Did you know that there are actually people who have paid for a flight to the moon? In the future, there will be a lot more opportunities to travel to faraway places than now… perhaps even as far as the moon. As people adventure further and further away and as planes, trains, cars, and rocket ships become faster, is it safer to have these vehicles controlled by humans or by computers?
While many flights by plane are controlled automatically by machines, most people today wouldn’t let their car drive itself. That’s because currently the autopilot function on your car can only keep it on the same course you are travelling on. It won’t turn the car right or left. It won’t stop if an animal jumps in the way. However, cars today can sense when something is too close and warn the driver with flashing lights and alarms. Many cars also have GPS（global positioning systems） that tell drivers which road to take and when to turn. These systems, unlike human drivers, never get lost. In the future, it is easy to believe that your car will be better able to drive itself with the aid of computers that can determine the position of your car and the speed it should travel at.
In addition to computers being ‘smarter’ than people regarding the best way to go or knowing how close another vehicle is, computers don’t get sick, tired, or angry. This means they won’t make the same mistakes that people make when they are not having a good day. While responding with emotion is a good thing when choosing the best way to deal with a friend’s personal problem, it may not be such a good thing when deciding what to do at the wheel of a fast-moving vehicle.
So what are the disadvantages of autopilot systems? Maybe one disadvantage is that a small computer problem could cause a serious accident. It could also be argued that in unexpected situations, computers might not be able to respond appropriately; some decisions require human emotions. Another problem might be that if everything were controlled by computers or robots, people wouldn’t have any jobs.What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Development of Autopilot |
| B．Technology of Future Travel |
| C．A New Driving System |
| D．Computerized Cars |
Which of the following is the disadvantage of an autopilot system?
| A．It won’t make the same mistakes as people do. |
| B．It can point out the best route for the driver. |
| C．It might not respond properly to unexpected situations. |
| D．It does not have human emotions to influence its function. |
If some falling rocks roll down toward your car, the autopilot on your car will_______.
| A．inform you of the danger |
| B．turn the car right or left |
| C．do nothing about it |
| D．stop the car |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the autopilot?
| A．Approving. | B．Objective. |
| C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
I ran into a local store today to pick up a few things. With an important meeting to attend, I was in a hurry , so I didn’t take a cart (手推车) on my way inside. As I walked between the shelves in the store, I passed by a young couple and their baby. I continued going through the store, picked up a few items I needed and ended up standing behind this couple in the checkout line.
While waiting, I noticed that the young father was holding his money tightly and nervously. The young mother was carrying a baby in her arms and asked the cashier (收银员) for a job application.
When the total was rung up, they had to pick items out of their cart because they didn’t have enough money. But all their items were basic necessities(必需品) that they needed most. It just broke my heart to watch the couple try to think about what they could do without. However, they were able to whittle down their items and paid the bill with the money that they had.
After they left, I quietly asked the cashier to add those items to mine. The cashier rang everything up, and then got me a shopping cart. We put in their items and I hurried over to their car. “This is for you,” I told them.
The young father just looked at me with such appreciation and thanked me. I will never forget the expression in his eyes. As I was getting into my car, they drove over. The young mother said, “Miss, thank you so much.”
Tears welled up in my eyes---as they are again now, while I write this. “You are so welcome. Pay it forward some day,” I replied.The underlined phrase “whittle down” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.
| A．add to | B．break down | C．pay for | D．cut down |
The author felt __________ to watch the couple taking some items out.
| A．angry | B．sad | C．excited | D．interested |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．the young mother didn’t have a job then |
| B．the young father felt so sorry to accept help |
| C．the cashier treated the young couple impolitely |
| D．the young couple bought something unnecessary |
The author’s main purpose in sharing the story is to tell us __________.
| A．what a great plan she made |
| B．to take a cart while shopping |
| C．to help those who are in need |
| D．how to pick out basic necessities |
Too many people put off things that could bring them joy just because they haven’t thought about them, don’t have them on their schedules or are too stubborn to leave from their regular daily things.
One day I thought about all those women on the Titanic who refused sweet foods at dinner that fateful（命中注定的）night to cut out fatty foods. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more changeable.
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, “How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would stammer (结巴地说),“I can’t , I have clothes to wash. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.” She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
We live on promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect. We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get our baby, Stevie, toilet-trained. We’ll enjoy when we replace the living room carpet. We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we wake up, and all we have to show for our lives is a long list of “I’m going to”, “I plan on” and “Someday, when things settle down a bit”.
I love ice cream. But my lips had not touched ice cream in 10 years. The other day I stopped the car and bought an ice cream. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.
Now, go have a nice day. Do something you want to. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you say? And why are you waiting?The author mentioned（提到）the women on the Titanic to ________.
| A．prove that cutting out fatty foods is difficult |
| B．tell people to enjoy themselves sometimes |
| C．encourage people to stick to regular daily things |
| D．tell us the importance of refusing unhealthy foods like sweet foods |
What’s the author’s feeling in Paragraph3?
| A．Angry. | B．Happy. | C．Humorous. | D．Regretful. |
The underlined word “accelerating” in Paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
| A．moving more quickly |
| B．going slower |
| C．becoming more difficult |
| D．getting more disappointing |
In the author’s opinion, which of the following is the most likely to bring people true happiness?
| A．Getting an ice cream every day. |
| B．Knowing what one wants completely. |
| C．Visiting loved ones as long as one has time. |
| D．Putting off the things that could bring us joy. |
“One thousand readers lead to one thousand Hamlets.” It is also true to English learners. English learners do have learning methods different from each other. Some are reasonable, some negative(否定的), and some hard to judge.
Some learners hold the view that “I don’t have any gift for learning English, it’s difficult for me”. Of course, I don’t agree with the idea. It’s indeed a fact that some people are more gifted(有天赋的) than others, but everyone can learn, as long as you find a suitable learning method and work harder.
Some think that the key to learning English well is to remember a rich vocabulary. As far as I’m concerned, that is far from being a successful English learner. Vocabulary is vital, but knowing how to use the exact words and expressions in certain situations is more important.
I disagree that in order to speak English well you have to live in an English-speaking country. I know many people who speak excellent English but they have never been abroad. But it doesn’t mean environment is not important. Being in an English-speaking country, you can not only be exposed(暴露) to the language but also learn the culture of the country, which is helpful to you. However, not everyone has a chance to go abroad. So, we are learning English, we should speak more. As what I believe, “Don’t be shy! Just try!” No matter what we do, mistakes will happen. All we should do is learning from the mistakes, and trying to correct them in the next.
There is a saying goes, silence is gold. However, when it comes to English learning, silence means nothing. If we are always being afraid of making mistakes, we will get nothing in the end.
Finally, confidence is important to our English learners. Being given a chance to speak, you should seize it and speak out. Only after you speak out can others know your opinions. All you should do is not worry about making mistakes, but try to express your opinion clearly. Besides, speaking itself is so good a chance to test and improve your spoken English.
The writer thinks that the least important in learning English is ________.
| A．environment | B．confidence | C．gift | D．vocabulary |
The word “vital” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.
| A．useless | B．different | C．difficult | D．important |
According the passage, we can learn that ________.
| A．we can not avoid making mistakes when learning a foreign language. |
| B．it’s true that some people don’t have any gift for learning English. |
| C．we can’t speak English well unless living in a foreign country for some time. |
| D．words and expressions are more important than grammar rules in learning English. |
What could be the best title for the passage?
| A．Hamlet and English learners. |
| B．Tips about English Learning. |
| C．How to learn spoken English. |
| D．Different learners learn different English. |
Christmas is the biggest holiday in many countries including the US and the UK. Decorating Christmas trees, giving gifts and singing Christmas songs are just a few of the traditions that the two nations share. However, just as there are many cultural differences between the two, Christmas is not the same on both sides of the Atlantic. BBC has pointed out some differences.
According to BBC, the language of Christmas is not completely the same in the US and UK. “Americans will appear confused or chuckle(暗自笑) to themselves if you wish them ‘Happy Christmas’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’,” BBC said. In addition, the shortening of Christmas to “Chrimbo” is almost unknown in the US. Another difference is the name of the white-bearded man. British people usually call him “Father Christmas” while Americans refer to him only as “Santa Claus” or simply “Santa”.
A good, old US Christmas dinner doesn’t necessarily（必然地）have turkey. BBC explained that Americans prepare special food for Thanksgiving, and they often go for ham or roast beef on Christmas Day. Christmas cake, and Christmas pudding are popular desserts(餐后甜点)in the UK. In the US, however, your post-meal treat will probably be one of the following: pumpkin pie, fruit cake, apple pie, or sweet potato pie.
In the US, but not in the UK, the beautiful Christmas decorations you see in films are real, and some people even turn their houses into light shows, according to BBC. “Driving through American suburbia (郊区) at Christmas can sometimes feel like a tour of Disney World,” the news network described.
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Christmas in the world |
| B．Christmas and traditions |
| C．The importance of Christmas |
| D．Christmas on both sides of the Atlantic |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．“Chrimbo” is more widely used in the UK. |
| B．We’d better say “Happy Christmas” to Americans. |
| C．White-bearded man is usually called “Father Christmas” in the US. |
| D．The language of Christmas is almost the same in the US and UK. |
Which one is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Christmas is not exactly the same in the US and UK. |
| B．You can see the beautiful Christmas decorations in the UK. |
| C．Christmas cake, pudding are popular with American people. |
| D．You may have apple pie or fruit cake in your post-meal in the UK. |
Where does the passage probably come from?
| A．A science magazine. | B．A culture magazine. |
| C．A guide book. | D．A business report. |
Here is some information about some of the restaurants, museums, shopping centers and
hotels in New York.
| BLUE SKY RESTAURANT Telephone：4444872 Address: 8090 White Road Open : Mon. to Fri. 7:30 am-2:30 pm and5:00pm-9:00 pm Sat. 7:30 am-11:30 am and 5:00 pm-9:30 pm Sun. 11:00 am-2:00 pm and 5:00 pm-9:30 pm |
| NEW YORK MUSEUM American’s largest museum specializing（专业化）in American history Telephone: 2751352 Address: Vanier Park, 1200 Chestnut St. New York Open: Mon. to Fri. 9:00 am-5:00pm(Monday free) Sat. 9:00 am-1:00 pm |
| TONGCHENG SHOPPING CENTER Telephone: 5674398 Address: Furong Road Open: Mon. Wed. and Fri. 9:30 am-5:30 pm Tues. Thurs. and sat. 9:30 am-9：00 pm Sun. 11:00am-9:00 pm |
| HUATIAN HOTEL Telephone: 7868432 Address: 5200 No.7 Road. The Dining Hall: Wed. to Sun. Lunch from 10:30 am Coffee Shop: Mon. to Fri. 6:00 am Sat. 6:30 am and Sun. 7:00 am Mon. to Wed. to 10:00pm Thurs. to Sun11:00 pm |
You do not have to pay on Mondays if you go to ________.
| A．Blue Sky Restaurant | B．New York Museum |
| C．Tongcheng Shopping Center | D．Huatian Hotel |
If you want to go out for lunch on Sunday, you can dial the number ________.
| A．4444872 | B．7868432 | C．2751352 | D．5674398 |
If you are free on early Sunday mornings, you can go to ________.
| A．Furong Road |
| B．8090 White Road |
| C．Coffee Shop on 5200 No.7 Road |
| D．Vanier park, 1200 Chestnut St. New York |
Which place is still open after 10:00pm on Thursday?
| A．Blue Sky Restaurant. |
| B．New York Museum. |
| C．Tongcheng Shopping Center. |
| D．Huatian Hotel. |