Anybody who’s noticed so many sweaty Sunday-morning photos on the Internet must think that marathons have recently regained popularity．According to Running USA，an organization that tracks the sport’s growth，52 percent of runners today track themselves with some sort of GPS-enabled device，like a smart phone or a fitness tracker．This statistic has likely played a role in running’s growing appeal--the easily available tracking information has attracted people to the sport，and kept them going，for it’s possible for anyone to see in real time how it’s affecting their bodias.
Today，free smart phone apps can give runners information on things like the number and length of their steps，their heart rate，even the estimated volume of oxygen they consume per minute．All this information can act as a reward and a motivator for the runner．“It’s one thing to hear encouragement from a coach．”Bryan Boyle，editor of Runner’s World magazine，explains．“It’s quite another，however，to appreciate-at a glance-progress made during weeks and months of running．’’
But run—tracking technology doesn’t just help runners train harder. It also gives them the power to train more intelligently．Recreational runners today no longer have to guess how far or how fast they’ve run，or what their body is doing．If they can monitor their heart rate，they can make sure they’re hitting the most strategic pace on each run，which can significantly increase their chances of having a positive experience on the course during race day．
No matter how much technology can promote the experience of running，though，many runners argue that the biggest benefit of the sport remains the chance to get outdoors，away from the computer，for an hour．“There’s so much more to experience，” adds Boyle．“fresh air，travel，shoot，just overall feeling better．There’s no app for that．”
We can infer from the first paragraph that ．
| A．people enjoy posting sports pictures on the Internet |
| B．Running USA plays a key role in the growth of running |
| C．tracking technology is drawing more people on the road |
| D．run—tracking devices help people run faster than before |
Which of the following questions are the second and third paragraphs intended to answer?
| A．What information can run—tracking devices provide for the runners? |
| B．How is the run—tracking technology popularizing running? |
| C．In what way is run—tracking technology developed? |
| D．Why do people have to rely on wearable devices in modern society? |
As for the experienced runners，what attracts them most is ．
| A．the exciting experience technology brings them |
| B．a chance to enjoy nature outdoors |
| C．becoming popular on social media |
| D．being cool with a new wearable device on the road |
There are 67 counties in the state of Alabama．Each county is rich with history and its own unique stories．Colbert County, located in the northwest corner of the state, has its share of exciting stories and claims to statewide fame．The county was created on February 6, 1867, and Tuscumbia became the county seat（the town in which the offices of the county government are located）．
One of the most famous residents of Tuscumbia was Helen Keller．Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880．Her home was a white frame cottage built by her grandparents．Since ivy（常春藤）grew everywhere, the house was called Ivy Green．It was here, at the water pump in the backyard, that Keller learned the word “w-a-t-e-r” with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan．Visitors to Ivy Green can walk under boxwood trees that are 150 years old．The home has furniture that the Keller family used．It also has Keller’s Braille（盲文）books and her original Braille typewriter．
Spring Park is Tuscumbia’s most popular park and favorite tourist attraction．This park has the world’s largest manufactured waterfall called Coldwater Falls．The Spring Park Light and Water Show is an amazing sight to see．It takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at sundown．The water appears to dance to music and colored lights．The music played during the show is recorded by singers and musicians from Alabama．
Fame Recording Studios is in the city of Muscle Shoals in Colbert County．The studio is the first successful recording studio in Alabama．It is best known for creating “Southern rock,” “Southern soul,” and “county soul．” Well-known performers like Aretha Franklin and musical groups such as Alabama and Lynyrd have made recordings at this studio．
Visitors can continue to explore music in Alabama by visiting the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia．Built in 1990, this site recognizes the musical talents of more than 500 Alabama residents in a wide variety of musical styles, including country and rhythm and blues．
Truly, Colbert County has a lot of wonderful locations to visit．Guests will not be disappointed in a visit to this delightful place．Which of the following is TRUE about Alabama and music?
| A．Alabama musicians have established exhibits for visitors． |
| B．There are a great many talented musicians in Alabama． |
| C．Music is the most important industry in Alabama． |
| D．Alabama residents enjoy listening to music． |
How many locations related to music in Colbert County are mentioned in the text?
| A．1． | B．2． | C．3． | D．4． |
The author writes the text mainly to persuade the reader __________．
| A．to learn from Helen Keller |
| B．to visit businesses in Alabama |
| C．to stop for a visit in Colbert County |
| D．to listen to Southern styles of music |
The text is most probably taken from __________．
| A．a story book | B．a book review |
| C．a personal diary | D．a travel magazine |
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NEMS |
NEWRI Environmental Master of Science |
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| NEWRI: Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute |
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| Be a leader in environmental science and engineering through the NEMS programme |
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| NEWRI Environmental Master of Science （NEMS） is a primary graduate education and research programme conducted by Nanyang Technological University’s （NTU’s）NEWRI, with summer attachment at Stanford University．It aims to train engineers and scientists to meet the increasing environmental challenges for Asia and the wider region． |
NEWRI-Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute NEWRI is enabling Singapore to be a global center of environmental science and technology in providing technological solutions to the world．It is committed to environmental and water technologies through its ecosystem of education, research and developmental activities． NEWRI is trying its best to pull together NTU’s water and environment-related centers and institutes, gathering one another’s strengths for the benefit of industry and society． |
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| Master of Science Applications ● Applications open now and close on 30 May 2013 for Singapore applicants． ● Graduates having relevant engineering or science background, including final-year students, are invited to apply． ● Applicants are required to have a certificate of GRE． Further information and application materials are available at the Website: http:// www．Cee．ntu．edu．sg/Graduate/NEMS |
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| Highlights of Programme: ★ Students spend a full summer term at Stanford taking regular courses and continue with the rest of their academic programme at NTU． ★ It is a 12-month full-time course in environmental science & engineering． ★Students under NEMS will have opportunities to do research projects under NEWRI as well as to continue for the Doctor’s degree． ★ Graduating students receive the NTU degree and a certificate from Stanford for their summer attachment． |
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| Scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses at both Stanford and NTU are available |
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| Enquiry contact: Ms Christian Soh Tel：（65） 6861 0507 Fax:（65） 68614606 Email: nems@ntu．edu．sg Information on other graduate programmes available at： www．ntu．edu．sg/cee/program/postgrad．asp |
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If one wants to apply for the NEMS programme, it is essential for him to __________．
| A．make contact with Ms Soh |
| B．have passed the GRE test |
| C．possess a university diploma |
| D．major in engineering or science |
Students admitted to the NEMS Programme __________．
| A．are required to obtain a Doctor’s degree |
| B．will first have regular courses at Stanford |
| C．needn’t be released from their regular jobs |
| D．can receive degrees of both NTU and Stanford |
What’s the main purpose of the NEMS programme?
| A．To offer scholarship for tuition grants and living expenses． |
| B．To strengthen the cooperation between NTU and Stanford． |
| C．To introduce Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute． |
| D．To train experts on environmental science and engineering． |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．30 May 2012 is the deadline for NEMS application． |
| B．Applicants for NEMS should have relevant work experience． |
| C．Other centers and institutes for environmental and water technologies also exist in NTU |
| D．Singapore is the global center of environmental science and technology． |
A study of more than five million books, both fiction and non-fiction, has found a marked decline in the use of emotional words over time．The researchers form the University of Bristol used Google Ngram Viewer, a facility for finding the frequency of terms in scanned books, to search for more than 600 particular words identified as representing anger, dislike, fear, joy, sadness and surprise．
They found that almost all of the categories showed a drop in these “mood words” over time．Only in the category of fear was there an increase in usage．
“It is a steady and continuous decrease,” said Dr Alberto Acerbi．He assumed that the result might be explained by a change in the position occupied by literature, in a crowded media landscape．“One thing could be that in parallel to books the 20th century saw the start of other media．Maybe these media — movies, radio, drama, had more emotional content than books．”
Although both joy and sadness followed the general downwards trend, the research, published in the journal PLOS One, found that they also exhibited another interesting behaviour：the ratio （比率） between the two varied greatly, apparently mirroring historical events．
During the Roaring Twenties the joy-to-sadness ratio reached a peak that would not occur again until before the recent financial crash．But the ratio plunged at the height of the Second World War．Nevertheless, the researchers held a reserved opinion about their claim that their result reflected wider social trends．In the paper, they even argue that the reverse could be true．
“It has been suggested, for example, that it was the suppression （压抑） of desire in ordinary Elizabethan English life that increased demand for writing ‘filled with romance and sex’… perhaps,” they conclude, “songs and books may not reflect the real population any more than catwalk models reflect the average body．”The word "decline" （paragraph 1） is closest in meaning to_________．
| A．increase | B．rise | C．decrease | D．change |
A study of more than five million books indicated a decrease in “mood words” over time except_______．
| A．in the use of the words of historical events |
| B．in the category of fear |
| C．in the category of literature |
| D．in the category of joy |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．A study of emotional words． |
| B．A study about vocabulary in literature． |
| C．Reasons for the use of emotional words decreases in literature． |
| D．A study on increase in the category of fear． |
“Don't worry if you have problems!” It is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one．The only people who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods．Most communities have at least one．We call them cemeteries．If you're breathing, you have difficulties．It's the way of life．And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain．
Maybe you have heard the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia．Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef．
On one tour, a traveler asked the guide an interesting question．"I notice that the lagoon （泻湖） side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," the traveler observed．Why is this?
The guide gave an interesting answer, "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival．It dies early．The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves and storms．It has to fight for its survival every day．As it is challenged and tested, it changes and adapts．It grows healthy．It grows strong．And it reproduces．"
Then he added, “That's the way it is with every living organism．”
That's how it is with people．Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow．Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger．Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency．Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness．So, you have problems? No problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"
Remember: A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner．Who has no problems according to the passage?
| A．The persons who are very famous． |
| B．The persons who have much money． |
| C．The persons who have been born． |
| D．The persons who are living in the cemeteries． |
In the writer's opinion, ________．
| A．problems bring us much trouble |
| B．problems have two sides, good or bad |
| C．we should try to stay away from any trouble |
| D．the fewer things we do, the less trouble we'll meet |
The reason why lagoon side of the reef has no life is _______．
| A．it hasn't got any sunlight |
| B．it has less energy than others |
| C．it never faces any challenge and tests |
| D．it has no work to do every day |
After reading this passage, we should ________．
| A．regard any problem as challenge |
| B．learn from the lagoon side |
| C．worry your problem |
| D．enter into cemeteries |
At the beginning of the World Series of 1947, I experienced a completely new emotion, when the National Anthem was played．This time, I thought, it is being played for me, as much as for anyone else．This is organized major league baseball, and I am standing here with all the others; and everything that takes place includes me.
About a year later, I went to Atlanta, Georgia, to play in an exhibition game．On the field, for the first time in Atlanta, there were Negroes and whites．Other Negroes besides me．And I thought: What I have always believed has come to be.
And what is it that I have always believed? First, that imperfections are human．But that wherever human beings were given room to breathe and time to think, those imperfections would disappear, no matter how slowly．I do not believe that we have found or even approached perfection．That is not necessarily in the scheme of human events．Handicaps, stumbling blocks, prejudices — all of these are imperfect．Yet, they have to be dealt with because they are in the scheme of human events.
Whatever obstacles I found made me fight all the harder．But it would have been impossible for me to fight at all, except that I was sustained by the personal and deep-rooted belief that my fight had a chance．It had a chance because it took place in a free society．Not once was I forced to face and fight an immovable object．Not once was the situation so cast-iron rigid that I had no chance at all．Free minds and human hearts were at work all around me; and so there was the probability of improvement．I look at my children now, and know that I must still prepare them to meet obstacles and prejudices.
But I can tell them, too, that they will never face some of these prejudices because other people have gone before them．And to myself I can say that, because progress is unalterable, many of today's dogmas （教条）will have vanished by the time they grow into adults．I can say to my children: There is a chance for you．No guarantee, but a chance．And this chance has come to be, because there is nothing static with free people．There is no Middle Ages logic so strong that it can stop the human tide from flowing forward．I do not believe that every person, in every walk of life, can succeed in spite of any handicap．That would be perfection．But I do believe — and with every fiber in me — that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us （no matter how slowly） the dogmas of the past: to discover the truth of today; and perhaps find the greatness of tomorrow.
I believe in the human race．I believe in the warm heart．I believe in man's honesty．I believe in the goodness of a free society．And I believe that the society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it — and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist．My fight was against the barriers that kept Negroes out of baseball．This was the area where I found imperfection, and where I was best able to fight．And I fought because I knew it was not doomed to be a losing fight．It couldn't be a losing fight-not when it took place in a free society．And in the largest sense, I believe that what I did was done for me — that it was my faith in God that sustained me in my fight．And that what was done for me must and will be done for others.Why did the author say he had experienced a completely new emotion?
| A．Because he won game. |
| B．Because he was an American. |
| C．Because he could compete in the game and won the game. |
| D．Because the National Game was played for him. |
From the passage, we know that the author is ___________．
| A．an African． | B．a Chinese |
| C．a white man | D．a black man |
The author firmly believed that____________.
| A．humans are imperfect if they all unite together to overcome the difficulties. |
| B．humans needn’t approach perfect even if they can. |
| C．humans should face the obstacles and fight for it bravely. |
| D．humans are becoming kind and honest if they have freedom. |
We can infer from the passage that_________.
| A．the fight between Negroes and Whites never ends |
| B．the civil war broke out because the Negroes fought for their freedom |
| C．In the past Negroes were kept out of baseball. |
| D．the fight ended up with a game. |
The underlined word ‘vanished’ most probably means __________
| A．disappear | B．increase |
| C．appear | D．happen |
The best title of this passage may be_________.
| A．Nothing matters except fighting |
| B．Success lies in hard work |
| C．freedom is everything |
| D．Free Minds and Hearts makes a difference |