Medical scientists are already putting computer chips（芯片）directly into the brain to help people who have Parkinson’s disease, but in what other ways might computer technology be able to help us? Ray Kurzweil is the author of the successful book The Age Of Intelligent Machines. He is also one of the world’s best computer research scientists. He is researching the possibilities.
Kurzweil gets computers to recognize voices. An example of this is Ramona, the virtual hostess of Kurzweil’s website, created by the computer, who is able to understand what you say. Visitors to the website can have their own conversations with her. Ramona also dances and sings.
Kurzweil uses this technology to help people with physical problems. One of his ideas is a “seeing machine”. This will be “like a friend that could describe what is going on around,” he explains. Blind people will use a sensor（传感器）which will probably be built into a pair of sunglasses. This machine will describe to the person everything it sees.
Another idea, which is likely to help deaf people, is the “listening machine”. This invention will recognize millions of words and understand any speaker. The listening machine will also be able to translate what it hears into other languages, so even people without hearing problems are likely to be interested in using it.
But it is not just about helping people with physical problems. Looking further into future, Kurzweil sees a time when we will be able to store what we hear, see and think in a computer. This technology probably won’t be ready for at least 50 years, but when it arrives, it means our minds will be able to live forever.Ray Kurzweil is .
| A．a famous medical scientist |
| B．a computer research scientist |
| C．a patient with Parkinson’s |
| D．an inventor of computer chips |
What can Ramona do?
| A．She can talk with her visitors. |
| B．She can treat brain diseases. |
| C．She can help deaf people listen. |
| D．She can teach people to sing. |
How can the “seeing machine” help blind people?
| A．It can help to treat their eyes. |
| B．It can translate into other languages. |
| C．It can help them to see the future. |
| D．It can describe to them what it sees. |
The word “virtual” in Paragraph 2 probably means .
| A．虚拟的 | B．友好的 | C．漂亮的 | D．忙碌的 |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．The Seeing Machines |
| B．The Listening Machines |
| C．The Intelligent Machines |
| D．The Translating Machines |
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically.Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past.“Houses” have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products.Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device.Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies，which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field.These products are patented (专利) and have trade mark licenses.The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long.Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look.All the outdoor dust，mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing (安装) the dirt drain (排水管) at the entrance of the door.Another important invention is the automatic toilet nightlight，in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people.Thus，a variety of new household items are invented every day，which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph is intended to________.
| A．stress the importance of inventions |
| B．introduce the topic of the article |
| C．show the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．tell the differences between human beings and animals |
According to the passage，people make house inventions to________.
| A．earn more money and gain awards |
| B．accumulate their wealth |
| C．improve the present living conditions |
| D．meet the new demands of new science |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to________.
| A．prevent your shoulder from being overpressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because________.
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them |
| C．they have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage mainly talks about________.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity.But，it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J．K.Rowling，author of the Harry Potter book series，began writing at the age of 6.In her biography，she remembers with great fondness when her good friend Sean，whom she met in secondary school，became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer.He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it，which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”
Despite many setbacks，Rowling persevered in her writing，particularly fantasy stories.But it wasn’t until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter.As she recalls，it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into her head.“To my immense frustration (沮丧)，I didn’t have a functioning pen with me，and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one.I think，now，that this was probably a good thing，because I simply sat and thought，for four (delayed train) hours，and all the details bubbled up in my brain，and this scrawny，blackhaired，bespectacled (戴眼镜的) boy who didn’t know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year，her mother passed away after a tenyear battle with multiple sclerosis，which deeply affected her writing.She went on to marry and had a daughter，but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time，Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression.Unemployed，she completed her first novel in area cafes，where she could get her daughter to fall asleep.After being rejected by 12 publishing houses，the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages，J.K.Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history.And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend!Who believed J．K.Rowling was to be a good writer?
| A．Her friend Sean. | B．Her mother. |
| C．Her daughter. | D．Her husband. |
Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.
| A．at the age of 6 | B．on a train journey |
| C．after her mother’s death | D．in her secondary school |
She felt frustrated on the train because________.
| A．her train was delayed for four hours |
| B．she didn’t have a pen with her |
| C．her mind suddenly went blank |
| D．no one would offer her help |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is________.
| A．openminded | B．warmhearted |
| C．goodnatured | D．strongwilled |
The text mainly tells us________.
| A．hardship makes a good novelist |
| B．the courage to try is a special ability |
| C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere |
| D．encouragement contributes to one’s success |
An alcohol breath test (ABT) is often used by the police to find out whether a person is drunk while driving.In the United States，the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for people aged 21 years or older，while people under 21 are not allowed to drive a car with any level of alcohol in their body.A “positive” test result，a result over the legal limit，allows the police to arrest the driver.However，many people who tested positive on the test have claimed that they only drank a “nonalcoholic” energy drink.Can one of these energy drinks really cause someone to test positive on an ABT？Researchers in Missouri set up an experiment to find out.
First，the amount of alcohol in 27 different popular energy drinks was measured.All but one had an alcohol level greater than 0.005%.In nine of the 27 drinks，the alcohol level was at least 0.096%.The scientists then investigated the possibility that these small levels of alcohol could be discovered by an ABT.They asked test subjects to drink a full can or bottle of an energy drink and then gave each subject an ABT one minute and 15 minutes after the drink was finished.
For 11 of the 27 energy drinks，the ABT did find the presence of alcohol if the test was given within one minute after the drink was taken.However，alcohol could not be discovered for any of the drinks if the test was given 15 minutes after the drink was consumed.This shows that when the test is taken plays an important role in the test result.The sooner the test is conducted after the consumption of these drinks，the more likely a positive alcohol reading will be obtained.What is the legal alcohol level for a 20yearold driver in the US?
| A．0.000%. | B．0.005%. |
| C．0.080%. | D．0.096%. |
What is the purpose of the Missouri experiment?
| A．To introduce a new method of calculating blood alcohol levels. |
| B．To discover the relation between energy drinks and ABT test results. |
| C．To warn people of the dangers of drinking energy drinks. |
| D．To change the current legal alcohol limit for drivers in the United States. |
The underlined word “subjects” in Paragraph 2 refers to________.
| A．the things that are being discussed |
| B．areas of knowledge studied in school |
| C．the participants in an experiment |
| D．the people who belong to a country |
Which of the following affects the ABT test result most for energy drink consumers?
| A．The age of the person who takes the test. |
| B．The place where the test is given. |
| C．The equipment that the test uses. |
| D．The time when the test is taken. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．A driver whose blood alcohol level is found to be 0.1% will be arrested. |
| B．No energy drinks really cause anyone to test positive on an ABT. |
| C．Few popular energy drinks contain alcohol in them. |
| D．Those taking an ABT 15 minutes after drinking alcohol cannot be found out. |
I grew up with a fat dad—450 pounds at his heaviest.Every week he would try a new diet，and my family ended up eating whatever strange food he was trying at that moment.
After my thirdgrade year，my dad landed a lifechanging job in Manhattan.My mom，my little sister and I had to move away from our hometown，Chicago，and leave my grandmother and her beautiful food behind.
Leaving my grandmother was far more frightening than the move to New York City.There would be no more special weekends at my grandmother’s house，the only place I can remember feeling happy，safe and nourished (有营养的)．It was what I desired.In this new city，I felt extremely alone and lost，and I missed my grandmother terribly.
My grandmother knew just how I felt—And she knew the cure.Every week，she would send me a card with a $20 bill，a recipe and a list of what to buy at the market.It kept us bonded，and her recipes filled my body and soul.
Over the years，I have grown to better understand my father’s struggles with weight and the toll (代价) it took on him and those who love him.I have come to realize he was driven not by vanity (自负) or selfishness as much as by a deep pain.And in spite of growing up in such an unhealthy eating environment (or perhaps because of it)，as an adult I found a passion and a career as a nutrition consultant.
Today，my father weighs 220 pounds and is a vegan (素食者)．How he got there is a story I hope to share in the coming weeks.More importantly，food is no longer a barrier that keeps us apart，but a bridge that keep us connected.There is nothing my dad enjoys more than talking with me about dietary theories and his weightloss victories.And now I am the one regularly sending recipe cards to my father’s house，just as my grandmother did for me. What kind of person was actually the author’s father?
| A．He was a man of vanity and selfishness. |
| B．He didn’t like to eat with his family. |
| C．He was more painful than selfish. |
| D．He forced his family to eat what he liked. |
The author desired to go to his grandmother’s________.
| A．to see his father | B．for tasty food |
| C．for pocket money | D．to avoid his family |
The underlined word “cure” in Paragraph 4 is the nearest in meaning to “________”．
| A．solution | B．concern |
| C．operation | D．situation |
The author became a nutrition consultant mainly because________.
| A．his father often talked with him about dietary theories |
| B．he was determined to change his own daily habits |
| C．he wanted to study the recipes his grandmother had given him |
| D．his childhood experiences gave him too deep an impression |
What can we learn about the author from the last paragraph?
| A．He often quarreled with his father about food |
| B．His father will tell him his story in the following weeks |
| C．The most he talks about with his father is nourishment |
| D．He often sends recipe cards to his grandmother in return |
The American newspaper publisher Arthur Sulzberger Sr died at the age of 86.Mr Sulzberger led The New York Times for more than three decades，before passing the business to his son.He took over the paper in 1963 when it was in financial trouble，and transformed it into the heart of a multibillion dollar media empire.
His family announced he had died at his home in Southampton，New York State，after a long illness.His son，Arthur Sulzberger Jr，said in a statement that his father，whom he referred to by his childhood nickname of Punch，was “one of our industry’s most admired executives”．“Punch，the old Marine captain who never backed down from a fight，was an absolutely fierce defender of the freedom of the press，” he said.
The New York Times was bought by Mr Sulzberger Sr’s grandfather Adolph Ochs in 1896.During Mr Sulzberger’s tenure，The New York Times won 31 Pulitzer prizes.
Born in New York City,5 February 1926，Sr served in Marine Corps during World War Ⅱ and Korean War，joined The New York Times in 1951 after graduating from Columbia College，took over as publisher in 1963 after his brotherinlaw died suddenly，stepped down in 1997 and passed stewardship to his son，Arthur Sulzberger Jr.
He oversaw a huge circulation boost at the paper，and increased its parent company’s annual revenues (年收入) from $100m in 1963 to $1.7bn by the time he stepped down in 1997.He also led the paper through highlevel clashes with the political establishment.In 1971，The Times published a series of stories saying that politicians had systematically lied over the US involvement in Vietnam.The source was thousands of leaked government documents known as the Pentagon Papers.The Nixon administration demanded that the paper stop publishing the stories on grounds of national security.But the paper refused，and then won the subsequent court case by arguing that the First Amendment of the US Constitution (宪法) guaranteed free speech.The case is seen as a landmark in the history of free speech in the US.Mr Sulzberger said he read more than 7,000 pages of the Pentagon Papers before personally deciding to publish them.
His family still holds a controlling stake (控股权) in The New York Times.He was a strong believer in family ownership of newspapers.He once joked：“My conclusion is simple.Nepotism works.”When did Arthur Sulzberger Sr die?
| A．In 1997. | B．In 2012. |
| C．In 1963. | D．In 1971. |
Punch，the old Marine captain was actually________.
| A．Arthur Sulzberger Jr |
| B．Adolph Ochs |
| C．Arthur Sutzberger Sr’s father |
| D．Arthur Sulzberger Sr |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Arthur Sulzberger Sr took over The New York Times from his brotherinlaw. |
| B．Arthur Sulzberger Jr’s grandfather bought The New York Times. |
| C．Arthur Sulzberger Sr resigned when The New York Times was in financial trouble. |
| D．Arthur Sulzberger Jr took over The New York Times after graduating from Columbia College. |
In the political case in the 1970s，Mr Sulzberger________.
| A．failed the case in the end |
| B．lost the controlling stake in The New York Times |
| C．gave in to the government |
| D．succeeded in guarding free speech of the paper |
What does the underlined word “Nepotism” probably refer to?
| A．Friendship. | B．Politics. |
| C．Family ownership | D．Freedom of speech. |