Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete mobilization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.
1.Which sentence carried the main idea of the whole passage?
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A．The first sentence of the first paragraph. |
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B．The first sentence of the second paragraph. |
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C．The first sentence of the third paragraph. |
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D．The last sentence of the second paragraph. |
2. according to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
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A．how much money they can earn from their products |
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B．whether to plant a certain kind of crop |
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C．what livestock to raise |
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D．when to sell their products |
3.Which of the following statements is true?
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A．Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers. |
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B．Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms. |
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C．Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present. |
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D．Students at agricultural colleges must take computer classes because they can do nothing without the help of computers on today’s farms. |
4.according to the engineers, _______will be done by robots in the near future.
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A．all farm work |
B．milking cows |
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C．most of the farm work |
D．some farm work |
5.What is the best title for the whole passage?
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A．Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend |
B．Farmers in The Future |
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C．The Agricultural Revolution |
D．Computers and Robots |
I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”
“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”
“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”
“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.
1. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the
teacher thought .
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A．he didn’t do a good job in his studies |
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B．he described an unrealistic goal in his paper |
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C．he came from an itinerant horse trainer’s family |
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D．he wrote his paper without the help of his father |
2. Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?
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A．Because he made up his mind to stick to his dream. |
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B．Because his father stopped him from rewriting it. |
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C．Because he was angry about his teacher’s words. |
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D．Because he had put too much of his heart into it. |
3. From the story we can infer that the boy was actually .
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A．Monty himself |
B．the author himself |
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C．Monty’s friend |
D．an unknown person |
4. According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT
that .
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A．the boy was very interested in having a horse ranch of his own |
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B．the boy might have got a higher grade if he’d rewritten his paper |
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C．the boy succeeded in turning his dream into reality in the end |
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D．the boy wouldn’t have reached his goal without his father’s support |
5. The author wrote this passage mainly to
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A．tell people how to describe their goals |
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B．warn people against dream stealers |
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C．encourage people to stick to their dreams |
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D．teach people how to write their papers |
Mars Was Not Always Bitterly Cold
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today. The Caltech scientists say they have directly established the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented.
The Caltech scientists say carbonate（碳酸盐） minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite（陨石） that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.
Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius.
The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have confirmed the information.
Caltech Geology Professor John Eiler was another writer of the report. He says knowing the temperature of Mars from long ago provides valuable information. It shows that early in the planet's history, at least part of Mars could support a climate like that of Earth.
The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home."
1. The underlined word “establish” in Paragraph 1 probably means “___________”.
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A．to set up |
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B．to make people accept a belief |
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C．to discover or prove |
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D．to start having a relationship with others |
2.How did the scientists reach the finding?
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A．By studying Allan Hills meteorite. |
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B．By using spacecraft orbiting Mars. |
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C．By studying minerals gathered on Mars |
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D．By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface. |
3.According to the fourth paragraph, what have spacecraft orbiting Mars done?
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A．Measuring the temperature of Mars. |
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B．Taking photos of the surface of Mars. |
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C．Confirming that there is water flowing on Mars. |
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D．Finding where human beings will probably land on Mars. |
4.How did Allan Hills meteorite get its name?
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A．From its original place on Mars. |
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B．From where it was found on the earth. |
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C．From the name of the scientist who found it. |
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D．From the name of the aircraft that discovered it |
5. Where can we most probably read this passage?
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A．In a biography of scientists. |
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B．In a geography magazine. |
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C．In an environment report. |
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D．In a science report. |
Arthur Miller (1915—2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, drawn like so many others by the “Great American Dream”. However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is “burnt out” and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.
1.Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
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A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
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B．He was attracted by the “Great American Dream.” |
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C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
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D．His family business failed |
2.The play Death of a Salesman________.
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A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
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B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
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C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
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D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
3.What can we learn about Willy Loman?
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A．He treats his employer badly. |
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B．He runs the Wagner Company. |
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C．He is a victim of the American system. |
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D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
4.After it was first staged, Death of a Salesman________.
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A．achieved huge success |
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B．won the first Tony Award |
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C．was warmly welcomed by salesmen |
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D．was severely attacked by dramatists |
5.What is the text mainly about?
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A．Arthur Miller and his family. |
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B．The awards Arthur Miller won. |
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C．The hardship Arthur Miller experienced. |
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D．Arthur Miller and his best known play. |
I believe being honest is one of the greatest gifts. I know they call it a lot of fancy names, 16 upright and straightforward. And it’s still what makes a man a good citizen. This is my code, and I try to live by.
I’ve been in the taxi business for thirty-five years, 17 (know)there is a lot about it that is not so good. Because taxi drivers are tough, people get the wrong impression 18____they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like 19 people. Most of them will act as rude fellows. But almost every week you read in the papers that a taxi driver turns in money or jewels or like that people leave in their cars. Once, I found an emerald ring in my car. I remembered helping a lady 20 a lot of suitcases that day, so I went back to 21 I had dropped her off. It took me almost two days to wait for her in order to return her ring to her. I didn’t get as much as “thank you”. However, I 22 (feel) good because I had done what was right.
As far as I know, 23 (practice) everyone will give you something, because most Americans are fairly generous. I believe in God and try to be 24 good member of my parish（教区）. I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time, and the longer I try, the 25 (easy) it gets.
There once lived a young man who was always unhappy and complained about his poverty. One day, he went to see a fortune teller to inquire how to become_____1____. The fortune teller said, "Young man, you are already wealthy now."
"Where is my wealth?" the young man asked _______2____.
"It is with you. Your _______3___ is (are) your wealth. You use them to see this world. You use them to see all the ______4______things in this world. You can read, study and learn. Your hands are your wealth. You can use them to work. You can use them to hug your beloved ones. Your ____5_____are your wealth. You can go to any places..." the fortune teller said.
"You call these wealth? Everyone has them," the young man said.
"These are wealth. What you have now are not what others can luckily have. Are you ______6___ to give your eyes to me? I am willing to give you a lot of money to _____7_____ for them," the fortune teller said.
"No, are you crazy? I am not going to exchange my eyes for money! They are _____8____ to me!" the young man ____9_______.
"Precisely, these are wealth to you. You will not exchange them for money. Furthermore, although a lot of people have their wealthy things, they do not ____10_____ them or treasure them. They are not_____11____ to Heaven for giving them their wealth. They even complain that Heaven is unfair to them. Do you want to _____12_____one of them before you will treasure them?" the fortune teller said.
Everyone is wealthy. But we should not ____13______it for granted. We need to treasure our wealth, take care of it and use it _____14_____. We should not overuse it because once it is ____15____, it is gone forever. Remember it is our wealth that we do not want to lose.
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