The 4G mobile phones have been made available for some time and are now on hot sale. Quite a few customers are attracted by the much quicker access to the Internet and some new fancy features or functions and some people just want to keep pace with fashion.
By today's standards, my mobile phone is pretty rubbish. It's a Nokia 1616. If that doesn't mean much to you (it's not the kind of phone you see advertised on television), all you need to know is that it's a small, not very heavy device with which you can send and receive telephone calls and text messages. It also has a very handy flashlight on the top for when you can't find your keys, or when you drop something on the floor in the cinema. Other than that, my phone doesn't do much. Well, it has an alarm, and it probably has a calculator and things like that, but it's nothing compared to a smartphone. Why would I want one of those?
I have often been told that the big advantage of having a smartphone is that "you can do everything with them!" But when was the last time you saw someone doing "everything" with a smartphone? Okay, so they may have an endless list of functions, but generally they are used for checking social networking sites, playing games, and receiving and replying to emails. I'm happy just doing all of those things at home on my laptop.
As far as I can tell, the best thing about having a smartphone is that you can be connected to the internet all the time. Don't get me wrong. I love the internet, but I just don't see the point of constantly being online. I can't remember the last time I received a Facebook update which was so urgent that I had to read it as soon as it appeared, and I can't imagine ever having a job which was so important that I would need to read work-related emails immediately. I would think that if someone needed me urgently, they would just ring me rather than send an email. And my trusty Nokia can manage that.
One of the most peculiar effects of the smartphone is, in my opinion, the newly-found addiction to maps and navigation (导航) systems. Is there anything more boring than knowing exactly where you are all of the time? How do you get to know an area if you don't get lost there a few times? And if you are dependant on online maps, what happens to those great places you find just by chance? You can't exactly find out from Google maps the journey from“here”to “that hidden cafe with the tasty-looking cakes", or to "that pond next to the church which looks really pretty in the evening sun. " It is, of course, true that we all occasionally need to be pointed in the right direction, but I find that there are often real life humans you can ask.
There are many benefits of having a very basic mobile phone, like the fact that it cost me about twenty pounds, and that I don't have to worry too much about it being stolen. But the main benefit has to be the fact that it provides me with the word “greatest excuse for my bad habits”. Whether it's turning up late to events, or getting lost on a trip, or missing buses or trains, or forgetting about an appointment at work, I'm pretty sure I'm covered with the following explanation "I'm really, sorry I don't have a smartphone."The writer uses his Nokia 1616 mainly to __________.
| A．play online games |
| B．do calculating work |
| C．make calls and text messages |
| D．check social network sites |
It can be inferred from the above passage that__________.
| A．work-related emails should be answered immediately |
| B．a Facebook update is usually very important |
| C．smartphones should always be connected to the net |
| D．a laptop and a smartphone share many functions |
According to the passage, if you use navigation systems, you may __________.
| A．find a boring trip actually exciting |
| B．miss some really wonderful places |
| C．be persuaded to eat in a certain café |
| D．be misled to a totally wrong place |
To the writer, one benefit of having a basic mobile phone is that__________.
| A．it can be used as an excuse for his bad habits |
| B．it can often be found back after it is stolen |
| C．it can remind him of important appointments |
| D．it can save him the trouble of catching trains |
The old idea that child prodigies (神童) “burn themselves” or “overtax their brains” in the early years, therefore, suffer from failure and (at worst) mental illness is just a myth. As a matter of fact, the outstanding thing that happens to bright children is that they are very likely to grow into bright adults.
To find this out, 1,500 gifted persons were followed up to their thirty-fifth years with these results:
On adult intelligence tests, they scored as high as they did as children. They were, as a group, in good health, physically and mentally. Eighty-four percent of their group were married and seemed content with their life.
About 70 percent had graduated from colleges, though only 30 percent had graduated with honors. A few had even flunked out (退学), but nearly half of these had returned to graduate.
Of the men, 80 percent were in one of the professions or in business, managerial or semiprofessional jobs. The women who had remained single had offices, business, or professional occupations.
The group had published 90 books and 1,500 articles in scientific, scholarly, and literary magazines and had collected more than 100 patents.
In a material way they didn’t do badly either. Average income was considerably higher among the gifted people, especially the men, than for the country as a whole, despite their comparative youth when last surveyed.
In fact, far from being strange, maladjusted (难以适应) people locked in an ivory tower, most of the gifted were turning their early promises into practical reality.The main idea of the passage is __________.
| A．that gifted adults can be as intelligent as when they were young |
| B．that bright children are unlikely to be physically and mentally healthy |
| C．that gifted children are most likely to become bright grown-ups |
| D．that when the bright children grow up, they become ordinary |
From the passage, we can conclude that ____________.
| A．most of the gifted children became white-collar workers |
| B．half of the gifted followed up graduated from colleges |
| C．each of the talented published at least one article |
| D．successful men got higher income than successful women |
Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．The gifted could not be fit for their social positions. |
| B．Most of the bright and successful women remained single. |
| C．The gifted men got full marks on intelligence tests. |
| D．Most of the gifted appeared satisfied with their life. |
The explanation of the underlined part “turning their early promises into practical reality” is _____________.
| A．earning their living and keeping promises |
| B．doing practical jobs and facing reality |
| C．doing what they have promised |
| D．realizing what they were expected |
Chinese President Hu Jintao, on his way to talks with President George W. Bush in Washington, on Tuesday met with Bill Gates.
After the meeting with Gates, the world's richest man, at Microsoft's headquarters, Hu restated that China would move against software pirates all the time(盗版软件).
At Microsoft Corp.'s campus, Hu said Tuesday he admired what Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates had achieved. He also sought to reassure Gates that China is serious about protecting intellectual property rights(知识产权).
"Because you, Mr. Bill Gates, are a friend of China, I'm a friend of Microsoft," Hu said.
"Also, I am dealing with the operating system produced by Microsoft every day," he added, to laughter.
Gates responded: "Thank you, it's a fantastic relationship," and then said: "And if you ever need advice on how to use Windows, I'll be glad to help."
"China is focused on and has already accomplished much in creating and enforcing laws to protect intellectual property." he said. "We take our promises very seriously."
Hu also said he would certainly welcome a further increase in Microsoft's investment in China.
"I'd also like to take this opportunity to assure you, Bill Gates, that we will certainly honor our words in protecting intellectual property rights," Hu said.
In his brief visit to the Microsoft campus, Hu, accompanied by Gates and company CEO Steve Ballmer, saw some business technology demonstrations and toured Microsoft's Home of the Future, which features experimental technology that might someday be used in people's living spaces.
Following the visit at Microsoft, about 100 guests, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Gov. Gary Locke, the first Chinese-American governor, were invited to Gates' $100 million lakeside house on Lake Washington for a dinner.
China has recently begun requiring Chinese computer makers to load legal software on their machines.
In Seattle's Chinatown, many stores hung Chinese and U.S. flags to welcome Hu, and many in the crowd outside the stately Fairmont Hotel on Monday night where Hu is staying were there to support the Chinese president. How many issues are mentioned in President Hu’s visit to Microsoft?
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
Put the sentences in correct order.
1.Hu had a meeting with President George W. Bush
2.Hu had dinner with many guests in Gates’ lakeside house
3.Hu paid a visit to the Microsoft campus
4.Hu stayed at Fairmont Hotel in Seattle
| A．4-3-2-1 | B．4-2-3-1 | C．1-4-3-2 | D．1-3-2-4 |
What measure is not mentioned to protect intellectual property rights?
| A．Moving against software pirates |
| B．creating and enforcing laws |
| C．increasing Microsoft's investment in China |
| D．requiring Chinese computer makers to load legal software on their machines |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Hu Visits Microsoft | B．Protecting Intellectual Property Rights |
| C．Bill Gate’s, A Friend of China | D．Americans Welcome President Hu |
New Beijing, Great Olympics
The 2008 Olympic Games has been the most cheerful and anticipated（预先的） event throughout Beijing ever since Beijing was rewarded the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, yet the focus should be shifted from making a promise to carrying out the promise made.
In my point of view, to bridge the gap between the promise and reality, Beijing still has a long way to go. To begin with, basic-structure construction should be the primary concern. Such basic-structures as communications and transportation system and facilities ought to draw our constant attention. For example, traffic jam has been an age-old headache in Beijing. The scene of long queues of vehicles worming their way inch by inch will surely cause great disorder, and impair the image of the city meanwhile. Next, to add charm to convenience, overall cityplanning is quite necessary. Time permitting, a redesign of city plan and adjustment of architectural style would provide a better environment for cultivating the characteristic, mixing oriental elegance(东方的雅致) with international greatness, will tower aloft(在高处) among surrounding architectures. To achieve such effect, Beijing shall seek opinions from first-rate architects and make an overall plan. Thirdly, quality of the population should be improved. To make an international metropolis, both “hardware” and “software” are important.
However, Rome was not built in a day. To carry out the promise of “New Beijing, Great Olympics”, deeds speak louder than words.What does the underlined word “metropolis” in paragraph 2 mean ?
| A．suburb | B．small city | C．capital city | D．town |
Which sentence is not true according to the author’s opinion in the passage?
| A．Beijing has a crowded traffic since a long time ago. |
| B．Experts in architecture are also important to the city’s construction. |
| C．In order to host the 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has preparations to make in many ways. |
| D．Hardware” refers to quality of people in Beijing. |
How many aspects does the author mention to prepare for the Olympics in Beijing?
| A．two: basic-structure construction and people’s quality |
| B．three: basic-structure construction, traffic problem and overall city planning. |
| C．two: basic-structure construction and overall city planning |
| D．three: basic-structure construction, overall city planning and people’s quality. |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Beijing is going to host the 2008 Olympic Games. |
| B．To carry out the promise of “New Beijing, Great Olympics”is a long-term work. |
| C．Traffic jams will cause a lot of trouble and make people feel sick.. |
| D．An overall city plan is to make Beijing a city with eastern and western cultures mixed together. |
I was born and raised in the shadow of the Capitol(美国国会大厦), in Washington, D.C., as were my parents and my mother’s parents.
Our row house was on a tree-lined street just blocks from the building that was the heart of the federal legislative branch. When I was a child, in the 1940s, friends and I would pack a lunch or ride a streetcar to the Capitol. If we roller-skated, we hid the skates in the bushes in the park across the street before entering the building.
I knew every corner of the Capitol. We’d play hide-and-seek and pretend we saw ghosts in the halls and stairways. I don’t know how we got away with it. I remember the beautiful ladies’ rooms, with their marble floors and sinks. I pretended that I was a fine lady in them.
In those days, you could walk around the Capitol dome(圆顶屋), which was a little scary for me. I loved the wonderful paintings and statues and the subway rides to the Senate Office Building. It was like an amusement ride. I even used to sit in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives—until I became bored with all the talk and went on another adventure.
Whenever I ran up the steps to the huge bronze doors of the Rotunda, I would look back to the world below like a hero. As soon as the doors were opened, the sense of history surrounded me, and I knew it was someplace special.
Those were lucky days, when an American citizen could wander in the Capitol and be a part of history.
Once war was declared, some things changed in the nation’s capital. Because of concerns that Washington might be attacked, as London had been, everyone prepared. Kids at my elementary school wore dog tags, and each of us was fingerprinted.
My father, a pipe worker, became a civil defense warden(民防队员). During an air-raid(空袭), his job was to turn off any leaking gas. Since he always had a cigarette in his mouth, maybe that was not a good choice, but he had a gas mask and flashlight hanging in the rafters of our basement. The mask looked like a monster in the ceiling. My 15-year-old brother was a junior civil defense warden. During air-raid drills, he knocked on doors and asked people to put out their lights. I remember huge searchlights that crisscrossed the skies during the drills, looking for enemy planes.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The writer attended the meeting in House of Representative.
B. The writer’s family lived in Washington D.C. for generations.
C. American citizen, except children, could never enter the Capitol.
D. The writer’s father had a gas mask to prevent him from smoking.When the writer said “I was born and raised in the shadow of the Capitol” (1st paragraph), she most probably meant that ________.
| A．she spent her childhood in an area near the Capitol |
| B．she grew up under the pressure of the Capitol |
| C．the Capitol had some bad influence on my childhood |
| D．she was born and brought up secretly in the Capitol |
By telling the childhood experience, the passage suggests that ________.
| A．London was attacked during the war, as well as Washington |
| B．the writer is a daughter of a member of Representatives |
| C．the writer’s father and brother joined the army during the war |
| D．the Capitol used to be open to the public in history |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the things that changed in the nation’s capital?
| A．neutral | B．positive | C．negative | D．ironic |
A bowl of soup a day could keep the pounds at bay.
Health experts have discovered that adding low-calorie vegetable soup to the start of a meal can actually help to lose weight. Because you tend to feel full sooner, you eat less of your main course.
The soup method was tested by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, led by Dr Barbara Rolls. They found that when participants in the study ate a first course of soup before lunch they reduced their total calorie intake by 20 per cent, compared with those who did not begin the meal with soup. But those who favour creamy soups should beware. Researchers stressed the soup must be low-calorie and based on stock, not cream.
All of the soups tested in the study were made from the same elements—chicken stock (原汁鸡汤), broccoli (菜花), potato, cauliflower (花椰菜) and carrots. They were mixed together to create four different textures and thickness from separate stock and vegetables through to pureed (蔬菜泥) soup.
Scientists thought that thick soups with thick pieces of vegetables which required chewing might be more filling, but to their surprise they found all forms had the same effect. The findings were presented to the Experimental Biology conference in Washington, DC, and the research was part funded by the National Institutes of Health.The passage mainly discusses _____.
| A．how to lose weight in a simple way | B．what kind of soup to be served at a meal |
| C．how to form a healthy eating habit | D．why eating soup could help lose weight |
What does the sentence “A bowl of soup a day could keep the pounds at bay” imply?
| A．Eating soup equals to swimming in a sea. |
| B．Eating a bowl of soup every meal is enough to keep fit. |
| C．Eating soup every day can help you to lose weight. |
| D．Making soup every day could cost you a lot of money. |
Which of following is the possible result of eating soup before a meal?
| A．Dropping the amount of calorie intake. | B．Reducing your weight by 20%. |
| C．Doing good to your growing high. | D．Helping you eat more. |
Which of the following statements is correct in making the soup?
| A．The materials for making soup must be limited to vegetables. |
| B．The soup must be made low- calorie. |
| C．The thickness of the soup makes a difference. |
| D．The soup must be mixed with some cream. |