People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars.And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway.Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months.I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting，and some acted just simply rudely.I started hating the way I was treated，and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜) before were pretty ordinary.So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths (神秘)．If the star was a bad guy，I would say so.If I thought anyone was stupid，I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty.Surprisingly，many of them hated me for it.I have gotten so many attacks on my character.In their eyes，being famous is everything，even more desirable that being truly creative and talented.
Why do we need stars？In fact，the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (闲聊)．Over time，talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about.Thus，some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends.That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview—as we care.We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars.As a whole，our society is not as religious as it once was.It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did.Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars，but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant，and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die.I am part of this whole process.No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.What are the stars like according to the author?
| A．They always treat others rudely. |
| B．They always talk about something dull. |
| C．They are actually ordinary people. |
| D．They are usually honest and polite. |
We worship stars because ________.
| A．we need true mental heroes to support us |
| B．we can learn something useful from famous stars |
| C．we concern about the stars，family and friends |
| D．we like talking about the star's dressing styles |
When the author is writing this article，his tone sounds ________.
| A．excited | B．angry |
| C．worried | D．calm |
What is the main purpose of the author writing the passage?
| A．To show the disadvantages of working with stars. |
| B．To remind us not to worship famous stars blindly. |
| C．To laugh at the failures of stars he has interviewed. |
| D．To talk about the reasons why we worship stars. |
Researches at Johns Hopkins University's. Applied Physics laboratory ( APL) in Laurel , Maryland have designed a new human-like robot, Its name is Robo Sally. The machine can be controlled from a distance and can he used to do work that is dangerous for human beings.
Roho Sally has two long arms with human-like hands. She can use her fingers to pick up small objects .examine them in detail and do most things that human hands can do Each finger contains a tiny motor capable of squeezing 20 pounds of pinch foree ,.enough to defuse a bomb under the direction of an operator. She sits on a metal base with wheels that let her move around. turn in tight spaces and climb over small objects, .
Mike McLoughlin is the main investigator for the Applied Physics Laboratory's Prosthetics Program. "The purpose of that program is to develop prosthetic arms that have all the capability of your natural arms .and you do all the complex motions that we can do with the natural arm- with the robot. "
It was a difficult job. Mr. McLoughlin says the device had to have many small motors to。 have the ability to do what a human hand does; It also needs to have human-like strength. The thumb was especially difficult because it permits the hand .to hold objects. And everything had. to fit into a space about the size of a human hand.
The next problem .he says .was to figure out how to control the artificial hand. " So we had to figure out how to make the connection between the brain and this arm.
For search-and-rescue duties.Roho Sally will be operated by a human being using a wire- less machine that is far from the robot. The operator will also wear special gloves and glasses. The glasses permit the operator to see the robot's hands .even though they are far away.
Mr. McLoughlin says this kind of robots could be used in what he calls "dull , dirty or dan- gerous" situations where fine human finger movements are required. He says the technology is not ready for everyday application .but he predicts that within five years we will see some won- derful improvements.The underlined word " defuse" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to "_________".
| A．remove | B．discover | C．equip | D．produce |
According to Paragraph 2.which picture is Robo Sally?
What can we learn ahout the prosthetic arms according to the passage?
| A．They are expected to function as well as natural ones. |
| B．They have many large motors controlled by robots. |
| C．They have human-like strength to control the robot. |
| D．They are connected with human brains. |
Which of the following is true about Robo Sally according to Mr. McLoughlin?
A . Its operator doesn't need any equipment.
B. It has been Widely used in everyday life in the USA.
C. It can work in situations which are dangerous for humans.
D. It has made much money for the designer.
The National Geographic Channel has unearthed a time capsule (时光宝盒) buried by late Apple chairman and co-founder Steve Jobs thirty years ago.
The time capsule was buried in Aspen .Colorado .in 1983, shortly after Jobs attended the International Design Conference being held in that city. Organizers called the device the Aspen Time Tube and contributed items like Rubik's cubes(魔方) and some iconic music. Jobs added his own items to the capsule ,including the " Lisa" ( also known as an "Apple" )"mouse he used for his presentation at the conference. '
Younger readers may not recognize the name but the Lisa Apple mouse was one of the first commercial mice released to consumers. The mouse was specially designed for the Apple Lisa computer. It's also the first personal computer to offer users a graphical user interface(图形用户界面)
Initially ,the plan was to dig up the time capsule in the year2000,but organizers forgot its exact location. Recently .they brought in researchers working with the National Geographic Channel show Diggers to find the device. Eventually they came across the 13-foot-long.1. 5-foot-diameter tube. inside they found a lot of 1980s artifacts(人工制品）that are still being catalogued.
“When the end came off .literally things just poured out .”noted Diggers host Tim Saylor "There must be literally thousands of things in there.”
“They had the foresight to put a bunch of stuff in plastic bags." Saylor said .“I could see at least a dozen plastic bags and other items. But I know for sure there got to be photographs in there. People had hand-written things on the back of the photographs ,so there will be some really interesting things inside.”
Among the artifacts researchers expect to discover inside :a Steve Jobs speech in which the Apple visionary outlines his predictions for future technologies. We should know more about the researchers ,discoveries once the Diggers program airs this fall.Which of the following is true about the Lisa mouse?
| A．The mouse was the first commercial one for consumers |
| B．The mouse was created only for the Apple Lisa computer |
| C．The mouse was buried in Aspen ,Colotado for two decades. |
| D．The mouse was invented after the International Design Conference |
Why wasn't the time capsule dug up in 2000?
| A．Because it was not the time set by Steve Jobs. |
| B．Because it could not be accurately located. |
| C．Because organizers forgot its precise shape . |
| D．Because the local government didn't approve. |
From the passage we can infer that_______.
| A．there were some special photographs found-inside the time capsule |
| B．a Steve Jobs speech with future predictions was found inside the cap |
| C．Steve Jobs predictions for future technologies have come true |
| D．more about the capsule will be discovered in the Diggers program |
The best title for the passage might be _______.
| A．The "Lost" Steve Jobs Time Capsule |
| B．The Mystery of Steve Jobs Speech Solved |
| C．Steve Jobs' 1983 Time Capsule Recovered |
| D．Co-founder & Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs |
A middle school student ,who jumped into the hot seat when his school bus driver passed out on the way to class this morning is being praised as a "quick thinker" for leading the bus. and 15 other students .to safety. Seventh grader Jeremy Wuitschick is being praised by the local police chief for his actions.
Wuitschick hopped out of his seat and grabbed the steering wheel(方向盘) . pulling the bus over to the side of the road before pulling the keys from the ignition(点火开关）“I'll give the kid credit for fast thinking. He did the right thing and we're going to do something for him. The kid definitely deserves credit." Milton Police Chief Bill Rhodes cold ABC News.
Police officers were informed of a school bus driving irregularly through town around 8 a.m. today .but by the time an officer arrived at the scene ,Wuitschick had had it under control. He had pulled the bus over in front of Discovery Primary School . which is near to the school where the students were headed .Surprise Lake Middle School. "I knew something was wrong." Wuitschick told ABC. " it was pretty scary. I was just acting on instinct .It was all happening really quickly."
Jeff Short .assistant dean for the Fife school district . said the students had been trained in emergency situations on the school bus .including how to shut down ,the bus in an emergency. A staff member at the school .John McCrossin . happened to be driving behind the bus when the driver lost consciousness(知觉) . and rushed onto the bus to administer CPR(心肺复苏 ) once Wuitschick had pulled over to the side of the road .Rhodes said.
The kids told McCrossin they had already called 911. The bus driver . whose name has not been released . was taken to the hospital. Emergency service personnel told school administrators he was suffering from a problem related to the heart. Short said his condition was severe. Rhodes said that there were no traffic accidents or other injuries.Bill Rhodes praised Wuitschick because
A. he drove the school bus to campus
B he did bring the school bus to safety
C. he helped the police in public affairs
D. he successfully saved the bus driverWhen the police reached the spot._______.
A. the bus driver had already recovered
B. the bus had just arrived at its destination
C. the bus had already been under control
D the bus was running crazily on the roadFrom the passage we can learn that_______.
| A．Bill Rhodes gave Wuitschick a credit card for his deed |
| B．McCtossin offered to call 911 when the event happened |
| C．Jeff Short happened to be driving behind the school bus |
| D．Wuitschick had been well trained in dealing with emergencies |
The passage is probably taken from______.
| A．a personal diary | B．a news report |
| C．an accident record | D．a research paper |
Women work harder than men at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study at Brunel University.
The research, which followed 200 students for four years, found that women consistently outperformed men in their studies even though they had started their courses with almost identical A-level grades.
An analysis of the results showed that while 65 percent of female graduates were awarded, only 35 percent of male graduates did as well. Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research showed that trend continued at university.
Fiona Smith, who led the research, said, “The research shows that the difference has something to do with schools in general.”
“It also shows something about the inequality for working women in terms of pay and promotion. Women work harder at school, harder at university, and do better at both, but they still receive less pay.”
The research found that female students were more faithful, less likely to miss lectures, and more likely to believe that their marks reflected their abilities than male students. Female students were also more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors.
Women were also more likely to choose their universities because they liked the courses offered.
In contrast, men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to “other affairs” and “laziness”, and to believe that playing sports was an important part of university life.
Generally, people think that women’s success comes from more emphasis on coursework, but the research showed that female geographers at Brunel did better in their exams than in their coursework.
Dr Smith said, “Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important part of university life. They believe that they need to work harder in order to compete in the male-dominated (男性主导的) environment they will encounter at work. Good grades are viewed as an ‘insurance policy’ for success. Men, on the other hand, prefer going out and playing sports to academic work.”
“This research shows how important it is to get all young people working hard and teach them the value of higher education,” he said.The research at Brunel University showed that women ________.
| A．did worse than men both at school and at university |
| B．got better grades than men |
| C．paid little attention to their courses |
| D．often missed classes |
Which of the following about men is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．They work as hard as women. |
| B．They spend as much time on courses as women. |
| C．They play a lot more than women. |
| D．They consider good grades to be an “insurance policy” for success. |
We can infer from the results of the research that ________.
| A．women do better both at school and at university |
| B．female students are more likely to ask for and receive support from their professors |
| C．compared with men, women are in an unfavorable condition in the male-dominated world |
| D．it’s easier for women to get rises in pay and promotion |
The main purpose of the research is to _________.
| A．give the government some advice on higher education |
| B．show us some information about higher education |
| C．show the sex difference in higher education |
| D．make all students work hard and realize the importance of higher education |
Bayfield Shopping Coupons (赠券)
1. Six Hours Free Parking
If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $ 100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipts to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking.
Offer until November 14.
2. Win a $ 1,000 CD Collection
Win your choice of $1,000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz, and classical music.
Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21.
Check store for more information.
3. Buy One, Get One Free
Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Men’s Wear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free.
Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost.
Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer.
4. 10% Off
Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy.
We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas. We have plenty of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush.
Offer here until November 14.
5. Half-price Movie Tickets
Buy a full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center.
Offer good through December 1. Limit one per customer.
6. Free Soft Drink
Buy any meal for at least $ 6 at Mike’s Cafe, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best fast food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service.
You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14.What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. | B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Special offers at a shopping center. | D．Things on sale in a big store. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the ads?
| A．Spending $ 50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 4 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
| D．At Mike’s Cafe, people can get a free soft drink after spending $ 6. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Clothes store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Toy store. |
We can know from this passage _________.
| A．there is more than one theater in the center |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price |
| C．you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes |
| D．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal |