To what degree can a computer achieve intelligence？The answer to this question may lie in a newly-developed US computer program called Smarter Child and the Internet.
If you ran into Smarter Child online, you would be surprised at this kid’s huge memory. It can recite many facts. For example, Smarter Child knows every baseball player in every team this season.
He knows every word in the dictionary and the weather in every major city areas across the US. However, if you ask Smarter Child other questions, you get strange answers. A question about Smarter Child’s age returns. “One year, 11 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds!” Asking where he lives gets, “In a clean room in a high-tech building in California.”
Smarter Child uses the vast information on the World Wide Web as his memory bank. To answer questions about spelling, for instance, Smarter Child goes to American Heritage Dictionary online. For the weather, he visits www.intellicast.com.
Some scientists believe that by joining the many systems of the Internet, an artificial being with the combined knowledge of, say, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon and Britney Spears could be born. However, if Smarter Child wants to think and learn on his own like the boy-computer David in the movie A. I. Artificial Intelligence, he must overcome two problems.
The first is that computers find it difficult to read web pages because the files are labeled in different ways. That’s why programmers need to tell Smarter Child where to look for the weather. It would be a much more difficult task to let him find it himself.
Another problem is that while Smarter Child can process information more exactly and faster than any human, he lacks common sense—a basic grounding of knowledge that is obvious to any young child.
1.From the text we can infer that www.intellicast.com is a website .
A．where we people can find Smarter Child
B．which is specially designed to help Smarter Child
C．where weather forecasts are made
D．which is about artificial intelligence
2.It is probably most difficult for Smarter Child to .
A．learn the ability to tell right behaviors from wrong ones.
B．tell us how to spell a difficult word
C．provide us with a famous poem by Shakespeare
D．tell us how the American government is run
3.The underlined “it ” in Paragraph 6 refers to ________.
A．where to look for the weather B．Smarter Child.
C．a much more difficult task D．to read web pages
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A．A New Web Child B．Intelligence Development
C．Smarter Child D．The Future of Internet
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm(群) of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was allergic to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital —and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but he knew he could not reach the house in time. The bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to water his vegetable garden. He got off his bike and into the cool water, disappearing below the surface. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope(坡) and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.
1. Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
A. He was riding to school.
B. He was listening to a strange sound.
C. He was going fishing with his father.
D. He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip.
2. How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
A. He asked Mr. Nelson for help. B. He hid himself under the water.
C. He rushed into the Nelson house. D. He rode off in the opposite direction.
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
A. They crowded like a black cloud. B. They shocked and terrified Andy.
C. They made Andy stay in hospital. D. They were coming towards Andy.
4.Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
A. No pains, no gains. B. Once bitten, twice shy.
C. Where there is a will, there is a way. D. One’s mind works faster in an emergency.
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1.Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
A. Cycling around a lake. B. Motor racing in the desert.
C. Playing basketball in a gym. D. Swimming in a sports center.
2.What do we know about golf from the passage?
A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain.
B. It causes water shortages in some areas.
C. It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.
D. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.
3. The author writes the passage to_______.
A. show us the function of major sports
B. introduce different types of environment-friendly sports
C. discuss the major influence of popular sports
D. encourage us to go in for green sports
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR
Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise, it lowers（降低）"bad" cholesterol（胆固醇）in your blood．It can also raise "good" cholesterol．
Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, age and smoking．
WHO IS LIPITOR FOR?
Who can take LIPITOR:
●People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise
●Adults and children over 10
Who should NOT take DIPITOR:
●Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or may become pregnant．Lipitor may harm your unborn baby．
●Women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby．
●People with liver（肝脏） problems
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR
Serious side effects in a small number of people:
●Muscle（肌肉）problems that can lead to kidney （肾脏） problems, including kidney failure
●Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it．
Call your doctor right away if you have：
●Unexplained muscle pain or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired
●Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing
●Stomach pain
Some common side effects of LIPITOR are:
●Muscle pain
●Upset stomach
●Changes in some blood tests
HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR
DO：
●Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor．
●Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor．
●Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food．
●If you miss a dose（一剂）, take it as soon as you remember．But if it has been more than 12 hours since your missed dose, wait．Take the next dose at your regular time．
Don't:
●Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor．
●Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor．
1.Taking Lipitor is helpful for _______________.
A. women who are pregnant B. teenagers with liver problems
C. breast-feeding women D. adults having heart disease
2. If it has been 7 hours since you missed a dose, you should ____________.
A. eat more when taking your next dose
B. have a dose as soon as you remember
C. take the next dose at your regular time
D. change the amount of your next dose
3.Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
A．Throat swelling． B．Upset stomach.
C．Kidney failure. D．Muscle weakness．
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery．
B．To show the importance of a good lifestyle．
C．To give information about a kind of medicine．
D．To present a report on a scientific research．
Tong Shiqiang rushed into a kindergarten behind his primary school several times, carrying a __36__ of kids each time he rushed out of their classroom on that fateful（灾难的）day. Only 14 years old and 1.5m tall, Tong can now __37__ a national bravery award for saving seven children.
The grade-6 student was __38__ a Chinese language class in Zhongwang Primary School in Qishan village of Longnan city, one of the worst-hit areas in Gansu province, __39__ the deadly quake struck on May 12,2008. There were 49 __40__ students in his class at the time.
"Windows began rattling(嘎嘎响）and it __41__ as if lots of bees were singing underground," __42__ Tong Shuangxi, Tong Shiqiang's teacher and uncle. "The sound grew __43__ ... and then I __44__ it was an earthquake."
The teacher cried: " __45__ out!" All the students ran out of the room immediately.
__46__ outside, Tong Shuangxi rushed toward the kindergarten where the children __47__ a nap (午睡). Tong Shiqiang ran with him.
Only three of the kids had __48__ to run out of their room when they __49__ the building. The rest were crying, too __50__ to move. It __51__ less than three minutes for them to carry out all the five- and six-year-olds to __52__.
__53__ whether all the kids had been saved, Tong and his nephew had __54__ begun checking the name list when the classroom's walls fell down. "That's the only time I was scared," said Tong Shiqiang.
The 14-year-old is __55__ to be nominated (提名) for the child hero award, to be given by the Ministry of Education and the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League.
1.A. score B. dozen C. couple D. number
2.A. beat B. win C. show D. give
3.A. listening B. hearing C. giving D. attending
4.A. when B. while C. where D. which
5.A. another B. other C. others D. the other
6.A. looked B. turned C. appeared D. seemed
7.A. reminds B. remains C. recalls D. remarks
8.A. a louder B. weaker C. clearer D. louder
9.A. realized B. found C. thought D. recognized
10.A. Nobody B. Everybody C. Somebody D. Anybody
11.A. once B. Before C. Since D. After
12.A. were having B. have C. had D. having had
13.A. tried B. wanted C. managed D. attempted
14.A. arrived B. reached C. got D. escaped
15.A. surprised B. moved C. frightened D. excited
16.A. paid B. spent C. cost D. took
17.A. safety B. classroom C. yard D. hospital
18.A. No problem B. No wonder C. Not sure D. Not know
19.A. ever B. just C. never D. even
20.A. possible B. probable C. likely D. maybe
Under no circumstances, he was warned, _____ to give the password to someone else.
A. he was B. was he C. he could D. could he
