I visited the nearby car factory today with my uncle, who works there. One thing I noticed was that most of the work is now done by robots. Welding (焊接), painting, testing, and many other jobs are performed by robots now.
The whole dashboard (仪表板) of the car is now put into the car from above, through the windshield, by a robot. It would have taken two men to do this in the past, and it would have hurt their backs quite a bit. It got me thinking: is it a good thing that robots are replacing factory workers? On one hand, robots generally do a more accurate job than people. They aren’t likely to make many mistakes, and if something goes wrong with one car, an alarm goes off. They do exactly the same thing, every time, without fail. A human worker is never able to do exactly the same thing every time. On the other hand, robots also reduce costs for companies. Companies don’t have to pay robots wages or injury compensation (补偿) if they’re broken. If something in a robot does go wrong, it won’t have to take time off work for a year, or even forever, as could happen to a real person if he breaks his back or burn himself while welding.
The obvious downside to all of this is that it increases the unemployment rate. The company will have to bring in some very talented individuals who know how to operate the robots. Unlike regular factory workers, these intelligence workers usually demand a higher pay.
We can learn from the first paragraph that _______.
| A．all the workers are replaced by robots now |
B．robots do much of the work instead of workers now |
C．there were no workers in the car factory |
D．the author’s uncle made robots in the factory |
According to the text robots _______.
| A．can do work as accurately as workers |
B．never break down |
C．can do exactly the same thing repeatedly |
D．ask for less money from companies |
The underlined word "downside" in the last paragraph probably means "_______".
| A．weakness | B．favor | C．assistance | D．strength |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _______.
A．companies refuse to pay for intelligence workers |
B．robots have helped all of the workers |
C．robots can help solve the problem of unemployment |
D．using robots in factories widely will have a long way to go |
What is the author’s attitude towards using robots in factories?
| A．He is doubtful about it. | B．He thinks it necessary. |
C．He is strongly against it. | D． The text doesn’t mention it. |
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers (扬声器) and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. But most of the radio broadcast is music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to me
et him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
Besides pop music, there are two other kinds of music that is important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. The other is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music. In America, every student likes ______.
| A．folk music | B．country music | C．pop music | D．western music |
According to the passage, most of the car radio broadcast is ______.
| A．sports | B．the weather | C．politics | D．music |
What do the cowboys do according to the passage?
| A．They sell cows. | B．They watch cows. |
| C．They sing and dance. | D．They travel around. |
How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Music in America | B．Music Listeners |
| C．Cowboys in America | D．International Language |
Clarissa looked out of the taxi window at the wet road. It was still raining. She was looking forward to getting home after a busy and tiring week in Italy.
The taxi stopped outside the terminal and Clarissa got out. While she was finding some money in her purse, the driver took out her luggage. She picked up her suitcase and entered the terminal building. The British airways check—in desk was near the entrance. After checking in her luggage, she went to buy some magazines. Then she went through passport control and the security check.
After waiting in line with 
other passengers, Clarissa walked down the corridor and onto the plane. Her seat was next to the window. While the plane was taking off, she closed her eyes, but when the plane was in the air, she began to relax. She pressed the button at the side of the seat, lay back and opened her eyes again.
Pin! The sound of the bell woke Clarissa from her dreams. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Heathrow. Will you fasten your seatbelts and extinguish all your cigarettes.”
When the plane landed and c
ame to a standstill, Clarissa saw that outside the sun was shining and the sky was clear. It was going to be a perfect day. When in Italy Clarissa was ______.
| A．airsick | B．sick | C．seasick | D．homesick |
Choose the right order when Clarissa went back home.
a. She waited in line for a while. b. She passed through the airport control.
c. She took a taxi to catch her plane.
d. She bought some magazines to read in the plane.
e. 
She went through the check - in desk.
f. she went through the security-check door. g. She went aboard the plane.
| A．c,e,d,b,f,a,g | B．c,f,d,e,a,b,g | C．d,e,f,b,g,e,a | D．a,c,d,e,b,f,g |
When the plane took off or before the plane was in the air, Clarissa was probably __.
A. gladＢ. anxious C. nervous D. relax
ed We know from the text ______.
| A．before the plane took off, smoking was not allowed. |
| B．just before landing, people were asked not to smoke. |
| C．when the plane took off and landed, smoking was not allowed. |
D．smokin g was not allowed all the way to Heathrow. |
In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, genero
us and real, yet fade away in a short time if situations change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while— then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it left off and are delighted.
In the States, you can feel free to visit people’s homes, share their holidays, or enjoy their lives without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation(义务). Do not h
esitate to accept hospitality（好客） because you can’t 
give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as only home—cooked food, not “ doing something for your guest”. It is felt that restaurant entertaining, shows more respect and welcome. Or for other different reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one’s home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.
Don’t feel neglected if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either. Flowers are very expensive there; hotel delivery is uncertain; arrival times are delayed, changed, or 
canceled —— so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands; the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.In the United States, you will find friendships ______ if circumstances change.
| A．die suddenly | B．pass away |
| C．disappear gradually | D．last forever |
Americans _____ their foreign friends to make a return for their hospitality.
| A．ask | B．don’t expect | C．never allow | D．wish |
In some other countries, giving a dinner party at home is considered ______ than in a restaurant.
| A．less friendly | B．less hospitable | C．more natural | D．more popular |
According to the passage, which of the follow
ing is NOT true?
| A．Flowers are signs of outward welcome. |
| B．Flowers are expensive. |
| C．Flowers are available at all time. |
D．Flowers are not necessarily sen t to guests. |
Situated in the South West of England, between Exeter and Plymouth, Torquay is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Britain. It provides a variety of entertainment, sports of every kind and cultural facilities, all set in a position of outstanding natural beauty. Visitors can choose between luxury hotels by the sea, with private suites（套房），swimming pools and saunas, and comfortable but less expensive guest houses. There are camping sites, too, and hundreds of houses displaying“B & B”signs.
As well as a number of small quiet bays, which are ideal for beach barbecues away from the crowds, Torquay has large sandy beaches where you can buy refreshments（饮料）and hire deck chairs, boats and even beach huts. There are large areas of grassland overlooking the sea, and miles of winding cliff paths for walkers who just want to enjoy the scenery and what is often said to be the healthiest air in the country. For the sportsmen and women there are opportunities not only for golf, tennis, squash and bowls, but also for water-skiing, hang-gliding and deep-sea fishing.
After a day in the open air, there’s lots to do in the evenings, too. There are plenty of discos, the occasional opera or ballet, and summer variety shows in the seafront theatres. For the children, there is a beautiful model village with a complicated railway layout which is remarkably realistic-especially when the lights are all on at night.
Of course, there’s no need to spend your whole holidays in Torquay. Only a s
hort drive away is Dartmoor National Park, where you can walk for miles through dramatic, unspoiled countryside, or picnic by beautiful rivers and streams. Or, nearer to home, you can sail across Tor Bay to the lovely old fishing village of Brixham.
Torquay seems to have something for everyone. But don’t take my word for it----come and see for yourself. Which of the following best explains what “B & B” means on the signs?
| A．Beach and barbecue | B．Breakfast and bath |
| C．Bed and breakfast | D．Beautiful and British |
According to the text Torquay might be described as.
| A．comfortable and expensive | B．remote and beautiful |
| C．croweded and lively | D．fresh and healthy |
What is special about the model village?
| A．It opens at night. | B．It has a real railway system. |
| C．It’s in the open air. | D．It has something for the children |
What is the purpose of writing this text?
| A．To introduce the geography of Torquay to students. |
| B．To make some places known to visitors. |
| C．To show the beauty of resorts. |
| D．To attract more tourists. |
Ed Jocelyn and Andy McEwen might have appeared to be a bit mad---the
two set off on their own “Long March” through the remotest regions of China on October 16. The idea was to take a year to retrace one of the epic movements of modern military history.
The two British men in their mid-30s were working as editors in Beijing when they decided to reexperience
the tales of the original marches. “We hold these people in such respect,” McEwen says.
They plan to keep diaries but will not share the contents during the trip. “When we get to the end we’ll put our heads together and try and come up with a book,” Jocelyn said.
Their trip has had some auspicious beginning, they have already met two Long March veterans(老战士) in less than a month of travel.
In this modern version, the pair are aided by high-tech equipment including a satellite phone, mini-computer, video camera and solar panels to recharge batteries. A mountain tent and portable stove will help them in the remoter stretches.
They plan to average 35-40 kilometers a day, and rest about every third day. Ed admitted that their trip would be very tough.
If they succeed, they will be the first foreigners to complete the entire Long March route since Otto Braun, the German military advisor who accompanied the Red Army on the Long March. This text is mainly about.
| A．high-tech equipment helpful to the Long March |
| B．first foreigners to walk the Long March |
| C．British recall of the Long March spirit |
| D．British editors’ adventure original in China |
The underlined word “auspicious” most probably means.
| A．friendly | B．favourable | C．strange | D．surprising |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about the two foreigners?
| A．They will use anything modern on the way. |
| B．They will do some cooking by themselves. |
C．They’re planning to have a book pu blished one year later. |
| D．They will send off news about what happens day by day. |