It’s hard to believe how times have changed since the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, on 6th April 1896. Over one hundred years ago, there was very little reliance（dependence）on modern technology. There were no landing mats（海绵垫）, no stopwatches and no photo finishes. In fact, cameras and stopwatches were not used until the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the USA.
Today technology has completely revolutionized（changed） sports. Take sports equipment（装备）for example. Starting blocks are now equipped with electronic pressure sensors（传感器）, which provide exactly correct race time and also help to catch runners who “jump the gun”. As athletes cross the finishing line, special digital cameras can also easily decide the winner. The clays of “dead heats” are gone.
Athletes have also benefited（受益） from technological developments. Body-hug-ging suits, which reduce（减少） wind drag, can help cut up to one-tenth of a second from runners’ race times. Top athletes are even provided with tailor-made sports shoes. These shoes are made to fit the athlete exactly—and there are even air compartments in the shoes that can be filled to meet each runner’s individual needs.
Technology has also changed the way that many sports are performed. Take one example—the pole vault（撑杆跳）. The inclusion of a landing mat obviously made a big difference to the vaulting style（方式）as athletes no longer needed to worry about hurting themselves as they fell. Without these worries, athletes could obviously jump higher. These days, polevaulters do not even need to worry about the crossbar as the uprights are now fitted with light-emitting diodes（LEDs） that measure（测量） how high the athlete vaulted. Technology has even been to the advantage of swimmers. New pools have been designed to reduce wave interference and sports scientists have even developed a new style of swimming that increases buoyancy and reduces drag in the water.
The increasing importance of these technological developments has led many sportsmen to suggest that the “Olympic spirit” is being lost in a rush to break records and win medals. Many developing countries say that technology has become too important in sport and that athletes from developing countries that cannot afford such technology are disadvantaged. There are no easy answers but one thing is sure—we cannot turn back time. Technology cannot go backwards.
1.How many pieces of high-tech sports equipment are mentioned in paragraph 2 and 3？
A．One. B．Two.
C．Three. D．Four.
2.The underlined phrase “dead heats” means “________”.
A．sports equipment which was out of date
B．runners who jumped the gun while running
C．diseases which killed runners in hot weather
D．races in which runners finished at the same time
3.What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph？
A．LEDs can measure the speed of swimming.
B．The pole vault was not quite safe in the past.
C．Polevaulters jump higher with landing mats.
D．New pools have changed the style of swimming.
4.The purpose of the writer in writing this article is ________.
A．to suggest we should keep up with the times
B．to show us the future of modern Olympics
C．to prove that the athletes have done better
D．to introduce high-tech sports equipment
As we become richer and richer, we are producing more and more rubbish. The Asian Development Bank（ADB） says that our largest cities produce 760 000 tons of solid waste every day. It predicts（预料） that there will be an increase—to 1.8 million tons—by 2025. It seems too much to deal with. “The growing waste is simply trying to cover our cities,” says Michael Lindfield, a specialist of ADB in Manila.
The proper treatment of rubbish is beyond the financial resources（金融资源）of many countries. The World Bank says some governments are spending as much as half of their budgets（预算） dealing with rubbish. And even so, it is common that half of all the waste goes uncollected.
Much of the added difficulty is packaging from consumer（消费者）products and the products themselves—all of which need years, even centuries to decompose（化解）. Lindfield believes that four of every five products we buy are thrown away after a single use. It all makes the work to deal with solid waste much more expensive.
The rubbish is more than just an environmental problem—it also influences national economies（经济） by disturbing the world market, discouraging tourism and slowing down industrial development.
Lots of rubbish also influences the look of our cities. As he walks to work from his home in Bangkok every day, Chatchat Mutita, a 36-year-old advertising specialist, must pass a lot of ugly, smelly rubbish that isn’t collected until late at night. He says things get worse when it rains because some yellow water will stream from the rubbish to the sidewalk.
Modern technology can make the problems of open dumps less serious. But Chettiyappan Visvanathan, a professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthal, Thailand, believes that there are no engineered facilities（设备） in nine of every ten dumps all over the country. Some countries depend on most solid waste to produce energy, but there’s a growing problem of air pollution. Burning is far more dangerous than open dumps. The ADB says the growing rubbish must be dealt with by the “3Rs” —reducing the waste, reusing things that are being thrown away and recycling materials.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．What our environment looks like.
B．How important to clean our cities.
C．What a serious problem we have.
D．How difficult to remove rubbish.
2.Which of the the following can be the most serious problem rubbish brings to us?
A．It causes a lot of difficulty cleaning up our cities.
B．It stops our nation economies from developing.
C．It makes our environment uglier and dirtier.
D．It brings air pollution, water pollution and diseases.
3.What does the underlined sentence mean in the passage?
A．Many countries are short of proper methods to deal with rubbish.
B．Many countries are not rich enough to deal with rubbish properly.
C．Many countries are short of proper resources to deal with rubbish.
D．Many countries are not wise enough to deal with rubbish properly.
4.Which of the following is true, according to the passage?
A．There are both hope and difficulty in our future.
B．It’s impossible for us to make our cities clean.
C．We may find some ways but things will be worse.
D．The problem is not serious if everyone knows it.
Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not, I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA (personal bank account). I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version (版本) of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else.”
Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have. Try being honest, and notice how well it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that: In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.
At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit (储蓄) into your PBA and will build strength.
1.The black words “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “______”.
A. to be honest
B. to be unreal
C. to become clear
D. to come from an imagined world
2.Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?
A. Be your true self rather than follow others.
B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.
C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.
D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.
3.What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?
A. Honesty can be of great help.
B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.
C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.
D. One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.
4.In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express ______.
A. one must be brave to be honest
B. it’s difficult to be honest when others are not
C. one should be honest when making a deposit
D. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future
New rules and behaviour standards for middle school students came out in March Middle School is going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. The best students won't only have high marks. They will also be kids who don't dye（染）their hair, smoke or drink. The following are some of the new rules.
Tell the truth. Have you ever copied someone else's work on an exam? Don't do it again! That's not something an honest student should do. If you have played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you have done homework.
Do more at school. Good students love animals and care for other people. April is Bird-Loving Month in China. Is your school doing anything to celebrate? You should join! That way, you can learn more about animals and how to protect them. When more people work together, it makes it more fun for everyone.
Have you ever quarreled with your teammates when your basketball team lost? Only working together can make your team stronger. Be friendly to the people you are with. Try to think of others, not only yourself.
Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you'll discover Earth II someday. Don't look down on new ideas. Everyone's ideas are important. You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone.
Protect yourself. Has someone ever taken money from one of your classmates? Don't let it happen to you. If you have to go home late, you should let your parents know.
Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for your studies. But some things on the Internet aren't for kids, so try to look at Web pages that are good for you. You can use the Web for fun or homework. Can't you find any good Web sites for children? Here are some:
http://kids.eastday.com.
http://www.chinakids.net.com
http://www.cycnet.com
1.The school new rules will help kids by telling them ______.
A. how they can study well
B. what they should do at school
C. what is right and what is wrong
D. how they can protect themselves
2.According to the passage, which of the following is not true?
A. Keep some animals to protect them.
B. Tell the truth, even when you are wrong.
C. Take care of yourself when you are out.
D. Use the Internet, but keep away from bad things.
3.Good Web sites for children can ______.
A. be a waste of time
B. make life easier
C. do homework for them
D. help them with their studies
There were two McDonald’s – Mac and Dick – and they were brothers. In 1948 they owned a restaurant in California. They liked working in the restaurant, but they got tired of the customers(顾客) ordering so many different things to eat.
“If we gave customers a smaller menu(菜单), we could make some of the food before they came, and they wouldn’t have to wait so long for their meals,” said one of the brothers. The other brother agreed and said, “If we made the customers come to the counter(柜台), we wouldn’t need any waiters and waitresses(女服务员). We could also use plastic plates so there wouldn’t be any washing-up.”
These were such good ideas that the McDonald’s brothers used them, and the customers were very pleased. They got their meals very quickly – in less than a minute – and they paid only 15 cents(分) for hamburgers and 10 cents for fries(油炸食品). The first McDonald’s restaurant had no seats for customers to sit on. This meant that people had to take their food away, and that no one had to clean up any tables after them.
Then a man called Ray Kroc came to the brothers and asked to buy their business. They agreed to sell it to him for $27 million. After that, people paid Ray Kroc to open their own restaurants using the McDonald’s name and menu. Before long, there were McDonald’s restaurants all over the United States, and nowadays, they are all over the world – even in China and Russia. The most successful McDonald’s business is in Hong Kong of China. The Hong Kong McDonald’s sells more hamburgers every day than any other McDonald’s anywhere else in the world.
McDonald’s restaurants are so successful because children love going to them. They like the food, and they like the toys and games they can get at McDonald’s.
【小题】The McDonald brothers offered customers fewer kinds of foods so that _____.
A． they didn’t need waiters or waitresses
B． they could use plastic plates
C． customers could get their meals quickly
D．customers would pay less.
【小题】Customers“paid only 15 cents for hamburgers”means the hamburgers were___.
A. expensive B. new
C. cheap D. worth a lot less
【小题】The first McDonald’s customers took their food away because_____.
A． They wanted to eat it quickly
B． they did not want a large menu
C． There were no seats in the restaurant
D． they wanted to eat at home
【小题】Nowadays, the owners of McDonald’s restaurants pay for ____.
A． the McDonald’s name and menu
B． children to play games
C． people to take the food away
D． customers to eat quickly
【小题】This story mainly tells us ____.
A． a restaurant in California in 1948.
B． how Ray Kroc made money for the McDonald brothers.
C． where McDonald’s restaurants are in the world.
D． how the McDonald’s business started and grew.
Imagine you’re at a party full of strangers. You’re nervous. Who are these people? How do you start a conversation? Luckily, you’ve got a thing that sends out energy at small chips（芯片） in everyone’s name tag（标签）.The chips send back name, job, hobbies－whatever. Making new friends becomes simple.
This hasn’t quite happened in real life. But the world is already experiencing a new age of using RFID technology.
An RFID tag with a small chip can be fixed in a product, under your pet’s skin（皮肤）, even under your own skin. Some RFID tags have no energy source because they do not need it. The energy comes from a scanning device（扫描装置）, which sends out energy and starts up the tag immediately.
Such a tag carries information to that object, and the information can be renewed. Already, RFID technology is used for recognizing（识别） each car or truck on the road and it might appear in your passport. Doctors may put a small chip under the skin to get a patient’s medical records. At a nightclub in Paris or in New York the same chip might get you to pay for the bill with the wave of an arm.
Take a step back: 10 or 12 years ago, you would have heard about the coming age of computing. One example always seemed to surface: Your refrigerator would know when you needed to buy more milk. The idea was that computer chips could be put everywhere and send information in a smart network that would make life simpler.
RFID tags are a small part of this situation. “The world is going to be a connected set of personal small devices.” predicts Dr. J. Reich. But some people are nervous about the possibilities of such technology. It goes too far tracking（跟踪）school kids through RFID tags, they say.
When Marconi invented radio, he thought it would be used for ship-to-shore communication, not for pop music. Who knows how RFID and other technologies will be used in the future. Here’s a wild guess: Not for buying milk.
1.The article is intended to______.
A. warn people of the possible risks in adopting RFID technology
B. explain the benefits brought about by RFID technology
C. convince people of the uses of RFID technology
D. predict the applications of RFID technology
2.We know from the passage that with the help of RFID tags, people_____.
A. will have no trouble getting data about others
B. will have more energy for conversation
C. will have more time to make friends
D. won’t feel shy at parties any longer
3.Passive RFID tags chiefly consist of____.
A. scanning devices B. radio waves
C. batteries D. chips
4.Why are some people worried about RFID technology?
A. Because children will be tracked by strangers.
B. Because market competition will become fiercer.
C. Because their private lives will be greatly affected.
D. Because customers will be forced to buy more products.
