Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, some might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery (彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents(对手) says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, and honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company. This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.How much did the lottery winner lose?
| A．Two hundred dollars. | B．One hundred dollars. |
| C．Three hundred dollars. | D．Four hundred dollars. |
We may infer that the author believes people should _______.
| A．buy lottery tickets |
| B．make use of half-truths |
| C．not take anything at face value |
| D．not trust the Yucky Company |
What do the underline words “net gain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．final increase | B．big advantage |
| C．large share | D．total saving |
What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement?
| A．False statements are easy to see through. |
| B．Advertisements are based on facts. |
| C．Doctors like to act in advertisements. |
| D．Half-truths are often used to mislead people. |
Look, this is the first plane in the world to be created using the new technology of “3D printing”. The airplane was built using only a computer—but it can fly at a speed of 100mph and has a two-meter wingspan.
It was produced using a special nylon laser printer that builds up something layer-by-layer. The parts were made separately and attached using a “snap fit” technique so the aircraft could be put together without tools in minutes.
No fasteners at all were used in the manufacture of the plane. Unmanned and electrically powered, the plane can travel in near silence and is also equipped with a small autopilot system. The special production process used is known as “laser sintering(激光烧结)”and allows the designers to create shapes and structures that would normally include costly manufacturing techniques. This technology allows a highly-tailored aircraft to be developed from your own design to first flight in days, while using traditional materials and techniques would take months. And because no tooling is required for manufacture, major changes to the shape and scale of the aircraft can be made with no extra cost.
Professor Jim Scanlon, who led the team, said, “The process allows the design team to revisit historical techniques and ideas that would have been too expensive using traditional manufacturing.” He added, “This form of structure is very firm and lightweight, but very complex. If it was manufactured traditionally it would require a large number of individually tailored parts that would have to be connected or fastened at great expense.”
The new printed plane is known as the Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft—or SULSA for short—and is part of a wider project using cutting-edge manufacturing techniques. The University of Southampton has been at the leading position of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle development since the early 1990s.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Revolutionary Breakthrough of 3D Printer
Scientists Create Aircraft with High Speed
C. New Designed Airplane with New Techniques.
D. The World’s first 3-D printed Airplane, SULSAHow could the plane work while flying?
| A．It should be controlled by an autopilot system. |
| B．It should be controlled by “laser sintering”. |
| C．A pilot controls it using a remote control. |
| D．A pilot with high techniques controlled it. |
This kind of plane has the following advantages EXCEPT ______.
| A．it produces little noise while flying |
| B．it is manufactured in quite a short time |
| C．it only requires simple and cheap tools |
| D．it needn’t extra cost if changes are made |
Professor Jim Scanlon believes they can _____ with their techniques.
| A．produce firmer and lighter real planes easily |
| B．connect and fasten tailor parts for real planes |
| C．copy earlier planes to study their techniques |
| D．find differences by studying the traditional ones |
It has taken 90 years since she was born in a poor house in County Limerick for a woman considered America’s oldest illegal immigrant to get her Irish passport.It will be a few more months before Josephine Stout will finally be declared a US citizen, entitling(赋于…权力) her to a pension and other benefits.
Despite having lived in America for most of her life since she arrived in 1923, the great-grandmother was declared an undocumented alien(华侨)in 1999, when she tried to claim state aid to help raise her seven grandchildren, who were left orphaned when her daughter was killed by a robber over$20.
Even though she has never considered herself Irish, noting “I don’t even have an accent,” she didn’t officially exist as an American when officials in Chicago insisted that she prove her citizenship in order to qualify for benefits. But she had no birth certificate or passport when she arrived on an immigrant ship from Ireland from Ireland with her parents, who had 12 other children.
She never gave the matter much thought until 1999, when she was in her late 70s and needed assistance to raise her grandchildren. For 12 years, Mrs. Stout managed to support the family by doing various jobs. But her life was hard and marked by tragedy. Her husband died in 1996, and her son Thomas died in a car accident with his girlfriend in 1985. Her only surviving child, Rosemary, died of cancer in 2009.
A Catholic charity referred her case to Chicago Irish Immigrant Support(CIIS), which alerted the Irish Consulate(领事馆). Through them, they tracked down her birth certificate, the website irishcentral.com reported. The document, in turn, allowed her to receive her Irish passport, and eventually her American green card in September 2011, which was dated back to November 1, 1923.What will happen to a person if he has no green card in the US?
| A．he cannot get any chance to get education |
| B．he can’t have a pension and other benefits |
| C．his citizenship will be taken away |
| D．he has to take illegal part-time job |
Josephine couldn’t be a legal immigrant because ______.
| A．she was named an undocumented alien |
| B．she arrived in American in a secret way |
| C．She couldn’t find her proper certificates |
| D．She has too many brothers and sisters |
We can imply from the 4th paragraph that ______.
| A．Josephine lived a lonely life for many years |
| B．Thomas was always driving carelessly |
| C．Josephine was a strong-willed woman |
| D．Mrs. Stout, Josephine’s friend, helped her a lot. |
Please arrange the following events in the correct order according to the text.
a. Josephine’s birth certificate was found.
b. Josephine received her green card.
c. The Catholic charity contacted CIIS.
d. The birth certificate was shown on a website.
e. Josephine was offered her Irish passport.
| A．a-b-c-d-e | B．c-d-e-a-b | C．a-d-c-b-e | D．c-a-d-e-b |
A tall figure appeared from the dark door of the tent. It was a smoking young man about twenty three or four. He had an almost black face, though smooth. His moustache was black with curled points. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes. cef
Rebecca still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward.
"Hi, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, approaching. Realizing that she was quite at a loss, the man spoke in a gentle voice, "Never mind. I am Mr. Thackeray. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
This scene differed greatly from what Rebecca had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified(威严的) face. She told herself to be calm and answered "I came to see your mother, sir."
"I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alee Thackeray, the only son of the noble family. "What is the business you wish to see her about?"
"It isn't business-it is-I can hardly say what!"
"Pleasure?"
"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem..."
Rebecca's sense of a certain ridicule(奚落，讥笑) was now so obvious and strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
"It is so foolish", she murmured. "I fear I can't tell you!"
"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
"Mother told me to come," Rebecca continued; "and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not expect it would turn out like this. I came…sir, I came to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
"Ho Ho! Poor relations?"
"Yes."
"Rossetti?"
"No. Thackeray."
"Ay, ay; I mean Thackeray."
"Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are Thackeray. The local scholars hold the view that we are, and...and we have an old seal and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident. We can hardly make a living."
"It’s very kind of your mother, I'm sure." Alec looked at Rebecca as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. "And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well, there's no harm in it. I mean it doesn’t hurt to come and make yourself known to me. Where do you live? What are you?" …While meeting with Alec, Rebecca feels _______during the whole course.
| A．nervous and uneasy |
| B．excited and hopeful |
| C．amazed and comfortable |
| D．pleased but embarrassed. |
Which of the following is suitable to describe Rebecca’s impression of Alec?
| A．unfriendly and ta lkative |
| B．forceful and daring |
| C．gentle and reliable |
| D．older than expected |
What is Rebecca’s real purpose of making this visit?
| A．To see Alec himself. |
| B．To see Alec's mother. |
| C．To confirm that they are of the same family. |
| D．To make known their relationship and seek help. |
From the passage, we can conclude that Alec appears quite friendly to Rebecca largely because __________.
| A．Rebecca is his distant relation |
| B．Rebecca looks polite to him |
| C．Rebecca is a pretty girl |
| D．Rebecca looks ridiculous |
It’s common to hear the honking of horns in New York. Whoever tries every day to get more than a few minutes of sleep in the city will tell you that he could do nothing about it! Honking of horns is just one of their most widely enjoyed pastimes.
But Aaron, a Japanese website developer has had enough of it. Once, the 31-year-old man approached the open window to wait for the driver to finish honking, delivered a polite "excuse me" and then yelled " Ho-o-o-o-onk!", which suggests fierce anger in Japan. Then he threw three eggs from the window of his apartment on to a passing car honking loudly below when his patience was worn out. Instead of apologizing to him, the driver threatened to kill him angrily. So, nobly, Aaron turned to non-violence. He started writing anti-honking haiku verses, a form of Japanese poetry, and submitted them to local newspapers:
Oh .forget Enron;
The problem around here is;
All the damn honking
(Enron: a major American company that recently caused a scandal by going bankrupt because of corrupt(腐败) mismanagement)
"Then this kind of chain reaction started happening," Aaron says. "All these other haiku started appearing that I haven't written." Aaron’ s community is now covered in anti - honking poetry, written by all walks of life, ranging from scary environmental activist types to violent revolutionaries:
Patience slowly fades;
Residents store up their eggs;
That day is coming soon.
It’s no surprise that Aaron has started a website — www. honku. org — and now people from across the country send him news of their own anti - honking activities. It seems that poetry can change the world after all. Then, just recently, anti-anti- honking haiku started to appear, taped up by locals who thought Aaron should stop worrying about honking and start worrying about starving children, say, or war in the Middle East instead. Aaron has an answer for that. "Stop me if this is too tenuous(不靠谱的) ," he says," but they talk about the violence in the Middle East like it' s a force of nature, like it' s beyond our control. But actually it's kind of like the honking - the violence is man -made. If we can figure out how to stop honking on the streets, I think we could learn some things that we could use on a large scale. "The first paragraph of the passage is intended to tell us that_______.
| A．New Yorkers have formed a habit of honking while driving |
| B．most New Yorkers enjoy sleeping late in the morning |
| C．honking noise has influenced people's life in New York |
| D．New Yorkers enjoy listening to the honking of horns |
What is Aaron’s final response to the frequent honking of horns?
| A．Pretended to ignore it. |
| B．Screamed at the driver. |
| C．Acted in a peaceful way. |
| D．Complained to the government. |
According to the passage, most New Yorkers think Aaron's response is ___.
| A．pointless |
| B．abnormal |
| C．sensitive |
| D．acceptable |
Faced with the criticism of his anti-honking campaign, Aaron notes that___.
| A．fierce violence in the Middle East is more of an issue worthy of concern |
| B．finding the solution to anti - honking is as meaningful as that to starvation |
| C．big issues are beyond our control while small ones are under our control |
| D．if not handled properly, honking may cause serious problems like starvation |
Are you still troubled by a disease called overactive bladder(膀胱)? Why not try TOVIAZ, a medicine used to treat adults 18 years older facing such a condition?
You are strongly advised not to take TOVIZ if you have following symptoms:
Your stomach empties slowly.
You are suffering from eye problems.
You’re allergic to any ingredients of TOVIAZ.
Remember the possible side effects of TOVIAZ
Dry mouth.
Constipation(便秘)
Dry eyes.
Trouble empting the bladder
Remember to ask your doctor for a complete list, since these aren’t all possible side effects of TOVIAZ.
More Detailed Instructions to take TOVIAZ:
Your doctor may give you the lower 4mg dose of TOVIAZ if you have severe kidney problem.
Take TOVIAZ with liquid and swallow the tablet whole. Do not chew, divide or crush the tablet.
You can take either TOVIAZ with or without food.
If you miss a dose of TOVIAZ, start taking it again the next day.
Decreased sweating and severe heat illness can occur when TOVIAZ is used in hot environments.
Drinking alcohol while taking TOVIAZ may cause increased sleepiness. What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To present a discovery on a scientific research. |
| B．To give information about a kind of medicine. |
| C．To teach patients ways of recovery from illness. |
| D．To show the importance of taking proper medicine. |
The main function of TOVIAZ is to treat__________.
| A．kidney problem |
| B．stomach problem |
| C．dry mouth or eyes |
| D．overactive bladder |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．There are only four possible side effects of TOVIAZ. |
| B．Don’t take TOVIAZ if you are allergic to its ingredient. |
| C．It’s unwise for people under 18 years old to use TOVIAZ |
| D．You may feel excited while eating TOVIAZ with alcohol. |
Which of the statements about taking TOVIAZ is TRUE?
| A．It’s OK to take it with food or without food. |
| B．Chew the tablet well before you swallow it. |
| C．Use TOVIAZ in hot environment to cure heat illness. |
| D．If you miss a dose, do take it right away on the same day. |