Dear daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. Your academic, artistic, and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years. You have become a talented and accomplished young woman.
College will be the most important years in your life. It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about. You often question "what good is this course". I encourage you to be inquisitive, but I also want to tell you: "Education is what you have left after all that is taught is forgotten." What I mean by that is the materials taught isn't as important as you gaining the ability to learn a new subject, and the ability to analyze a new problem. That is really what learning in college is about – this will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the skills of learning will be something you cherish forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped in what others think or say. Steve Jobs says when you are in college, your passion will create many dots, and later in your life you will connect them. In his great speech given at Stanford commencement, he gave the great example where he took calligraphy, and a decade later, it became the basis of the beautiful Macintosh fonts, which later ignited desktop publishing, and brought wonderful tools like Microsoft Word to our lives. His expedition into calligraphy was a dot, and the Macintosh became the connecting line. Enjoy picking your dots, and be assured one day you will find your calling, and connect a beautiful curve through the dots of yourself .
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life, because during college you are closer to them physically than to your family. Also, going through independence and adulthood is a natural bonding experience.
So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, evolve yourself into a bi-cultural talent, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
When I faced the greatest challenge and opportunity in my life in 2005, you gave me a big hug and said "bonne chance", which means "good luck" and "good courage". Now I do the same for you. Bonne chance, my angel and princess. May Columbia become the happiest four years in your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (& Mom)What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The daughter is a well-rounded college student. |
| B．The father faced the greatest challenge in 2006. |
| C．The daughter is a freshman in college. |
| D．Steve Jobs gave the great example where he took calligraphy at Columbia commencement. |
The father may agree that _____.
| A．you will be well-educated if you forget all is taught |
| B．there are only master-inspired students in college |
| C．the daughter will be thinner if she goes on a diet |
| D．the skills of learning is very important for his daughter’s life |
The example of Steve Jobs in Paragraph 4 is to show _____.
| A．how Steve Jobs invented the basis of the Macintosh fonts |
| B．it is important for the daughter to follow her passion in college |
| C．Steve Jobs made great contributions to Microsoft Word |
| D．the father wishes his daughter to be as successful as Steve Jobs |
College friends are often the best to you because_____.
| A．your family are far away while college friends are around you within an easy reach |
| B．they are closer to you psychologically than to your family |
| C．they are better than your family |
| D．going through independence and adulthood is unusual bonding experience |
Zipped into a bag, it looks like a large umbrella. Unfolded, it goes along the street like any other bicycle.
It's the "A-bike", the brainchild (脑力劳动的产物) of British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who made history in the 1970s by developing the world's first pocket calculator. He described his new invention as "the world's smallest, lightest foldable bicycle".
"My original thought was that if you could have a bicycle that was dramatically lighter and more firm than the ones that exist today, it would change the way in which bicycles are used,"said Sinclair.
The mini-bike, showed in Singapore last week and set to go on sale worldwide in 2005 at a price of nearly US$300, is built for riders as heavy as 112 kilograms and is height-adjustable（可调整高度的）. It takes about 20 seconds to fold or unfold.
Its wheels are a quarter the size of those on a regular bicycle, but Sinclair promises a smooth ride for most cyclists. "You require no extra energy to ride the A-bike and it can go up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour)," he said. Constructed mainly of plastic, the 5.5-kilogram bicycle folds into a package of less than 0.03 cubic meters （立方米）.
Sinclair also invented the first pocket TV in 1984 and the futuristic C5 electric tricycle in 1985. He said he hoped the bicycle would attract common citizens, officials, campers or anyone needing transport for a short trip and he said the next step for the A-bike was to add an electric motor in a few years. The most important character of this kind of bike is its ________ .
| A．big size |
| B．light weight |
| C．beautiful appearance |
| D．foldable structure |
The wheels of a regular bicycle is ________ the size of this kind of bike.
| A．four times |
| B．three times |
| C．one-fourth |
| D．one-third |
This kind of new bike is mainly made of ________ .
| A．plastic | B．packages | C．bags | D．metal |
The best title of the text is ________ .
| A．World's smallest foldable bicycle arriving |
| B．A new bike, a large umbrella |
| C．A foldable bike, a large bag |
| D．A great inventor of a new bike |
This kind of new bike hasn't been fixed with ________ .
| A．a wheel |
| B．an electric motor |
| C．pedal |
| D．a hand |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23.It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month.
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon，on Sydney's northern beaches，around dawn when he was attacked.The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months.
“The father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing(激烈扭动)about in the water，”the police said.“Fortunately，the shark swam away and the boy was helped to the shore by his father.”
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller said，“It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water.”He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to the shore.“There was a lot of pain，as you can imagine.”The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries.
Police said the bites “cut through to the bone”，but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures (骨折)．He was in a stable condition now.
Several beaches were closed after the attack.Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark，while the police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks.But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy.“I don't even know if he saw it，”Miller said.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches，but attacks on humans are still relatively rare.However，there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month，one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor，not far from the famous Opera House，and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise.There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor，which has increased fish stocks.Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment，attracting sharks closer to the shore as they chase fish.Many shark species，including the Great White—the man-eaters made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters.The report mainly tells us ________.
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
The underlined word “savaged” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．
| A．attracted | B．dragged | C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House.
C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all the year round.
D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches.About the injury of the boy we know that ________.
| A．he was losing much blood when he was dragged out |
| B．he was very nervous when he was sent to hospital |
| C．he may be in danger of losing his leg |
| D．he was injured in the right leg |
All the following are the causes of Australia's sharks' increasing EXCEPT that ________.
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australian waters |
| D．the film Jaws has made the Great White famous |
A HOUSE WITH A HISTORY
Foulsham House is a fine,stone house of the 1790s.It stands by the River Byre,in twenty－five hectares（公顷）of the best farmland in the southwest.
Smithson built the house,and the story goes back to George,the young Prince of Wales,who fell in love with the beautiful lady Kitty Wake,at one of the first Lord Foulsham’s wild woods parties.In the past many great men rode on the hills about Foulsham House,and many fine ladies took tea in the Green Room.
The house has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms,two living－rooms and a dining room with a real Adam fire－place（壁炉）.The gentleman’s library has a view over the park and the river.All rooms are light and airy（空气通畅的）,with wood,high windows,and wood floors.
At the back of the house,where the third Lord Foulsham kept the horses,there is garage－space（停车的地方）for four cars.In many other ways,this house of the 1790s meets the needs of the 2000s.
If you wish to know more about Foulsham House,write to:
Harvey,Platt,Longford & Sons,
Castle Green, Gilham, Byreside.The writer writes this passage to ________.
| A．persuade people to buy it |
| B．give some information about Foulsham House |
| C．tell a love story |
| D．describe the beauty of a best farmland |
People say that ________.
| A．Smithson built the house for Lord Foulsham’s wild parties |
| B．Prince George fell in love with Kitty Wake at Foulsham House |
| C．Prince George and Kitty Wake fell in love with the Green Room |
| D．Lord Foulsham fell in love with a lady in Wales |
The library ________.
| A．has a fine view of the park and the river |
| B．is where great men and fine ladies took tea |
| C．has an Adam fire－place,and a real wood floor |
| D．has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms and two living－rooms |
All the rooms in the house ________.
| A．have a view over the park and the river |
| B．are light,and have good windows to let in fresh air |
| C．have high floors and wood windows |
| D．have fire－places and wood floors |
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home”, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American” is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side” living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports—but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.More than 215 million people call America “home” because_______.
| A．they have their houses there |
| B．they settle there now |
| C．they want to make their home there |
| D．they like that land very much |
“Side-by-side” living style means _______.
| A．to make friends with native people |
| B．to keep their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| C．the groups of people who live nearby |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
according to the passage, people in the USA ________.
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．live in a kind of “side-by-side” society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side-by-side” living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People. |
| D．“Side-by-side” Living Style in America. |
In 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers (探险者) landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise. “Why?” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”
H. G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities.” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H. G. Wells “moon people” would agree. Would you?The explorers in H. G. Wells’ story were surprised to find that the “moon people” .
| A．knew so much about the earth |
| B．understood their language |
| C．lived in so many underground cities |
| D．were ahead of them in space technology |
What does the underlined word “it” (paragraph 2) refer to?
| A．Discovering the moon’s inner space. |
| B．Using the earth’s inner space. |
| C．Meeting the “moon people” again. |
| D．Traveling to outer space. |
What sort of underground systems are already here with us?
| A．Offices, shopping areas, power stations. |
| B．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas. |
| C．Gardens, car parks, power stations. |
| D．Tunnels, gardens, offices. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Alice Cities—cities of the future |
| B．Space travel with H. G. Wells |
| C．Enjoy living underground |
| D．Building down, not up |