The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes (前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.People use iPlayer to __________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at __________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers |
| C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
| A．popular | B．uncertain |
| C．definite | D．unique |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
| A．portable | B．environmentally friendly |
| C．advanced | D．recyclable |
The writer suggests that __________.
| A．“i” products are often of high quality |
| B．iTeddy is alive bear |
| C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
| D．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |
A study suggests that although most students at UK universities are happy with their courses, dissatisfaction has grown as fees rise．The study highlights a big variation in teaching time, and lists different ideas about the value of getting university degrees．
Katharine Collins, a second-year college student
The course has been very interesting, but I was expecting a little more one-to-one time with my teacher．
We do about four assignments （作业） each term, each of which is about 3,000 words．However, sometimes they are not that helpful．We hope to be given the right to write feedback （反馈） after every assignment, but we had no feedback at all throughout the first year．We are given grades about three weeks after we hand the assignments in．There is no feedback on where we have gone wrong or how we might improve．
Lee Millington, a creative-writing student
I choose the courses because of its reputation．There is a lack of one-to-one teaching．I would like personalized feedback from an expert in my field of writing．Some of the lectures have been quite helpful but they try to use too many different styles of writing．For example, if you want to be a poet, you might find that the lectures focus too much on novels．
I think there is too much attention paid to sharing our work in workshops and giving each other feedback．I think there should be more time given to actual teaching, rather than to feedback from people who are at a similar level to me．
Reporters from Hounsdown Secondary School, Ella, 16
When I work independently, I feel I have more freedom to develop my ideas and come up with more original viewpoints．The price of university will still be worth it to get the qualifications （资格证书）necessary for better jobs．
Tyier, 16
Although the cost of university is very high now, I think university is required for gaining a good and well-paid job．
AgenciesWe can learn from the beginning of the article that .
| A．Most of the university students at UK are dissatisfied with their courses. |
| B．The higher and higher pay for their courses accounts for the rise of the UK students’ dissatisfaction. |
| C．All the students at UK universities hold a similar attitude towards the value of getting university degrees. |
| D．The student’s purpose is to highlight the importance of gaining a university diploma. |
According to Katharine Collins in Paragraph 2, we can infer that .
| A．She is content with the assignments given in each term. |
| B．She has never been given one-to-one time with her teacher before. |
| C．She didn’t think highly of the value of the assignments at the university. |
| D．She benefits from the assignments a lot because they are helpful. |
Why does Lee Millington choose the course-- writing?
| A．Because he wants to be a great writer in the future. |
| B．Because he is interested in it from his heart. |
| C．Because he hope to make a better living before long． |
| D．Because the course has a high reputation in society． |
Who will most tend to be a professional novelist among the students mentioned in the passage?
| A．Ella． | B．Tyler． | C．Lee． | D．Katharine． |
What does the author mainly tell us at UK in this passage?
| A．The value for university degrees． |
| B．The higher pay for courses at university． |
| C．The terrible assignments at university． |
| D．The puzzle of the students at university． |
While going to the office, I found an old man lying by the side of the bus stop．He seemed very sick and poor．Instinctively．I gave him some money．After a few minutes, I realized that he was probably too sick to get up and buy something with that money．I was thinking about how to help him when my bus arrived, halting my brainstorm．I quickly got on and rode off．
However, that night I couldn't sleep．I felt very angry at my own heartless and selfish behavior．How could I just walk away from that man without a thought for his suffering? I felt restless and very upset． The next morning, while waiting at the bus stop, I hoped to run into him again．But he wasn't there．I thought he may have gone to the sidewalk to sleep for the night．I looked around for him, but he had disappeared．Disappointed, I decided to check for him again on my way back．
While returning from work that day, I came back to the bus stop and resumed my search for him． Thankfully, he was there．I quickly went to a nearby store and got him a blanket, some bread, and biscuits． When I handed them to him, he seemed very grateful．"Now I will be safe from the cold," he smiled． I also gave him some more money and told him to keep it safely．After being able to help him, I felt very at peace．What does the underlined word "Instinctively" in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．Immediately． | B．Constantly． |
| C．Naturally． | D．Generally． |
Why did the author feel restless and upset that night?
| A．He was regretful that didn't give the old man any money． |
| B．He was exhausted while he was working at his office． |
| C．He felt guilty in his mind for not helping the old man out |
| D．He suffered being restless and upset at night for a long period． |
According to the story, which of the statements below is NOT true?
| A．The author left the old man in a hurry as he didn't want to be late for work． |
| B．The next morning the author did meet the old man and give him a warm hand． |
| C．The old man was pleased with the author's offer because he wouldn't be exposed to the cold at night |
| D．The author eventually achieved his resolution to help the old man out． |
What can we possibly conclude from the moving story?
| A．The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose． |
| B．If at first you don't succeed, try, try again． |
| C．God helps those who help themselves． |
| D．Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today． |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Giving money to strangers is rather happy． |
| B．How can you help a stranger? |
| C．Don't be sony failing in helping others． |
| D．A moving story happening at a bus stop． |
Donna is 19 years old and loves animals, which is why I’m always happy to leave my dog with her when I go on holiday. Donna also helps to train hunting dogs, but recently, her boyfriend told me, she returned home from a farm in tears after being told to hit some dogs.
“She wasn’t being asked to hit them because they didn’t behave well,” he said. “She was told to punch these puppies with a closed fist simply to let them know who is the boss,” Donna refused. Good for Donna. In my view, you hit an animal for only two reasons: as a way to teach it an important lesson to protect it from danger, such as not into the road; or because you like hurting animals.
Last summer, I attended a horse race. I don’t know much about horses, but I was alarmed when I saw a horse with a huge ulcer (溃疡) on its legs. “Surely this horse won’t race?” I asked. I was very surprised that nobody in the crowd seemed concerned.
The horse began the race, but later it fell heavily. It had broken its leg. The next thing I saw was its dead body in a bag, being driven past. No one seemed to care, except those who had bet on it. I know people care for horse racing, but do they really care for horses? I doubt it.
Oh, but it’s a tradition, I hear you say. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we didn’t occasionally hit, shoot and chase animals? Traditions are made by man and can be unmade. It was once acceptable to kill servants when their master died, to visit the mental hospitals to laugh at the patients or to watch public execution (执行死刑).
Nor should it be forgotten that in our progress to a more civilized world, animals have played an important role: they have fed us, carried us, worked for us, rescued us, died for us and sometimes just saved us from loneliness. Surely by now they deserve our kindness. At the very least, they deserve our respect.Donna was asked to hit the young dogs because ________.
| A．they misbehaved |
| B．their owner disliked them |
| C．people on the farm enjoy hurting them |
| D．it was a way to train them to obey people |
What does the underlined word in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．strike | B．stroke | C．scold | D．pump |
What is the author’s purpose in telling the readers the story about the horse?
| A．To explain the traditional horse race to readers. |
| B．To prove that the weak horse can’t win in the race. |
| C．To show that animals are treated unfairly by humans. |
| D．To say that people care more for horses than horse racing. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．People no longer watch killing criminals in public. |
| B．The author cannot accept anyone who hits the animals. |
| C．It was a traditional practice to kill servants for their dead master. |
| D．The author thinks it is possible to change the traditions made by man. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．No One Cares for Animals Nowadays. |
| B．Let’s Protect the Endangered Animals. |
| C．Show Animals the Respect They Deserve. |
| D．The Stories Between Animals and People. |
Governments all over the world make public reports about the condition of their economies. Most countries, including the United States, have used a measure called the gross national product (国民生产总值)or GNP. It includes all goods and services produced by citizens of the country anywhere in the world.
Recently the American Commerce Department has started using a new method to measure production. It is known as the gross domestic product（国内生产总值）or GDP. It counts only goods and services that have been produced within the nation’s borders. Money earned by foreign companies operating in the United States is included in the GDP, but money earned by American companies operating in other countries is not.
Economic experts generally approve of the change. They say that the gross domestic product provides a truer measure of the economy. They also note that most other industrial countries use this method. Therefore it will be easier to study the economies of different countries. Some officials also hope the new system will help them make better economic policy decisions. It will provide them with a clearer understanding of economic activity in the U.S. . The new measure is less likely to be affected by sudden changes in foreign oil prices or in the value of the American dollar in other countries.
Economic experts believe that the change from GNP to GDP will immediately reduce the value of American production by at least 40,000 million dollars a year. But that is really a very small change in the American economy – less than 1% . The Commerce Department reports the unofficial gross domestic product once every three months. The government also continues to report GNP as it has four times a year since 1941.To report the American GNP, the government should not consider goods and services produced _______.
| A．by American companies at home |
| B．by American companies in China |
| C．by American companies in Singapore |
| D．by Japanese companies in the United States |
To report the American GDP, the Commerce Department should count money earned ________.
| A．by both American and foreign companies in America |
| B．by American companies within its own borders |
| C．by foreign companies in the United States |
| D．by American companies in its foreign markets |
GDP is considered better than GNP by some economists because ________.
| A．it is something new |
| B．it is used by most countries |
| C．it is easier to calculate |
| D．it is less likely to be affected by the foreign market |
What will happen to the value of American economy if GDP is used to replace GNP?
| A．It will be seriously affected. | B．It will not be affected. |
| C．It will come down a little. | D．It will slightly go up. |
How often are the reports of GDP issued by the American Commerce Department?
| A．once every four months | B．once every three months |
| C．once every six months | D．once a year |
Attempts to understand the relationship between social behavior and health have their origin in history. Dubos (1969) suggested that primitive（原始的）humans were closer to the animals because they, too, relied upon their instincts to stay healthy. Yet some primitive humans recognized a cause and effect relationship between doing certain things and alleviating（减轻）symptoms of a disease or improving the condition of a wound. Since there was so much that primitive humans did not understand about the functioning of the body, magic became an integral component of the beliefs about the causes and cures of health disorders. So it is not surprising that early humans thought that illness was caused by evil spirits. Primitive medicines made from vegetables or animals were invariably used in combination with some form of ritual (礼仪) to drive harmful spirits away from a diseased body.
One of the earliest attempts in the Western world to formulate principles of health care based upon rational thought and rejection of supernatural phenomena is found in the work of the Greek physician Hippocrates. Little is known of Hippocrates who lived around 400 B.C., not even whether he actually authored the collection of books that bears his name. Nevertheless, the writings attributed to him have provided a number of principles underlying modern medical practice. One of his most famous contributions, the Hippocratic Oath, is the foundation of contemporary medical ethics (道德). Among other things, it requires a physician to swear that he or she will help the sick, keep oneself from intentional wrong-doing or harm, and keep secret all matters to keep the doctor-patient relationship.
Hippocrates also argued that medical knowledge should be derived（源自于）from an understanding of the natural sciences and the logic of cause and effect relationships. In this classic thesis, On Airs, Waters, and Places, Hippocrates pointed out that human-being is influenced by the totality of environmental factors: living habits or lifestyle, climate, geography of the land, and the quality of air and food. Interesting enough, concerns about our health and the quality of air, water, and places are still very much written in the twentieth century.The topic of the first paragraph is summarized in ________.
| A．the first sentence of the paragraph |
| B．the second sentence of the paragraph |
| C．the third sentence of the paragraph |
| D．the last sentence of the paragraph |
Why did primitive humans rely on magic in their beliefs about the causes and cures of diseases?
| A．Because magic was an inseparable part of their life. |
| B．Because they had little knowledge about the functioning of the body. |
| C．Because the diseases were caused by the evil spirits. |
| D．Because magic must be used in going through the rituals to drive out the evil spirits. |
Considering Hippocrates’ background, we can see from the second paragraph that ________.
| A．he was the forefather of modern medicine |
| B．experts are sure that the books bearing his name were not written by him |
| C．he had a rational mind aided by supernatural instincts |
| D．experts do not know much about him except when and where he lived |
All of the following are included in the Hippocratic Oath EXCEPT ________.
| A．helping patients |
| B．keeping oneself from harming patients |
| C．keeping secret all matters to maintain a good relationship with the patients |
| D．obeying rules for modern medicine practice |
Which of the following best expressed the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Doctor’s concerns remain unchanged. |
| B．Medicine comes from nature. |
| C．Environment affects health. |
| D．Climate determines lifestyle. |