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AN upper class British lady once declared: “Anyone seen on a bus
after the age of 30 has been a failure in life.”
I guess she meant that if you’re middle aged and don’t have a car then you are a loser. How arrogant (傲慢) and ignorant！
Unfortunately, there are still people who think that way: that somehow public transport is only for the poor. And the rest have a right to their cars. Some wealthy folk in the West look down on buses and boast (吹嘘) about how many years it has been since they last traveled by one.
How sad is that? Our roads are packed with cars and the air is full of the pollution they emit (排放). But still, many car users are unwillingly to get on a bus or a bike or a train to take themselves to work.
It’s convenient to drive, they’ll say. Buses are so unreliable, they’ll claim. And trains are expensive ---- at least in the UK.
It’s an attitude which may have to change. It doesn’t make sense to drive a car in a city where there’s a public transport system. Also, these rush hour commuters (往返上班者) usually travel alone.
As a result, transport authorities in the UK are looking at solutions to city center congestion (拥堵).
One is to increase the number of parking spaces at out-of-town railway stations. More motorists (乘汽车的人) can then leave their cars and travel into the city by train.
Light rail or tramways are another environmentally friendly solution. Many cities across Europe have installed light rail or tramway systems.
The subway in London is used by everyone, rich and poor. It’s the quickest way of getting around the city, whatever your bank balance.
And then there are the cycle hire schemes you find in many modern cities. In London and Paris, you can hire a bike by the hour to get you where you need to go.
While commuters in Beijing abandon their bicycles for cars, cycling to work grows in popularity in the West.
Many cyclists are willing to pay more than 10,000 yuan for their bicycles. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is often pictured cycling to work. David Cameron, the British prime minister, cycled to the House of Commons before he became leader. These days he takes the prime ministerial limousine (豪华轿车).
1.. According to the article, some British people, like the upper class woman, think that .
A. buses are inconvenient B. bus services are unnecessary
C. having a car is a sign of success D. only the upper class should have cars
2. Which of the following measures is taken by transport authorities in the UK to solve city center congestion?
A. The development of cycle hire schemes.
B. Increasing the number of parking spaces in the city center.
C. Installing light rail or tramway systems in out-of-town areas.
D. Banning commuters from traveling alone during rush hour.
3.The author mentions the example of Boris Johnson in the last paragraph to .
A. express his respect for the mayor of London
B. point to the growing popularity of cycling to work in the West
C. criticize Beijing commuters for abandoning their bicycles for cars
D. show that cars are still the most common means of transportation for famous people in Britain
4. Which of the following might the writer agree with?
A. The British prime minister should give up his limousine.
B. Beijing commuters should learn from British commuters.
C. British solutions to public transport problems are inadequate.
D. Many car owners need to change their attitudes if the traffic problem is to
In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English
— and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US’s Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany’s University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype(雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.
Then there’s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person’s face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU’s Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed — without speaking aloud — a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university’s prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.
With spontaneous(自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there.
1. Which of the following statements is not TRUE?
A. A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily.
B. There is no Muscle Translator in the world now.
C. Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth.
D. The spontaneous translators will help us a lot.
2.. What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
A. Lecture Translation.
B. Muscle Translator.
C. Multiple Translator.
D. Translation Prototype.
3... What’s the final destination of inventing the language translators?
A. To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier.
B. To help students learn foreign languages more easily.
C. To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably.
D. To help people learn more foreign languages in the future.
4... What can be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
A. The translator is so good that it can translate any language into the very language you need.
B. The translator is becoming more and more common in the world as a bridge.
C. With the help of the translator, you only need to open your mouth when you want to say something without saying the exact words at all.
D. The translator needs to be improved before being put into market.
5.. Where can this passage probably be excerpted from?
A. A newspaper.
B. A magazine on science.
C. A fairy tale.
D. A scientific fantasy book.
The crisis(危机) at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear(核) energy center caused by the terrible earthquake has raised questions about the future of the nuclear energy industry. Arjun Makhijani is president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in the United States. He says the disaster(灾难)in Japan is historic.
This week, the chairman of America’s nuclear agency said there is little chance that harmful radiation(辐射) from Japan could reach the United States. Gregory also said America has a strong program in place to deal with earthquake threats. No new nuclear power centers have been built in the United States since nineteen seventy-nine. That was when America’s worst nuclear accident happened at the Three Mile Island center in Pennsylvania. The accident began to turn public opinion against nuclear energy. At present, about twenty percent of electricity in the United States comes from nuclear energy.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would close seven nuclear power centers while energy policy is reconsidered. The European Union is planning to test all centers in its twenty-seven member nations.
Developing nations are less willing to slow nuclear expansion. China said it will continue with plans to build about twenty-five new nuclear reactors（反应堆）. And India, under a cooperation agreement with the United States, plans to spend billions on new centers in the coming years.
Nuclear reactors supply fourteen percent of global electricity. Nuclear energy is a clean resource, producing no carbon gases. But radioactive waste is a serious unresolved issue. So is the presence of nuclear power centers in earthquake areas like the one near Bushehr, Iran.
1..
We can learn from the text that America .
A. experienced a terrible nuclear accident 32 years ago
B. has a strong program to deal with radiation danger
C. depends heavily on nuclear energy to produce electricity
D. will check all the reactors before cooperating with India
2..
According to the text, which country will be most likely to have a similar disaster?
A. German. B. Iran. C. India. D. China.
3..
How does the author seem to feel about the future of nuclear energy?
A. Satisfied. B. Pleased. C. Wordless. D. Surprised.
4..
The best title of the text is .
A. Various Opinions on Japan’s Nuclear Disaster
B. Japan’s Disaster is Likely to Run out of Control
C. America Feels Great Concern for Japan’s Nuclear Crisis
D. Japan’s Disaster Throws Doubt on Nuclear Energy Industry
There is a boy called Bill in my gym class who has unbearably yellow teeth that almost make everyone feel unpleasant. Recently another boy told Bill that he should “go Ajax” his teeth. Bill was crushed. If the other boy had been thinking, he would have realized that there is a better way to handle such a situation. He could have dealt with it with tact. He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way—that’s “tact”.
If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful. Yesterday, my 5-year-old brother proudly announced that he had cleaned the screen on our television set. Unfortunately, he used furniture polish, which produced an oily film on the television screen. My mother smiled arid thanked him for his efforts—and then showed how to clean the screen properly. Her sensitivity enables my brother to keep his self-respect. Yet, sensitivity alone does not make tact.
“Tactfulness” also requires “truthfulness”. Doctors, for example must be truthful. If a patient has just been disabled in an accident, a tactful doctor will tell the truth—but express it with sensitivity. The doctor may try to give the patient hope by telling them curing techniques under study or about advanced equipment now available. Doctors must use tact with patients’ relatives as well. Instead of bluntly saying, “Your husband is disabled,” a doctor might say, “I’m sorry, but your husband has lost feeling in his legs and. . .”
Tact should not be confused with trickery. Trickery occurs when a nurse is about to give a patient an injection（注射） and says, “This won’t hurt a bit. ” Instead of trickery, the nurse might guarantee the patient that the discomfort of the injection is a small thing compared to the benefits of it. It would also be thoughtful for the nurse to tell the patients about some of these benefits.
Tact is a wonderful skill to have, and tactful people are usually admired and respected. Without tact our society would become an intolerable place to live in.
1..
The underlined word “crushed” in the first paragraph probably means .
A. surprised B. cheated C. regretful D. painful
2..
According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is . A. sensitive and tactful B. sensitive but not tactful enough
C. truthful but not tactful enough D. sensitive but trickish
3..
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
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A． B． C． D．
（The numbers stand for the paragraphs）
Many Americans take their summer vacations in August. President Obama and his family are among them. This August the first family visited the Florida Gulf Coast. The president wants to promote tourism in the area after the BP oil spill (漏油). The first family took a ten-day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Martha’s Vineyard is known for the sailing, sunsets and its tall cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The island is about 13 kilometers off the coast and is less than 260 square kilometers. Homes designed like those of earlier times line the streets of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. These are the major towns on Martha’s Vineyard.
For most of the year, the population of Martha’s Vineyard is about 15 000. In summer, more than 100 000 people crowd the island. In addition to the Obamas, you might see some Hollywood stars and other rich and famous people. Many visitors return year after year.
During warm weather the Vineyard is a good place for many different activities. People can play golf or catch fish. They can ride in sailboats or motor boats. They can waterski and swim. They can take quiet walks along sandy beaches and among the thick green trees.
One of the popular places for families with children is the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. It is the oldest continually operated merry-go-round ride in the United States. The colorful wood horses that turn in a circle were created in 1876. One of the best places for children to swim is the Joseph A. Sylvia state beach. The water there is warmer and calmer. Families also enjoy the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary where they can observe much of the island wildlife.
Visitors watch the sunsets sitting on the beach and on rocks in the fishing village of Menemsha. As the sun goes down in the sky it paints yellow, red, and other colors on the clouds. Fishing boats rise and fall with the waves. Bells sound to help guide the boats to land as darkness covers the water.
Historians say British mapmaker Bartholomew Gosnold first made a map of the island for the rulers of England in 1602. Gosnold named the island to honor his baby daughter, Martha. The Vineyard part of the name came from the many wild grape vines Gosnold found on the island. Later, King Charles of England gave the island to businessman Thomas Mayhew of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, whose son established the first European settlement on the island in 1642. By the middle of the nineteenth century, ships from the American mainland began bringing visitors to the island. Big hotels were built near the edge of the water. Martha’s Vineyard was on its way to becoming the visitors center that it is today.
1..
We can infer that ______.
A. the BP oil spill has a negative effect on the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast
B. the BP oil spill has contributed to the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast
C. President Obama went to the Florida Gulf Coast to deal with the BP oil spill
D. this was the first time that President Obama and his family had taken the vacation on Martha’s Vineyard
2..
Which month is the peak time for tourism in Martha’s Vineyard?
A. January. B. August. C. December. D. March,
3..
If children want to see wild animals, the family should go to ______.
A. the Flying Horses Carousel B. the Sylvia state beach
C. the fishing village of Menemsha D. the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
4..
Bartholomew Gosnold named the island Martha in honor of _______.
A. his mother B. the king of England
C. his daughter D. his father
One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather. Several times, it 31 several obstacles in its path. And after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour (绕道). 32 one point, the ant had to cross a crack about 10mm wide. After some 33
thoughts, the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked 34 it and picked the feather up on the other side, then continued on its way. I was 35 by the cleverness of this ant. It was only a small insect, lacking in 36 yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. 37 this ant, like the other two-legged creatures 38 on the earth, also shares human failings.
After some time the ant 39 reached its destination—a flower bed and a small hole that was the entrance to its 40 home. It was there that the ant met its 41 .How could that large feather possibly 42 such a small hole? Of course, it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this 43 and using great brightness, overcoming problems all along the way, just gave up the 44 and went home. The ant had not thought the problem through 45 it began its journey and in the end the feather was 46 more than a burden. Isn’t our 47 like that?
We worry about our families; we worry about the 48 of money; and we worry about all kinds of things. These are all burdens—the things we pick up along life’s path, and drag them around the obstacles and over the cracks that life will bring, only to 49 that at the destination they are
50 and we can’t take them with us.
1.. A. brought about B. got over C. came across D. dealt with
2. A. At B. For C. To D. With
3. A. brave B. tiring C. magic D. short
4. A. across B. through C. beside D. behind
5. A. frightened B. attracted C. annoyed D. satisfied
6. A. size B. height C. depth D. length
7. A. Therefore B. But C. Moreover D. Otherwise
8. A. working B. sleeping C. living D. walking
9. A. probably B. suddenly C. easily D. finally
10. A. underground B. lonely C. comfortable D. big
11. A. partner B. match C. parent D. friend
12. A. fit B. fix C. suit D. fill
13. A. decision B. pleasure C. trouble D. matter
14.A. insect B. problem C. hole D. feather
15. A. after B. until C. before D. once
16.A. nothing B. anything C. something D. everything
17.A. study B. aim C. dream D. life
18. A. waste B. lack C. worth D. danger
19. A. think B. find C. wonder D. warn
20. A. bad B. practical C. useless D. meaningful
