The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live－affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演员) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment－roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back－for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．future travel | B．big ideas and dreams |
| C．advanced technology | D．the influence of travel |
We learn from the passage that flying cars ________.
| A．will operate only in the sky |
| B．will be more expensive than common cars |
| C．will have few bad effects on the environment |
| D．won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have |
With Jet Packs, we can do all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．attend a party | B．clean high windows |
| C．go shopping | D．have a long journey |
As for driverless taxis, we can infer that ________.
| A．we can go wherever we want in them |
| B．they will be both convenient and safe |
| C．it costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars |
| D．they will be operated by computers as well as by people |
One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire after working for forty years. Jack said in surprise, “I’m only seven, so it means Grandpa has been … er… A really long time!”
His parents said, “Yes. That’s why we are going to have a surprise party for him.”
Jack loved his Grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position (职位) on that card, so he decided to build a new one for his grandpa.
When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn’t want to put his gift together with others’. He carried it around with him the whole evening.
When all the other people left, he took his grandpa’s hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift.
His grandpa smiled, “Well, it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?” “Sure!” Jack said excitedly.
As Grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with his new position: FULL-TIME GRANDPA! Jack said, “Now your full-time job is my grandpa!”
“Well, how much do I get paid?” his grandpa asked, smiling. “As many hugs (拥抱) as you want!” With these words, Jack gave Grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the richest man in the world!” said Grandpa.Jack remembered _____ his grandpa had given him two years before.
| A．the birthday card | B．the toy |
| C．the book | D．the business card |
What did Jack decide to do for his grandpa?
| A．To build a new position for him. |
| B．To draw a picture for him. |
| C．To sing a song for him. |
| D．To buy a gift for him. |
Why were there tears in Grandpa’s eyes?
| A．Because he would lose his position. |
| B．Because he was not cared for. |
| C．Because he was moved by Jack’s gift. |
| D．Because he was unhappy. |
Birthdays often involve surprises. But this year's surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic.
On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits （画像）of William Shakespeare is a fake. This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like. “It's very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one,” said an expert from Britain's National Portrait Gallery.
The discovery comes after four months of testing using X-rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples. The experts from the gallery say the image —commonly known as the “Flower portrait”— was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare's death. The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture. These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814. Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609.
“We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840. This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays,” Tarnya Cooper, the gallery's curator (馆长), told the Associated President.
The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays. It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“There have always been questions about the painting,” said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture.”
Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation and the results will come out later this month.________.What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?
| A．It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609. |
| B．The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake. |
| C．Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one. |
| D．It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays around 1818 to 1840. |
Which statement is True according to the passage?
| A．Portraits of Shakespeare are all unreliable. |
| B．“Flower portrait” was a portrait of Shakespeare given to Desmond Flower. |
| C．1814 might be when the portrait was drawn. |
| D．The Flower portrait is not often used as a cover for Shakespeare's play. |
How many methods were used to test the portrait?
| A．Not mentioned. | B．Two |
| C．Three | D．At least four. |
The best title for this passage is ________.
| A．Birthdays often involve surprises |
| B．The surprise on the 441st birthday of Shakespeare |
| C．One portrait of Shakespeare is a fake |
| D．How can we know Shakespeare's appearance? |
Which is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the last paragraph?
| A．Soon we'll know which portrait is reliable. |
| B．Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare. |
| C．If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more. |
| D．For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery |
Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style. But no two shows are more opposite in content（内容）, while at the same time standing out（突出） above the others, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of “rubbish talk”. The contents on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people’s lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a “final word”. He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Although it is clean, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show’s main viewers are middleclass（中产阶级） Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and ability to deal with life’s tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to-21-year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show.Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are ___.
| A．more interesting | B．more popular |
| C．more detailed（详细的） | D．more formal |
Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the
shows_______.
| A．are interested in them. |
| B．have to accept them. |
| C．are cold to them. |
| D．are willing to get away from them. |
Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
| A．A murder | B．Nation hatred（憎恨） |
| C．Family income planning | D．Street accidents. |
We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows_____.
| A．have become the only ones of its kind. |
| B．talks about the weaknesses in human nature. |
| C．appear at different times of the day. |
| D．attract different people. |
A little homeless girl stood crying near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “ I can’t go to Sunday school.” She cried to the priest (牧师) as he walked by. The priest took her inside. The child was very happy because they found a room for her. She went to bed that night thinking of the children who had no place to sleep or pray in.
Two years later, the girl died there. As her little body was being moved, a worn and red purse was found, which she had found in the rubbish. Inside the purse was 57cents and a note, written in childish handwriting, which read: “This is to help make the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.”
After the priest tearfully read that note, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion(热爱) to others. Soon, a newspaper reported on it. It was read by a wealthy man who offered the church a piece of land worth many thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not pay much, he offered to sell it to the little church for 57 cents. Soon, the church collected a large amount of money. Within five years, the girl’s gift had increased to $250,000. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, visit Temple Baptist Church, Temple University, and the Sunday school building. No child here is left outside on Sunday school days again. One of the rooms of the Sunday school building is hanged with the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents made such a remarkable and real history.How did the girl feel when she thought of other homeless kids?
| A．Joyful. | B．Lucky. |
| C．Sympathetic. | D．Shameful. |
The author’s purpose of writing this passage is probably to ____.
| A．tell people to give money to the church mentioned in the article |
| B．try to make people remember that little girl and that priest forever |
| C．look forward to having more people to go to the church to pray for the best |
| D．express admiration to the little girl showing her unselfish love to others |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Poor and Rich. |
| B．What Fifty-seven Cents Can Do? |
| C．A New Sunday School. |
| D．A Red Purse. |
Blogs have become an important part of life. Millions of people have blogs. Perhaps you would like to have one; you would like to improve your blog; perhaps you would like to make your blog as a means of earning money or attracting more people. Whatever your aim is, this course shows you how to become better bloggers. You will learn how to find the right tone for your blog, set it up and keep it, write something that are effective and worth reading, and attract people from all over the world to your blog. While it’s simple to start a blog, it takes energy and skill to do it really well, as is true of any kind of writing.
Among the topics covered: introduction to the blog, the benefits of blogging, focusing on your blog concept, how to set up and keep a page, tips for effective blog writing and drawing visitors to your blog.
Course offered
How to blog
In this four-week course, a blogging expert will guide you through the process of designing, setting up, writing, and improving a blog. Each student will talk with the expert on blog, then set up a “live” blog and introduce it to the rest of the class for suggestions. Students will also have chances to ask the expert questions.
Online classes
Tuition(学费): $ 125. Registration(注册): $ 25.
Each class is strictly limited to 25 students aged 18 and up.
| Start |
New Lecture |
Location |
Time |
| Jan.12 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Feb. 9 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
| Mar. 16 |
Wednesday |
Online |
24 hrs. a day |
In the course, you will learn something Except _________.
| A．focusing on your blog concept |
| B．how to follow others’ blog |
| C．the benefits of blogging |
| D．how to set up a blog |
What do we know about the course?
| A．There are more than 25 students in each class. |
| B．The course is intended for teenagers under 18. |
| C．New lectures are given each day. |
| D．It will cost you $ 150 to learn the course. |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．an online course about how to blog |
| B．an online plan on writing |
| C．an online program about blog history |
| D．an online competition in writing blogs |
Which word can be used to describe the course for bloggers?
| A．Difficult. | B．Simple. |
| C．Helpful. | D．Boring. |