The breaking news of Mo Yan's Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday evening soon aroused public curiosity of the 57-year-old Chinese writer: Why was he favored by the Swedish Academy?
Less than half an hour after the announcement from Stockholm, Mo's works turned to “sold out" status at China's major online book sellers．
One lucky buyer wrote in an online comment: "Rushed to purchase, but to my shame, I have not read any of his novels．”
Although Mo was entitled one of the top China's literature awards before the Nobel Prize, he is not the most popular novelist in China, in either the book market or in reputation．
Chinese media seemed to be shocked as some journalists were reported to be on their way overnight to Gaomi City of East China's Shandong Province, Mo's birthplace where he stayed with his family．
Born in 1955 into a rural family, Mo dropped out of school and became a farmer when he was a teenager． He joined the army and devoted himself to writing． Mo's novels were translated into several languages．
For more than a century, Nobel Prize has been regarded by the world as recognition to an individual or even a nation's cultural and scientific advances．
“I think the reason why I could win the prize is that my works present lives with unique Chinese characteristics, and they also tell stones from a viewpoint of common human beings, which transcends（超越）differences of nations and races," Mo said on Thursday evening to Chinese journalists．
Mo also said many folk arts originated from his hometown, such as paper cuts and traditional new year paintings, have inspired and influenced his novels．
Mo's prize may give powerful encouragement to the country's writers as the more reflective of Chinese lives their works are, the more possible they arise as world literature．From this passage we know that the news of Mo Yan's Nobel Prize in Literature was .
| A．a shock to online booksellers |
| B．curiosity to the Swedish Academy |
| C．contrary to the belief of the Chinese media |
| D．beyond the expectation of most Chinese people |
The "one lucky buyer" mentioned in the third paragraph admitted that he _ ．
| A．had not yet read Mo Yan's novels |
| B．had written an online comment |
| C．regretted not reading Mo Yan's Novels |
| D．failed to buy a copy of Mo Yan's novels |
The underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．the Chinese writers | B．the Chinese writers' works |
| C．the Chinese lives | D．Mo Yan's novels |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．Mo Yan will win another Nobel Prize in the near future． |
| B．Folk arts originated from Mo Yan's hometown will also be awarded Nobel Prize． |
| C．Nobel Prize will no longer regarded by the world as recognition to an individual． |
| D．Mo Yan's success will encourage the Chinese writers to win more Nobel Prizes． |
An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money. When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” “Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?” “We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man. “$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for your little brother.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?In the eye of the little girl, a miracle might be_________.
| A．something interesting |
| B．something beautiful |
| C．some wonderful medicine |
| D．some good food |
The little girl said again and again “...I can try and get some more.” That shows ________.
| A．she had still kept some money |
| B．she hoped not to be refused |
| C．There was no need to worry about money |
| D．she thought money was easy to get |
What made the miracle happen?
| A．The girl’s love for her brother. |
| B．The girl’s money. |
| C．The medicine from the drugstore. |
| D．Nobody can tell. |
From the passage we can infer(推断) that___________.
| A．the doctor had great sympathy for the girl’s little brother |
| B．a miracle is sure to happen if you keep on |
| C．the little girl is lovely but not so clever |
| D．the doctor probably didn’t ask for any pay |
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 |