Farmers can produce more by planting several different crops in the same field.But their success depends on which crops they plant together and how they mix (混合) them in the filed.In the past, the only way the farmers could learn which crops grow best together is to plant them and wait for the results.Now, however, a computer can give them answers.A new computer program written by Dr John Vanderwell of Michigan University can tell a farmer which plants grow well together and which do not.It can tell him how to plant the different crops; if he should plant each in a separate row, or mix the crops in the same row.It can tell the farmer how changes in planting each of the crops will affect the production of all of them.And it can tell him which plants can help reduce losses (损失) from diseases.Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Computer helps find the best program for mixing plants. |
| B．Computer helps produce more crops. |
| C．Computer helps protect against insects and diseases. |
| D．Computer helps grow different plants. |
According to the passage, to get the best result, one needs to choose carefully ________.
| A．the kinds of crops to be planted together |
| B．the way for different crops to be mixed |
| C．both A and B |
| D．either A or B |
It seems the new computer program can NOT tell us ________.
| A．whether we should grow cotton and tomato together |
| B．how we should plant cotton and tomato together |
| C．what will happen if we grow potato, instead of tomato, together with cotton |
| D．how we can grow rice in the tomato field |
The new computer program seems most useful in saving us ________.
| A．man power | B．seeds | C．time | D．land |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Computers can tell farmers how many plants can grow together. |
| B．With the help of computers farmers don't have to do a lot of work. |
| C．With the help of computers farmers can get better results. |
| D．The change of one plant may cause a change in production. |
Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site badoo. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.
But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy(哲学). “Cool” relates to ideas of grace(优雅) under pressure.
“In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life. ”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War Ⅱ. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪) . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time, ” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities(权威). He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies(欺凌弱小者). In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America —a time when being smart is the new cool, ” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs are mentioned in the first paragraph to ________.
| A．introduce the topic |
| B．draw our attention |
| C．tell us what they have in common |
| D．tell us what is “cool” |
If you were considered “cool” in Africa in the 15th century, you ________.
| A．thought and acted differently from the majority |
| B．had a calm and quiet attitude towards life |
| C．didn’t observe rules and authorities |
| D．had all kinds of “bad” manners |
The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.
| A．do very well in their studies |
| B．are very skilled at sports |
| C．are good at chess and other thinking games. |
| D．have supernatural powers like Harry Potter |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the article？
| A．It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd. |
| B．“Cool” was used as early as the 15th century. |
| C．Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays. |
| D．Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”. |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．The origin of the word “cool”. |
| B．The kinds of people who are “cool”. |
| C．The changing meaning of the word “cool”. |
| D．How to be a “ cool” person. |
I was in a terrible mood．Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me．I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in．“Want to go for a ride，today，Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No ! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning．
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later．I forgot to be mad at them and when I came home to find a note on the table．My mother put it where I would be sure to see it．“Dad has had an accident．Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”．
When I reached the hospital，my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911，thank God! If he had moved Daddy，there’s no telling what might have happened．A broken rib（肋骨）might have pierced（穿透）a lung….”
My mother may have said more，but I didn’t hear．I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words：Leave me alone．My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more．How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation．I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him．
“Daddy… I am so sorry….”
“It’s okay，sweetheart．I'll be okay．”
“No，”I said，“I mean about what I said to you that day．You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly．He looked at me and said．“Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day，not before，during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before，though．”He managed a weak smile．
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power．They can hurt or they can heal．And we all have the power to choose our words．I intend to do that very carefully from now on.The author was in bad mood that morning because .
| A．his father had a terrible accident |
| B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
| C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
| D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
| A．Because he didn’t go along with his father． |
| B．Because he was rude to his father that morning． |
| C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident． |
| D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that．
| A．he had a poor memory |
| B．he didn’t want to comfort his son |
| C．he just wanted to comfort his son |
| D．he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
| A．Don’t treat your parents badly． |
| B．Don’t hurt others with rude words． |
| C．Don’t move the injured in an accident． |
| D．Don’t be angry with friends at small thin |
Modeled after US hot website Groupon.com, group buying websites are now popular in China．These websites use the power of group buying to get competitive discounts （打折）for a daily deal on some best stuff to do, see, eat and buy in the cities across China．Discounts（打折）are available within just one click．Zhao lei, a software engineer in Beijing, loves the one-hour lunch break at noon as it is the best time for him to check “today’s special” at his favorite group buying websites ．Sometimes he searches for great deals at directory sites devoted to the new shopping space．Zhao spends around 800 yuan（$117.65）on group buying every month, mostly to buy food coupons （优惠劵）for eating at some nice restaurants and occasionally （偶尔的）to find something fun to do．“ I love group buying．In addition to the competitive discounts it offers, it helps me get something fun, exciting and new, and such surprises give me a reason to try something new,” he said．When he finds a really good bargain, he will send the link to friends or colleagues through MSN,QQ, or e-mail, or share the information at some social networking websites．In doing so, he often gets a certain cut off the price．At some sites, buyers are invited to leave notes about what they want to buy and the website will consider it if similar applications（申请）reach a certain number．That is how Zhao got her digital camera after waiting for two months．“It is cool．I want to buy a new digital camera for my trip to Switzerland this winter, but I never expected such cheap prices!” Zhao said.We can learn from the passage that________．
| A．China is the first country to start group buying |
| B．the price of group buying depends on the market |
| C．you can’t get the best you need through group buying |
| D．group buying is becoming popular in China |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Zhao Lei has to spend about 800 yuan on group buying per month. |
| B．Zhao Lei never surfs at other directory sites for group buying. |
| C．Zhao Lei finds it easy to do group buying. |
| D．Zhao Lei can’t buy food coupons to eat at a nice restaurant. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Zhao Lei`s online purchasing life. |
| B．Group buying |
| C．The US hot websites |
| D．A new digital camera |
Zhao Lei succeeded in getting a certain cut off the price by__________．
| A．bargaining face to face |
| B．discussing with the sellers |
| C．providing the link to others |
| D．inviting others to talk about the price |
Arthur Miller （1915-2005）is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller’s father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, attracted like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early l930s.
Miller’s most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as symbol of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sympathy: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.Why did Arthur Miller’s father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream”. |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed. |
The play Death of a Salesman _______________.
| A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
| B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
| C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
| D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman __________.
| A．achieved huge success |
| B．won the first Tony Award |
| C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
| D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using “sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found．
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year．Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day．The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie．It usually came after they hit the “ignore" button when their mobile rang．
Three quarters of people think women are better liars．The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men．
The second most common fib is “I haven't got any cash on me” when asked for money by beggars and Big Issue sellers．“Nothing's wrong – I'm fine” came third followed by “You look lovely” and “Nice to see you”．
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with “I didn't get your text” in 18th, “Our server was down” in 20th and “My battery died” in 26th place．Other lies to make the top ten included “I'll give you a ring”, “We're just good friends” and “We'll have to meet up soon”．“I'm on my way” and “No, your bum doesn't look big in that” completed the top ten．
In many cases perhaps it is better to delight someone with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for One Poll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults．He added: ‘As a nation we just like trying to be nice and not upsetting people．Often little white lies can cover what we actually want to say．Most of these were considered completely harmless．’“You look lovely” and “Sorry, I had no signal” ranked __________ on the popular-lie list．
| A．fourth and tenth | B．fourth and first |
| C．third and tenth | D．third and first |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．sentence | B．expression |
| C．excuse | D．lie |
How many lies does an average Briton tell on average every month?
| A．About 120 | B．About 360 |
| C．About 1,500 | D．About 4 |