Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92．
To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure．Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon．It is an honor she has earned．Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best - challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth．She said, "We reporters' priority（首要事情） is the people's right to know - without fear or favor．We are the people's servants．"
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920．All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard．She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper．After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D．C．in search of a newspaper job．Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News．Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors．The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice．
Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F．Kennedy and his family．Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies．She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences．Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy．Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring．And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed．What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?
| A．Her career took off after covering the Kennedys． |
| B．Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency． |
| C．She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942． |
| D．She decided to be a reporter while in college． |
Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas
| A．is a good decision maker for her career |
| B．appreciates education and hard work |
| C．wants to be famous by writing reports |
| D．has great support from her family |
What does Helen Thomas think other work?
| A．Unbearable． | B．Exciting． | C．Challenging． | D．Unforgettable． |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．A reporter sticking to the facts． |
| B．A reporter challenging President Kennedy． |
| C．A reporter from an ordinary family． |
| D．A reporter for Washington Daily News． |
The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad .Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this ,but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s .In the early stages, people may exhibit short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry .As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers （神经纤维）,their effect is certain .Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients ,but also spouses（配偶）,friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss ,its early diagnosis（诊断）and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired day?
| A．She has been living with her father. |
| B．She was sad about the death of her father. |
| C．She can’t search for her father without being watched. |
| D．She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. |
When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, ________.
| A．their families and friends will suffer from the same disease |
B．their families and friends wil l experience mental sufferings |
| C．they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years |
| D．they will forget everybody but their spouses |
Memory loss occurs ________.
| A．from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else |
| B．from sadness ,shock ,anger ,and so on |
| C．for a number of reasons |
| D．with changes in personality |
From the passage we know that_____.
| A．early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring |
| B．it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers |
| C．nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease |
| D．when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease ,he will be buried |
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of （证明有……罪）shoplifting for the second time in six months.
Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.
Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth ￡9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9.
Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting（起诉）,said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms（防盗警报装置）.
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said.
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.
Luz, 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October, but Morag Duff, defending, said she had never been in trouble with the police befor
e that.
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said. “She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”
Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡ 50, an
d warned : “You’ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this; you will end up in prison, which will ruin your bright future you may have.”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain, went on to a famous university in Berlin, Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University, UK.What is Ana Luz’s nationality?
| A．American. | B．British. | C．Spanish. | D．German. |
What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean?
| A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things . |
| B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops . |
| C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. |
| D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. |
Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” used in the passage?
| A．Carrying goods in a lift for a shop. |
| B．Taking goods to the ladies’ toilet . |
| C．Selecting some goods from a display. |
| D．Taking goods from a shop without paying. |
From the passage we can learn that .
| A．Ana Luz has already got her PhD at Cambridge University, UK |
| B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so |
| C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more |
| D．Phillip Lemoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student |
| B．Apologizing for the Actions in Shops |
| C．Seeking Professional Help from Experts |
| D．Controlling the Desire to Steal from Shops |
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Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 3 students.
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If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
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The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July. What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To introduce a language school in Japan. |
| B．To hire language teachers to work in Japan. |
| C．To describe working conditions in Japan. |
| D．To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers. |
We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will _______.
| A．teach English only in Osaka |
| B．receive a degree from a university |
| C．have free accommodation |
| D．get trained for the job |
Before going to Japan, you need _______.
| A．to see the manager of NOVA France |
| B．to take some computer courses |
| C．to write a letter to Japan |
| D．to find a place to live |
If you want to work in Japan you should _______.
A．have some working experien ce |
| B．know how to use computers |
| C．present good teaching plans |
| D．speak several languages |
A teacher of English as a second language is the 2004 Teacher of the Year in the United States .Kathy Mellor of Rhode Island will spend the next year as an international spokeswoman for education. President Bush and his wife, Laura ,honored her during a ceremony at the White House last week.
For the past nineteen years ,Kathy Mellor has taught English as a second language at Davisville Middle School in North Kingstown, Rhode Island ,in the northeastern United States .She redesigned the program for E.S.L students at her school to provide each student with one to three periods per day in classes for English learners .How much instruction the students get depends on their level of skill in listening ,speaking ,reading and w
riting. The amount of time they spend in these classes in reduced as their level of English increases.
A teacher describes this as the most successful E.S.L. program in North Kingstown. She also praises Kathy Mellor for providing help to students and their families by forming a local parents group for speakers of other languages .This improved their ability to help their children.
Kathy Mellor earned a master’s degree in education from Rhode Island College. She studied teaching English as a second language.
She was chosen for the national honor of Teacher of the Year from among top teachers in each of the fifty states .As Teacher of the Year ,Kathy Mellor will travel around the United States and to other countries .She will talk about the importance of education and the work of teachers.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．Teacher of the Year 2004 in the United States |
| B．Ms Mellor’s English teaching instruction |
| C．Ms Mellor’s teaching skills of learning English |
| D．praises to Ms Mellor from other teachers |
What does “E.S.L.” in the passage stand for?
| A．English study learners. | B．English speaking and listening. |
| C．English special learners. | D．English as a second language. |
From this passage we can learn that ________.
| A．middle school teachers from each state are honored Teachers of the Year |
| B．middle school teachers in the USA have to get master’s degrees |
| C．Ms Mellor’s students have no problems in learning English |
| D．the American government pays much attention to education |
In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English
— and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype(雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.
Then there’s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made 
naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed — without speaking aloud — a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.
With spontaneous(自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there. Which of the following statements is not TRUE?
| A．A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily. |
| B．There is no Muscle Translator in the world now. |
| C．Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth. |
| D．The spontaneous translators will help us a lot. |
What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
| A．Lecture Translation. |
| B．Muscle Translator. |
| C．Multiple Translator. |
| D．Translation Prototype. |
What’s the final destination of inventing the language translators?
| A．To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier. |
| B．To help students learn foreign languages more easily. |
| C．To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably. |
| D．To help people learn more foreign languages in the future. |
What can
be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
| A．The translator is so good that it can translate any language into the very language you need. |
| B．The translator is becoming more and more common in the world as a bridge. |
| C．With the help of the translator, you only need to open your mouth when you want to say something without saying the exact words at all. |
| D．The translator needs to be improved before being put into market. |
Where can this passage probably be excerpted from?
| A．A newspaper. |
| B．A magazine on science. |
| C．A fairy tale. |
| D．A scientific fantasy book. |