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In the computer age, most of us take a broadband(宽带)Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.

A.a rare challenge B.a desirable plan C.an efficient device D.a hidden problem

What can we know from the third paragraph?

A.Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B.Internet service providers care about rural(农村的)customers.
C.Computer is popular in developing countries.
D.It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.

Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.

A.make TV and telephone available everywhere
B.bring great change to people’s everyday life
C.make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D.bring faster Internet connections to users

What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?

A.The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B.More and more Internet users.
C.more and more Internet connections.
D.The rapid progress in cell phone technology.
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Returning to a book you've read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend.There's a welcome familarity ﹣but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both,and thus the relationship.But books don't change,people do.And that's what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.

The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register.It's true,the older I get,the more I feel time has wings.But with reading,it's all about the present.It's about the now and what one contributes to the now,because reading is a give and take between author and reader.Each has to pull their own weight.

There are three books I reread annually.The first,which I take to reading every spring,is Ernest Hemingway'sA Moveable Feast.Published in 1964,it's his classic memoir of 1920s Paris.The language is almost intoxicating(令人陶醉的),an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time.Another is Annie Dillard's Holy the Firm,her poetic 1975 ramble(随笔)about everything and nothing.The third book is Julio Cortázar's Save Twilight:Selected Poems,because poetry.And because Cortázar.

While I tend to buy a lot of books,these three were given to me as gifts,which might add to the meaning I attach to them.But I imagine that,while money is indeed wonderful and necessary,rereading an author's work is the highest currencya reader can pay them.The best books are the ones that open further as time passes.But remember,it's you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.

(1)Why does the author like rereading?   

A.

It evaluates the writer﹣reader relationship.

B.

It's a window to a whole new world.

C.

It's a substitute for drinking with a friend.

D.

It extends the understanding of oneself.

(2)What do we know about the book A Moveable Feast?    

A.

It's a brief account of a trip.

B.

It's about Hemingway's life as a young man.

C.

It's a record of a historic event.

D.

It's about Hemingway's friends in Paris.

(3)What does the underlined word "currency" in paragraph 4 refer to?    

A.

Debt.

B.

Reward.

C.

Allowance.

D.

Face value.

(4)What can we infer about the author from the text?   

A.

He loves poetry.

B.

He's an editor.

C.

He's very ambitious.

D.

He teaches reading.

Train Information

All customers travelling on TransLink services must be in possession of a valid ticket before boarding.For ticket information,please ask at your local station or call 131230.

While Queensland Rail makes every effort to ensure trains run as scheduled,there can be no guarantee of connections between trains or between train services and bus services.

Lost property(失物招领)

Call Lost Property on 13 16 17 during business hours for items lost on Queensland Rail services.The lost property office is open Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm and is located (位于)at Roma Street station.

Public holidays

On public holidays,generally a Sunday timetable operates.On certain major event days,i.e.Australia Day,Anzac Day,sporting and cultural days,special additional services may operate.Christmas Day services operate to a Christmas Day timetable.Before travel please visit translink.com.au or call TransLink on 13 12 30 anytime.

Customers using mobility devices

Many stations have wheelchair access from the car park or entrance to the station platforms.For assistance,please call Queensland Rail on 13 16 17.

Guardian trains(outbound)

Depart

Origin

Destination

Arrive

6:42pm

Altandi

Varsity Lakes

7:37pm

7:29pm

Central

Varsity Lakes

8:52pm

8:57pm

Fortitude Valley

Varsity Lakes

9:52pm

11:02pm

Roma Street

Varsity Lakes

12:22am

(1)What would you do to get ticket information?   

A.

Call 13 16 17.

B.

Visit translink.com.au.

C.

Ask at the local station.

D.

Check the train schedule.

(2)At which station can you find the lost property office?    

A.

Altandi.

B.

Roma Street.

C.

Varsity Lakes.

D.

Fortitude Valley.

(3)Which train would you take if you go from Central to Varsity Lakes?    

A.

6:42 pm.

B.

7:29 pm.

C.

8:57 pm.

D.

11:02 pm.

I was in the middle of the Amazon (亚马逊) with my wife,who was there as a medical researcher.We flew on a small plane to a faraway village.We did not speak the local language,did not know the customs,and more often than not,did not entirely recognize the food.We could not have felt more foreign.

We were raised on books and computers,highways and cell phones,but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity.It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood.

Then one perfect Amazonian evening,with monkeys calling from beyond the village green,we played soccer.I am not good at soccer,but that evening it was wonderful.Everyone knew the rules.We all spoke the same language of passes and shots.We understood one another perfectly.As darkness came over the field and the match ended,the goal keeper,Juan,walked over to me and said in a matter﹣of﹣fact way,"In your home,do you have a moon too?" I was surprised.

After I explained to Juan that yes,we did have a moon and yes,it was very similar to his,I felt a sort of awe(敬畏) at the possibilities that existed in his world.In Juan's world,each village could have its own moon.In Juan's world,the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous.Anything was possible.

In our society,we know that Earth has only one moon.We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find.I can,from my computer at home,pull up satellite images of Juan's village.There are no more continents and no more moons to search for,little left to discover.At least it seems that way.

Yet,as I thought about Juan's question,I was not sure how much more we could really rule out.I am,in part,an ant biologist,so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown.How much,though? How ignorant (无知的) are we?The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me.

I began collecting newspaper articles about new species,new monkey,new spider…,and on and on they appear.My drawer quickly filled.I began a second drawer for more general discoveries:new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species,four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach.The second drawer began to fill and as it did,I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there,not just species,but life that depends on things thought to be useless,life even without DNA.I started a third drawer for these big discoveries.It fills more slowly,but all the same,it fills.

In looking into the stories of biological discovery,I also began to find something else,a collection of scientists,usually brilliant,occasionally half﹣mad,who made the discoveries.Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see,but they pay more attention to them,and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion(穷尽),and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers.In looking for the stories of discovery,I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world.

We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover.We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms (生物),and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters.Yet,when something new turns up,more often than not,we do not even know its name.

(1)How did the author feel on his arrival in the Amazon?   

A.

Out of place.

B.

Full of joy.

C.

Sleepy.

D.

Regretful.

(2)What made that Amazonian evening wonderful?   

A.

He learned more about the local language.

B.

They had a nice conversation with each other.

C.

They understood each other while playing.

D.

He won the soccer game with the goal keeper.

(3)Why was the author surprised at Juan's question about the moon?    

A.

The question was too straightforward.

B.

Juan knew so little about the world.

C.

The author didn't know how to answer.

D.

The author didn't think Juan was sincere.

(4)What was the author's initial purpose of collecting newspaper articles?   

A.

To sort out what we have known.

B.

To deepen his research into Amazonians.

C.

To improve his reputation as a biologist.

D.

To learn more about local cultures.

(5)How did those brilliant scientists make great discoveries?   

A.

They shifted their viewpoints frequently.

B.

They followed other scientists closely.

C.

They often criticized their fellow scientists.

D.

They conducted in﹣depth and close studies.

(6)What could be the most suitable title for the passage?    

A.

The Possible and the Impossible

B.

The Known and the Unknown

C.

The Civilized and the Uncivilized

D.

The Ignorant and the Intelligent

For those who can stomach it,working out before breakfast may be more beneficial for health than eating first,according to a study of meal timing and physical activity.

Athletes and scientists have long known that meal timing affects performance.However,far less has been known about how meal timing and exercise might affect general health.

To find out,British scientists conducted a study.They first found 10 overweight and inactive but otherwise healthy young men,whose lifestyles are,for better and worse,representative of those of most of us.They tested the men's fitness and resting metabolic (新陈代谢的) rates and took samples (样品) of their blood and fat tissue.

Then,on two separate morning visits to the scientists' lab,each man walked for an hour at an average speed that,in theory,should allow his body to rely mainly on fat for fuel. Before one of these workouts,the men skipped breakfast, meaning that they exercised on a completely empty stomach after a long overnight fast(禁食).On the other occasion,they ate a rich morning meal about two hours before they started walking.

Just before and an hour after each workout,the scientists took additional samples of the men's blood and fat tissue.

Then they compared the samples.There were considerable differences.Most obviously,the men displayed lower blood sugar levels at the start of their workouts when they had skipped breakfast than when they had eaten.As a result,they burned more fat during walks on an empty stomach than when they had eaten first.On the other hand,they burned slightly more calories(卡路里), on average,during the workout after breakfast than after fasting.

But it was the effects deep within the fat cells that may have been the most significant,the researchers found Multiple genes behaved differently,depending on whether someone had eaten or not before walking.Many of these genes produce proteins (蛋白质) that can improve blood sugar regulation and insulin(胰岛素) levels throughout the body and so are associated with improved metabolic health.These genes were much more active when the men had fasted before exercise than when they had breakfasted.

The implication of these results is that to gain the greatest health benefits from exercise,it may be wise to skip eating first.

(1)The underlined expression "stomach it" in Paragraph 1 most probably means "    ".

A.

digest the meal easily

B.

manage without breakfast

C.

decide wisely what to eat

D.

eat whatever is offered

(2)Why were the 10 people chosen for the experiment?   

A.

Their lifestyles were typical of ordinary people.

B.

Their lack of exercise led to overweight.

C.

They could walk at an average speed.

D.

They had slow metabolic rates.

(3)What happened to those who ate breakfast before exercise?    

A.

They successfully lost weight.

B.

They consumed a bit more calories.

C.

They burned more fat on average.

D.

They displayed higher insulin levels.

(4)What could be learned from the research?   

A.

A workout after breakfast improves gene performances.

B.

Too much workout often slows metabolic rates.

C.

Lifestyle is not as important as morning exercise.

D.

Physical exercise before breakfast is better for health.

Sometimes it's hard to let go.For many British people,that can apply to institutions and objects that represent their country's past﹣age﹣old castles,splendid homes…and red phone boxes.

Beaten first by the march of technology and lately by the terrible weather in junkyards(废品场),the phone boxes representative of an age are now making something of a comeback.Adapted in imaginative ways,many have reappeared on city streets and village greens housing tiny cafes,cellphone repair shops or even defibrillator machines(除颤器).

The original iron boxes with the round roofs first appeared in 1926.They were designed by Giles Gilbert Scott,the architect of the Battersea Power Station in London.After becoming an important part of many British streets,the phone boxes began disappearing in the 1980s,with the rise of the mobile phone sending most of them away to the junkyards.

About that time,Tony Inglis' engineering and transport company got the job to remove phone boxes from the streets and sell them out.But Inglis ended up buying hundreds of them himself,with the idea of repairing and selling them.He said that he had heard the calls to preserve the boxes and had seen how some of them were listed as historic buildings.

As Inglis and,later other businessmen,got to work,repurposed phone boxes began reappearing in cities and villages as people found new uses for them.Today,they are once again a familiar sight,playing roles that are often just as important for the community as their original purpose.

In rural areas,where ambulances can take a relatively long time to arrive,the phone boxes have taken on a lifesaving role.Local organizations can adopt them for l pound,and install defibrillators to help in emergencies.

Others also looked at the phone boxes and saw business opportunities.LoveFone,a company that advocates repairing cellphones rather than abandoning them,opened a mini workshop in a London phone box in 2016.

The tiny shops made economic sense,according to Robert Kerr,a founder of LoveFone.He said that one of the boxes generated around ﹩13,500 in revenue a month and cost only about ﹩400 to rent.

Inglis said phone boxes called to mind an age when things were built to last."I like what they are to people,and I enjoy bringing things back," he said.

(1)The phone boxes are making a comeback   

A.

to form a beautiful sight of the city

B.

to improve telecommunications services

C.

to remind people of a historical period

D.

to meet the requirement of green economy

(2)Why did the phone boxes begin to go out of service in the 1980s?   

A.

They were not well﹣designed.

B.

They provided bad services.

C.

They had too short a history.

D.

They lost to new technologies.

(3)The phone boxes are becoming popular mainly because of   

A.

their new appearance and lower prices

B.

the push of the local organizations

C.

their changed roles and functions

D.

the big funding of the businessmen

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