Lexi Peters, a 14-year-old girl in New York, loves hockey. She’s not only good at playing on her after-school team, but also at playing hockey video games. But when Peters played the popular NHL (National Hockey League) games made by Electronic Arts, something really bothered her. The virtual (虚拟的) character in the game could only be a boy — not a girl.
She didn’t think that was reasonable. There must be many girls playing hockey in the US. So she wrote a letter to Electronic Arts.
“Being represented by a man is unfair to women and girl hockey players,” Peters wrote. “Women’s hockey is a fast-growing sport. I am confident that I’m not the only woman interested in the opportunity to create herself in the game.”
Several weeks later, Peters received an unexpected e-mail from the senior producer for EA Sports’ NHL games, David Littman. “Hi, Lexi,” the e-mail began. “We agree with you!”
Electronic Arts said it would create a female player in the game. “I was thinking you could be the model,” Littman wrote. Peters almost couldn’t believe it. Later, she sent photos of herself taken at all different angles (角度).
And so, when Electronic Arts released the newest version of their game, NHL 12, this fall, Peters was the face of the female player. She can now skate with the NHL’s great players. “It’s strange at first, but you get used to it,” said Peters. “It’s really funny and cool.”
For Peters, there is also an important lesson that she will take with her the rest of her life. “If you have something to say, and you think it’s important, go for it!” she said. What bothered Peters when playing NHL games?
| A．There was no girl character in the game. |
| B．The characters were not real at all. |
| C．No girls would like to play the game. |
| D．It was not like playing real hockey games. |
According to Peters’ letter, we can know that ________.
| A．girls were not allowed to play hockey in the past |
| B．female players can be represented by men |
| C．boys don’t like to play hockey with girls |
| D．more and more girls are interested in hockey |
What was David Littman’s opinion of Peters’ letter?
| A．He ignored it. | B．He disliked it. |
| C．He agreed to it. | D．He voted against it. |
Peters’ experience tells us that we should ________.
| A．enjoy the fun of being a model |
| B．do what you think important to do |
| C．work hard to get used to any new situation |
| D．think about problems from different angles |
Many people have never heard of Mesothelioma and are unaware of its symptoms. Although considered a rare form of cancer, each year the number of cases grows. With the prevalence(流行)of this disease on the rise, it is critical to understand why and how Mesothelioma develops and what courses of action can be taken in the event of diagnosis. The following is a list of frequently asked questions and answers that will provide you with some information on Mesothelioma, and the legal issues surrounding it.
What is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is the term used to describe a cancerous tumor found in the mesothelial cells of an organ. The organs where this form of cancer is most commonly found are the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Pleural Mesothelioma is cancer of the lung lining(组织,膜)and is the most common form of Mesothelioma.
What causes Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos(石棉). Asbestos is often found in building materials used before the mid 1970's. In addition, materials such as pipes, boiler insulation, floor, ceiling and roof tiles may contain asbestos.
How much asbestos exposure will cause Mesothelioma?
Generally, the probability of developing this form of cancer is in accordance with the length of time you are exposed to asbestos. Also, your health is at risk if your exposure to asbestos is intense. It should be noted that Mesothelioma has a latency(潜伏)period of 20 to 50 years. This means that you may develop the disease long after your exposure to asbestos. On average, people tend to develop Mesothelioma somewhere between 35 and 40 years after exposure.
How quickly does Mesothelioma progress?
The onset of Mesothelioma is quite slow. Patients will begin to experience symptoms such as lower back pain and chest pain. These symptoms may also be accompanied by weight loss, fever and difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, once Mesothelioma develops, it quickly becomes aggressive and treatment must be sought immediately.
Can Mesothelioma be treated?
Doctors are able to use several traditional methods of cancer treatment for Mesothelioma, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Like all forms of cancer, detecting the disease at the earliest stage possible greatly increases the patient's chances for survival. If you have worked in an industry such as construction or suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos, be alert for symptoms and contact your doctor immediately.
What legal courses of action can be taken?
Anyone suffering from Mesothelioma is entitled to compensation from asbestos manufacturers. Additionally, if you are the spouse or child of someone who has died from Mesothelioma, you are entitled to file a claim and seek compensation.The authors intends to _______.
| A．tell the readers how important it is to know more about Mesothelioma. |
| B．provide more information about Mesothelioma |
| C．give advice on how tto avoid developing Mesothelioma |
| D．tell the readers how terrible Mesothelioma is |
We can learn from the text that _______.
| A．Asbestos is to blame for Mesothelioma. |
| B．Even if a person is exposed to asbestos for a while, he will die soon. |
| C．All the employees can ask for compensation from asbestos manufacturers. |
| D．Mesothelioma is a cancer familiar to many people. |
The following are the symptoms of Mesothelioma EXCEPT ______.
| A．frequent headache | B．lower back pain |
| C．chest pain | D．difficult breathing |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Terrible Mesothelioma |
| B．Mesothelioma is around us |
| C．Frequently Asked Questions About Mesothelioma |
| D．Mesothelioma in on the rise |
If you work in an industry exposed to asbestos, you should ________.
| A．give up the job immediately |
| B．ask for a rise from your boss |
| C．file a claim and seek compensation |
| D．go to hospital and have your body examined |
In what section of a newspaper will you probably read the advertisements?
| A．Geography | B．Education | C．History | D．Environment |
What do Science Museum Oklahoma and Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse have in common?
| A．Aiming at science |
| B．Introducing animals |
| C．Offering imaginary roles |
| D．Enjoying a trip to the universe |
Emma has a tight schedule and has to work from 10am-5pm every day. If she wants to visit a museum, which website will she probably login to get more information?
| A．http://www.jasminemoran.com/ |
| B．http://www.museumgreatplains.org/ |
| C．http://tulsaairandspacemuseum.com/ |
| D．http://www.sciencemuseumok.org/ |
Which of the following can be learned from the advertisements?
| A．Visitors can enjoy family fun in all the museums except the Museum of the Great Pains. |
| B．Visitors can experience something related to culture in the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. |
| C．Visitors can phone (405) 382-0950 if their children want to enjoy role-playing programs. |
| D．Visitors can explore an adventure of outer space in 601 NW Ferris Ave Lawton, OK. |
What may be the purpose of the writer writing the passage?
| A．To show his knowledge of museums |
| B．To provide some information on museums |
| C．To attract attention from the readers |
| D．To entertain readers |
When Chinese student Du Juan brought her American boyfriend home two years ago to use the toilet, her Japanese roommate became so upset that she shouted in English: "I hate you."
Du, then 21 and an undergraduate at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, was shocked. So was her boyfriend.
"Later I realized that she didn't literally mean what she said and that she was not aware of the full meaning of the word 'hate' in English," said Du. "It was more a problem with translation," she added.
Cultural differences can cause confusion about what words or even actions mean, an issue that has come to the forefront recently following the arrest of a Chinese doctoral degree student in New Jersey.
Zhai Tiantian, who studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology, has been accused of trying to set fire to a campus building and of making threats to a professor who gave him a low mark. No physical altercation took place but Zhai reportedly said something along the lines of "at worst, I will risk anything on the line." The professor called the campus police.
According to the indictment sheet（起诉书）, Zhai is facing the serious charge of making a terroristic threat.
For a few days, Chinese media mistranslated, or misunderstood, the charges and reported that Zhai was being charged with terrorism.
Some language experts have speculated（推测） that the disagreement between Zhai and the professor can also be chalked up to cultural and linguistic differences. "What Chinese people regard as acceptable speech may be regarded by Americans as threats," said Luo Gang, the Chinese Consulate's Overseas Chinese Affairs consul. "This is an unfortunate incident. Even though Zhai intended no harm, he has done himself a great deal of harm."
Du, now 23, said she supports Zhai's actions in fighting to save his academic career, but added he needs to learn more about communication in a foreign language.
"Chinese students in a foreign country must prepare more in terms of languages and conversation skills to avoid misunderstandings," she said.What does the underlined word “altercation” mean？
| A．fight | B．check | C．education | D．experiment |
By saying “It was more a problem with translation”, what does Du Juan mean?
| A．Translation was not the real problem, as Du Juan and her roommate can both speak English. |
| B．Du Juan can not understand what her roommate meant at all. |
| C．Her roommate didn’t know what “hate” really meant in daily conservation. |
| D．Her roommate spoke such poor English that she felt angry. |
Which of the following statements about Zhai Tiantian is true?
| A．He set fire to a campus building. |
| B．He argued with a professor because he received a low mark. |
| C．He has received a doctor’s degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology. |
| D．He is facing a serious charge because he murdered the professor. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Du Juan’s unpleasant experience abroad. |
| B．Confusion caused by translation. |
| C．Conservational skills in a foreign country. |
| D．Cultural differences between China and America. |
Believe it or not, optical illusion(错觉) can cut highway crashes.
Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent strips, called chevrons（人字形标志）, painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.
Now the American Automobile Association Foundations For Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.
Excessive（过分） speed plays a major role in as much as one fifty of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards(危险) are the greatest-curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.
Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.
Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane（车道） appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction of highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.The passage mainly discusses________.
| A．a new way of highway speed control |
| B．a new pattern for painting highway |
| C．a new way of training drivers |
| D．a new type of optical illusion |
On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that________.
| A．they should avoid speed-related hazards |
| B．they are driving in the wrong lane |
| C．they should slow down their speed |
| D．they are coming near to the speed limit |
According to the foundation,____can cause serious traffic accident
| A． the straight, horizontal bars |
| B．greatest curves |
| C．exit slops , traffic circles, bridges |
| D． Over-speed driving |
The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former______.
| A．can keep drivers awake |
| B．can cut road accidents in half |
| C．will look more attractive |
| D．will have a longer effect on drivers |
The Americans automobile association foundation for traffic safety plans to____.
| A．try out the Japanese method in certain areas |
| B．change the road signs across the country |
| C．replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons |
| D．repeat the Japanese road patterns |
2010 was a good year for American farmers. They earned about eighty-two billion dollars. That is almost one-third more than that they earned last year. And it is twenty-six percent higher than the ten-year average. Values for grain and oilseed crops are up about three percent from last year. The value of animal production is up by almost seven percent.
In 2011, farm exports are expected to break the all-time high set in 2008.The Agriculture Department says exports in 2011 could top one hundred and twenty-six billion dollars. The largest buyer of agricultural products is expected to be Canada. But farm exports to China are predicted to come within five hundred million dollars of Canadian purchases. Secretary Vilsack says countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are also buying more from American farmers.
Poor growing conditions overseas played an important part in higher prices for American crops in 2010.Charlotte Hebe brand is chief executive of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council in Washington. She said drought(干旱)conditions had a big effect over the summer. She said,“There were horrible weather problems, not just in Russia but also in some of the other former Soviet Union countries.”
Wheat prices rose after Russia stopped wheat exports,although Russia later eased the ban(禁令).“Wheat used to be America’s top crop. What’s interesting,though,is that wheat production has actually become less over the past few years because corn has become the most popular crop,”said economist Charlotte Hebebrand.
Corn is mostly fed to animals. But Miss Hebebrand said with the recent increase in wheat prices, American farmers might plant more wheat again. Corn and wheat are the two largest crops supported by the government.We know that compared to 2009,in 2010 American farmers——.
| A．planted less corn | B．planted morn crops |
| C．planted morn wheat | D．earned more money |
What does the Agriculture Department expect in 2011?
| A． Agriculture exports will continue to increase. |
| B． China will be the largest buyer of agriculture products |
| C． America will export food to every country around the world |
| D． Southeast Asian countries will start buying food from America |
What is implied in Paragraph 3?
| A． America farming also was greatly affected in 2010 |
| B． Russia was not the country most affected by drought in 2010 |
| C． Weather problems helped raise prices for American crops in 2010 |
| D． American crops were the most expensive around the world in 2010 |
We can infer that in the past few years American farmers——
| A． reduced crop exports |
| B． increased corn production |
| C． increased wheat production |
| D． increased investment in farming |
According to what Miss Hebebrand said, we know American farmers will ——
| A．stop feeding corn to animals |
| B．export most of their corn |
| C．try to increased wheat production |
| D．try to get more support from the governmet |