There was once a bridge which crossed a large river. During most of the_______ the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to_______through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.
A switchman sat in a small house on one side of the river where he_______the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening_______the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance and_______sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and_______until the train was within a prescribed(规定的) distance to turn the bridge into_______,but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not_______. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble(摇晃) back and forth at the ends, causing the train to jump the_______and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He____________across the bridge to the other side of the river where he would have to hold the lever(控制杆) back____________as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble(隆隆声) of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and____________backward to apply his____________to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength.
Then, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to____________him. The man almost left his lever to run and seize his son and carry him to ____________ But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a____________to make his decision.
The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even____________of the tiny broken body, thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor did they notice the____________figure of the sobbing man, still holding tightly the locking lever____________after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife____________their son had brutally died.
1.A.times B.day C.year D.sides
2.A.run B.lift C.cover D.pass
3.A.kept B.collected C.held D.operated
4.A.as B.since C.if D.before
5.A.adjusted B.detected C.caught D.witnessed
6.A.greeted B.waited C.repaired D.locked
7.A.position B.quality C.gesture D.charge
8.A.fill B.move C.work D.request
9.A.river B.threat C.prediction D.track
10.A.flew B.hurried C.went D.crossed
11.A.instantly B.bitterly C.firmly D.impatiently
12.A.leaned B.lay C.sipped D.scratched
13.A.hand B.leg C.body D.weight
14.A.put off B.look for C.come across D.take up
15.A.safety B.home C.schedule D.attention
16.A.sniff B.content C.moment D.fright
17.A.known B.fond C.concerned D.aware
18.A.tired B.sorrowful C.merciful D.annoyed
19.A.long B.shortly C.just D.immediately
20.A.what B.when C.how D.who
Although books are still popular with teenagers, most of them spend more of their leisure time staring at their phone than reading a paperbook..1.Instead of publishing whole book at once, they produce very short chapters, which they send once a week to their readers by text message.
2.Many are written by high school or university students who are very familiar with the topics that teenagers are interested in. Common themes are love, tragedy and betrayal, and the stories often deal with difficult or controversial issues.
Twenty-one-year-old Rin wrote her novel over a six-month period in spare moments, often while commuting on the train.3.Her book sold 40000 copies and was number five in the Japanese bestseller list. Rin said that her mother had had no idea that she had been writing a novel and was therefore very surprised when she saw a book with her daughter's name on it
4.Chapters have no more than 200 words, and often just 50-100 words. Sentences are short and there are no descriptions of anything or anybody because there isn't space. The text mostly consists of dialogue and the language is direct, conveying a lot in a few words.
In 2009, a young Japanese writer called Takatsu, who lives in Canada, began writing the first English language cell phone novel, Secondhand Memories. Takatsu had read an English translation of Rin’s story and had been impressed by its simple and emotional language. It was a feature he deliberately copied when he started writing Secondhand Memories.5.He now believes that, in English, cell phone novels have a powerful and poetic identity of their own. Cell phone novels encourage young people to engage in fiction, even those who would not normally pick up a book. They could be described as ten novels for the 21st century.
A. Books are sometimes regarded as old-fashioned and difficult to read.
B. In response 10 this trend, some smart young authors have changed the way they write.
C. However, as the story progressed, the style gradually evolved into something different.
D. She typed out chapters on her phone and uploaded them onto a popular website for cell phone authors.
E. No money is made from cell phone novels unless they are published as books.
F. The style of cell phone novels has evolved to suit the medium.
G. Although the idea originated in Japan, cell phone novels have also appeared in the rest of world.
Did you know that if you attach a weighed stick to the back of a chicken, it walks like a dinosaur?
No, you did not know(or care to know) such things, but now you do! Thanks to this year’s winners of the 12 Noel Prize! Now in is 251h year, the lg Nobel is the goofy younger cousin of the honored Nobel Prize. It applauds achievements in the fields of medicine, biology, physics, economies. literature. etc. Every September at Harvard University, awards are presented in 10 categories that change year to year, depending on - according to the organization - what makes the judges “laugh, then think”.
The ceremony officially begins when audience members launch paper airplanes at an assigned human target on the stage, then speakers only have 60 seconds to present their research. In previous year, the one-minute rule was imposed by a young girl - nicknamed Miss Sweetie Poo -who would go up to the platform and repeat the words: “Please stop, I’m bored.” in a sharp tone until the speaker left the stage.
Fortunately for candidates though, the Ig Informal Lectures are held afterwards on Saturday to give presenters more time to explain the crazy things they're working on.
The research can seem more like the brainchildren of teenage boys than of respectable adults. Justin Schmidt won the physiology Ig for creating the “Sting(蛰) Pain Index," which rates the pain people fell after getting stung by insects. Smith pressed bees against 25 different parts of his body until they stung him. Five stings a day for 38 days, Smith concluded that the most painful sting locations were the nose and the upper lip. Ouch.
As silly as they sound, not all of the Ig awards lack scientific applicability, A group of scientists from 12 different counties won in the medicine category for accurately diagnosing patients with appendicitis (阑尾炎) based on an unusual measurement: speed bumps(减速带) . They found that patients are more likely to have appendicitis if they report pain during bumpy car rides.
All these weird experiments have just one thing in common. They’re improbable. It can be tempting to assume that “improbable” implies more than that--implies bad or good, worthless or valuable, trivial or important. Something improbable can be any of those, or none of them, or all of them, in different ways. And what you don't expect can be a powerful force for not only entertaining science, but also for the boundary-pushing science we call innovation.
1.The underlined word “goofy” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
A.amusing B.boring
C.serious D.precious
2.According to the passage, what can we know about the awarding ceremony of Ig Nobel?
A.Ig Informal Lecture gives presenters 60 seconds.
B.The audience throw paper airplanes to end the ceremony.
C.Its categories of awards vary each yea.
D.It is held at a fixed place every other September.
3.The example in Paragraph 6 is used to show that Ig Nobel_______.
A.offers another opportunity to those who miss the Nobel Prizes
B.celebrates the diligent work of researchers
C.has no serious purpose except for amusing the audience
D.serves as a platform for the creative and practical achievements
4.Among the four candidates below, who is most likely to win an Ig Nobel?
A.A chemist who invents a type of battery.
B.An economist who studies which county's paper money is best at spreading bacteria.
C.A biologist who discovers how cell sense and adapt to oxygen availability.
D.A novelist who criticizes social injustice.
Large gatherings such as weddings and conferences can be socially stressful. Pressure to learn people’s names only adds to the stress. A new facial-recognition app could come to the rescue, .but privacy experts recommend going on with caution.
The app, called SocialRecall, connects names with faces via smartphone cameras and facial recognition. potentially avoiding the need for formal introductions.“It breaks down these social barriers we all have when meting somebody,” says Bany Sandrew, who Created the app and tested it at an event attended by about 10000 people.
After receiving an invitation to download SocialRecall from an event organizer, the user is asked to take two selfies(自拍) and sign in via social median At the event, the app is active within a previously defined geographical area. When a user points his or her phone camera at an attendee’s face, the app identifies the individual, displays the person’s name, and links to his or her social media profile. To protect privacy, it recognizes only those who have agreed to participate. And the app’s creators say it automatically deletes users' data after an event.
Ann Cavoukian, a privacy expert who runs the Privacy by Design Center of Excellence praises the app’s creators for these protective measures. She cautions, however, that when people choose to share their personal information with the app, they should know that “there may be unintended consequences down the road with that information being used in another context that might come back to bite you.”
The start-up has also developed a version of the app for individuals who suffer from prosopagnosia, or“face blindness”, a condition that prevents people from recognizing individuals they have met. To use this app, a person first acquires an image of someone’s face, from either the smartphone’s camera or a photograph, and then tags it with a name. When the camera spots that same face in real life, the previously entered information is displayed. The collected data are stored only on a user’s phone, according to the team behind the app.
1.SocialRecall is designed to________.
A.invite attendees B.identifying people
C.break barriers D.introduce strangers
2.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.Why the app was created. B.How to sign in the app.
C.How the app works. D.What information the app provides.
3.Ann Cavoukian warns the user of the app that_______.
A.it has caused unintended consequences. B.it can prevent communication disorders.
C.it may put people’s privacy at risk. D.its protective measures prove useless.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.New App Shares Personal Information B.New App Gets Rid of Face Blindness
C.New App Endangers Privacy D.New App Helps Recognize Faces
“I will need to open your neck to remove the tumor,” the surgeon told me on a hot summer day. The words turned into white noise.“So ,an ugly scar across my neck, then?” I asked. The nurse said: “Don’t worry. The closure is like his signature. Just like you want a perfect scar, he wants to give you one. You’ll barely see it.” I found some comfort in that.
I googled “cancer surgery scar”and was presented with neck images: necks with red and purple lines. closed with stitches or glue; necks with multiple scars....It was enough to make me shut my Macbook, as anxiety pulsed through my body. In the mirror, I admired my neck, running my finger across a gold chain I wore. Then a tiny voice said:“Mummy!”
My then fie-year-old son,. Jack, appeared in the mirror behind me. Our reflection was a big reality check. See, my son didn’t know I had cancer and was having surgery. I'm a single mom. Jack lives with me and doesn’t have a relationship with his father. I’m his hero. I'm the homework helper, nurse, chef, taxi driver, and every other variation of parent. I knew I couldn’t lose heart over cancer or some scar on my neck --I’m this kid's life!
So I did the next best thing I could think of: I made an appointment to get my hair done a few days before the first surgery. My goal was simple: golden hair to frame my scar. If I couldn’t hide it, I might as well show it off. I never had any intentions of hiding the scar. I didn’t want my son to think my scar was something to be ashamed of. I'm his role model and I needed to set a good example. Bad things can happen, but it's how you deal with them that matters.
The scar proves I faced my fear and won. If I got through that I can get through all the hardships, land on my feet and live boldly.
1.At first, the author felt.______about having a scar across her neck after the surgery?
A.comfortable and relieved. B.thrilled and embarrassed.
C.indifferent and unconcerned. D.anxious and frightened.
2.The author was determined to be courageous because_______
A.she was the role model of her son.
B.she thought she could overcome the cancer.
C.her son was tally dependent on her.
D.her son had a bad relationship with his father.
3.Why did the author want to get her hair styled?
A.To show her scar bravely. B.To shape beautiful hair.
C.To hide the obvious scar. D.To make her son proud.
4.What is the story intended to convey?
A.Parents should set a good example for their children.
B.We should challenge difficulty and face fear bravely.
C.Scars can never be regarded as personal signature.
D.We should never hide our scars or any other pain.
WELCOME AND ARRIVAL INFORMATION
Welcome to Harvard University Housing and thank you for choosing to live with us. To help you make a smooth transition please read the information below on panning your arrival.
Pets
Dogs living with you in your pet-friendly apartment must be vaccinated(接种疫苗) for rabies and licensed with the City of Cambridge every year.
International Students
Consider unlocking your phone prior to leaving your home county. This will enable you to use a SIM card from a company such as campus SIMS or US Mobile in your phone after you arrive. Those SIM cards may be available at the Property Management Office.
Driving
If you plan on bringing a moving van or truck it will not fit under the overpasses(天桥) on Soldiers Field Road and Memorial Drive. Plan your route in advance to avoid a risky and costly problem.
Parking arrangements for trucks and vans must be made in advance as well. Visit your property page for information about parking your car.
Furniture and Lighting
Most HUH units have no furniture-the unit is empty except for a stove and a refrigerator. You need to bring, buy, or rent a bed, other furniture, and household items. In many HUH units, rooms do not have overhead lights, so you also may need table or floor lamps.
If you want to stock up on groceries and some household items as soon as you arrive, please find information about“Grocery Shopping” by clicking the drop-down menu.
1.Suppose a French boy chooses to live in HUH units with a dog and a moving van, he should______.
A.make sure his dog is vaccinated and licensed in France.
B.unlock his phone after leaving France.
C.buy a phone with a SIM card at the Property Management Office.
D.avoid driving on Soldiers Field Road.
2.What are a majority of HUH units furnished with?
A.Table or floor lamps. B.Nothing at all
C.A stove and a refrigerator D.A bed and a table.
3.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A guidebook. B.A website.
C.A magazine. D.A notice board.
