange problem that puts him into the “lost” situation. A rainstorm may catch him without a compass in his pocket. Darkness may find him in a rough area, where travel is dangerous without a light.
When this happens, the normal first reaction is the fear of being laughed at as a result of his poor knowledge in the woods. He may also be concerned about the inconvenience that he will cause his friends when he doesn’t show up. This false pride may lead him to keep on the move in a false effort to find his way against all difficulties.
The person who thinks ahead is seldom in great danger. He’ll be safe if he observes carefully, thinks ahead, and remains calm.The writer suggested that if the man had not been found, ______.
| A．he would have been shot by a gun |
| B．he would have become confused |
| C．he would have been attacked by wild animals |
| D．he would have been in great danger |
According to the text, if a person gets lost in the forest, at the very beginning,___.
| A．he will worry about being laughed at |
| B．he will push himself to find his way out |
| C．he will feel sorry that he didn’t prepare well enough |
| D．he will feel it is convenient to ask for help from his friends |
What is the most important when a person tries to find his way in the woods?
| A．Intelligence. | B．Observation. |
| C．Direction. | D．Chance. |
The writer tells the story of the lost man as an example of people who ______.
| A．go into the woods by themselves |
| B．keep their head when they are in trouble |
| C．are frightened when they think they are lost |
| D．don’t know how to signal for help properly |
What is probably the best title for the passage?
| A．A Man Lost in the Woods |
| B．Timely Rescue in the Woods |
| C．Don’t Panic When Lost in the Woods |
| D．A Pathfinder in the Woods |
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send orders to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, showed a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the wheelchair and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells(神经细胞). These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓)to the muscles(肌肉) to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outside world and also to control the machine.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮)and sends them to a computer. The computer understands the signals and directs the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that recognize objects in its path. They help the computer react to orders from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that understands brain signals and turns them into simple orders. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be divided into two kinds: communication, and controlling the machine. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to ensure that they can use the technology over long periods of time.BCI is a technology that can ______.
| A．help to update computer systems |
| B．link the human brain with computers |
| C．help the disabled to become well |
| D．control a person's thoughts |
How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
| A．By controlling his muscles. |
| B．By talking to the machine. |
| C．By moving his hand. |
| D．By using his mind. |
Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
| A．scalp → computer → cap →wheelchair |
| B．compute → cap → scalp →wheelchair |
| C．scalp → cap → computer →wheelchair |
| D．cap → computer → scalp →wheelchair |
The team will test with real patients to ______.
| A．make profits from them |
| B．prove the technology useful to them |
| C．make them live longer |
| D．learn about their physical condition |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center |
| B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works |
| C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled |
| D．Computer Technology Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries |
For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes(音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify(识别) with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics have to stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social loneliness. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it is not connected with defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
How did scientists learn to identify amusics?
| A．By studying different kinds of music. |
| B．By going to parties regularly. |
| C．By studying amusic people. |
| D．By comparing music to color. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ______.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches |
| B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem |
| D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that ______.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusic |