You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be a good idea to have a canopy(伞蓬) built into a street lamp.” he said.
The lampbrella is an ordinary street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella if it is needed. Sensors(传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers people shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360°motion sensor which tells whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the passers-by. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of passers-by.
Although there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be set on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.For what purpose did Belyacv create the lampbrella?
| A．To predict a heavy rain |
| B．To check the weather forecast |
| C．To protect people from the rain |
| D．To remind people to take an umbrella |
What do we know from Belyacv’s words in Paragraph2?
| A．He came up with the idea of his creation from an experience |
| B．it rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg |
| C．Street lamps are protected by canopies |
| D．He enjoyed taking walks in the rain |
Which of the following show how the lampbrella works?
| A．motor→canopy→sensors | B．Sensors→motor→canopy |
| C．motor→sensors→canopy | D．canopy→motor→sensors |
What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the lampbrella?
| A．Its moving speed | B．Its appearance |
| C．Its installation | D．Its safety |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．The designer will open a company to produce his product |
| B．The lampbrella could be put into immediate production |
| C．The designer is sure that his creation is practical |
| D．The lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
A public high school in the rural town of Boonsboro，Maryland，offers a special program recently. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single－sex classes for math，science，English and social studies.
The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. Rebecca Brown chooses the students for what Boonsboro High School calls the Academy. “What we really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve here，so that they’re prepared for college，” she said. They need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities.
Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High School for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth－grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. “The novels they’re reading now，are very manly novels. They’re novels that deal with the arrogance(傲慢)of man and the pride of man.” One of those books，for example，is “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada’s Klondike Gold Rush.
On this day，the students are working in small groups. Vincent and Logan explain why they're drawing pictures that relate to the story. Vincent said，“The main character，Buck，gets abducted(绑架) and they send him off to the Yukon in a train.So I’m drawing part of the story where he’s in the train. It gets you to visualize the setting of the story and gets you to think more about what’s going on in the story，the important events of the story.”“ Instead of just doing work sheets about it，this is a lot more fun，” Logan added happily.
Morgan Van Fleet likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. “To me，it almost seems like it’s hindering(妨碍)? your chances at developing yourself because you’re more focused on ‘Oh，I wish they’d shut up. Oh，what do they think of me？’ instead of focusing on what’s the homework or what’s going on in this class，what’s the lesson.”
【选项】 What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To introduce. |
| B．To persuade. |
| C．To instruct. |
| D．To educate. |
In Rebecca Brown's opinion，________.
| A．any student in Boonsboro High School can take part in the program |
| B．students in the program are expected to get well prepared for college |
| C．students can all achieve their highest levels in the program |
| D．students don't have to join in the activities |
The underlined word “visualize” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．pay a visit to |
| B．form a picture of |
| C．take a look at |
| D．have a gift for |
What can we conclude from the text?
| A．Michael Bair considers it unsuitable for boys to read the book “The Call of the Wild”． |
| B．Jack London is a main character in the book “The Call of the Wild”． |
| C．Vincent thinks that his drawings can help understand the novel better. |
| D．Morgan Van Fleet thinks the program does no good to her. |
The text is probably taken from ________.
| A．a school's introduction | B．a teacher's diary |
| C．a headmaster's speech | D．a news report |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
I suppose that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it’s given from the heart. When people are talking, there’s no need to do anything but receive them. Listen to what they’re saying. Care about it. Most times caring about it is even more important than understanding it. Most of us don’t value ourselves or our love enough to know this. It has taken me a long time to believe in the power of simple saying “I’m so sorry,” when someone is in pain.
One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted to tell her that they once had something just like that happening to them. Her pain became a story about them. Eventually, she stopped talking to most people. We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care.
I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the handkerchiefs, until I realized that passing a person a handkerchief may be just another way to shut him down, to take them out of their experience of sadness. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.
This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. It certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too shy to speak or did not know the answer. But now I know that a loving silence often has far more power to heal than the kindest words.What does the author value most in the communication with each other?
| A．Deep understanding. |
| B．Saying “I'm sorry”． |
| C．Attention from heart. |
| D．Doing nothing. |
The woman patient stopped telling her story to most people because ________.
| A．she didn't get enough respect from others |
| B．she was discouraged by being often interrupted |
| C．people often told her their own opinions |
| D．people couldn’t understand her sad situation |
If you hand a handkerchief to someone crying，you may ________.
| A．hurt his feelings |
| B．make him embarrassed |
| C．encourage him to continue to cry |
| D．stop him from letting out his sorrow |
It can be inferred from the passage that while communicating，________.
| A．listening is a perfect way to respond to others |
| B．people keep silent because they don't know the answer |
| C．keeping silent means being too shy to speak |
| D．it is easy to form the habit of listening silently |
Which of the following might be the author's opinion about communication?
| A．Keep silent. |
| B．Just listen. |
| C．Be careful. |
| D．Tell your own story. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
B
When I was 13，my bedroom walls were covered with posters of the Monkees and the Beatles.I wrote fan letters and daydreamed about meeting the objects of my affections.I begged my parents to attend every rock concert and watch every TV show featuring my favorite celebrities(名人)；my friends and I discussed for hours all the things we would say and do when we met our favorite movie stars and pop singers.I drove my mother crazy！But after a few years，my obsession(迷恋) with stars faded as I matured and gained the confidence to socialize with “real” boys.
In the 35 years since I was a teenager，celebrity worship(崇拜) has increased among teens due to the explosion of television celebrity gossip shows，and instant access to celebrity news on the Internet.It's no wonder that many teens are obsessed with stars when news programs often are filled with entertainment stories and the lives of celebrities.
Celebrity worship syndrome(综合征) is now considered a personality disorder.While it is normal for teenagers to follow the lives of their favorite stars，parents should try to monitor everything their child finds interesting.Parents should take action if they suspect a teen is too obsessed with celebrities and showing little interest in school or withdrawing from the family.When teens talk a lot about celebrities and view them as just means of entertainment，this is considered normal celebrity worship.However，when a teenager is obsessed with a star and often expresses a desire to have a close personal relationship with a celebrity or feels they have a special connection to a star，this may be the time for concern.Recent studies have shown that teens who develop an unhealthy obsession with celebrities often suffer from low selfconfidence and depression.Teens who are overly obsessed with stars often have damaged relationships with their parents.The first paragraph is intended to tell us ________.
| A．it's normal for a teen to have celebrity worship |
| B．celebrity worship can cause serious problems |
| C．parents needn't worry about celebrity worship |
| D．celebrity worship only exists among teens |
We learn from the second paragraph that ________.
| A．teens today are not so obsessed with celebrities |
| B．the author is surprised at celebrity worship |
| C．the media greatly contributes to celebrity worship today |
| D．celebrities expose their lives too much |
Parents should become concerned when their children ________.
| A．talk a lot about celebrities with others |
| B．put up celebrity posters on their bedroom walls |
| C．ask to go to their favorite star's concert |
| D．desire a close personal relationship with their favorite star |
The last paragraph implies that ________.
| A．parents should not care too much about a child's celebrity worship |
| B．celebrity worship syndrome can be a serious problem if left overlooked |
| C．children can normally get out of celebrity worship when they are older |
| D．children with celebrity worship usually have a high opinion of themselves |
What is most likely to be talked about in the paragraph following the passage?
| A．The harm of celebrity worship syndrome. |
| B．More signs of celebrity worship syndrome. |
| C．What to do with children's celebrity worship syndrome. |
| D．Who will suffer most from celebrity worship syndrome. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
A
Greg Evans started to study film at Ryerson University，but had a change of heart and switched to social work at George Brown College in the second year.Yet the college recognized only one of Evans' generalinterest credits(学分) from Ryerson，and also made him take English all over again although he had passed it at university.
“So I spent time and money taking a course I had already taken before，”complained Evans.“The system really needs to change.”Evans was part of a chorus of Ontario students on Monday cheering a new $73.7 million fiveyear plan to help students switch from college to university，and from university to college.
After years of urging from students，the Ontario government set up a new Credit Transfer Innovation Fund to help students move back and forth between the more handson courses of community college to the often broader academic focus of a university degree.“We hear horror stories about students who can't get recognition from one institution for a very similar course at another，and in one case I believe the same professor was teaching them both，” noted Milloy after announcing the new fund.
Individual colleges and universities have decided on nearly 500 joint deals to honour each other's credits in certain courses.Each school is required to set targets for more credittransfer agreements，and link these increases to provincial funding.
More than 4,000 college graduates transfer(转学) to university in Ontario every year－twice as many as eight years ago，noted Justin Fox，president of the College Student Alliance.Yet Ontario universities and colleges have been cautious about transferring credits，in part to avoid copying each other's courses，noted Bonnie Patterson，president of the Council of Ontario Universities，who welcomed the increased flexibility.What happened when Greg Evans switched to social work at George Brown College?
| A．He was considered to be unqualified for social work. |
| B．His previous credits were not all recognized. |
| C．He wasn't able to get enough credits. |
| D．His English didn't reach the required standard. |
With the new $73.7 million fiveyear plan，students can ________.
| A．get enough money to go to university. |
| B．switch between colleges and universities |
| C．get enough generalinterest credits |
| D．have a wise choice of courses |
According to Paragraph 3，Milloy believes ________.
| A．it is time that the system was changed |
| B．the same professor can't teach in different schools |
| C．students should focus on their chosen courses |
| D．the students' stories are horrible |
Ontario universities and colleges have been cautious about transferring credits partly to ________.
| A．avoid accepting unqualified students |
| B．keep their similar courses |
| C．prevent courses from becoming similar |
| D．attract famous professors |
What attitude does Bonnie Patterson have towards the transferring system?
| A．He is strongly against it. |
| B．He is very doubtful about it. |
| C．He thinks it is too flexible. |
| D．He supports it for its flexibility. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
(2012年辽宁卷，C)If Confucius(孔子) were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake，there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day，few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades，the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently，the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art，history and philosophy(哲学)．Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States，at the same time，are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever，and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker，he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West，even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers' interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students ________.
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in ________.
| A．a biography |
| B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper |
| D．a philosophy textbook |