There is a saying in French—“Si vieillesse pouvait, si jeunesse savait”—which means roughly “if age had the ability, if youth had the knowledge.” I was reminded of this saying the other day when I saw an interview with a distinguished Asian neurosurgeon(神经外科医生), now retired, about the impact of computer technology on modern surgery.
He was referring to the difficulty people of his age had in using the new techniques, but also to the fact that younger surgeons, who are more comfortable with the technology, lack some of the wisdom of experience.
It struck me that this problem is not just confined(局限于) to specialized fields such as medicine, but is widespread in modern life. There are many areas where the rapid growth of technology has widened the generation gap.
Young people are at ease with modern technology and propose all sorts of ways for using and developing it. But they often lack the experience needed to see further into the future to the possible dangers that a particular development may cause.
Older people see all sorts of difficulties and dangers, but are sometimes ignored, or even accused of being against progress, if they point out potential problems. Equally, they may see potential uses, but not have the technical skills to put them into practice themselves or the trust in the younger generation to do so.
Enthusiasm and inexperience come into conflict with caution and arrogance, usually with unsatisfactory results for both sides.
What is needed is the development of a partnership, based on mutual respect, which can deliver real progress by combining enthusiasm and caution in a constructive way, rather than in conflict with each other. The old need to give the younger generation the time, the resources and, above all, the authority to develop new ideas and use their skills. In exchange, the young need to turn more actively to the older generation to seek their advice and exploit their greater experience of the world in foreseeing and overcoming potential problems.The passage is mainly about ________.
A.the impact of computer technology on modern surgery |
B.an interview with a distinguished Asian neurosurgeon |
C.new generation gap between the old and the young |
D.a conflict between knowledge and experience |
The French saying in the first paragraph is used to ________.
A.introduce the topic |
B.show the difference between French and English |
C.make readers confused |
D.prove the writer’s wisdom |
What did the retired neurosurgeon probably mention in his interview?
A.Old people’s enthusiasm in obtaining new technology. |
B.Old people’s difficulty in using computers. |
C.Young surgeons’ bad manners in working. |
D.Young surgeons’ difficulty in getting experience. |
In the writer’s view, what advantage do the older generation have?
A.They are happy with modern technology. |
B.They are easy to learn new techniques. |
C.They can foresee the future of the young generation. |
D.They are rich in work experience. |
What conclusion can be drawn from the last paragraph?
A.The young and the old should respect and learn from each other. |
B.The young should teach the old modern technology. |
C.The old should maintain their authority in every field. |
D.The young and the old should work independently. |
The words of Gandhi, Einstein and other great thinkers are to be quoted in service announcements on London’s Underground.
Transport for London has asked Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller to edit a list of mottos to be used by tube drivers.Gandhi’s “there is more to life than increasing its speed” and the artist Cezanne’s “we live in a rain-bow of chaos” are among the quotes.Deller hopes they will make passengers’ journeys a bit more thought-provoking(发人深省的).
Deller’s original plan was to abolish all public announcements for a day.“It makes me feel annoyed,” he said.“It’s like some psychological warfare(战争 ) on the passengers.”
But his idea was refused by the manager of Transport for London, who instead agreed to the plan of replacing some announcements with something more human and attractive.
Sally Shaw, who is running the scheme for Transport for London, says it is part of an attempt to improve day-to-day interaction and rely less on automated announcements.
“I think everyone has their own little philosophy on their journeys.And if we can get more of that out in the air, that would be great,” she said.
Susy Wells, one of the drivers to test the idea out on the London Underground, is also enthusiastic about it.
She said, “I like to make my own announcements and it’s nice to get passengers to think as well.”
What’s more, some quotes are helpful to the drivers.They help the passengers become more understanding about the drivers’ work.
The quotes such as Thomas Fuller’s “a stumble(绊脚) may prevent a fall” are popular for helping explain why a little inconvenience was sometimes necessary to keep the system safe.
1.The underlined phrase “tube drivers” probably means______.
A.taxi drivers B.subway drivers
C.truck drivers D.bus drivers
2.Why did Deller want to abolish all public announcements on the underground?
A.Because they cause a war among passengers.
B.Because the public announcements make Deller tired.
C.Because the public announcements are dull.
D.All public announcements are not suitable for the passengers.
3.The reason why the sayings are to be quoted on London’s Underground is ______.
A.that everyone has their own life motto
B.that sayings are believed to be more human and attractive
C.that sayings can help develop spiritual civilization in London
D.that saying can make drivers think more
4.The best title of this passage would be _____.
A.Changes on London’s Underground
B.Culture on London’s Underground
C.Some Quotes Seen on London’s Underground
D.Introduction to London’s Underground
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature.However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry.Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water.Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition.This causes major environmental effects.For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports.Power walking is one of them that you could take up today.You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse.Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit.If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones.Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials.But the final goal should be “green gyms”.They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers.Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces.There is no special requirement for you to start your membership.And best of all, it’s free.
1.The author thinks the golf is resource-hungry because of the following EXCEPT that_____.
A.Golf wastes large areas of countryside
B.Golf runs out of much water
C.Keeping golf court in good condition needs too much energy
D.Golf is bad for people’s health
2.According to the passage, which of the following is an environment-friendly sport?
A.swimming in the pool B.hiking in the hills
C.playing basketball in the gym D.motor racing in the desert
3.The reason why the author uses power walking as an example mainly is because _________.
A.it improves our health B.it uses fewer resources
C.it is an outdoor sport D.it is recommended by experts
4.The purpose of the author’s writing this passage is to ______.
A.show us the function of major sports
B.encourage us to go in for green sports
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
The devastation of Typhoon Morakot over Taiwan and eastern China is a reminder that the northwest Pacific is the most dangerous region in the world for tropical storms.The worst of these are typhoons, which are the same as hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, or cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia.They all have winds of more than 118km/h (73mph) spinning around a central core.
These storms start off as a mass of thunderstorms in the tropics outside the Equator.Given the right conditions, they form a bigger and more organised storm and feed off warm seas at more than 26.5C (80F) to get the fuel that they need to become a fully-fledged(羽毛丰满的) typhoon, hurricane or cyclone.Each storm is like a heat engine, extracting heat from the warm, humid air over the sea and turning it into phenomenal amounts of energy — equivalent to about 200 times the entire world’s electrical generating capacity.But warm, moist air is not enough — these storms also need slack winds aloft, because strong high-altitude winds can rip off the top of the storm clouds and send the entire storm tumbling(翻跟头).
The damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds, or the storm surges from the sea as the winds pile up water into a huge battering ram(冲击夯) that floods coastlines.But the devastation from Typhoon Morakot came from its unbelievable rainfall — about a year’s average rain in some places — that set off landslides and mudslides.
1.According to the first paragraph, the common point among typhoons,hurricanes and cyclones is _______.
A.that they all come from the oceans
B.that they all have winds of over 118km/h spinning around a central core
C.that they all cause great damage
D.that they all can generate electricity
2.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Typhoon Morakat devestates Taiwan and eastern China
B.How is the typhoon formed?
C.Typhoon Morakot was how to devestate the areas it travelled
D.How terrible is Typhoon Morakat!
3.The devastation from Typhoon Morakot is mainly from ______.
A.its windB.its rainfall
C.landslides and mudslides D.the storm
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.Taiwan is off the northwest Pacific
B.the damage from tropical storms often comes from their winds
C.tropical storms often happen
D.tropical storms only need warm, moist air
第二部分阅读理解(共25小题;第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题1分,满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
Do you know of Guo Degang? In recent months he has become well known in China as a crosstalker.He has never performed on TV before, but attending his crosstalk performance is becoming increasingly fashionable in Beijing, especially for youth and school children.
Guo arrived in Beijing from Tianjin in 1995 and came across a teahouse where he found several young people performing crosstalk.Being a crosstalker himself, he couldn’t help taking to the stage.Gradually, more and more people came to the teahouse to see him perform.He soon found himself playing to audiences numbering more than 100 in a teahouse that could only contain 80.
As his popularity grew, Guo thought over the future of his art.“Traditional crosstalk is at least half an hour long, but performances are no longer than five minutes on TV, which kills much of the story.TV is part of the fast-food culture and crosstalk is a face-to-face art form — it needs interaction (交流), and is not suited to TV,” Guo said.He decided to bring it back to its roots: the teahouse and theater.
In 1996, Guo and some young crosstalk actors founded Deyun Crosstalk Association.Over the next ten years, the association organized countless performances in teahouses across Beijing.Despite their growing popularity, Guo ensured (确保) that ticket prices were kept low to make the art form accessible to everyone.Tickets to his performances are still 20 yuan today.And in keeping with technology and modern times, the association set up a BBS site on the Internet where fans could download recordings and discuss performances with actors.
He hopes that through their efforts, more young people will learn to appreciate crosstalk and perhaps train to be crosstalkers themselves.
1.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A.Guo Degang and his traditional crosstalk
B.A traditional art form—crosstalk
C.The development history of crosstalk
D.Deyun Crosstalk Association
2.From the passage, we can know the crosstalk originates(源于) from ________.
A.the TV show B.the teahouse and theater
C.the cinema D.the common people
3.According to the passage, Deyun Crosstalk Association set up a BBS site on the internet to ________.
A.let fans download recordings
B.have fans discuss performances with actors
C.keep up with modern technology
D.ask more people appreciate their favorite crosstalk
4.From the passage, we can know the following EXCEPT________.
A.the crosstalk is a face-to- face art which needs interaction
B.Guo was a crosstalker when he was in Tianjing
C.the performances of Guo are very popular
D.the tickets to Guo’s performances may rise in future
A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility, to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The problems faced by the old in society.
B. Why we should take responsibility for the old.
C. How we can improve the lives of the old.
D. Where the old can go to get their pensions.
3. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.
B. Increase savings levels of people during their working years.
C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.
D. Make available pensions for those who have retired.
3. The underlined word "viable" most probably means"".
A. impossible B. practical C. useful D. successful
4. What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?
A. To point out the need for government support for old people.
B. To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.
C. To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.
D. To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.