Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Franco’s world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorms started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perh
aps, the only way for him to regain them was another sudden shock.
The reason why James attempted to kill himself was that _________.
A.a terrible electrical accident happened to him |
B.nobody in the whole world cared about him |
C.he was struck by the lightning once more |
D.he had to live in a dark and silent world |
What was James doing when he was struck by the lightning?
A.Taking a walk with a stick |
B.Putting an end to his life |
C.Sheltering from the rain under a tree |
D.Lying on the ground |
What does the underlined word “compellent” in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Unexplained. | B.Convincing. |
C.Wrong | D.True |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.A Terrible Electrical Accident |
B.What a Sudden Shock |
C.An Unforgettable Experience |
D.James Franco and His wife |
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the Website you've visited,Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girl friend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen ---- the 21st century replacement of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs(碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no."
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a strong bad feeling about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths(收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series oftests that reveal people will give away personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠卷)。
But privacy does matter ---- at least sometimes. It's like health: When you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.
51. What does the author mean by saying "the 21st century replacement of being caught naked"?
A. People's personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.
B. In the 21st century people try every means to look into others' secrets.
C. People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.
D. Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.
52.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A. Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B. Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C. There should be a distance even between friends.
D. There should be fewer arguments between friends.
53. Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret"?
A. Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B. People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C. There are always people who are curious about others' affairs.
D. Many search engines benefit from giving away people's identities.
54. What do most Americans do as for privacy protection?
A. They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B. They use various loyalty cards for business transactions(交易)..
C. They rely most and more on electronic devices.
D. They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
55. According to the passage, privacy is like health because ___.
A. people will make every effort to keep it.
B. its importance is rarely understood
C. it is something that can easily be lost
D. people don't treasure it until they lose it
Jim suffered heart problems. In conversation he expressed little joy and it seemed that his life was drawing to a close.
When his heart problems led to operation, Jim went through it successfully, and a full recovery was expected. Within days, however, his heart was not beating properly. Jim was rushed back to operation, but nothing was found to explain the cause of his illness. He died on the operating table on the day before his 48th birthday.
Dr. Bruce Smoller, a psychologist, had had many conversations with him, and the more he learned, the stranger he realized Jim's case was. When Jim was a child, his father, a teacher, suffered a heart attack and stayed home to recover. One morning Jim asked his father to look over his homework, promising to come home from school at noon to pick it up. His father agreed, but when Jim returned his father had died. Jim's father was 48.
“I think all his life Jim believed he killed his father,” Dr. Smoller says. “He felt that if he had not asked him to look at his homework, his father would have lived. Jim had been troubled by the idea. The operation was the trial he had expected for forty years. “ Smoller believes that Jim willed himself not to live to the age of 48.
Jim's case shows the powerful role that attitude plays in physical health, and that childhood experiences produce far-reaching effect on the health of grown-ups. Although most cases are less direct than Jim's, studies show that childhood events, besides genes, may well cause such midlife diseases as cancer, heart disease and mental illness.
41. Jim was sent back to operation because ________.
A. his heart didn't work well B. he expected a full recovery
C. his life was drawing to a close
D. the first one wasn't well performed
42. What made Dr. Smoller feel strange about Jim's case?
A. Jim died at a young age.
B. Jim died on the operating table.
C. Both Jim and his father died of the same disease.
D. Jim's death is closely connected with his father's.
43. From Smoller's words, we can infer that ________.
A. Jim's father cared little about his study
B. Smoller agreed that Jim did kill his father
C. Jim thought he would be punished some day
D. Smoller believed Jim wouldn't live to the age of 48
44. Which of the following could have strong effect on one's physical health according to the text?
a. One’s genes. b. One’s life in childhood.
c. One’s physical education. d. The date of one’s birthday.
e. The opinions one has about something.
A. a, b, d B. a, b, e C. a, c, e D. b, c, d
45. Which of the following is true?
A. Both Jim and his father died at the age of 48.
B. Jim often asked his father to do his homework.
C. Jim was believed to kill his father.
D. Most childhood events can cause cancer, heart disease and mental illness.
Limit the use of private cars, improve public transport and encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion(拥挤) during the 2008 Olympics, experts from foreign countries advised Beijing on Friday.
Professor Nigel Wilson, of the civil and environmental engineering department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he was "supportive to the limiting of private cars during the Olympic Games", saying that in foreign countries, the method is also adopted during big events, but he was unsure about the approach.
The government planned to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the Olympics, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Committee, at the China Planning Network First Urban Transportation Congress.
Sharing Wilson's view, Dr. Yoshitsugu Hayashi, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies of Nagoya University, believed the reduction in car use should be achieved not by banning, but through incentives.
"Drivers who don't use their private cars could be given points," he said, "and the points could be exchanged for goods from online shopping."
Wetzel stressed limiting the use of company cars. "Governmental officials should also be encouraged to use public transportation or ride bicycles," he said, adding that he himself is a bicycle-rider in London.
Matthew Martimo, director of Traffic Engineering with Citilabs, said the bicycle was China's advantage. "Limiting private cars is an idea worth trying but it is just a temporary solution," he said. "The real cause of congestion is high density of people in Beijing and many have cars."
Beijing, with a population of 15 million, is home to more than three million automobiles, and the number is rising by 1,000 a day.
Professor Wilson said the Olympic Games was a great opportunity for Beijing to think about traffic problems and develop transportation, adding that the city had already been making public transport more efficient. Beijing has promised to stretch its 114-kilometer city railway to 200 kilometers before the opening of the Olympic Games.
“We are looking forward to borrowing Beijing's experiences and drawing from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics,” said Wetzel.
51. The underlined word incentives in paragraph 4 means_______.
A. something that encourages people to try B. online shopping
C. points could be exchanged for goods D. award
52.It can be seen from the passage that ______.
A. the government planned to forbid over 1 million cars to run on the roads during the Olympics.
B. banning private cars is the best way to solve traffic congestion in Beijing
C. Beijing now has 200 kilometers of city railway
D. the use of company cars will not be limited
53. Why did Wetzel stress “ he himself is a bicycle-rider in London”?
A. To limit the use of company cars.
B. To encourage governmental officials to use public transportation or ride bicycles.
C. To show that riding bicycles is good for health.
D. To show that he loves riding bicycles.
54. Which of the following may be the reason for the traffic congestion in Beijing?
A. The 2008 Beijing Olympic games.
B. The number of cars in Beijing is rising by 1,000 a day.
C. The large population in Beijing and the large number of cars.
D. Public transport in Beijing is not efficient.
55. The purpose of the passage is ________.
A. to limit the use of private cars, improve public transport
B. to encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics
C. to borrow Beijing's experiences and draw from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics
D. to tell the advice given by foreign experts on traffic congestion during 2008 Beijing Olympics
Slang is a popular, less official and often very current form of language. It is an important part of a living language and is constantly changing as language changes. Slang is often playful, direct and sometimes less respectful than the more official and traditional version of language. So now I'm going to lay it on you! To “lay it on” is American slang for “to tell” or “to explain.”
Slang can take many forms. For example, slang can be local to one city or area. In Washington, D.C. there is a whole set of slang to describe politics and business in the city. For example, the term POTUS stands for President of the United States. POTUS can often be found with his wife, FLOTUS, the first lady of the United States.“Inside the Beltway” is a popular expression that describes the area of Washington, D.C. The beltway is the large highway that circles the city.
The Internet has helped create a whole new kind of computer-related slang. An “angry fruit salad” is an expression that describes a Web site with too many bright colors. “Netiquette” is slang for correct behavior when using the Internet.
Young people often develop the latest slang. For example, to say Special English “rocks” or is “phat” means Special English is really great. A “kegger” is a party where beer is served. If something is “wack” it is wild and crazy.
Different professions often have their own slang as well. For example, medical workers might refer to a complaining patient as a “gomer”. A "tough stick" is someone whose veins are difficult to find when he or she needs to have blood taken.
No matter how well you speak English, there are always new and interesting slang words to discover. There are entire dictionaries for describing slang. Many experts do not even agree on what is and what is not slang. Often slang words later become a part of officially accepted language. Official or not, slang is an energetic and exciting part of the American language that continues to change.
46. Which of the following is not true for slang compared with the official language?
A. Playful B. Direct C. Less respectful D. More official
47. It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A. if you speak English very well, there is no problem for you to understand English speakers
B. slang words are created by people in their daily life
C. English speakers are clear whether it is a slang
D. slang words will never be accepted as official language
48.Which of the following is not mentioned to have helped create slang?
A. The internet. B. Young people. C. President of the United States. D. Professions
49. Where do you think is the passage adapted from?
A. A radio speech B. A magazine. C. A textbook. D. A newspaper.
50. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
A. What is slang? B. Slang is popular. C. Who creates slang? D. Slang is a language.
Alzheimer's disease affects millions of people around the world. American researchers say the disease will affect more than one hundred million people worldwide by the year twenty fifty. That would be four times the current number. Researchers and doctors have been studying Alzheimer's patients for a century. Yet the cause and cure for the mental sickness are still unknown. However, some researchers have made important steps towards understanding it.
Several early signs of the disease involve memory and thought processes. At first, patients have trouble remembering little things. Later, they have trouble remembering more important things, such as the names of their children.
There are also some physical tests that might show who is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The tests look for proteins in brain and spinal cord fluid. The proteins appear to be found only in people with the disease. The protein tests correctly identify the presence of the disease in about ninety percent of patients.
Now, a much simpler physical test to predict Alzheimer's risk has been developed. Researchers found that trouble with the sense of smell can be one of the first signs of Alzheimer's. Using this information, they developed a test in which people were asked to identify twelve familiar smells. These smells included cinnamon, black pepper, chocolate, paint thinner, and smoke.
The study continued for five years. During this period, the same people were asked to take several tests measuring their memory and thought abilities. Fifty percent of those who could not identify at least four of the smells in the first test had trouble with their memory and thinking in the next five years.
Another study has shown a possible way to reduce a person's chances of developing Alzheimer's disease in old age. Researchers in Chicago found that people who use their brains more often are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. Those who read a newspaper, or play chess or word games are about three times less likely to develop the condition.
Researchers say they still do not know what causes Alzheimer's disease. But they say these findings might help prevent the disease in the future.
41. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Some early signs of the Alzheimer's disease.
B. Some physical tests about Alzheimer's disease.
C. The research about Alzheimer's disease.
D. The patients of Alzheimer's disease.
42. What’s the current number of Alzheimer’s patients?
A. 100 million B. 25 million C. 400 million D. 2050 million
43. What is not the early signs of the Alzheimer's disease according to the passage?
A. Poor memory B. Proteins exist in the brain.
C. Trouble with the sense of smell. D. Less use of the brain.
44. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A. Alzheimer's disease. B. Alzheimer's patients. C. The cause and cure. D. The research.
45. According to the passage, we can learn that _______.
A. there are no proteins in the brains of the people with no Alzheimer's disease
B. the people who often use their brains will not get Alzheimer's disease
C. researchers and doctors have found ways to cure Alzheimer's disease
D. the people who have the trouble with the sense of smell will certainly suffer from Alzheimer's disease