It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their ears, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货) saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so grieved that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that，several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick ii up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．The man's job was bike racing. | B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. | D．They used it for work and daily life |
We can infer from the text that ________
| A．The couple worked 60 hours a week | B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike | D．life was hard for the young family |
How did people get to know the couple's problem?
| A．From radio broadcasts. | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
The underlined word "grieved" in paragraph 3 probably means________.
| A．upset | B．pleased | C．frightened | D．lucky |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. | B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. | D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Jonathan James looks like just another kid about to graduate from high school. But this 19-year-old Swede is anything but ordinary, from the computer in his parents’ home he helps the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) find out the world’s most wanted cyber criminals (网络犯罪分子).
Jonathan first made headlines when he and another Swede, Fredrik Bjoerck, found out the maker of the “Melissa” virus (病毒) in March 1999. He came to the aid of the FBI again on May 7, finding out the suspected (嫌疑的) sender of the dangerous “I LOVE YOU” virus. The suspect was caught in Manila on May 8.
Jonathan’s special skills are in hot demand as officials around the world express alarm at the “virtual” crimewave. In between studying for final exams, hanging out with friends and refereeing his younger brother’s football matches, the quiet, gentle teenager also gives lessons on e-security (电子安全) to large companies. He reads a lot and exchanges information with other computer experts to know much about the latest tricks of the hacker (黑客) trade.
Many companies have already tried to employ him, but he is not interested at the moment. Instead, he plans to begin law school in the autumn at Sweden’s Uppsala University and start up his own e-security company.
Although he works with the FBI now, his family insists he’s just “a regular kid”. “Jonathan is a great kid, he has his friends and he does a lot more than just play with the computer,” his little sister Tessa said, adding that he helps the FBI because “he likes to help”, not because he’s looking for fame and recognition.
When the world was hit by the “Love Bug” virus, Jonathan was too busy preparing a speech on e-security to look into the problem. “Finally on May 7, I had some free time, so I began looking.” Within a few hours, he had found the suspect and e-mailed his method and results to the FBI. He said his work on the “Melissa” virus, which took three weeks to solve, was a big help in finding the suspect so quickly.
“This time I knew exactly where to start, I knew what to disregard and what to look at.” The passage mainly wants to tell us that ___________.
| A．Swedish kid helps FBI find out the most wanted cyber criminals |
| B．Jonathan is really a quiet, gentle and ordinary boy |
| C．many companies want the young computer expert to join in |
| D．any cyber criminals will surely be found out wherever they are |
The public started to know something about Jonathan just from _________.
| A．his helping the US FBI to find out the sender of the dangerous “I LOVE YOU” virus |
| B．his work together with Fredrik Bjoerck to find out the maker of the “Melissa” virus |
| C．his little sister’s talk about his good qualities as a regular kid and a good programmer |
| D．his speech on e-security to many computer companies after his fight against hackers |
From Jonathan’s success in finding out the sender of the dangerous ‘Love Bug” virus we can infer that _________.
| A．where there’s a will, there’s a way |
| B．experience is knowledge |
| C．hard work leads to success |
| D．failure is the mother of success |
What do we know about Jonathan?
| A．He is a good fame hunter with various abilities. |
| B．He is such a brave fighter that any criminal will feel afraid. |
| C．He is an expert on security, not interested in running a company. |
| D．He is a regular kid but does something unusual. |
Before a new type of airplane goes into service, every part of it is tested again and again. But there are two tests that are more important than all the others.
The first is called the “tank test”. A modern airplane must fly very high in the sky. Air must be pumped into the plane so that the passengers can breathe. The metal structure (结构) of the plane has to be very strong for this reason. When the plane is filled with air, the air presses against the skin of the plane inside. The pressure (压力) on a small window is like a huge foot that is trying to get out. If a small part of the plane were to fail, the plane would explode in the sky. To test the structure of the plane, the plane is lowered into a huge tank or container of water. Then it is filled with air. The pressure inside the plane is greater than it ever will be when it is high up in the air. Finally, there is an explosion. This does not cause so much damage inside the water tank as it would anywhere else. Engineers can discover which part of the plane has broken. Then that part is made stronger.
The most dangerous test happens when the new plane is going through test flights in the air. The test pilot must find out exactly what happens when the engines (发动机) are all shut off at once. The plane begins to fall like a stone. It is the pilot’s job to find out how he can get control of the plane again. These two tests are examples of how planes are made safe before they ever carry passengers.By doing the “tank test”, the engineers can find out ___________.
| A．the pressure inside and outside the plane |
| B．the strength of the plane structure |
| C．the amount of air in the plane |
| D．the power of the airplane engines |
What will happen to the plane under the “tank test”?
| A．It will be broken. |
| B．It will be made stronger. |
| C．It will be filled with water. |
| D．It will be tested by pilots. |
According to the text, why are test flights most dangerous?
| A．The engines may be damaged. |
| B．The pilot may lose control of the plane. |
| C．The plane may explode in the air. |
| D．Too much air may get into the plane. |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Two Important Tests on Airplanes |
| B．The Danger of Testing Airplanes |
| C．The Importance of Flying Safely |
| D．How Airplanes Are Made and Tested |
Cara Lang is 13. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts, in the US. Last Thursday, she didn’t go to school. She went to work with her father instead. Every year, on the fourth Thursday in April, millions of young girls go to work. This is Take Our Daughters to Work Day. The girls are between the ages of 9 to 15. They spend the day at work with an adult, usually a mother, aunt, or uncle. They go to offices, police stations, laboratories, and other places where their parents or other family members work. Next year, the day will include sons, too.
The Ms. Foundation, an organization for women, started the program about ten years ago. In the US, many women work outside the home. The Ms. Foundation wanted girls to find out about many different kinds of jobs. Then, when the girls grow up, they can choose a job they like.
Cara’s father is a film director. Cara says, “It was very exciting for me to go to the studio with my dad. I saw a lot of people doing different jobs.” Many businesses have special activities for girls on this day. Last year, Cara went to work with her aunt at the University of Massachusetts. In the engineering department, the girls learned to build a bridge with toothpicks and candy. In the chemistry department, they learned to use scales. They learned about many other kinds of jobs, too.
Right now, Cara does not know what jobs she will have when she grows up. But because of Take Our Daughters to Work Day, she knows she has many choices. What is Cara’s father?
| A．An engineer. | B．An official. |
| C．A moviemaker. | D．A professor. |
According to the passage, Take Our Daughters to Work Day is __________.
| A．on every Thursday in April |
| B．a holiday for girls of all ages |
| C．a day for girls to know about jobs |
| D．a day for girls to get a job easily |
On this special day, Cara has done all the following EXCEPT that __________.
| A．she learned to use scales |
| B．she worked as an actress |
| C．she went to work with her aunt |
| D．she used toothpicks and candy to build a bridge |
What is probably the best title for the passage?
| A．Cara Lang, a Fortunate Girl |
| B．Take Our Daughters to Work Day |
| C．Children’s Day and Work Day |
| D．Ms. Foundation, an Organization for Women |
The old idea that child prodigies (神童) “burn themselves” or “overtax their brains” in the early years, therefore, suffer from failure and (at worst) mental illness is just a myth. As a matter of fact, the outstanding thing that happens to bright children is that they are very likely to grow into bright adults.
To find this out, 1,500 gifted persons were followed up to their thirty-fifth years with these results:
On adult intelligence tests, they scored as high as they did as children. They were, as a group, in good health, physically and mentally. Eighty-four percent of their group were married and seemed content with their life.
About 70 percent had graduated from colleges, though only 30 percent had graduated with honors. A few had even flunked out (退学), but nearly half of these had returned to graduate.
Of the men, 80 percent were in one of the professions or in business, managerial or semiprofessional jobs. The women who had remained single had offices, business, or professional occupations.
The group had published 90 books and 1,500 articles in scientific, scholarly, and literary magazines and had collected more than 100 patents.
In a material way they didn’t do badly either. Average income was considerably higher among the gifted people, especially the men, than for the country as a whole, despite their comparative youth when last surveyed.
In fact, far from being strange, maladjusted (难以适应) people locked in an ivory tower, most of the gifted were turning their early promises into practical reality.The main idea of the passage is __________.
| A．that gifted adults can be as intelligent as when they were young |
| B．that bright children are unlikely to be physically and mentally healthy |
| C．that gifted children are most likely to become bright grown-ups |
| D．that when the bright children grow up, they become ordinary |
From the passage, we can conclude that ____________.
| A．most of the gifted children became white-collar workers |
| B．half of the gifted followed up graduated from colleges |
| C．each of the talented published at least one article |
| D．successful men got higher income than successful women |
Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．The gifted could not be fit for their social positions. |
| B．Most of the bright and successful women remained single. |
| C．The gifted men got full marks on intelligence tests. |
| D．Most of the gifted appeared satisfied with their life. |
The explanation of the underlined part “turning their early promises into practical reality” is _____________.
| A．earning their living and keeping promises |
| B．doing practical jobs and facing reality |
| C．doing what they have promised |
| D．realizing what they were expected |
Chinese President Hu Jintao, on his way to talks with President George W. Bush in Washington, on Tuesday met with Bill Gates.
After the meeting with Gates, the world's richest man, at Microsoft's headquarters, Hu restated that China would move against software pirates all the time(盗版软件).
At Microsoft Corp.'s campus, Hu said Tuesday he admired what Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates had achieved. He also sought to reassure Gates that China is serious about protecting intellectual property rights(知识产权).
"Because you, Mr. Bill Gates, are a friend of China, I'm a friend of Microsoft," Hu said.
"Also, I am dealing with the operating system produced by Microsoft every day," he added, to laughter.
Gates responded: "Thank you, it's a fantastic relationship," and then said: "And if you ever need advice on how to use Windows, I'll be glad to help."
"China is focused on and has already accomplished much in creating and enforcing laws to protect intellectual property." he said. "We take our promises very seriously."
Hu also said he would certainly welcome a further increase in Microsoft's investment in China.
"I'd also like to take this opportunity to assure you, Bill Gates, that we will certainly honor our words in protecting intellectual property rights," Hu said.
In his brief visit to the Microsoft campus, Hu, accompanied by Gates and company CEO Steve Ballmer, saw some business technology demonstrations and toured Microsoft's Home of the Future, which features experimental technology that might someday be used in people's living spaces.
Following the visit at Microsoft, about 100 guests, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Gov. Gary Locke, the first Chinese-American governor, were invited to Gates' $100 million lakeside house on Lake Washington for a dinner.
China has recently begun requiring Chinese computer makers to load legal software on their machines.
In Seattle's Chinatown, many stores hung Chinese and U.S. flags to welcome Hu, and many in the crowd outside the stately Fairmont Hotel on Monday night where Hu is staying were there to support the Chinese president. How many issues are mentioned in President Hu’s visit to Microsoft?
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
Put the sentences in correct order.
1.Hu had a meeting with President George W. Bush
2.Hu had dinner with many guests in Gates’ lakeside house
3.Hu paid a visit to the Microsoft campus
4.Hu stayed at Fairmont Hotel in Seattle
| A．4-3-2-1 | B．4-2-3-1 | C．1-4-3-2 | D．1-3-2-4 |
What measure is not mentioned to protect intellectual property rights?
| A．Moving against software pirates |
| B．creating and enforcing laws |
| C．increasing Microsoft's investment in China |
| D．requiring Chinese computer makers to load legal software on their machines |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Hu Visits Microsoft | B．Protecting Intellectual Property Rights |
| C．Bill Gate’s, A Friend of China | D．Americans Welcome President Hu |