The laptop is a machine which can be a mobile office；it can be used to entertain us and people can play computer games on them. One machine can perform many tasks at the same time. As technology grows，the size of the new laptop machines is decreasing. Now laptops are lighter，have smaller screen sizes，and perform better. Smaller screen laptops，which are more convenient to take along with，have been specially designed for professionals. Huge display screen laptops are still used by graphic(绘画的)designers and those who like playing computer games.
Laptops are advanced machines，and they can be very expensive. When we spend much money on something，we should take good care of it. I know some people who buy a new laptop every year. The reason they do this is that the old one either is broken or has some problems which cannot be fixed. Common problems are the breaking of the screen，the breaking of joints of the laptop，display problems，and keyboard problems.
Different problems will always come up with machines，and they cannot be avoided(避免)．Old machines will always have to be replaced by new ones. However，if we are more careful and handle our laptops with care，they will last for a longer period of time，and they will perform better. This is not a hard thing to do，but it will greatly increase the life and performance of laptops.According to the first paragraph，the laptop is a machine which________.
| A．is being used by more and more people in the office |
| B．will take the place of desktops sooner or later |
| C．is specially designed for people who like playing computer games |
| D．can be used for both work and entertainment purposes |
The underlined word in the first paragraph means “________”．
| A．becoming smaller |
| B．becoming more important |
| C．becoming more popular |
| D．becoming better |
We infer that graphic designers still use huge display screen laptops most probably because________.
| A．huge display screen laptops are very cheap |
| B．small display screen laptops are not on sale yet |
| C．they can see their drawings more clearly |
| D．they also want to play computer games |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．That laptops can only be used for one year. |
| B．That laptops are not as good as desktops. |
| C．That the prices for laptops are too high. |
| D．That laptops may have problems which cannot be fixed. |
Everyone knows about straight-A students. We see them frequently in TV situation comedies and in movies like Revenge(报复)of the Nerds. They get high grades, all right, but only by becoming dull laborers, their noses always stuck in a book. They are not good at social communication and look clumsy while doing sports.
How, then, do we account for Domenica Roman or Paul Melendres?
Roman is on the tennis team at Fairmont Senior High School. She also sings in the choral group, serves on the student council and is a member of the mathematics society. For two years she has maintained A’s in every subject. Melendres, a freshman at the University of New Mexico, was student-body president at Valley High School in Albuquerque. He played soccer and basketball well, exhibited at the science fair, and meanwhile worked as a reporter on a local television station. Being a speech giver at the graduation ceremony, he achieved straight A’s in his regular classes, plus bonus points for A’s in two college-level courses.
How do super-achievers like Roman and Melendres do it? Brains aren’t the only answer. “Top grades don’t always go to the brightest students,” declares Herbert Walberg, a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who has conducted major studies on super-achieving students. “Knowing how to make the most of your innate(天生的)abilities counts for more. Much more.”
In fact, Walberg says, students with high IQ sometimes don’t do as well as classmates with lower IQ. For them, learning comes too easily and they never find out how to get down.
Hard work isn’t the whole story, either. “It’s not how long you sit there with the books open,” said one of the many-A students we interviewed. “It’s what you do while you’re sitting.” Indeed, some of these students actually put in fewer hours of homework time than their lower-scoring classmates.
The kids at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can readily learn.What can we conclude from the first paragraph?
| A．Most TV programs and films are about straight-A students. |
| B．People have unfavorable impression on straight-A students. |
| C．Everyone knows about straight-A students from TV or films. |
| D．Straight-A students are well admired by people in the society. |
Some students become super-achievers mainly because_________.
| A．they are born cleverer than others |
| B．they work longer hours at study |
| C．they make full use of their abilities |
| D．they know the shortcut to success |
What will be talked about after the last paragraph?
| A．The interviews with more students. |
| B．The role IQ plays in learning well. |
| C．The techniques to be better learners. |
| D．The achievements top students make. |
Sharing cars to work is not unusual．But what about sharing time to raise children together? In Ningbo city of Zhejiang province in East China, young mothers in the same neighborhood pool their children together, and share the responsibility of being parents．
Spending every day together, but not families – in this coastal city of East China, three mothers are trying a new way of raising their kids, by pooling them together. Among the mothers are both office workers and housewives.They say they do so not just because of the tight schedule．
Jiujiu's mother said, "By kids pooling, we mean to create an opportunity for the kids to spend time together so that we can observe our kids, learn more about them．And then we can discuss how to better bring them up．"
The three families have been doing so for two years, in school days and holidays．Their children have grown used to each other's company,
Chichi's mother said, "My son was a bit shy．We've been talking him to be more active, but he hardly changed．After joining the kids pool, suddenly we found him willing to communicate with others now．When we are not there, he has to rely on himself to get along with his pals．"
Generally, mothers speak highly about the pooling．The mothers describe the pooling as bringing the running water into a closed pond．It opens a window to a different world for both kids and parents．But there are moments when opinions differ．Xiaoxiao's mother said, "Sex education for example．Kids will be curious about it when they reach a certain age．Personally I want to talk with my child about it, frankly and sincerely．But the other two moms think it better not to bring it up．" Xiaoxiao's mother says her solution is to share some parenting guidebooks with other mothers and let them make the decision．
The headmaster of the kindergarten believes such pooling activities test not only children, but also the parents．Jin Hongqing, kindergarten headmaster said, "Parents need to be tolerant and patient．They shouldn't play the blame game when kids fight with each other．It's better to let the kids solve the issue by themselves．What they can do as parents is to communicate．"All the following aspects are the benefits of kids pooling EXCEPT________.
| A．It saves time and helps relieve mother’s burden. |
| B．It allows parents to learn more about kids. |
| C．It allows kids to learn to share and be independent. |
| D．It offers better education than the kindergartens. |
Why is sex education mentioned in the passage?
| A．To show sometimes mothers have different opinions. |
| B．To suggest children are sometimes curious about it. |
| C．To explain sex education is not suitable for children. |
| D．To indicate mothers think highly of kids pooling. |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards kids pooling?
| A．Favorable. | B．Negative. |
| C．Unclear. | D．Doubtful. |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
| A．Kids pooling. | B．Chinese parenting. |
| C．Sharing children. | D．Sharing cars. |
February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.
Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player. But when you watch him on the court, there is no doubt that he belongs there. He moves with speed and grace that demonstrate years of faithful practice, which is fueled by a love for basketball.
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.
In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.
During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.
When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
At first，playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement wore off and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.
But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012，on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory.
The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA". Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" (林发疯）. Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.
No doubt, Lin fever is continuing to spread. If you haven't already caught "Linsanity", get ready.Which of the following elements is of little help in Lin's success?
| A．his father's influence |
| B．his devotion to basketball |
| C．his years of hard work |
| D．his graduation from Harvard University |
What does the phrases "wore off" in seventh paragraph probably mean?
| A．arose | B．disappeared | C．grew | D．remained |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Lin learned to play basketball when he was eight.
B. Before Lin there was no Chinese-American NBA players.
C. Lin was excited for professional games and did a good job at the beginning.
D. Lin is the most outstanding player in NBA.Which is the right order for Lin's life?
a. He made an excellent performance on Feb,4.
b. He was fired by the Golden State Warriors.
c. He was invited to play in the NBA Summer League.
d. He graduated from Harvard University.
e. He became famous overnight.
| A．a, d, c, b, e | B．d, b, c, a, e |
| C．d, c, b, a, e | D．a, e, d, c, b |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. NBA prefers graduates from Harvard University.
B. Lin got an easy entry into NBA.
C. Lin didn't show his basketball talents in Harvard University.
D. Lin didn't have a smooth road in NBA.
Holidays
| Holiday News Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
| The Snowdonia Center The Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain lesson. The beginners' costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime mountain climbing adventure. |
| The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about - from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you've ever hoped for can be yours. |
What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
| A．Choose the holiday in Devon. |
| B．Go to the Snowdonia Center. |
| C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008. |
| D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii. |
In what way is the Snowdonia Center different from the other two holidays?
| A．It provides chances of family gathering. |
| B．It providers customers with good food. |
| C．It offers a sport lesson. |
| D．It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
At the Snowdonia Center, the beginner’s costs of ￡57 do not cover___?
| A．food. | B．rooms. |
| C．body exercises. | D．walking shoes. |
Asian parents are spending billions of dollars on private tutors (家庭教师) for their children and the practice is growing despite doubts about its effectiveness, according to an Asian Development Bank study published Wednesday, AFP reported.
"Shadow education" is an expanding business not only in wealthy countries, but also in some of the region's poorer nations as parents try to give their children the best start in life, the study said. Nearly nine out of 10 South Korean elementary pupils receive private tutoring, while the figure for primary school children in India's West Bengal state stands at six out of 10.
The study estimated that the costs of private tutoring in South Korea were equivalent (相等的) to 80 percent of government spending on public education. Japan spent $12 billion on extra teaching in 2011, while the figure for Singapore stood at US$ 680 million in 2009.
Extra academic work aims to help slow learners and support high achievers. Many Asian parents view it as a constructive way for adolescents to spend their spare time. However, it can also reduce the students' time for sports and other activities important for their overall development as well as cause social tensions as richer families are able to pay for better-quality tutoring, the study said.
The study calls for a review of educational systems to make such extra teaching less attractive.Why is “Shadow education" an expanding business?
| A．Because parents want to spend their money. |
| B．Because children don't want to go to school. |
| C．Because parents want their children to stay with teachers. |
| D．Because parents want to give their children the best start in life. |
According to the article, what is the purpose of extra academic work?
| A．To aid slow learners and support high achievers. |
| B．To prepare children for all kinds of academic contests. |
| C．To increase children's hobbies and interests in many fields. |
| D．To gain the most knowledge that students can't get in class. |
Which disadvantage of extra academic work is NOT mentioned?
| A．Causing social tensions. |
| B．Spending more extra money. |
| C．Lacking the chance to communicate with others. |
| D．Reducing the students' time for sports and other activities. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The government policy on educational systems. |
| B．How to provide the best education for children. |
| C．The importance for children's overall development. |
| D．The reasons for the popularity of private tutors for children. |