My name is Amy. I’m a 25-year-old graduate student who likes yoga, home-decorating shows and eating spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar. Oh yeah, and I’m an iPhone addict.
I wasn’t always an addict. In fact, for many years I told myself I didn’t want a fancy cellphone. They seemed like too much work, always ringing and demanding attention. I was perfectly content with my simple cellphone, and I didn’t feel like changing my mind any time.
However, about a year ago, I found myself envious of all those proud iPhone owners, holding their shiny new phones and showing them off to all their friends. I started to eavesdrop on conversations about “iPhone apps”, feeling like a tourist listening to a language I couldn’t speak.
Eventually I couldn’t ignore my iPhone instinct (本能) any longer, and I welcomed my new iPhone into my life. I instantly fell in love with the little bundle of joy, and could no longer imagine a life without it.
To my surprise, I suddenly found myself with a whole new circle of friends—other iPhone owners I could go to for advice and support as I learned the various functions of my new device. They responded to my iPhone-related queries when my other friends couldn’t, and didn’t roll their eyes when I bragged（吹牛）about all the things little Eloise (yes, I named her) could do.
For a couple months I built my new life with Eloise. However, I realized I had a problem when one day I found myself Google-mapping my way to my mailbox, which happens to be right outside my front door.
When I reflected upon the past few months, I couldn’t believe I didn’t see this coming. All the warning signs were there. Eloise slept right beside me and was the first thing I reached for in the morning. I checked my e-mail about 20 times a day. I also experienced attachment anxiety when I left poor Eloise in the changing room at the gym. What if she rang and needed my response? Or, even worse, what if a careless gym-goer knocked her out of my bag and caused her screen to crack?
Once I admitted I had a problem, things started to change. What used to feel like friendly messages now felt like constant complaining to respond. I hated that I could no longer leave the house without Eloise in my hand. Eventually, I felt angry with Eloise so much that I wanted to throw her at the wall.
I decided something had to be done. But, as I quickly realized, iPhones are like cigarettes and not easy to quit.
Then, while taking the bus to work one day, I was unexpectedly forced to quit—at least temporarily. When I reached into my purse to grab Eloise, I found her overcome by fever. My head swam with panic as I attempted to solve the problem, but without result. I couldn’t call anyone for advice. I couldn’t Google whether this had happened to any fellow iPhone owners. The Apple Store was closed by the time I finished work, so I headed home with fear into an Eloise-less night. But, after a couple hours without any text alerts, push notifications, or even good old-fashioned phone calls, I felt ... calmer. Without my electronic bed partner, I drifted off into the deepest sleep I’d had in months. The next morning, I read the news from the simplicity of the newspaper, instead of from my iPhone. I even noticed the cherry blossoms blooming.
My goodness, what had I been missing?The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．how I changed my attitude towards iPhone |
| B．why I was content with my iPhone |
| C．how my simple cellphone changed my lifestyle |
| D．why I preferred to use iPhone eventually |
The phrase “ eavesdrop on” ( Paragraph 3) is closer in meaning to __________.
| A．adapt suddenly to | B．join unwillingly in |
| C．listen secretly to | D．argue fiercely in |
IPhones’__________ can not be listed among the reasons why the writer was addicted to it.
| A．diverse application | B．excellent service |
| C．bundle of joy | D．good company |
When did the writer get to know that she had to tear herself away from her iPhone?
| A．She needed her iPhone to lead her to the mailbox. |
| B．She slept with her iPhone beside her every night. |
| C．She checked and read her e-mails too frequently. |
| D．She dared not leave her iPhone alone at the gym. |
What message does the writer pass on at the end of the passage?
| A．She considered throwing away her iPhone regretful. |
| B．She looked forward to starting her new life with Eloise. |
| C．She thought it of little benefit to have a simple cellphone. |
| D．She was aware that she had to kick the habit of being addicted to her iPhone. |
If you were to walk up to Arthur Bonner and say, “Hey, Butterfly Man,” his face would break into a smile. The title suits him. And he loves it.
Arthur Bonner works with the Palos Verdes blue butterfly, once thought to have died out. Today the butterfly is coming back — thanks to him. But years ago if you’d told him this was what he’d be doing someday, he would have laughed, “You’re crazy.” As a boy, he used to be “a little tough guy on the streets”. At age thirteen, he was caught by police for stealing. At eighteen, he landed in prison for shooting a man.
“I knew it had hurt my mom,” Bonner said after he got out of prison. “So I told myself I would not put my mom through that pain again.”
One day he met Professor Mattoni, who was working to rebuild the habitat (栖息地) for an endangered butterfly called El Segundo blue.
“I saw the sign ‘Butterfly Habitat’ and asked, ‘How can you have a habitat when the butterflies can just fly away?’” Bonner recalls. “Dr. Mattoni laughed and handed me a magnifying glass (放大镜), ‘Look at the leaves.’ I could see all these caterpillars (蝴蝶的幼虫) on the plant. Dr Mattoni explained, ‘Without the plant, there are no butterflies.’”
Weeks later, Bonner received a call from Dr. Mattoni, who told him there was a butterfly that needed help. That was how he met the Palos Verdes blue. Since then he’s been working for four years to help bring the butterfly back. He grows astragalus, the only plant the butterfly eats. He collects butterflies and brings them into a lab to lay eggs. Then he puts new butterflies into the habitat.
The butterfly’s population, once almost zero, is now up to 900. For their work, Bonner and Dr. Mattoni received lots of awards. But for Bonner, he earned something more: he turned his life around.
For six years now Bonner has kept his promise to stay out of prison. While he’s bringing back the Palos Verdes blue, the butterfly has helped bring him back, too.When he was young, Arthur Bonner ___.
| A．broke the law and ended up in prison |
| B．was fond of shooting and hurt his mom |
| C．often laughed at people on the streets |
| D．often caught butterflies and took them home |
Bonner came to know the Palos Verdes blue after he ___.
| A．found the butterfly had died out |
| B．won many prizes from his professor |
| C．met Dr. Mattoni, a professor of biology |
| D．collected butterflies and put them into a lab |
From the last sentence of the text, we learn that raising butterflies has ___.
| A．made Bonner famous | B．changed Bonner’s life |
| C．brought Bonner wealth | D．enriched Bonner’s knowledge |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．A Promise to Mom | B．A Man Saved by Butterflies |
| C．A Story of Butterflies | D．A Job Offered by Dr. Mattoni |
Nuclear energy has always been controversial. But since the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan) last year the issue is back in the headlines. And the world is divided— some countries are planning more nuclear plants, while others have promised to shut theirs down.
After Fukushima, Germany decided to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Switzerland and Italy are also phasing out nuclear power. But France and the United States remain staunch supporters of atomic energy. In fact, almost 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. And in the US, the Obama administration said it “continues to support the expansion of nuclear power, despite the crisis in Japan.”
Nuclear supporters claim nuclear power can help the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gases. So, pro-nuclear countries argue that nuclear power allows them to generate energy without contributing to climate change. Britain’s chief scientific adviser (John Beddington) supports this view. He recently said that the world doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is also relatively cheap. Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power may be clean, but they’re expensive; and right now, they require a lot of investment. This higher cost of using “green energy” is usually passed onto the consumer. So, while many people may prefer their energy to come from a renewable source, not so many are prepared to pay higher energy bills. This is of particular concern while the world economy is in such bad shape.
The main argument against nuclear energy is that it isn’t safe. For a start, nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of, and remains toxic to humans for thousands of years. And even before Fukushima, there were several high-profile nuclear disasters. The most famous is probably the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in the Ukraine. The radiation from the meltdown spread all over Europe, affecting thousands.
The nuclear energy issue is very complex. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved anytime soon. As a Japanese commentator recently said, “it’s been a bad year for the ‘nuclear village’, but I don’t think they’re down and out yet.” The battle continues.Which of the following may NOT be the advantage of nuclear energy over other energy sources?
| A．Nuclear energy doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases. |
| B．Nuclear energy can help prevent the climate damage. |
| C．Nuclear energy is more environmental-friendly than other green energy sources. |
| D．Nuclear energy can save the consumers some money, compared to other renewable energies. |
What does the underlined word “this ” refer to in paragraph 4?
| A．The fact that many people prefer to use the green energy sources while unwilling to pay higher bill. |
| B．The cost of using renewable sources |
| C．The fact that the nuclear power is cheaper. |
| D．The investment of renewable energy sources |
In the 5th paragraph, the author takes the case of Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine to _______.
| A．convince the reader that nuclear waste is difficult to get rid of. |
| B．explain that nuclear waste may remain harmful to humans for thousands of years. |
| C．persuade the world not to use nuclear energy. |
| D．support the idea that nuclear energy is not safe. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．the Japanese commentator is positive about the future of nuclear energy. |
| B．the nuclear energy issue will be soon settled. |
| C．a battle will break out in the future. |
| D．Japan is considering to build a nuclear village in the future. |
What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To highlight the danger of using nuclear energy. |
| B．To introduce some serious nuclear disasters. |
| C．To show the argument between nuclear supporters and protesters. |
| D．To give some advice on how to use nuclear energy safely. |
BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- China's economic planning agency Thursday announced a rise in minimum rice purchase prices this year to encourage farmers to grow more grain.
A statement on the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) website said the government would continue the policy of minimum purchase prices in major rice-growing regions in 2011. The rises in the minimum rice purchase price had been approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet, said the statement.
The purchase prices for japonica rice will rise 21.9 percent to 128 yuan (19.4 U.S. dollars) per 50 kilograms, while prices for early and middle-late rice will increase 9.7 percent and 10.3 percent to 102 yuan and 107 yuan per 50 kg respectively.
Rice and wheat are two major grain crops in China.
The State Council pledged Wednesday to step up efforts to boost grain production as drought continues to wreak havoc in north China's wheat growing regions.
China's main wheat-growing regions, including Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Anhui, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and Jiangsu provinces, have been plagued by drought since October last year.
Drought has affected about 7.73 million hectares, or 42.4 percent, of the total winter wheat crop area in the country's eight key producing provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture said Wednesday.
China's grain output rose 2.9 percent last year to 546.41 million tons, marking the seventh consecutive year of growth.When was this news probably written?
| A．In 2011 | B．In 2010 |
| C．In February, 2011 | D．On Wednesday, 2011 |
What is the purchase price for japonica rice before it wise according to the passage?
| A．105 yuan per 50 kilograms |
| B．128 yuan per 50 kilograms |
| C．102 yuan per 50 kilograms |
| D．107 yuan per 50 kilograms |
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the fourth paragraph?
| A．completely | B．Honorably |
| C．separately | D．exactly |
Which of the following sentences is true according to the passage.
| A．A raised purchase price will encourage farmers to grow more rice. |
| B．The plan hasn’t been approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet. |
| C．Drought continues to hit the wheat growing regions in the north of China. |
| D．There are 8 grain producing provinces affected by the drought. |
Which may be the headline of this news?
| A．China’s minimum rice purchase prices raised to boost production |
| B．A Steady rice purchase prices to ensure rice production |
| C．The Chinese government pays more attention on rice production |
| D．China’s grain output steadily increases |
One evening I was on my daily evening return from London to my home. I had got into the habit of sitting in the last carriage at the platform, so I could get off near to the station exit at my end. One evening before getting off the train, I found a purse. I opened the purse and thought this must be my lucky day, for the purse contained some ￡80 in cash. Looking further into the purse, I found credit cards, and house keys and a name and address. My first thought when seeing the cash was to pocket it, and throw the other contents away.
Now I am not a basically dishonest person, but had developed a hardened attitude over the years that most people were dishonest in some way, and my own personal experience had been that whenever I lost anything of value, that was the last I ever saw of it. And since I was a construction worker at that time, I had been the victim of a great deal of stealing during my working life.
Almost as I read the name and address, I had a picture of that woman being struck with terror, when she realized she had lost her purse, and could not get into her home, had no money, and, would have thoughts of someone spending on her credit cards, not to mention the trouble of canceling all the cards.
In that same moment I decided to hand the purse over to the train guard. So I told him I would like to see it returned to its rightful owner. He told me would be sent to the lost property office. I arrived at my station and started to walk the five minute journey to my home all the while feeling very pleased with myself that I was going to bring a great deal of happiness to someone I did not know.The author liked to sit in the last carriage because ________.
| A．sitting in the last carriage was safer |
| B．he was always almost late for his train |
| C．he could get out of the station sooner after getting off |
| D．he likes chatting with the train guards there |
What can we know from the Paragraph 2?
| A．The author thinks he is a dishonest person in nature. |
| B．The author thinks not all the people are honest all the time. |
| C．The author often lost things in the past. |
| D．The author always got his lost things of great value back. |
Which of the following in the purse attracted the author most?
| A．The cash. | B．The house keys. |
| C．Credit cards. | D．The name and address of the owner. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The owner of the purse is one friend of the author's. |
| B．The author often did some stealing during his work time in the past. |
| C．The author's feeling guilty at heart urged him to return the purse. |
| D．The author's house is near the station. |
As a boy growing up in India, I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine(莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience). Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.Which country does the author live in now?
| A．India. | B．Canada. | C．Belgium. | D．Germany. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the authors trip to Europe in 1998?
| A．The author traveled with one of his parents. |
| B．Both their going and return are by air. |
| C．They traveled in spring that year. |
| D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is __________.
| A．a city in India | B．a city in Europe |
| C．an airline company | D．a travel agency |
The underlined word sombre in the 4th paragraph probably means_________.
| A．happy | B．sad | C．angry | D．enjoyable |