"Colour" and "color"，"favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact，the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists (语言学家) celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783)，Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary，rather than rely on British versions (版本). He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining (定义) preposterous (unreasonable)，he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，"said Joshua Kendall，who is working on a biography (传记) about Webster. "He at last bonded (联合)us through our language." Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．The shaper of American English. |
| B．American identity. |
| C．Webster's dictionary. |
| D．Spelling differences between American and British English. |
According to the passage，when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT .
| A．voicing his opinion | B．changing "centre" into "center" |
| C．adding local words | D．dropping "u" in all the British words |
Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?
| A．Interesting. | B．Meaningful. | C．Unfinished. | D．Boring. |
Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?
| A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy. |
| B．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK. |
| C．Because he wanted to achieve political freedom. |
| D．Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics. |
When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?
| A．In 1758. | B．In 1783. | C．In 1800. | D．In 1828. |
Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had—not legs but stumps(残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself get cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror. For the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be—a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room , and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came , he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because ______.
| A．he didn’t talk to them |
| B．he kept away from them |
| C．his arms touched the ground when he moved |
| D．he couldn’t use his arms |
It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is ______.
| A．an average height for a fully grown person |
| B．too tall for an average person |
| C．too short for an average person |
| D．none of the above |
When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he ______.
| A．did everything the other soldiers did |
| B．did nothing the other soldiers did |
| C．did some of the things the other soldiers did |
| D．took some special training |
The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _______.
| A．had no friends |
| B．never saw himself as different from others |
| C．was very shy |
| D．was too proud to accept help from others |
Today, when a fire breaks out, you can be sure a citizen with a cell-phone camera has posted it to Facebook or Twitter, or sent it to the media. But up to now, that citizen has not been able to easily send images and details of what is happening to the people who need it most: police, firefighters and building-security people who must respond, and whose ability to help is often measured in minutes, if not seconds.
That's about to change. A one-year old company called Elerts has developed a system that's designed to mobile and social technologies to speed the flow of information between citizens and emergency workers in time of danger. The system involves free mobile applications—iPhone and iPad app（应用软件）is available now—that eyewitnesses can use to report incidents and get public-safety warnings. And Elerts is offering a management console（控制台）for security firms and universities to receive the reports and distribute warnings and instructions, like a map with the best evacuation route（疏散路线）.
The service is the brainchild of Chris Russo, deputy fire chief in the coastal town of Hull, Mass. As mobile communications sped up, he grew increasingly frustrated by his inability to communicate effectively with colleagues and the public, particularly with people who are at the scene and might be able to provide help.
"Remembering situations when communications failed puts a pit in my stomach," Mr. Russo says. Last summer, he was in a search at a beach for a missing boy, who went into a bathhouse but didn't come out. First responders feared an abduction （绑架） on the beach or shark attack. The child's mother, who didn't speak English well, was so sad that she couldn't remember what color shorts he had on. Mr. Russo had no photo of the child, and no ability to turn to beachgoers.
Two long hours later, the boy was spotted by a low-flying helicopter lost and alone on the beach crying—a lucky break. "If 5 percent of beachgoers had an app to receive a message and send in sightings of a lost boy, the happy ending might have come much sooner," Mr. Russo said.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A moving story of Chris Russo． | B．An app for reporting emergency． |
| C．A cell-phone instant service． | D．An app for firm management． |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?
| A．Makes me feel frustrated． | B．Causes a stomachache． |
| C．Arouses my interest． | D．Leaves a hole in my stomach． |
We can infer from the passage that emergency workers ____．
| A．have to carry out rescue work in minutes |
| B．must send images and details immediately |
| C．need images and detailed information badly |
| D．have to turn to Facebook and Twitter for details |
The author takes Chris Russo's experience as an example to ____．
| A．advertise his creativity in communication |
| B．show readers the working principle of the new system |
| C．make the passage more interesting to read |
| D．inform readers how Russo got the idea of the service |
There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who frown when somebody mentions baseball. Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens. They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, and gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that values “the hit”.
By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.
On TV the game is divided into a dozen perspectives, replays, close-ups. The geometry(几何学) of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will view the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you.
Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed(弯曲). His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic(怀疑论者) still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or brings the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position. Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened,” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”
The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of ball on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking(连锁) of notes, chorus（和声）and responses.The passage is mainly concerned with.
| A．the attraction of baseball |
| B．the superiority of football |
| C．the different tastes of people for sports |
| D．the different characteristics of sports |
Those who don’t like baseball may complain that.
| A．it is only to the taste of the old |
| B．it is not exciting enough |
| C．it involves fewer players than football |
| D．it is pretentious and looks funny |
The author admits that.
| A．baseball may seem boring when watched on TV |
| B．football is more attracting than baseball |
| C．baseball is more interesting than football |
| D．baseball is too peaceful for the young |
By stating “I could have had my eyes closed”, the author means (4th paragraph last sentence) .
| A．The consequence was so bad that he could not bear to see it |
| B．The third baseman is so good at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well |
| C．Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago, it could make no difference to the result |
| D．The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game |
What is TOVIAZ?
TOVIAZ is a medicine used in adults to treat the symptoms of a condition called overactive bladder（膀胱）.
Who is TOVIAZ for?
Adults 18 years older with symptoms of overactive bladder.
Don’t take TOVIAZ if you:
★Your stomach empties slowly.
★Have eye problems.
★Are allergic to any ingredients of TOVIAZ.
Possible side effects of TOVIAZ
★Dry mouth.
★Constipation
★Dry eyes.
★Trouble empting the bladder
These aren’t all possible side effects of TOVIAZ. For a complete list, ask your doctor.
How to take TOVIAZ:
★Your doctor may give you the lower 4mg dose of TOVIAZ if you have severe kidney problem.
★Take TOVIAZ with liquid and swallow the tablet whole. Do not chew, divide or crush the tablet.
★You can take TOVIAZ with or without food.
★If you miss a dose of TOVIAZ, start taking it again the next day.
Things you should keep in mind when taking TOVIAZ:
★Decreased sweating and severe heat illness can occur when medicines such as TOVIAZ are used in hot environments.
★Drinking alcohol while taking TOVIAZ may cause increased sleepiness. What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To show the importance of taking proper medicine. |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To give information about a kind of medicine. |
| D．To teach patients ways of recovery from illness. |
The main function of TOVIAZ is to treat__________.
| A．kidney problem | B．stomach problem |
| C．dry mouth or eyes | D．overactive bladder |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．There are only four possible side effects of TOVIAZ. |
| B．It’s suggested that TOVIAZ be used for adults 18 years older. |
| C．You can take TOVIAZ when you are allergic to few of its ingredients. |
| D．You may feel excited while eating TOVIAZ with alcohol. |
Which of the statements about taking TOVIAZ is TRUE?
| A．If you miss a dose of, do take it right away on the same day. |
| B．It’s OK to take it with food or without food. |
| C．Chew the tablet well before you swallow it. |
| D．Use TOVIAZ in hot environment to cure heat illness. |
Norway—Ten Chinese college students arrived at the country’s Arctic research base, the Yellow River Station, on Friday.
On Saturday，the students are expected to witness the end of four months of darkness in the area, as the sun makes a rare appearance.
During their four-day stay at the station，the students will meet and learn from some of China’s leading polar researchers．They were welcomed at the station yesterday by its director，He Jianfeng, who is an expert on marine micro-ecosystems．
The students will also visit the German and Norwegian stations and meet researchers there．
As for entertainment, the visitors will get the chance to play ice hockey at the world’s most northerly stadium．
Among the visitors is Zheng Li，a student majoring in telecommunications at Dalian Maritime University．
“It is so exciting to see how the Chinese researchers work in the world’s most northerly laboratory，”she said．
“This opportunity is precious．Most people will never get the chance to travel so far from home and visit such an amazing place．It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Wu Jinyou，head of the Polar Research Institute of China，and the group’s leader，said，“I hope the students have not only a field trip to the Yellow River station，but are also touched by the devotion and spirit of the Chinese researchers here. I also expect in the future，some of them will choose to devote themselves to polar research and maybe even work with us.”
The students have been in Norway since February 28，and were given Arctic training before moving to the station．
The Arctic expedition is one of the several international cooperation and exchange activities forming the China Program for International Polar Year(2007-08)．It was launched last March．Which of the following is true about Wu Jinyou?
| A．He is a graduate from Dalian Maritime University． |
| B．He is the leading polar researcher working at the research station． |
| C．He is sure that all the ten students will make good polar researchers． |
| D．He thinks highly of the devotion and spirit of the Chinese researchers． |
What does Zheng Li mean by saying“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing”?
| A．It’s exciting to see the sun rise in Arctic area． |
| B．The trip to the research station is extremely exciting． |
| C．Playing ice hockey in Arctic area is really a life-long memory． |
| D．People are only allowed to visit the station once in their lifetime． |
Which word can most probably replace the underlined word “launched”?
| A．ended | B．stopped | C．started | D．performed |
What could be the best title of the news report?
| A．Chinese Students Arrive at Arctic Station. |
| B．Chinese Students Do Research in Norway. |
| C．Chinese Students Play Ice Hockey at Arctic Station. |
| D．Chinese Students Receive Training at Arctic Station. |