Fifteen years ago, I took a summer vacation in Lecce in southern Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic(全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, my camera scanning the sun and reviewing the shot I would eventually take, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that.
Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway. And now when I look at it, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow coms to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who "ruined" it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured(捕捉) and frozen on some stranger's bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don't even know has been immortalized(使……永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each other's space. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us.
That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
41. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?
| A． |
Her camera stopped working. |
| B． |
A woman blocked her view. |
| C． |
Someone asked her to leave |
| D． |
A friend approached from behind. |
42. According to the author, the woman was probably_______.
| A． |
enjoying herself |
| B． |
losing her patience |
| C． |
waiting for the sunset |
| D． |
thinking about her past |
43. In the author's opinion, what makes the photo so alive?
| A． |
The rich color of the landscape. |
| B． |
The perfect positioning of the camera. |
| C． |
The woman's existence in the photo. |
| D． |
The soft sunlight that summer day. |
44. The photo on the bedroom wall enables the author to better understand ________.
| A． |
the need to be close to nature |
| B． |
the importance of private space |
| C． |
the joy of the vacation in Italy |
| D． |
the shared passion for beauty |
45. The passage can be seen as the author's reflections upon _______.
| A． |
a particular life experience |
| B． |
the pleasure of traveling |
| C． |
the art of photography |
| D． |
a lost friendship |
Scientists are worried that an asteroid(小行星) will possibly hit the earth in 2036. If scientists are right, planet earth is 24 years away from a major disaster.
Scientists have been monitoring the progress of a 390-metre-wide asteroid ever since it was discovered last June. They have announced that it could hit the earth, causing huge damage, in 2036.
NASA estimates that the impact from the asteroid named after Apophis and ancient Egyptian demon(魔鬼) would release more than 100,000 times the energy released in the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. Thousands of square kilometers would be directly affected by the explosion. The whole planet would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere.
This is the worst possible scenario(情景) of any asteroid in recorded history.
Having more than 20 years’ warning of possible impact might seem plenty of time. But scientists insist that there is actually very little time left to decide.
Luckily, however, they aren’t short on ideas for deflecting the asteroid. The favored method is also probably the easiest—throwing a spacecraft at the asteroid to change its direction. The European Space Agency plans to test this in the next decade.
One idea that seems to have no support from astronomers is the use of explosive, although this sounds more likely to the public or Hollywood producer.
At present, scientists are trying to make a better estimate of how much time we have, through more observations.
In spring of next year, there will be another chance for radar observation of Apophis. This will help astronomers calculate the orbits of the asteroid more accurately.
If, at that stage, they can’t rule out an impact with the earth in 2036, the next chance to make better observations will not be until 2016, then 2029.
“If we wait until 2029 and the worst—case scenario turns out to be true, it would seem unlikely that we’d be able to do anything about 2036,” warns Prof Fitzsimmons.What does the underlined word “deflecting” most probably mean?
| A．making it smaller. |
| B．observing it clearly enough. |
| C．dividing into pieces. |
| D．changing its direction. |
According to the scientists’ observation, _______.
| A．the asteroid named Apophis will explode in 2036. |
| B．the asteroid named Apophis might hit the earth in 2036. |
| C．the asteroid named Apophis is 24 years old. |
| D．there is plenty of time to decide the way we deal with the asteroid. |
What is the impact from Apophis if it hits the earth?
| A．It will damage Hiroshima. |
| B．Thousands of square kilometers would see the effects of the dust released into the atmosphere. |
| C．It might be the worst damage caused by asteroids in recorded history. |
| D．The whole planet would be directly affected by the explosion. |
It can be inferred from the text that _____.
| A．Hollywood producers will explode Apophis to avoid its hit. |
| B．There are only two chances for scientists to make better observations if they can’t grasp the chance next year. |
| C．NASA plans to throw a spacecraft at Apophis to change its direction. |
| D．It is supportive from astronauts that we explode the Apophis. |
How can you hear your friends’ voices when they are far away and you can’t make a long—distance call? Besides the web camera system with your computer, we have a new high-tech way to solve the problem and ease your pain of missing them.
The Japanese company Combiwith created a system—“talking picture”. It makes people in pictures speak!
The “talking picture” has a special pen. It is actually a pen-shaped scanner. It can scan information in special—made pictures. A connected player will then play the information out loud.
First, you need to take a picture and record what you want to say with the company. The company will then make special barcodes(条形码) onto your picture(you can’t see those codes). Those codes are your voice and your words. When you hold up the pen to scan your picture with barcodes, a player connected to the pen will start to play. It plays things you’ve recorded. That way the invention makes the “you” in the picture speak!
Do you want your friends and families talking out of pictures? Have them make pictures like that, and you can hear them whenever you want, only with the “talking picture” system. The system can play messages for up to 12 minutes.
“The pictures would be useful for those who hope to hear the voice of someone living far away,” said Mayumi Fuji, a spokeswoman for the company. “Grandparents, for example, longing to know about their grandchildren, would be happy to hear their voice when they see the picture,” Fuji said.
But it is troublesome to go to the company for taking a special picture first. And, it is much more expensive than using a telephone. The photo with barcodes costs between 17,040 and 17,990 yen(日元)(160 and 169 dollars). The larger picture you want, the more you pay.
Now, just raise a finger, lonely people can have their loved ones speak out of pictures. But, whether the “talking picture” is practical or not, let’s wait and see.What does “talking pictures” mean according to this article?
| A．The picture can play what’s been recorded as if the person in the picture “talks”. |
| B．You can have a talk with the person in the picture whenever you want to. |
| C．The picture can tell you wonderful stories to ease your pain. |
| D．The picture can tell what’s on your mind when you are looking at it. |
If you want to make a talking picture, you need to ________.
| A．take a picture and record what you want to say with the company |
| B．make special barcodes onto your picture |
| C．a pen—shaped scanner to go with the picture |
| D．All of the above |
Which of the following is NOT true accordingly?
| A．The talking picture system can play messages for 12 minutes at most. |
| B．It will cost you more to take a larger talking picture. |
| C．It might take a lot of trouble to make a talking picture. |
| D．You can make a talking picture by just raising a finger. |
What is the attitude of the author?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Uncertain. | C．Positive. | D．Pessimistic. |
Creativity(创造性)is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.
If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as very important: a new type of tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Mining Company. At work he developed a kind of material strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to think more about the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas.
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily an indicator of high intelligence. Just that a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.
Unfortunately, schools have not tried to encourage creativity. With strong attention paid to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can’t recognize ways to use it in new situations. They may know the rules correctly, but they are unable to use them to work out practical problems.
It is important to give children choices. From an early age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision. The child may have a hard time, but that is all right. This is because the most important characteristic of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.What did the company where Dick Drew worked learn from its mistake?
| A．They encouraged people to work longer. |
| B．They discouraged people to think freely. |
| C．They asked people to spend all their work time developing new ideas. |
| D．They encouraged people to spend some of their work time considering and |
improving new ideas. Creativity is something ______.
| A．that people are born with |
| B．that depends on intelligence |
| C．that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problems |
| D．that is not important |
Why don’t schools try to encourage creativity?
| A．They don’t understand the importance of education. |
| B．They don’t want their students to make mistakes. |
| C．They pay too much attention to examination marks and language skills. |
| D．They think it more important to remember information. |
What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money?
| A．Try to help them as much as possible. |
| B．Take no notice of whatever they do. |
| C．Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much. |
| D．Leave them as they are. |
IELTS: international English language testing system
Introduction: The IELTS is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (剑桥大学考试委员会), the British Council (英国文化委员会) and IDP Education Australia (澳洲教育国际开发署)
Why more and more people are taking the IELTS test?
The IELTS test is widely recognized by the colleges, universities and other academic institutions of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. More and more universities and colleges in the US are also accepting an IELTS result as a language requirement for application to degree courses.
IELTS is accepted by many important organizations, such as the New Zealand Immigration Bureau, the Australian Immigration and Cultural Department, the Canadian Immigration Bureau, the Australian Medical Council and the British Medical Association (总会).
Choice of two test types
There are two test models: Academic and General Training. The candidate must select the one suitable to his/here purpose for taking the test.
Academic: for candidates who want to apply for undergraduate or postgraduate courses.
General Training: for candidates who take IELTS for immigration purpose, training programmes, or work experience.
If you have any questions about which type to take, consult the Examinations Services staff at the British Council offices.
Content
The test is composed of four papers: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. The first three papers must be taken at one sitting on one day, and the speaking paper may be taken up to two days later. Usually in China, the Listening paper is taken on a Saturday morning, followed by the Reading paper, and then Writing paper. The Speaking test is usually taken on the Saturday afternoon or on the following Saturday. Candidates must complete all four papers in order to obtain an overall score.How many organizations is IELTS managed by?
| A．6. | B．5. | C．4. | D．3. |
Why are more and more people taking the IELTS test?
| A．It is widely accepted by many countries. |
| B．It is widely recognized by many colleges, institutions and many important organizations. |
| C．It’s proof for people’s ability. |
| D．It’s interesting and acceptable. |
What kind of candidates should choose Academic test?
| A．Candidates who want for immigration. |
| B．Candidates who want for training. |
| C．Candidates who want for work experience. |
| D．Candidates who want for undergraduate or postgraduate courses. |
In China, what’s the test order?
| A．Reading, writing, speaking, listening. |
| B．Reading, speaking, listening, writing. |
| C．Listening, reading, writing, speaking. |
| D．Speaking, reading, listening ,writing |
Flying over a desert in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes．After an hour’s flight, one of the scientists wrote in his notebook, "Look here for probable metal." Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals." From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word "Uranium".
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers for looking down below the earth’s surface．They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground -- using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie under the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.
At Watson Bar Creek, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds．Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees．Roots were dug and put into boxes．Each bag and box was carefully marked．In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested．Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
Study of the roots, branches and seeds showed no silver．But there were small amounts of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds．The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.
If the trees indicated that there was no gold in the ground, the scientists wouldn’t spare money to pay for digging into the ground.Scientists were flying over a desert or a hilly wasteland or a mountain region to _____.
| A．train their eyes | B．study the trees |
| C．look for gold | D．search for minerals |
The study of trees, branches and roots indicated that ______.
| A．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches far from the tree trunk than in the seeds |
| B．there were smaller amounts of gold in the tree roots deep in the ground than in the branches |
| C．there were larger amounts of gold in the seeds growing closer to the tree trunk than in the seeds farther from it |
| D．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches than in the leaves on the ends of the branches |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of a tree that can help the searchers?
| A．leaves | B．roots | C．branches | D．seeds |
Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
| A．Scientists searching for treasure with special equipment. |
| B．New methods of doing geological study. |
| C．Gold could be found in trees and plants. |
| D．A new method of searching for minerals. |