What will man be like in the future——in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own. The passage mainly tells us that____.
| A．man’s life will be different in the future |
| B．future man will look quite different from us |
| C．man is growing taller and uglier as time passes |
| D．the functions of man’s organs(器官) will function as well as today |
Which of the following serves as the evidence that man is changing?
| A．Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner. |
| B．Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had. |
| C．Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years. |
| D．Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker. |
The change in man’s size of forehead is probably because__________
| A．he makes use of only 20 % of the brain’s capacity. |
| B．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due（预定的） time. |
| C．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries. |
| D．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on. |
Which of the following is true about a human being in the future?
| A．He thinks and feels in different way. |
| B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses. |
| C．He is hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
| D．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t use them. |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．future life is always predictable（可预测的） |
| B．human beings hope for a change in the future life |
| C．human beings will become less attractive in the future |
| D．Less use of a bodily organ may lead to its degeneration（衰退） |
“China now has 350 million smokers, accounting for one-third of the world total. Chinese smokers now become addicted to nicotine at the age of 19, five years earlier than the average starting age of 24 in 1997,” a report said a couple of years ago.
Of the 1.1 billion smokers all over the world. more than 800 million are in developing countries. And as the world's largest developing country, China also has the largest number of smokers.
Some frightening facts start to appear when we examine who China’s smokers are. Of the 350 million addicts, more than 100 million are under the age of 18, while more than 50 percent of male teachers and doctors are smokers.
Such a high rate of addicts among male teachers and doctors will certainly have a bad impact on the young generation.
Teachers are usually expected to be role models for students who tend to consider whatever they do is right and follow their example. It is very likely that the number of teenage smokers will increase in the near future unless measures are taken to forbid teachers from smoking in front of their students or designate schools as no-smoking zones.
What is truly puzzling is why so many doctors smoke. They are aware of the results of the habit, such as high blood pressure and lung cancer. Their example only helps justify the addiction of so many others.
If educated people set an example by stopping smoking at least in public places. it would be much easier to drive home the notion that it is uncivilized to smoke in public places.
In China, there should also be a national law to ban smoking in public places. These would make a massive contribution to cutting the number of people in China who are smoking themselves into early grave.Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?
| A．Time to Kick the Habit |
| B．China Bans Smoking in Public Places |
| C．Smokers in China |
| D．Make People Aware of Smoking |
In developing countries, China has the largest number of smokers, which covers.
| A．one-third of its total |
| B．one-eighth of its total |
| C．1ess than half its total |
| D．more than half its total |
In the writer's opinion, who have influenced young smokers, especially those under l8?
| A．Parents. | B．Teachers only. |
| C．Advertisements. | D．Teachers and doctors. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．In China. those who get into the habit of smoking seem to be younger and younger. |
| B．More than half of the teachers and doctors are smokers in China. |
| C．The writer suggests schools should be designated as no-smoking zones. |
| D．It is of great benefit to forbid smoking in public places. |
Our need to communicate with each other has been a driving force in the development of technology. In the 20th century we have seen the invention of the radio, television, telephone and fax, and today the Internet has opened up a whole new way of communicating. We now have instant messaging services such as ICQ or China's QQ and chat rooms where people can join group discussions. They mean increasing choices for when, where and how to communicate, and more importantly, with whom.
While most people use the Internet to keep in touch with friends and family, a growing number of people use QQ and chat rooms to meet and chat with strangers. Because the Internet allows a certain amount of anonymity, users can be more open making it easier to make new friends. One user said that everyone is equal online, and age and appearance become unimportant. This makes it easier for people to communicate with each other.
Finding new friends is not the only reason people use chat rooms. The Internet can bring together like-minded people who want to discuss their favourite topics. There are chat rooms for certain sports, types of music, styles of art, in fact, just about any interest you can imagine, and many that you can't! Whatever unusual interest you might have, if you search on the Internet, there is a good chance that you will find someone, somewhere in cyberspace, willing to talk to you about it-right now.
However, there are problems with going online. It is possible for cyber-criminals to steal information such as credit card details while you are online, and there is always the chance that a new friend is not who he or she claims to be. One girl was really disappointed when she discovered that her new cyberfriend who wrote poems for her, was actually copying all the poems from magazines. But for all the problems that might come up, instant messaging services and chat rooms are here to stay, putting in touch with friends, family and strangers of similar interests.People use the Internet to.
A. chat to friends and meet family
B. meet strangers and write poems
C. chat to friends, family and strangersWhat does anonymity (para. 2) mean?
A. The state of being unknown.
B. The state of being friendly.
C. The state of being online.What types of topics will people discuss on the Internet?
A. Sports, types of music, styles of art.
B. All kinds of topics.
C. Only topics that the Internet allows.What is an example of problems with going online?
A. Some people may send you poems copied from magazines.
B. Your credit card details could be stolen.
C. There might be no one to chat with.
In many cultures white is often associated with something positive. A white-collar job, for instance, is the kind of job many people look for, working with your brain and not your hands.
White has a clean and pure image. That is why doctors, dentists, and nurses usually wear white uniforms. Babies are dressed in white at baptisms（洗礼）and brides wear white wedding gowns at weddings. White in these cases is the symbol of innocence or purity.
Sometimes white is used in expressions that are not good. “Whitewash” is one such expression. At first, “whitewash” meant to paint over something with white paint to make it look better. However, it means something different today: to hide or to cover up mistakes or failures.
A “white elephant” is another example of white used in a negative way. In ancient Thailand, a white elephant was regarded as a sacred animal, but it was very expensive to keep. The kings of those days presented a white elephant to the people they wanted to ruin. Once they received this holy, royal animal as a gift, they were not allowed to sell or kill it. Today, a “white elephant” means something that is big, useless, and unwanted. In America, when people want to get rid of their furniture or clothes, they often have a “white elephant sale”.The text is mainly about________.
| A．the history of some English idioms |
| B．the meanings of white in English culture |
| C．some interesting customs in English culture |
| D．some useful English words and expressions |
Which expression has a historical background?
| A．White elephant. | B．White-collar. |
| C．White-wash. | D．White elephant sale. |
In which statement does “white” have a negative meaning?
| A．A boy is dressed in white at baptisms. |
| B．A bride wears a white wedding gown. |
| C．A girl finds a white collar job. |
| D．A man whitewashes his crime. |
The author develops the text mainly by ______.
| A．analyzing its cause and effect |
| B．comparing different ideas |
| C．providing typical examples |
| D．following the time order |
After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market. It’s an interesting and exciting new improvement in today’s world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and conserve our natural resources.
The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which are used to power a car’s engine. The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution.
A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it. But that’s not how it works. The 144 volt battery pack is actually recharged( 充电 ) through the energy that is produced when the car’s brakes are used. This is referred to as “regenerative braking”, because it generates electricity.
Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically ( 自动地；机械地 )shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts back up.
Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn’t happen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, “I am low on gas”. When it completely runs out, the warning reads, “YOU ARE NOW OUT OF GAS!” Then the electric power supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station.According to the passage, the word “hybrid” refers to ________.
| A．a high tech discovery | B．energy saving |
| C．a new invention | D．a combination of two things |
“Regenerative braking” is an important process of the hybrid car because ________.
| A．it allows the car to come to a quick stop |
| B．it gives the driver a smoother ride |
| C．it produces energy to charge the battery |
| D．it can control the speed of the car |
Which of the following is right about the EPA?
| A．They designed hybrid cars. |
| B．They outlawed (宣布……为不合法) the burning of fossil fuels. |
| C．They set important guidelines that help control pollution. |
| D．Their main purpose is to protect endangered plants and animals. |
Which of the following is the reason for developing hybrid cars?
| A．They use less gas than regular cars. |
| B．They’re safer to drive than most cars. |
| C．They’re more modern than other cars. |
| D．They cost less than regular cars |
HOUSTON (AP) --- A 10-year-old boy fatally(致命地) shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother's home for a weekend visit.
The incident happened about 3pm on a cul-desac（死胡同）in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff's Department.
An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man's Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. Williams. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh's ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother.
"We're not certain of anything until we finish our investigation," Williams said. "The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon."
The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.
Williams said the gun belonged to the boy's mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited (离开) the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.
The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital.
Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
The man and woman shared custody（监护）of the children.
Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.
Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.
Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. "We've had a suicide in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this," Gray said.The best title for the news should be __________.
A. A Boy Shot His Father
B. Shooting Kill a Father
C. An Unbelievable Tragedy(悲剧)
A Ten-Year-Old Boy's CrueltyWhat can we infer from the text?
| A．The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence. |
| B．The boy killed his father because he hated it that he deserted his mother. |
| C．Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood. |
| D．The boy's parents got divorced(=separated). |
The reason why the boy shot his father __________.
| A．is clear | B．can't be made out |
| C．is unknown | D．is quite simple |
The underlined word "suicide" most probably means __________.
| A．the act of killing the lives of a whole family |
| B．an instance ( example ) of deliberately killing oneself |
| C．the situation of getting on smoothly with others |
| D．the peaceful surroundings |