In Los Angeles, drivers spend sixty-one hours every year stuck in traffic．These drivers know all too well how bad the traffic can be．“There're too many cars, and you can't move around a lot．”
Professor Cyrus Shahabi also knows about traffic jams．He lives more than 65 kilometers from his office at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles．He is always late even with the help of a navigation （导航） system．
He decided to develop a program called ClearPath for that．He says his program uses historical data to predict traffic conditions even before the driver leaves the house． “What’s unique is that we use a lot of data that’s currently become available including traffic data, weather data, and we analyze that so that we can predict what's going to happen in front of you when you leave home．”
Professor Shahabi says his system does more than just respond to current traffic conditions．With ClearPath, he says, a driver can decide what time he wants to leave, and ClearPath will give the fastest route．It looks at the entire road network, including surface streets as well as highways, before the driver hits the road．Professor Shahabi hopes to have ClearPath available nationwide and overseas once they can collect traffic data from other cities．
“I always thought thatLos Angeles had the worst traffic, but now I know that Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, believe it or not, Singapore, Hong Kong certainly are examples that can immediately use this．”
Professor Shahabi hopes to share this new technology with companies that already have navigation systems, such as Google and Apple．Drivers in Los Angeles were mentioned in order to__________．
| A．show care for them | B．introduce their life |
| C．solve traffic problems | D．raise the topic |
What is unique about ClearPath?
| A．It can use a lot of information all over the world． |
| B．It can ensure that you will never be late for work． |
| C．It helps drivers see clearly what happens on the road． |
| D．It helps drivers know the road conditions ahead of time． |
The underlined word “hits” in the fifth paragraph probably means __________．
| A．have an accident | B．get to |
| C．turn left or right | D．collect traffic data |
What's Professor Shahabi’s attitude toward his invention?
| A．Disappointed． | B．Proud． |
| C．Optimistic． | D．Worried． |
D
That evening Holmes and I drove across the moor until we could see the lights of the Stapletons' house in front of us. Then we got out and began to walk very quietly along the path towards the house. When we were very close, Holmes told me to stop. He took his revolver from his pocket, and I did the same.
''We shall hide behind these rocks, '' he whispered. '' Watson, you know the house, so I want you to go forward and look through the windows. I want to know where the Staple tons and Sir Henry are, and what they are doing. Take great care, because they must not know that somebody is watching them. ''
Very carefully and quietly I moved towards the house. I looked first into the dining room window. Statleton and Sir Henry were sitting and smoking their cigars, but there was no sign of Miss Stapleton. I moved round to the other windows, but I could not see her in any of the rooms.
I went back to the dining room window, and as I looked in again, Stapleton left the room and came out of the house. He went to a hut beside the house, and unlocked the door. I heard a strange sound coming from the hut, but I could not think what was making the noise. Then Stapleton locked the door, and went back into the house and into the dining room.
I went back to Holmes and told him what I had seen. He wanted to know where Miss Stapleton was, and I had to tell him twice that there was no sign of her in the house.
The moon was shining on the Great Grimpen Marsh, and a fog was rising from it Holmes watched the fog and began to look worried The fog was creeping up from the marsh towards the house. We were hidden near the path, which was on the far side of the house from the marsh.
''The fog is moving towards us, Watson, and that is very serious, '' said Holmes. '' It is the one thing that could make my plans go wrong. ''
As we watched, the fog, which had crept as far as the house, began to flow round it. Angrily Holmes hit the rock in front of us with his open hand.
''If Sir Henry doesn't come out in the next quarter of an hour, the path will be covered by the fog. In half an hour we shall not be able to see our hands in front of our faces. We must move back to higher ground above the fog.''
We moved away from the house and out of the fog, which was creeping slowly along the ground and hiding the path from our view.
''We must not go too far, '' said Holmes. ''If we do, Sir Henry may be caught before he reaches us. ''
Holmes went down on one knee, and put his ear to the ground. '' Thank heaven, I think I hear him coming. ''
Then we heard quick footsteps on the path. After a few moments, Sir Henry appeared out of the fog and walked on in the clear moon light. He came quickly along the path, passed close to where we were hidden, and began to walk up the hill behind us. As he walked, he looked over his shoulder again and again, like a man who is worried that something is following him.
''Listen! '' said Holmes sharply. ''Look out! It's coming!'
I heard him make his revolver ready to fire, and I did the same.
There was a sound of quick, light footsteps from inside the curtain of fog. The thick cloud had crept to within fifty metres of where we were hidden. We tried to see into it, and wondered what horrible thing would appear. I looked at Holmes. His eyes were fixed on the place where the path disappeared into the fog. He was pale, but his eyes were bright. He looked like a man who was going to win the most important game of his life. Then suddenly his eyes nearly jumped out of his head, and his mouth opened in frightened surprise. I looked away from him to see what his eyes were fixed on. When I saw the awful shape that was coming towards us out of the fog, my blood turned cold. The revolver nearly fell from my hands, .
The huge, black, burning hound ran quickly and silently after Sir Henry, who was near to death, and we were helpless with fear.It can be concluded that Sir Henry .
| A．was the master of the hound |
| B．sensed he was in danger when escaping. |
| C．was clear where Miss Stapleton was |
| D．was finally killed by the fierce hound |
The strange sound coming from the hut was most probably made by .
| A．Mr. Stapleton | B．Miss Stapleton |
| C．Sir Henry | D．the hound |
Why did Holmes hit the rock angrily?
| A．Because Watson failed to find any sign of Miss Stapleton. |
| B．Because something was wrong with their plans. |
| C．Because the fog might well ruin their plans. |
| D．Because Sir Henry hadn’t appeared so far. |
Which of the following is the correct order according to the passage?
a. The fog was rising and moving towards Holmes and Watson.
b. Holmes saw a burning hound coming.
c. Mr. Stapleton went to a hut beside the house and unlocked the door.
d. Holmes and Watson hid behind the rocks.
e. Sir Henry appeared out of the fog.
| A．a, d, c, b, e | B．d, c, a, e, b |
| C．c, b, e, a, d | D．d, c, e, a, b |
Which of the following is the most suitable for the blank in the last paragraph but one?
| A．and I could hardly stand it |
| B．and I was ready to fire |
| C．and inside I was filled with anger |
| D．and my whole body froze with fear |
C
When people reunite with their loved ones, it’s usually a wildly happy moment. But what is their most common response to seeing them again? It may seem strange, but most of the time they break down in tears.
Now a group of psychologists from Yale University in the US say they have found the reason why, and that crying tears of joy may well be the body’s way of restoring emotional balance.
“They seem to take place when people are unable to tolerate strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions,” Oriana Aragon, the lead researcher, told The Telegraph.
Aragon and her fellow psychologists looked at hundreds of participants’ emotional responses to different things, including happy reunions（重逢）and cute babies.
Many participants said they would react in a negative or aggressive way to the positive things — to cry at happy moments and want to pinch（捏）a cute baby’s face or even tell them“I want to eat you up!”
But then researchers found that these people were able to calm down from strong emotions more quickly.
“We want a happy, middle spot. Extreme is not good. It’s hard on our bodies,” Aragon told The Washington Post.
There are many other examples of times when people respond to a positive experience with a negative emotional reaction.
At an exciting concert, fans scream in horror at their idols. People who have just had a big lottery win are often in floods of tears.
“These findings advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationship with others, and even how well people work together,” said Aragon.
The psychologists then went further and claimed that the reverse（颠倒）was also true. Strong negative feelings may also bring out positive expressions.
For example, people often laugh when they are nervous or they are in a difficult or frightening situation.
Also, have you ever seen a character smiling at a time of extreme sadness in a movie? Their acting is not over the top, as reacting with this type of expression is just human nature, said researchers.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．A group of psychologists. | B．People’s loved ones. |
| C．Strong positive emotions. | D．Crying tears of joy. |
Which of the following words best describes the language style of the passage?
| A．Academic and formal. | B．Cheerful and friendly. |
| C．Humorous and concerned. | D．Serious and boring. |
We can conclude from the first two paragraphs that .
| A．crying in the happy moment can also do good |
| B．a character’s smile in a movie makes no sense |
| C．people reveal their emotions by either crying or laughing |
| D．negative emotional reaction is always harmful |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To argue that crying is no worse than laughing. |
| B．To inform readers about the effect of crying and laughing. |
| C．To entertain readers by relating some happy occasions. |
| D．To instruct readers how to cry and laugh. |
B
Global warming will significantly increase the frequency of lightning strikes, according to a US research.
The research, published in Science, was carried out with the help of data from a US network of lightning detectors. The teams says they have calculated how much each extra degree in temperature will raise the frequency of lightning. "For every two lightning strikes in 2000, there will be three lightning strikes in 2100," said David Romps, at the University of California, Berkeley.
As well as triggering more wild fires, he said, this would alter the chemistry of the atmosphere.
The team's work reveals a new method of working out the relationship between temperature and lightning storms, by estimating the heat energy available to "fuel" storm clouds. "As the planet warms, there will be more of this fuel around, so when thunderstorms get triggered, they will be more energetic," said Prof Romps.
He and his colleagues calculated that every 1℃rise in global temperature would lead to an increase in the frequency of lightning strikes by 12%.
They validated their calculations against a year of data from the US National Lightning Detector Network, which detects an electromagnetic pulse every time lightning strikes in the US. "The resulting data is exquisite," said Dr Romps. "The position and time of every lightning strike is very accurately recorded."
As well as triggering half of the wildfires in the US, each lightning strike— a powerful electrical discharge— sparks a chemical reaction that produces a "puff" of greenhouse gases called nitrogen oxides." Lightning is the
dominant source of nitrogen oxides in the middle and upper troposphere（对流层）," said Prof Romps.
And by controlling this gas, it indirectly regulates other greenhouse gases including ozone and methane. Prof Romps said that this was an example of a large response to "what sounds like only a few degrees of warming".
A scientist at the UK Met Office said it was important to understand future lightning patterns, but cautioned that there were still uncertainties in the researchers' model that needed to be tested further. The Met Office added that the application of this forecast to other parts of the world could be limited by the fact that rainfall patterns were very uncertain in many regions.The best title for the passage should be .
| A．Global warming causes more wildfires |
| B．A new research on the effects of global warming |
| C．Climate change will make lightning strike more |
| D．The relationship between temperature and lightning |
According to Prof. Romps, .
| A．it remains to be seen whether the lightning will trigger wildfires |
| B．the research is working out the causes of the wildfires |
| C．they detected an electromagnetic pulse every time lightning strikes in the US |
| D．lightning plays a major role in creating nitrogen oxides in the middle and upper troposphere |
What did the UK Met Office think of the result of the research?
| A．The researchers’ model was not convincing enough. |
| B．The rainfall patterns stayed stable in many areas over a long time. |
| C．The result wouldn’t be applied to other parts of the world. |
| D．No research would be needed to make sure of the result. |
A
Everything I Never Told You：A novel by Celeste Ng
Series: Alex Awards (Awards)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Penguin Press; 1St Edition(June 26, 2014)
Language: English
In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
“Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet . . .” So begins the story of this exquisite debut novel, about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee; their middle daughter, a girl who inherited her mother’s bright blue eyes and her father’s jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue—in Marilyn’s case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James’s case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the center of every party.
When Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. James, consumed by guilt, sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia’s older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it’s the youngest of the family—Hannah—who observes far more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth about what happened.
A profoundly moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family, and uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.What type of writing is this passage?
| A．An exhibition guide. | B．An announcement. |
| C．A book review. | D．An advertisement. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．James wants his daughter to be a homemaker. |
| B．In Hannah’s opinion, Jack is actually the real killer. |
| C．Lydia takes on the high expectations of the whole family. |
| D．The family members always live in harmony with each other. |
How many people in the Lee family are mentioned according to the passage?
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
D
HONG KONG — In China, the smartphone battle used to be Samsung versus Apple. But not any more .
Over the summer, a Chinese company, Xiaomi, took the No. 1 position in China’s competitive market and became the world’s third-largest phone maker in the process.
Founded in 2010 , Xiaomi was late to the game. But a clever social media strategy and a business plan that emphasized selling services that work on the phone helped Xiaomi build frenzied support from young and trendy Chinese.
With people in China expected to buy 500 million smart phones in 2015 — more than three times as many as will be sold in the United States, Xiaomi is likely to remain its place as one of the most powerful phone makers in the world’s most important market.
Now the company’s founders, who include the Chinese entrepreneur Lei Jun and the former Google executive Lin Bin, hope that status will help them take their brand globally.
Why Xiaomi gained such great success ? The reason partially lies in its fans’ participation. “Xiaomi fans have a high level of organization,” said Li Nan, vice president of the rival Meizu, “They love Xiaomi. It’s a form of idolatry.”
Han Yu, a 24-year-old studying for his master’s degree, is one of those idolaters. He, with tens of thousands of others, helps Xiaomi test its user interface by looking for bugs and offering suggestions. Much of his personal life revolves around Xiaomi. He said he was honored when his suggestion to create a private photo folder was adopted on phones by Xiaomi.
“I really enjoy the sense of participation,” Mr. Han said.
For all its success, Xiaomi’s biggest challenge looms outside China. In 2013, the company hired Hugo Barra, an old friend of Mr. Lin’s from Google, to lead the company’s international expansion. “I would put China No. 1, India two, Indonesia three, then hopefully follow with Brazil and Russia,” he said. “The developed countries with tightly controlled carrier networks are not in the top five.” The countries Lin identifies all have large populations who still have not bought their first smartphone, meaning Xiaomi has a chance.The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．the competition between Xiaomi and Meizu |
| B．the cooperation between Xiaomi and Samsung |
| C．the battle among Smart phone Companies |
| D．the development and success of Xiaomi |
What helped Xiaomi win the support of young and trendy Chinese?
| A．Its low price. |
| B．Its social media strategy and business plan |
| C．Its fashionable design. |
| D．Its international promotion |
Who takes charge of expanding Xiaomi’s market abroad?
| A．Hugo Barra | B．Li Nan | C．Lei Jun | D．Lei Jun |
The example of Han Yu is used to ________.
| A．tell readers that the youth like to show off |
| B．prove Han Yu is very intelligent |
| C．show Xiaomi fans’ participation and devotion |
| D．introduce the designer of photo folder |
Why Xiaomi chooses less developed countries as targeted markets?
| A．Because Xiaomi doesn’t have to pay taxes. |
| B．Because more smartphone may be sold there. |
| C．Because Xiaomi was invited to develop there. |
| D．Because the young people there love Xiaomi. |