Surfing for hours on the Internet consumes a lot of electricity and is harmful to the environment. However, a new ecological PC saves energy as it operates：it produces about 70 percent less CO2 than conventional computers.
As a work tool, a leisure activity resource, and a personal assistant, computers seem to be everywhere. Yet the environmental performance for today's computers leaves a lot to be improved: they rapidly become out of date, and typically contain poisonous materials and individual parts that are difficult to recycle. Moreover, they consume plenty of power whose production, in return, causes the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Employees at the MicroPro Company in Ireland, teaming with colleagues at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin, have engineered a wooden—frame computer with reduced environment impact. As the first computer for its class, the“iameco”(pronounced I-am-eco) was awarded the “EU Ecolabel”, the European Union’s environmental label. “This touch-screen PC has very low energy consumption over the entire lifecycle” explains Alexander Schlosser, scientist at IZM.
Over the full product life cycle, it releases 70 percent less CO2 than a typical desktop PC with monitor. In addition, it can be easily recycled. Of the materials used, 98 percent can be recycled. Indeed, 20 percent of the computer can be reused immediately—in other words, many parts can be reused for repairing other computers—such as parts of the wooden frame.Paragraph 2 mainly talks about______________.
| A．the popularity of computers |
| B．the latest development of computers |
| C．the improvement of computers |
| D．the environmental pollution of computers |
The “EU Ecolabel” is probably awarded to_____________.
| A．products made of wood |
| B．products saving energy |
| C．products releasing much CO2 |
| D．products made by the EU |
The wooden frame is used because__________.
| A．it has better appearance |
| B．it can reduce weight |
| C．it doesn’t break easily |
| D．it can be recycled directly |
The author uses figures in the last paragraph to______________.
| A．record valuable data |
| B．give detailed description |
| C．provide concrete evidence |
| D．introduce a research method |
What’s the text mainly about?
A. The fun of surfing the Internet.
B. Disadvantages of the desktop PC.
C. The recycling of computers.
D. Benefits of the new ecological PC.
Britain’s oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 110. Mr. John Evans had never found the time or the money – to make the trip from his house near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all-expenses-paid birthday trip to the capital, he just could not refuse.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. Mr. Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century. “There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings (1 shilling ="1/20" pound) return from Swansea – too much I thought. All my money went to the family then, “he said.
During the next two days Mr. Evans will be taken on a whistle–stop tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the Houses of Parliament (国会).
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided to move him about if he gets tired. “I don’t like the chair business – people will so think I am getting old,” he said.
His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized–no alcohol, no cigarette and no angry. Before setting off from Swansea with his 76-year-old son, Amwel, he quipped, “I’m glad to see they’ve given me a return ticket. ”It’s reported that Mr. Evans’s healthy long life was to a certain extent due to his _____.
| A．wine drinking | B．proper smoking |
| C．mild temper | D．sense of humor |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．A single trip from Mr. Evans’s house to the White City used to be ten shillings. |
| B．The first place for Mr. Evans to visit is the Houses of Parliament. |
| C．He appreciated people’s arrangement of a wheelchair during his visit |
| D．Mr. Evans once made the journey to London at the end of the century. |
The word “quip” in the last sentence most probably means _____.
| A．to make a witty remark | B．to express a happy message |
| C．to make a wish | D．to tell a joke |
What might be the best title for this passage?
| A．110-year-old Tourist | B．Secret for Long and Healthy Life |
| C．Free Return Ticket | D．Sightseeing in London |
Martha had been working for Miller Laboratories for two years, but she was not happy there. Nothing significant had happened in the way of promotions or salary increases. Martha felt that her supervisor, a younger and less experienced person than she, did not like her. In fact, the supervisor often said unpleasant things to her.
One day, while talking with her friend Maria, she mentioned how discouraged she was. Maria gave her the name of a cousin of hers who was director of Human Resources Department for a large chemical company. Martha called him the next day and set up an interview on her lunch hour.
During the interview, Mr. Petri said, “You’re just the kind of person we need here. You’re being wasted in your other job. Give me a call in a day or two. I’m sure we can find a place for you in our organization.” Martha was so happy she almost danced out of the building.
That afternoon, Ruth Kenny, her supervisor, saw that Martha had come in ten minutes late from her lunch hour and she said, “Oh, so you finally decided to come back to work today?”
This was the last straw. She could not take another insult. Besides, Mr. Petri was right: she was being wasted in this job.
“Look,” she said angrily, “if you don’t like the way I work, I don’t need to stay here. I’ll go where I’m appreciated! Good-bye!” She took up her things and stormed out of the office.
That night she called Maria and told her what had happened and then asked Maria, “What do you think?”
“Well,” said Maria carefully, “are you sure about the other job?”
“Well, not exactly, but…”
Maria continued, “Will you be able to get a recommendation from Mrs. Kenny if you need one?”
“A recommendation?…from Mrs. Kenny?” hesitated Martha, in a worried tone.
“Martha, I hope you didn’t burn your bridges.” Maria said. “I think I would have handled it differently.”Martha is unhappy in her job because _____.
| A．she has not advanced |
| B．the work is not significant |
| C．her supervisor is younger than she |
| D．there is too much work with little payment |
Which of the following statement is NOT true?
| A．At her supervisor’s criticism, Martha lost her temper. |
| B．Mr. Petri felt Martha was not valued in her present job. |
| C．Martha’s interview with the director was on her lunch hour. |
| D．Martha got the name of the director through her cousin. |
The phrase “the last straw” probably refers to _____.
| A．the last opportunity |
| B．the straw that saves Martha’s life |
| C．the last reminder |
| D．the final unpleasant thing |
What does Maria think of Martha’s decision?
| A．Martha has handled the matter properly. |
| B．Martha shouldn’t have set the bridge on fire. |
| C．Martha should have found a new job before leaving. |
| D．Martha shouldn’t have lost her temper with her supervisor |
jaguarn. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the US. and in Central and South America.
jargon 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense. 2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand. 3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English. 4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was field with jargon.
jaunt 1. n. a trip taken for fun 2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday .
javelin 1. n. a spear most commonly used as a weapon or in hunting 2. n. a light-weight metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field contests. 3. n. the contest in which a javelin is thrown. 4. v. to strike, as with a javelin
jazz 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats. 2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz. 3. n. slang empty talk. 4. adj. of or like jazz: a jazz band, a jazz records
jennet n. a small Spanish horseWhich meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
| A．Definition 1 | B．Definition 2 | C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon.
| A．Definition 1 | B．definition 2 | C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don’t give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.
| A．rhythmic beats | B．a type of music |
| C．meaningless talk | D．a kind of dance |
If you happen to find “On the Road” at a gas station or “Who Moved My Cheese?” in your grocery store, it might not be and accident. You could be the unwitting beneficiary of a “bookcrosser”---- a person who on purpose leaves books in public places hoping they’ll be found by strangers.
The idea o leaving a book for someone else to find and enjoy is not new ---- some people have been leaving just-finished books in airports and on buses since the dawn of the hurry-up-and-wait. Creating a system for book-leavers to find out what happened to those books adds a new way to the practice. Bokcrossing.com, the website that encourages books to be “released into the wild”, has more than 18,000 members since its start last year, and averages 112 new participants daily.
Its members have scattered(分发) more than 42,000 novels, self-help books, memoirs, technical manuals and biographies in 45 countries, leaving them in public restrooms, movie theatres, coffee studios or anywhere that they can imagine. The result: a worldwide living library.
Peri Doslu, a California yoga instructor, has dropped three--- one on top of a telephone booth, one on a rock wall at remote Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada, and another in one of the studios where she teaches.
“I’m always looking for paces to pass on books,” said Doslu. “To think my book’s going to go off and have this future, and I might even get to know a little bit about it down the road.”If you are an unwitting beneficiary of a bookcrosser, that means_____.
| A．you get a book on how to avoid accidents |
| B．you know where to get a book for free |
| C．you get a book somewhere for free without knowing in advance |
| D．you get a card with which you can borrow books at a gas station or somewhere else |
Bookcrossers are the people who ____.
| A．have lots of books |
| B．have lots of money |
| C．release books in public places on purpose |
| D．like reading books very much |
A bookcrosser may not leave books in _____.
| A．toilets | B．a studio | C．the fields | D．his bed |
Which of the following about Doslu is true?
| A．She dropped her first book on top of a telephone booth. |
| B．She had no idea who took her books away |
| C．She always left books to her students |
| D．She is a bookcrosser traveling around the world |
Tokyo: The world’s oldest man, retired Japanese silkworm breeder Yukichi Chuganji, died in his home at the age of 114, on Monday. Family members found him dead on his mattress. Born on March 23, 1889, Chuganji worked as a silkworm breeder and bank employee after leaving school. He also served as a community welfare(福利) officer. He had been in god health, talking daily with his family members.
Washington: Every American dislikes people who talk on cell phones while driving, even those who do that kind of act. In the State of New Jersey, 84 percent of 968 cell phone owners said in recent telephone survey that they would support a state ban(禁令) on the use of cell phones while driving. However, 42 percent of cell phone owners also said they used the devices “very often” or “sometimes” while driving. Although most agree that the banning is good, only 38 percent believed such a ban would be easy to enforce(实施).
New York: A woman in the US who was being attacked by a dog said she was saved from further harm when her 13-year-old daughter distracted the dog by screaming “You want a piece of me?” and kicked it repeatedly in the head. Jane Howell said she and her daughter, Elizabeth, were taking a walk around the neighborhood on Saturday evening when they came across he big dog, unchained. The main idea of the second news is _____.
| A．most Americans don’t like cell phone |
| B．a ban on the use of cell phones has been made |
| C．few people use cell phones while driving |
| D．using cell phones while driving will be banned because most Americans don’t like it |
The woman in the US ____.
| A．was not harmed by the dog |
| B．raised the dog, which attacked her later |
| C．was protected from being seriously hurt by her daughter |
| D．had escaped when her daughter was kicking the dog |
From the news we can infer ____.
| A．Chuganji was living alone when he died |
| B．the woman’s 13-year-old daughter was very brave |
| C．cell phones are not good devices |
| D．it’s easy to enforce the ban the use of cell phones while driving |