The biggest safety threat（威胁）facing airlines today may not be a man with a gun ,but the man with portable（便携式）computer in business class .In the past 15 years ,pilots have reported about over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electro-magnetic interference(电磁干扰) .The source of this interference remain unclear ,but increasingly ,experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices（设备）such as portable computers ,radio and mobile telephones .
RTCA ,an organization which advises the aviation industry ,has suggested that all airlines ban, such devices from being used during “key” stages of flight ,particularly take-off and landing .Some experts have gone further ,calling for a total ban during all flights .Nowadays ,rules on using these devices are left up to airlines. And although some airlines ban passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing ,most are not willing to exercise a total ban ,if many passengers want to work during flights .
The difficulty is understanding how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft’s computers .Experts know that portable devices give off radiation which affects those wave lengths which aircraft uses for communication .But because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory ,they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not .
The fact that aircraft may be in trouble because of the interference raises the danger
that some people may use radio systems in order to damage navigation（导航）equipment .As worrying ,though ,is the passenger who can’t hear the instruction to turn off his radio because the music is too loud .
1..
.What is said about over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years ?
A They may have taken place during take-off and landing .
B They have been caused by the damage to the radio systems .
C They were said to have resulted from electro-magnetic interference .
D They were caused by the passengers’ portable computers .
2..
. Few airlines want to refuse a total ban on their passengers because ____ .
A they have other effective safety measures to fall back on
B they don’t believe there is such a danger as radio interference
C the effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved
D most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio
3..
. Why is it difficult to see the effects of electromagnetic fields on computers ?
A Experts lack proper equipment to such research .
B It is dangerous to carry out such research on an airplane .
C It remains a question what wave lengths are to be interfered with .
D Scientists are not able to produce the same effects in laboratory .
4..
It can be inferred from the passage that the author ___ .
A hasn’t formed his own opinion on this problem
B has fully understood the danger of electromagnetic interference
C regards it is as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
D is in favor of banning passengers’ use of electronic devices
If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives—the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因)engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do—as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(传送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read—sports and international news, etc. .
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen.
1..
. What is the best title for the passage?
A The Best Way to Get News
B The Changes of Media
C Make Your Own Newspaper
D The Future of Newspaper
2..
In the writer’s opinion, in the future,_____.
A. more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news
B. newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer
C newspapers will cover more scientific research
D more and more people will watch TV
3..
From the passage, we can infer____.
A newspapers will win the competition among the different media
B newspapers will stay with us together with other media
C television will take the place of newspaper
D the writer believes some media will die out
4..
. The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means____.
A depend on B compete with C fight with D kill off
Robert is said ______ abroad, but I don’t know which country he studied in.
A. to have studied B. to study C. to be studying D. to have been studying
I can remember very few ______ when he had to cancel his plans because of poor health.
A. situations B. conditions C. occasions D. circumstances
He hurried to the booking office only ______ that all the tickets had been sold out.
A. to tell B. to be told C. telling D. told
They are just college graduates and don’t realize _____ to start and run a company.
A. what takes it B. what they take C. what takes him D. what it takes
