Microsoft Windows XP support ends: How to update? If you’re still running Windows XP — what do you do now? This doesn’t mean that computers running the operating system will stop working, but it is likely that the computer will be attacked by hackers as the company stops providing security-updates and technical support for Windows XP.
Generally speaking, you have two new choices: Buy a new computer or update to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. If you’re not ready to make a change, there are things you should do if you’ll still be on XP over the next couple of months.
Firstly, make sure the software you have is as up-to-date as possible. That means having any security fixes you can’t get from Microsoft’s website and make sure that you’ve got some (non-Microsoft) antivirus software installed(安装) from other websites. Of course, if you want to keep really safe then you’d better stay off the web altogether, though for many users this won’t even be a choice. Another choice is to change from using an administrator account to a limited account for tasks, like checking your e-mail. This means that if a hacker attacks your computer, at least they won’t have administrator-level access.
However, we have to stress that these steps are just temporary(临时的) measures and aren’t enough to protect your computer in the long run. Whether you’re buying a new computer or simply updating your present operating system depends on yourself. You’ll have to choose between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Whichever you go for, you’ll need to check that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for either system. For either Windows 7 or 8.1, you’ll need at least a computer with 1GB of RAM, 1GHz processor and 160GB of hard disk space. However, to run a better operating system, you’ll need a computer with over 4GB of RAM, a 2GHZ processor and 500GB of hard disk space. Buying a new computer with these functions, you may pay more than＄500.
If you’re still planning on updating, Microsoft offers some great guides on their own website, meaning that you can download your new operating system and copy all your old files without leaving your computer. Windows 7 is certainly better than Windows XP, but you should be aware that it is also an ‘old’ operating system. Microsoft Company will add more updates to Windows 8.1 over time, while Windows 7 will also come to an end before long — just like XP.
‘Microsoft Windows XP support ends’ means that _________.
| A．the operating system of Windows XP will stop working |
| B．Microsoft stops providing technical support for Windows XP |
| C．people must install other websites’ antivirus software for Windows 7. |
| D．people must buy a new computer and update to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 |
To prevent a hacker from attacking your computer, you’d better NOT_________.
| A．update your computer |
| B．stay off the web altogether |
| C．use an administrator account |
| D．install some antivirus soft wares |
From the fourth paragraph, ___________ is a better choice in the long run.
| A．buying a new computer as Windows XP support ends |
| B．updating your present operating system to protect your computer |
| C．having a new computer with at least 1GB of RAM, 1GHz of hard disk space |
| D．choosing a new computer with over 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard disk space |
From the passage we can conclude that __________.
| A．hacker attacks will happen more often in the future |
| B．an operating system develops quickly as time goes by |
| C．a new computer will be more expensive than it used to be |
| D．people tend to use security fixes except Microsoft Company’s |
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents, photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish(发表) them in books and on the Internet.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to .
| A．beauties | B．photos |
| C．goods | D．events |
The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos .
| A．are also works of art |
| B．are popular ways of reporting news |
| C．often shock the public |
| D．can serve as a force for social change |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．News with pictures is encouraging |
| B．Photos help people improve. |
| C．News photos mean history in a sense. |
| D．People prefer reading news with pictures. |
The text is mainly about .
| A．telling the story through pictures |
| B．decorating the walls of homes |
| C．publishing historical papers |
| D．expressing feeling through pictures |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say,“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he .
| A．looked like a musician |
| B．was a musician of much influence |
| C．showed an interest in music |
| D．traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed .
| A．by space | B．by examples |
| C．by time | D．by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. |
| B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．His music was popular with his listeners. |
| D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music |
| B．The Father of the Jazz Style |
| C．The Making of a Musician |
| D．The Spread of Popular Music |
Dear College Dean,
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to enhance (improve) the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is the tradition of this school to promote education and to be the pioneer of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we .want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning.
If there are more computers, no more will students have to wait in line while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer.. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society, the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of life.From the passage we can infer that .
| A．present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students |
| B．computers in the college will be updated to meet the students’ demands soon |
| C．the college has the responsibility to help the students to prepare for their future |
| D．it is also necessary to expand the college bookstore by using part of the donation |
In paragraph 4，the author mainly wants to tell us that .
| A．computers are beneficial to students’ academic(学业) success |
| B．computers are helpful to students competition for success |
| C．students find it convenient to do assignments by using computers |
| D．students wish to use the money to buy more advanced computers |
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
CP: central point SP: sub-point(次要点) P: point C: conclusion
Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors (流星) but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is necessary for plants to make the food that we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.
Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space, The unit of radiation is called “rem” Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage. A person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and , during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated(积累) a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.In which way is the atmosphere necessary to man according to the first paragraph?
| A．It screens off the falling meteors. |
| B．It provides enough light for plants to grow. |
| C．It supplies the heat necessary for human survival. |
| D．It protects him against the harmful rays from space. |
We know from the passage that .
| A．exposure to even tiny amount of radiation is fatal( 致命的) |
| B．the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in coming |
| C．radiation is avoidable in space exploration |
| D．astronauts in spacesuits needn’t worry about radiation damage |
The underlined word “deformed” probably means .
| A．badly-shaped | B．weak |
| C．naturally-grown | D．ugly |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．the Apollo mission was very successful |
| B．astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildren |
| C．protection from space radiation is no easy job |
| D．radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers |
We live in a techno logical society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft(手艺) no longer exists.
One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability(持久性). “Homes in those days were well-built,” they say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship.
Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, more people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairways. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old.
One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and power planes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts(精确切割)on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon any more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a solid knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs.
The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty years ago, but only if given proper material.Compared to the carpenters in the past, modern carpenters are__________.
| A．more successful | B．more learned |
| C．more imaginative | D．more hardworking |
What does the underlined word “they” (paragraph2) refer to?
| A．Carpenters who are fond of oak stairways. |
| B．Carpenters who have college degrees. |
| C．people who think highly of carpenters of old |
| D．people who think that modern material is of low quality. |
What does the third paragraph mainly discuss?
| A．People in the past preferred to use oak to build stairways. |
| B．It is now expensive to employ a carpenter. |
| C．Modern houses last as long as the old one. |
| D．Good carpenters still exist in modern times. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Is Craft Dead? |
| B．Craft, Back to Life? |
| C．History of Craftsmanship |
| D．Carpenters Today and Yesterday |