The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is down.”
“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.”
“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.”
I looked down on the computer and every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I asked her, “What do all you people do?”
“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.”
“So when it goes down, you go down with it.”
“That’s good, sir.”
“How long will the computer be down?” I wanted to know.
“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.”
After the girl told me they had no backup(备用) computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer. What about your planes? They’re still flying, aren’t they?”
“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.”
“Maybe I could just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he’s flying to Washington, ” I suggested.
“I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.”
“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?”
“I wouldn’t know, ” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. ‘It’ can’t tell me.”
By this time there were quite a few people standing in lines. The word soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.The best title for the article is _______.
| A．When the Computer Is Down |
| B．The Most Frightening Words |
| C．The Computer of the Airport |
| D．Asking the Computer |
What could the girl in the ticket office do for the passengers without asking the computer?
| A．She could sell a ticket. |
| B．She could write out a ticket. |
| C．She could answer the passengers’ questions. |
| D．She could do nothing. |
Why do you think they had not a backup computer?
| A．Because it was easy down |
| B．Because it was very expensive. |
| C．Because it was not advanced enough. |
| D．Because it was not as big as the main computer. |
The last paragraph suggests that _______.
| A．a modern computer won’t be down. |
| B．computers can take the place of humans |
| C．sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people |
| D．there will be great changes in computers |
Talking on a mobile phone is expensive, so a lot of people send text messages. Text messages are much cheaper than talking on a mobile phone, and you can make it cheaper by making the words shorter. You can do this by taking out “unimportant” letters in the words and using numbers instead of words (2 =" to," 3 =" free," 4 =" for," 8 =" ate," so h8 =" hate," etc.). You can also keep away from using punctuation (标点). Here is an example: Do U wnt 2 g 2 th cnma tnite (Do you want to go to the cinema tonight?)
What do you think these text messages mean?
Whr hv U bn? Iv bn wtng hrs fr a cll.
Im hm nw, why nt gv me a cll.
I gt a txt mssge frm my frnd. Shes hvng a prty on Strdy.
Mobile phone users have developed a group of symbols (符号) to show how they feel. They are called emoticons, and there are some examples below. To read an emoticon, you have to look at it sideways. For example, if you say something in a text message that is a joke, you can follow it with a smiling face. Like this: Why didt u call me? I’m so sad. (
Here are some others. Can you think of text messages where you could use them?
) laughing ( sad＜ really sad
Ⅴ shouting |·| asleep：0 shocked
8·| surprised \·o boredWhy are text messages popular?
| A．Because they are expensive. | B．Because they are cheap. |
| C．Because they are hard to write. | D．Because they are not important. |
The first paragraph tells us that we can make the text messages shorter in ways.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
What does this text message “Do U wnt 2 cm?” mean? It means “?”.
| A．Do you want to come | B．Do you wear two caps |
| C．Do you want two cakes | D．Do you go home early |
Why do people use emoticons?
| A．Because they can show how users feel. | B．Because the symbols are beautiful. |
| C．Because text messages are short. | D．Because the users can’t make the words shorter. |
Our surroundings are being polluted faster than nature and man’s present efforts cannot prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man, by his desire for a modern way of life. We make “increasing industrialization”(工业化)our chief aim. So we are often ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the countryside into the cities, eager for the benefits of our modem society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn’t it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot (飞行员) who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, “I’ve some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we’re making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we’re lost and don’t know where we’re going.” The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society. Man cannot prevent the world from being polluted because___________.
| A．the population of the world is increasing fast |
| B．people use too many man-made materials |
| C．our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years |
| D．we are producing more cars, trucks and buses |
People crowd into the cities for___________.
| A．they want very much to find well-paid jobs |
| B．they are anxious to enjoy the achievements of our society |
| C．they have become tired of their homeland |
| D．they have a strong wish to become industrial workers |
The story about the airline pilot tells us that___________.
| A．man knows where the society is going |
| B．people do not welcome the rapid development of modern society |
| C．man can do little about the problem of pollution |
| D．the speaker is worried about the future of our society |
What does the writer really want to say in this passage?
| A．With tile development of technology pollution has become a serious problem. |
| B．Lower the speed of development to stop pollution. |
| C．It’s time we did something to reduce pollution. |
| D．As industry is growing fast, pollution is the natural result. |
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities (复杂性) of spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focal (焦点的) point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is terrible.” It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil’s technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation (动机) to seek improvement.Teachers are different in their opinions about _________.
| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the role of spelling in general language development |
| C．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
The underlined expression “play safe” probably means ________.
| A．to write carefully | B．to do as teachers say |
| C．to use dictionaries frequently | D．to avoid using words one is not sure of |
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ____________.
| A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely |
| B．students will have more confidence in writing |
| C．students will have less trouble in correcting mistakes |
| D．students will learn to be independent of teachers |
The author seems to think that the teacher’s judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is __________.
| A．unfair | B．reasonable | C．foolish | D．careless |
The major point discussed in the passage is ___________.
| A．the importance of developing writing skills |
| B．the complexities of spelling |
| C．the correct way of marking compositions |
| D．the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition |
As De Witt Wallace lay in bed recovering from injuries that he unfortunately came by in World War I, he found there was a wealth of interesting information to read. Realizing few people would have the time to get through all this information, he knew exactly what to do. In 1920, this young American submitted a sample magazine containing shortened articles to publishers across America. However, all turned him down.
Undeterred, De Witt and his new bride Lila Bell Acheson published the first issue of Reader’s Digest in February 1922. Working from home, the Wallaces printed 5,000 copies, which were sold by mail to 1,500 people and priced at 25 cents. From these humble beginnings grew the world’s most widely–read magazine.
The magazine became popular and, by 1935, sales topped one million. In 1938, the first international edition was published in the United Kingdom. During World War Ⅱ, editions were published for the first time in Latin America and Sweden. After the war Reader’s Digest moved into Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland. In 1950, Reader’s Digest published its shortened Books (now known as Select Editions in Australia). In 1959, music, the first non–print product line, was introduced. In 1962, Reader’s Digest revolutionized direct mail by introducing easy–to–enter Sweepstakes and a year later the first Reader’s Digest general book was published. In 1986, video was added to the Reader’s Digest product line.
In 1973, the Wallaces gave up active management of Reader’s Digest. De Witt died in 1981, aged 91; Lila in 1984, aged 94. With no heirs(继承人) to the Wallace empire to take control, Reader’s Digest became a public company in the early 1990s and is now headed by a Chief Executive Office and Chairman of the Board.What is the purpose of De Witt Wallace creating the earliest magazine?
| A．To become wealthy. | B．To offer people information. |
| C．To heal the wounds from the war. | D．To turn down uninteresting stories. |
When did De Will make his first trial of the magazine?
| A．Before World War I. | B．In 1920. | C．In 1922. | D．In 1935. |
What is mainly talked about in the first two paragraphs?
| A．The first issue of Reader’s Digest. |
| B．The first trial of De Witt Wallace’s dream. |
| C．De Witt Wallace’s character and marriage. |
| D．The humble beginnings of Reader’s Digest. |
Which of the following is the right order for the history of Reader’s Digest?
a．The Select Edition came out.
b．The Wallaces retired from the management of Reader’s Digest.
c．The magazine sold over million copies.
d．The product line was improved by means of videos.
e．Editions in other languages were published.
| A．c — e — a — b — d | B．e — a — c — b — d |
| C．c — e — a — d — b | D．a — c — e — d — b |
What can be known about Reader’s Digest from the passage?
| A．Reader’s Digest only published shortened or general books. |
| B．After World War ⅡReader’s Digest was published all over the world. |
| C．Reader’s Digest was first private–owned and later public–owned. |
| D．Reader’s Digest has always been headed by a Chief Executive Office |
Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu may make a difference in how long the misery lasts.
The American Lung Association (ALA) has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu(流感), and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. That’s because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come.
The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses - flu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness , but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine, which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA. But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities , there are some obvious signs to look for.
Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms.
The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms.
Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome(综合症) ，a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system.
There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one.
According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help ________.
| A．shorten the duration of the illness |
| B．the patient buy medicine over the counter |
| C．the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs |
| D．prevent people from catching colds and the flu |
We learn from the passage that ___________.
| A．one doesn’t need to take any medicine if he has a cold or the flu |
| B．aspirin should not be included in over-the-counter medicines for the flu |
| C．delayed treatment of the flu will harm the liver and central nervous system |
| D．over-the-counter drugs can be taken to ease the misery caused by a cold or the flu |
According to the passage, to combat the flu effectively, ___________.
| A．one should identify the virus which causes it |
| B．one should consult a doctor as soon as possible |
| C．one should take medicine upon catching the disease |
| D．one should remain alert when the disease is spreading |
Which of the following symptoms will distinguish the flu from a cold?
| A．A stuffy nose. | B．A high temperature. |
| C．A sore throat. | D．A dry cough. |
If children have flu-like symptoms, their parents _______________.
| A．are advised not to give them aspirin |
| B．should watch out for signs of Reye syndrome |
| C．are encouraged to take them to hospital for vaccination |
| D．should prevent them from mixing with people running a fever |