This year the selfie earned its place as the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2013 Word Of The Year. It has taken over our culture --- and our smartphones. The rise of the selfie has become universal–between presidents, celebrities(名人) and citizens alike–and the trend is only continuing to grow. 
A recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 54 percent of Internet users have posted original photos online. And of those hundreds of millions of photos, many are of selfie photos.
For example, currently there are nearly 62 million posted selfie photos on Instagram, the social media tool that has significantly contributed to the personal photo’s popularity. That figure, which continues to rise every day, doesn’t even begin to include the selfies shared on Facebook and Twitter.
What makes the selfie so attractive -- and why do we feel it a must to take one? According to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, psychologist and director of the Media Psychology Research Center, the desire to take, post and get “likes” on selfies goes back to a biological behavior of all humans.
“I think it influences our sense of social connection in the same way as it does when you go to a party and people say ‘Oh I love your dress,’” Rutledge told The Huffington Post. “Biological, social recognition is a real need and there is even an area of the brain that contributes to social activity.”
There is a way to adapt to the growing selfie culture. Whether you’re a selfie novice or an advanced poster, there are always things to be mindful of when you’re posting, Rutledge advises.
She offered two main principles to follow when it comes to posting on social media:
1. The Grandmother Rule
“Don’t post anything online, whether text or visual, that you don’t want grandmother or future employer to see,” Rutledge said. “Selfies especially.”
2. The Elevator Rule
“You wouldn’t say something in an elevator that you or no one else wants to hear -- the whole world of social media is an elevator,” Rutledge said. “Be aware of the breadth (宽度) of platform. It’s easy to think you’re sharing a photo with a few people, but Instagram is public and people can come across things.”What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．The selfie is taking the lead. |
| B．Many people are fond of smartphones. |
| C．The selfie will take over everything. |
| D．The selfie is an important new word. |
According to the passage, people like “selfie” so much, because they ___________.
| A．want to show off their new dresses |
| B．need to be acknowledged in social life |
| C．desire to share good things |
| D．mean to amuse the public |
The underlined word “novice” in Paragraph 6 probably means “________”.
| A．greenhand | B．publisher | C．novelist | D．celebrity |
When it comes to posting on social media, Rutledge advises people to ______.
| A．share photos only on Instagram |
| B．talk about your photos in an elevator |
| C．be cautious in posting things online |
| D．follow rules set by your grandmothers |
A cute invention was revealed this month at the International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Tokyo. It’s called Jukusui-Kun (“deep sleep” in Japanese) ---a robotic pillow in the shape of a polar bear.
The pillow is in fact a serious technological innovation hidden under a cute cover. It was developed by a group of scientists and engineers at Tokyo’s Waseda University to help people suffering from snoring (打鼾) and those who live with them. This is how the robotic pillow works: a microphone detects the noise level of the snoring, and if the snoring becomes very loud, which can be the sign of sleep apnea (睡眠窒息), the bear will raise its hand and carefully touch the face of the sleeper, leading to a change in the sleeper’s position without waking him or her up.
This is definitely the world’s first anti-snoring machine and an important potential treatment for sleep apnea. This sleeping disorder involves pauses in breathing, and can lead to heart attacks during sleep. In Japan, around 2 million people are struggling with the problem. When a sleeper starts snoring, the sleeper’s blood oxygen level drops. The new device tracks (追踪) the level of oxygen in the sleeper’s blood and wirelessly sends the information to the polar bear. But the only problem is that people not only have to sleep on a bear-shaped pillow with robotic hands, but also have to insert （插入）their hands into a monitor that keeps track of blood oxygen levels. If these levels fall below a certain point, it gives the bear another cue (提示) to lift its hand.
The bear is not yet on sale, and it remains to be seen whether a robotic hand reaching up to touch one’s face is any more effective than one’s partner giving one a good shove (推).What do we learn from the passage?
| A．Snoring can cause the blood oxygen to increase. |
| B．The bear pillow will be available worldwide soon. |
| C．A partner’s shove is more effective than the new robot’s touch. |
| D．With this device, the sleeper’s hands can’t move freely while sleeping. |
What do we learn about the robotic bear?
| A．It’s comfortable to sleep on. |
| B．It stops people snoring by waking them up. |
| C．It’s the first machine made to deal with snoring. |
| D．It uses a monitor to detect the loudness of the snoring. |
We would find the passage in the ________ section of a magazine.
| A．entertainment | B．lifestyle |
| C．technology | D．fashion |
What’s the author’s attitude to the new device?
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Objective. | D．Doubtful. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Useful Robotic Polar Bear |
| B．The Disadvantages of Snoring |
| C．The Different Ways to Deal with Snoring |
| D．How New Technology Changes Your Sleep Pattern |
When parents talk about school safety these days, they’re usually referring to the increase in violence（暴力）at schools. But research shows that school-age children are actually nine times more likely to suffer an injury while doing sports than to be the victim of violence while at school. Accidents can be prevented if parents are on the lookout for potential（潜在的）dangers. To help you keep your kids free from harm, here are some safety tips:
a. Teach your child never to talk to strangers or accept rides or gifts from strangers. Remember, a stranger is anyone you or your child doesn’t know well or trust.
b. Be sure that your child walks to and from school with a sibling, friend or neighbor.
c. Teach your kid, whether walking, biking or riding a bus to school, to obey all traffic signals, signs and traffic officers. Remind him to be extra careful in bad weather.
d. When driving your kid, deliver and pick them up as close to the school as possible. Don’t leave until they are in the schoolyard or building.
e. If your child rides a bike to school, make sure he wears a standard helmet（头盔）. Research shows that a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85%.
f. Teach your kid to arrive at the bus stop earlier, stay off the street, and wait for the bus to come to a complete stop.
g. Be sure that your kid knows his or her home phone number and address, your work number, the number of another trusted adult and how to call 911 for emergencies（紧急情况）.The underlined word “sibling” probably means “_______”.
| A．stranger | B．neighbor |
| C．friend | D．brother or sister |
If your kid walks to school, tell him or her to _______.
| A．wear a helmet |
| B．go alone every day |
| C．walk as fast as possible |
| D．be more careful in bad weather |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the text?
| A．Kids should be taught never to talk to strangers. |
| B．Kids should obey the traffic rules. |
| C．Kids should be taught to call 911 for anything. |
| D．Kids should stay off the street while waiting for the bus. |
The intended readers of the text are _________.
| A．teachers | B．parents | C．children | D．officers |
The main purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．talk about school safety |
| B．call on readers to fight against school violence |
| C．discuss the injuries at school |
| D．give advice on school-age children’s safety |
第一节阅读理解 （共15题；满分30分）
It was graduation day at the university where I work and a beautiful day quite unlike the first graduation I attended as a young professor. On that cold day years ago, as we watched the students walking into the hall, one of my colleagues turned to me and said, "Graduation will be one of the happiest and one of the saddest time of your life. " At my inquiry, he answered, "Because the students you have gotten to know have to leave. "
As years went by, my previous confusion about my colleague's words no longer existed. When I came across naughty students, I have had to rethink why I chose to be a teacher. It obviously isn't the money. Once a former computer science student of mine called me, asking me if I wanted to have a change. He was working at Nintendo Corporation. His salary was higher than my current one, though I have more education and have worked for over a decade. With my programming skills, he said he could get me hired. I thanked him, but refused his kind offer.
A few days before this current graduation, while working on final grades, I found a note a student had slipped in with her homework. She thanked me for being her teacher and said the things she had learned in my class--not about math, but about life--would be things she would remember long after the math skills had faded away. As I finished reading, I remembered why I had become a teacher.
Now, on this sunny graduation day, as I again observed the sea of blue hats and gowns, I did so with renewed dedication and a deeper sense of satisfaction--I will always be grateful that I am a teacher.Hearing his colleague's description of graduation for the first time, the author.
| A．quite agreed with his colleague |
| B．was very puzzled |
| C．thought it very funny |
| D．was very sad |
The computer science student called up the author because he.
| A．wanted to inform the author of his present job |
| B．tried to persuade the author to work with him |
| C．wanted the author to share his joy and satisfaction |
| D．thought the author wasn't fit to be a teacher |
The underlined part blue hats and gowns refers to.
| A．university colleagues | B．graduates' clothes |
| C．life memories | D．decorations in the hall |
The author wrote this passage to.
| A．express his devotion to being a teacher |
| B．compare two different graduation ceremonies |
| C．talk about the meaning of graduation |
| D．give advice on how to be a good teacher |
The reason why he earns less than the computer science student is that .
| A．he was only a young professor |
| B．he didn't do well in his work |
| C．he taught his students more about life than math |
| D．salaries for different careers are different |
A new smart phone system under development can locate you even when you’re inside a building, which GPS can't do. While the concept sounds powerful, it’s not yet clear how practical it might be.
The set-up, called SurroundSense, sends information from cameras and microphones—gear in the latest smart phones—to a server that produces a fingerprint of the location.
“You can’t tell much from any of the measurements individually, but when combined, the optical (光学的), acoustic (声学的) and motion information creates a unique fingerprint of the space,” said Ionut Constandache, a student in computer science.
The system distinguishes between two indoor spaces in this manner: It knows that a bar is likely to be dark and noisy and people move little, sit a lot, whereas a department store will be brightly lit, contain vibrant colors, and will see a lot of people moving up and down passages. The more the system is used, the more it learns about specific places.
More work is needed before the set-up would be ready for prime time, however. For now, it can’t work if a person’s cellphone is in a handbag or otherwise unable to employ the camera. Finally it would be best served if paired with phones that were worn on the wrist or hung around the neck. Batteries, too, are a problem.
Students on the research team went out across Durham, North Carolina, with their cellphones collecting data in different types of businesses. The students mirrored the actions of the selected customers so that they would not prejudice the measurements.
“We went to 51 different stores and found that SurroundSense achieved an average accuracy (精确性) of about 87 percent," Constandache said.
“As the system collects and analyzes more and more information about a particular site, the fingerprint becomes more precise,” said Romit Roy Choudhury, professor of computer engineering. “Not only is the ambience different at different locations, but also can be different at different time at the same location.”We can infer from the first paragraph that GPS .
| A．can find you wherever you are |
| B．can make too much loud noise |
| C．can only find outside things |
| D．isn’t really practical yet |
Why did students mirror the actions of the selected customers?
| A．To get a reasonable result. |
| B．To collect data in different ways. |
| C．To receive information about a particular site. |
| D．To learn more about specific places. |
The underlined word “ambience” in the last paragraph may mean.
| A．the fingerprint of the location |
| B．the character of a place |
| C．the existence of people |
| D．the area of store |
The main idea of the passage is about.
| A．comparing GPS with a smart cellphone |
| B．the development of cellphones |
| C．a cellphone knowing where you are |
| D．what kind of future cellphones face |
Today, I felt terrible. My head was full of problems, burdens and confusion. I decided to take a walk even though I didn't know where I would go.
The most extraordinary thing happened when I was on this walk.
I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. I thought he looked at least seventy years old. He seemed so tired and nobody was buying his shoes. I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me.
Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, “Grandfather, may I polish your shoes?” That old man took pity on her and he gave her a shoe to polish.
The girl said, “I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform.”
I heard this and tears came to my eyes. The old man answered, “Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a school uniform.” Then they walked to a market and I followed them behind. There he bought her a school uniform.
The girl said, “Thank you so much for doing this. May God bless you.” Then she left, leaving the old man smiling.
He walked away from the market, but I stopped him. I whispered in his ear, “You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling.
My own sadness disappeared and was chased away (赶走) by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope, some day, I can show my appreciation of what I have by following the example of the old man who only had a little, but shared it beautifully with someone who had nothing.When seeing the old shoe seller, how did the author feel?
| A．Sympathy. | B．Sorrow. |
| C．Regret. | D．Disappointment. |
Why did the girl offer to polish shoes for the old man?
| A．She took pity on him. |
| B．She wanted to take care of him. |
| C．She meant to be friendly to him. |
| D．She expected to get help from him. |
Why did the author follow the old man and the girl?
| A．To witness a kind act. |
| B．To talk to the old man. |
| C．To know the old man. |
| D．To know where the market was. |
By sharing the story, the author wants to convey a message that .
| A．a kind act can cheer us up |
| B．the old man set us an example |
| C．some poor people need our help |
| D．we should stop pitying the old |