Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.According to the passage, computers can NOT help farmers decide _______.
| A．what livestock to raise |
| B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
| C．how much money they can earn from their products |
| D．when to sell their products |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
| B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
| C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
| D．Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
According to the engineers, _______will be done by robots in the near future.
| A．all farm work | B．milking cows |
| C．most of the farm work | D．some farm work |
What is the best title for the whole passage?
| A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend |
| B．The Agricultural Revolution |
| C．Farmers in The Future |
| D．Computers and Robots |
One evening in November, Berlin received a telephone call from Mrs. Green. “Please,
Dr Berlin, come to my house. I had 50,000 dollars on my desk and now it is gone.”
Dr Berlin arrived at Mrs. Green’s house at eight o’clock. First he asked Mrs. Green, “When did you see the money last?”
“At seven o’clock. I put it on my desk in my living room. Then I went to wash my hair. I came back at seven thirty and the money was gone.”
“I see.” Dr Berlin said. “Were you alone in the house?”
“No. My sister’s son Jack is here, too.” Then Dr Berlin and Mrs. Green went to Jack’s room.
“Please, sit down,” Jack said. Dr Berlin sat on the only chair in the room, and the chair was cold. He also saw some books on the ground near his feet.
“What have you been doing this evening?” Dr Berlin asked.
“I came home at six-thirty, and went right to my room. I’ve been sitting in that chair and reading all the evening. I never got up and I never left the room. Maybe somebody came into the house and took my aunt’s money.”
After hearing that, Dr Berlin was clear about who had taken the money.When did Dr Berlin answer the phone from Mrs. Green?
| A．At 6:30 | B．At 7:00 |
| C．After 7:30 | D．At 8:00 |
Where did Mrs. Green put her money?
| A．In her living room. | B．In her washing room. |
| C．In Jack’s room. | D．In her office. |
When did the thief take Mrs. Green’s money?
| A．Before Mrs. Green came back home. |
| B．When Jack was reading. |
| C．After Mrs. Green went to wash her hair. |
| D．When Dr Berlin was answering the phone. |
Who was Jack?
| A．Mrs. Green’s son. | B．Mrs. Green’s nephew. |
| C．Mrs. Green’s husband. | D．Mrs. Green’s friend. |
Which of the following is WRONG?
| A．Mrs. Green didn’t live alone. |
| B．Jack had given a careless reply. |
| C．Dr Berlin found out who had taken the money. |
| D．Jack had been really reading books all that evening. |
Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment (营养). The old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is not as silly as some people think. The body needs fruit and vegetables because they contain vitamin C. Many people take extra vitamins in pill form, believing that these will make them healthy.
But a good diet is made up of nourishing food and this gives all the vitamins you need. The body doesn’t need or use extra vitamins, so why waste money on them?
In the modern western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly. They throw anything into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly. The list of illnesses caused or made worse by bad eating habits is frightening.“Your body has close relations with the food you eat.”It really means that ______.
| A．all kinds of food you eat can be made into your body |
| B．what you eat has great effect on your health |
| C．your body is made up of the food you eat |
| D．the more you eat, the fitter you will feel |
The old saying referred to in the passage tells us that ______.
| A．eating apples regularly does lots of good to our health |
| B．the apple is the best among all kinds of fruits |
| C．apples can take the place of doctors |
| D．an apple is a sure cure for illness |
In the second paragraph, the writer tries to let us know ______.
| A．our bodies need food or we can’t live |
| B．often eating apples is a good habit |
| C．taking extra vitamin pills is completely useless |
| D．a good diet is of great importance for our health |
In the modern western countries ______.
| A．people don’t want to pay more attention to their eating |
| B．people throw everything into their stomachs without chewing |
| C．lots of people’s illnesses are caused or made worse by bad eating habits |
| D．people are only too busy to cook meals for themselves |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that if we want to keep healthy, we should ______.
| A．only eat an apple a day |
| B．eat properly |
| C．take as many vitamin pills as possible |
| D．throw something into our stomachs slowly and carefully |
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out for dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine's Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest (神父) in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn't allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From Your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine did for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history's most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine's Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine's cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heartshaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St.Valentine.Which of the following is NOT a custom for a boy to do on Valentine's Day?
| A．To take his girlfriend out for dinner. |
| B．To buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates. |
| C．To make Valentine's cards for teachers and friends. |
| D．To spell out his girlfriend's name with rose petals. |
Why did the emperor in Rome forbid marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn't enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because ________.
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn't obey the emperor's order |
| D．he didn't want to be a soldier |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ________.
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．Valentine's Day is also popular in China now |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine's Day in China |
| D．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine's Day in China |
The best title for this passage should be ________.
| A．A Romantic Man | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine's Day in China | D．Valentine's Day |
As we all know, the Dragon Boat Festival is our country’s traditional festival, but do you know there is also a Dragon Boat Festival in South Korea, which also falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar(阴历)? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 联合国教科文组织) to make the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival its own intangible cultural heritage (非物质的文化遗产). If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. "It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China," said Zhou Heping, deputy(副) culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
It is thought that the festival is held in memory of the great poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), who lived in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qu was known to be a patriot (爱国者) and admired by ordinary people.
He is said to have jumped into Miluo River, because he had lost hope in his country's future. When people heard about Qu's death, they sailed up and down the river searching for his body. They also beat the drums to frighten away the fish and threw Zongzi into the water to stop the fish touching Qu. Dragon boat racing is said to come from this search for the poet's body.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of the local culture.The Dragon Boat Festival _______.
| A．is also kept by South Korea |
| B．comes from South Korea |
| C．was created by South Korea |
| D．is South Korea’s cultural heritage |
What is the reaction of the Ministry of Culture to South Korea’s intending to make the Dragon Boat Festival its own culture heritage?
| A．Fighting against South Korea |
| B．Telling South Korea it’s not right to do so |
| C．Considering doing the similar thing |
| D．Asking South Korea not to do so. |
What is the purpose of the Dragon Boat Festival’s being held?
| A．In memory of Qu Yuan |
| B．In memory of all the patriots of China |
| C．To frighten away the fish |
| D．In honor of QuYuan’s birthday |
After Qu Yuan’s death, Zongzi was thrown into the water to _______.
| A．feed him. |
| B．protect his body from going bad. |
| C．attract his soul |
| D．prevent the fish biting his body |
Now, the Dragon Boat Festival has become ______ activity.
| A．a nationwide | B．a worldwide |
| C．an Asian | D．a foreign |
Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some kind: football, hockey, golf, or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion for climbing high and steep mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women are willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure.
Mountaineering is a sport, not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as tennis and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team sport”. Then we are mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock surface linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.
A mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. This sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve his skills year after year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skills than waste less effort.Why is mountaineering not a game?
| A．Because it is dangerous. |
| B．Because it has no man-made rules. |
| C．Because it is unfamiliar to many people. |
| D．Because so few people go in for this sport. |
Mountaineering can be called a team sport because ______.
| A．it is an Olympic event |
| B．teams compete against each other |
| C．there are five climbers on each team |
| D．mountaineering may depend on their opponents(对手) when in danger |
Mountaineers compete against _____.
| A．nature |
| B．high mountains |
| C．other mountaineers |
| D．international standards |
The last paragraph mainly tells us that _____.
| A．a mountaineer improves his skill constantly |
| B．a good mountaineer may be an elderly one |
| C．mountaineering is different from other sports |
| D．an elderly man climbs the highest mountains in Alps |
In this passage the author intends to _____.
| A．tell us to have sports |
| B．introduce us to sports |
| C．tell us to go mountaineering |
| D．introduce us to mountaineering |