It should be very clear that we live in a most spectacular(壮观的)time. It’s a time when information is of primary importance. It’s a time when new information technologies are fundamentally transforming the world in every aspect. Among the changes, which have come upon modern society, the ones in education are probably the most obvious and influential. New information technologies are accelerating changes in education, at the same time presenting revolutionary tools with the potential to make education more efficient and more effective than ever.
The application of new information technologies has remarkably promoted the process of education. Online learning is probably the best case in point. As is often the case with “technology”, online learning may appear to be horrible; it can sound like alphabet soup sometimes. Now let’s see whether you can understand all this. You can participate in CBT at a CLC via the convenience of IDL. What does it all mean? Let me translate: GBT—Computer-Based Training; CLC—Computer Learning Center; IDL—Interactive Distance Learning. Sound complicated? Not really. Online learning is much less complicated than it seems. Students can learn at any time, anywhere, at any speed. They can make their own learning schedules and follow their own paths to suit their lifestyles. In my university, every semester there’re several online courses available, which need no class meetings or paper materials. The only thing I have to do is just to get online regularly as I wish, and download necessary learning materials. Then everything I need to know about the course is only a click away.
But online learning is not perfect; it’s like the microwave oven: it does some things better, but it is not a complete replacement for the traditional model. The traditional classroom model for education and learning is hard to leave behind. Because humans are social creatures, there’re times when we need to see each other face-to-face for interactive learning. A social and personal connection often builds effective teams, solves problems, and inspires confidence. So one possible solution is to combine online learning with the old traditional classroom learning , which not only makes the learning process faster and cheaper, but also highlights the interactions between teachers and students.
The bottom line: the Internet is the most important educational tool in the information age and online learning will become a main part of every individual’s learning experience in the future. That’s exactly how we will move knowledge from the ones who have it to the ones who need it faster and cheaper, and that’s how we’re going to survive in the information age.The most suitable title for the passage should be “___________.”
A.Education in the information age |
B.Advantages and disadvantages of online learning |
C.Online learning vs classroom learning |
D.How to survive in the information age |
In Paragraph 3 the microwave oven is mentioned as an example to indicate that_________.
A.online learning needs improving |
B.online learning doesn’t suit everyone |
C.online learning will exist alongside the traditional model |
D.online learning is more advanced than the traditional model |
Which of the following descriptions about online learning is NOT true according to the passage?
A.It is more efficient and effective. |
B.It is convenient to both teachers and students. |
C.It stresses interactions between teachers and students. |
D.It is a cheaper way of learning. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
A.not all the people are in favor of online learning |
B.it is not easy to combine online learning with classroom learning |
C.in the future all the courses will be available online |
D.in a sense our survival in the world depends on online learning |
“Do you like doing things for people?”I asked a friend.
“Yes,most of the time,”she replied.
“Most of the time?”
“Well,I love to do things that are unexpected. I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing,”she said.
“But why did you say most of the time?”
“Well,sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you.I mean,they expect you to do it again.They ask you to do it.That's when I don't like it.”
It was odd that I had this conversation.This just happened to me.I love to do little things.I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there.Not a big thing.It's a little thing.$5.30 will pay for almost five lunches.Hey,big spender!
I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work.She was having a tough day and not very happy at all.I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under $2.00.Her smile was worth it.
But one week she said,“Bob,we ran out of crackers.We love them so much.” I didn't want to do it.I smiled and she persisted. I finally admitted,“It's different when I do it because I want to,but now you are trying to make me go to get them.It's not the same.”But I bought it for her.
Unfortunately,a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had. I didn't know what to do and how to do it.What happened to me then surprised me most.I once had my bike repaired,but the repairman said “no charge”on hearing my sufferings.A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I'd written about our sufferings for Slate,the online magazine,and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans.I refused but I felt moved. Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday.My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home.When you do something kind for others,do you always get rewarded? Yes,but not in the way you might expect.What's the main purpose of the first paragraph?
A.To tell the background of the story. |
B.To attract the attention of the readers. |
C.To get the readers to know main idea directly. |
D.To explain the reasons why he wrote the passage. |
What do we know about James Kennedy?
A.He was a writer of an online magazine. |
B.He was also a poet at the University of Florida. |
C.He offered the author a new house free of charge. |
D.He learned about the author's sufferings online. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Misfortune of blessing on happiness. |
B.Never too late to learn. |
C.Helping others means helping yourself. |
D.Many hands make the work lighter. |
My friend had mentioned the other day that her father had a lot of children's toys he was looking to give away.She knew I have a three-year-old daughter so she thought of me first.I told her I would love it if I could get some nice things for my daughter,which I wouldn't otherwise have been able to afford.
When I met her father,he began to explain he was too poor once and that he would hate to throw away things that can be very useful.
Before he showed me what he was giving away,I thought the toys would be mostly lego's(乐高积木) or things like that.When he was showing me around I saw a bed,a slide,a kitchen set and many other things that just blew my mind.He told me to write a list of everything my daughter could use and as my eyes were wide,he told me not to feel guilty.He said I was helping him by getting rid of the stuff.
As I was looking around I did feel guilty,but I tried to remain more grateful than guilty.Every time I tried to thank him for giving me and my daughter all this wonderful stuff he would thank me right back.I wanted to believe that he was just thanking me so that I wouldn't feel so guilty but in reality I believe that he was as grateful as I was that these toys would be put to good use.
In the eyes of charity,it makes sense to feel grateful,but guilt is just as normal.I know that we could have lived without a slide,which is why I do feel guilty,but I am grateful all the same because my daughter really does enjoy all these nice things!Why did the old man want to give away his toys?
A.He wanted to help those poor children. |
B.He was wealthy enough to buy new toys. |
C.He wanted to make full use of those toys. |
D.He needed some space for more useful things. |
In the writer's opinion,the old man felt grateful because
A.he wanted to make her more guilty |
B.he wanted her to take the toys quickly |
C.the toys would be put to good use |
D.he finally got rid of the stuff |
What can we know from the passage?
A.The writer took all the toys home. |
B.The old man was a kind and thoughtful person |
C.The writer wanted to refuse the stuff when she first saw them. |
D.The writer's daughter enjoyed the slide most among all the stuff. |
How did the writer feel when given the stuff?
A.Guilty and honored. |
B.Grateful and respected. |
C.Honored and respected. |
D.Guilty and grateful. |
Tiny transmitters(发射机) fixed on the backs of the blue-green bees have allowed scientists to follow the insects as they fly for miles in search of rare flowers.
Working in Panama,scientists caught 17 bees of the common species and fixed a 300 milligram radio light onto the back of each.The signals they sent out were used to follow their movements in and around the forest where they lived.
Professor Martin,from Princeton University,US,and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany,said,“By following the radio signals,we discovered that male bees spent most of their time in small centre areas,but could take off and visit areas farther away.One male even crossed over the shipping lanes in the Panama Canal,flying at least 5km,and returned a few days later.”
Researchers have struggled to follow the movements of bees before,following bees marked with paint or using radar which doesn’t work well in forests.
“Carrying the transmitter could reduce the distance that the bees travel,but even if the flight distances we record are the shortest distances that these bees can fly,they are impressive,long-distance movements,” said Dr.Roland Kays,from New York State Museum,a co-author of the research published today in the on-line journal.“This result helps to explain how these bees’ pollination(授粉) can be so rare.” Pollination by bees and other insects is the key to the diversity and continued growth of flowers and trees in some forests.
The new study is the first to use radio transmitters to follow bees in a forest.Similar research may now be carried in temperate forests,where bees also play a vital role.The main purpose of the passage is to___
A.call on people to protect the bees for the environment |
B.explain why the bees fly far away in search of flowers |
C.introduce a modern way to follow the bees to readers |
D.encourage the public to support the scientists' research |
What was the problem when researchers tried to follow the bees in the past?
A.It was quite difficult to mark the bees |
B.The radar itself didn't work very well |
C.The bees weren't easy to be recognized |
D.Environmental limits were hard to solve |
What Dr.Roland Kays said implied that____
A.he didn't expect bees could fly so long a distance |
B.The transmitter didn't have any effects on bees at all |
C.He wanted to know how far bees could travel badly |
D.The record was in fact as exact as he had thought |
Researchers follow the movements of bees mainly to___
A.learn how far they can fly at most |
B.discover how they affect the plants |
C.correct some wrong ideas about bees |
D.get to know where they enjoy living |
If you're tired of the Mediterranean and don't want to head to Disney again,perhaps it's time for a summer holiday in space.Russia has declared plans for its first floating hotel,217 miles above earth,and it is something of an offering with good service.
Hosting just seven guests in a four cabins,the accommodation will boast huge windows with views back to earth and tasty microwave meals will be served instead of the ones often used by astronauts.
Just getting there will be an adventure in itself—it will take two days aboard a Soyuz rocket—and it won't exactly be a budget holiday: A five-day stay will cost you£100,000 to£500,000 for your journey.The hotel is due to open by 2016 and,according to those behind it,will be far more comfortable than the International Space Station (ISS) used by astronauts and cosmonauts.
In the weightlessness of space,visitors can choose to have beds that are either vertical or horizontal.Tourists,who will be accompanied by experienced crew,will dine on food prepared on Earth and sent up on the rocket,to be reheated in microwave ovens.Many kinds of delicacies will be available.
Iced tea,mineral water and fruit juices will be available,but alcohol will be strictly prohibited.Toilets will use flowing air instead of water to move waste through the system.Waste water will be recycled.
Sergei Kostenko,chief executive of Orbital Technologies which will construct the hotel,said: “Our planned module inside will not remind you of the International Space Station.A hotel should be comfortable inside,and it will be possible to look at the Earth.The hotel will be aimed at wealthy individuals and people working for private companies who want to do research in space.” The hotel can also be used as an emergency bolthole (避难处) for astronauts aboard the International Space Station if there is a crisis.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A.Russia declares the design for its first space hotel |
B.The first space hotel is under construction now |
C.The astronauts will have a second home in space |
D.Russia has the advanced technology in exploring space |
What does the underlined word “budget” in the 3rd paragraph mean?
A.expensive |
B.worthwhile |
C.economic |
D.uncomfortable |
What kind of accommodation will the guests have in the space hotel?
A.They will have the same food as the astronauts have. |
B.Many kinds of drinks are available including alcohol. |
C.Guests can have beds that are either vertical or horizontal. |
D.Tourists are accompanied by the astronauts from the ISS. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The space hotel is built to remind you of the International Space Station. |
B.The hotel is constructed with big windows so that tourists can see the earth. |
C.The company,Orbital Technologies,has already begun to build the space hotel. |
D.In the near future,a space trip for most of the people can be realized. |
Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman.A man goes shopping because he needs something.All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want.If the shop has it in stock,the salesman immediately finds it,and the business of trying it on follows at once.All being well,the deal can be and often is completed inless than five minutes.
For a man,small problems may begin when the shop doesn't have what he wants.In that case,thesalesman,tries to sell the customer something else.“I know this jacket is not the style you want,sir,but would you like to try it for size? It happens to be thecolour you mentioned.”Few men have patience with this treatment,and the usual response is: “This is the right colour and may be the right size,but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on.”
However,a woman in almost every respect she does so in the opposite way.Her shopping is not often based on needand she is only “having a look around”.She is always open to persuasion; indeed she sets great store by what the saleswoman tells her.She will try on any number ofthings.Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes.They are always on the lookout for the unexpected bargain.Faced with a roomful of dresses,a woman may easily spend an hour going from one room to another,often retracing her steps,before selecting the dresses she wants to try on.It is a laborious process,but apparently an enjoyable one.Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.The underlined part “sets great store by ” in paragraph 3 means___
A.has much information about |
B.knows nothing bout |
C.believes in |
D.has her doubts about |
What does the passage tell us about women shoppers for clothes?
A.They welcome suggestions from others. |
B.They rarely consider buying cheap clothes. |
C.They predict what they want to buy. |
D.They listen to advice but never take it. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Men never buy what they don't need |
B.A man's shopping is often based on need |
C.A woman goes shopping in order to look for cheap things |
D.A woman's shopping is never based on need. |