Forget Twitter and Facebook, Google and the Kindle. Television is still the most influential medium around. Indeed, for many of the poorest regions(地区)of the world, it remains the next big thing—finally becomes globally available. And that is a good thing, because the TV revolution is changing lives for the better.
Across the developing world, around 45% of families had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60% . That is some way behind the U.S. ,where there are more TVs than people, and where people now easily get access to the Internet. Five million more families in sub-Saharan Africa will get a TV over the next five years. In 2005 , after the fall of the Taliban（塔利班）,which had banned TV, I in 5 Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013—pushing the numbers to well beyond two thirds of families.
Television’s most powerful effect will be on the lives of women. In India, researchers Robert Jensen and Emi
ly Oster found that when TVs reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husbands approval and less likely to want a boy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health care. TV is also a powerful medium for adult education. In the Indian state of Gujarat, Chitrageet is a popular show that plays Bollywood songs with words in Gujarati on the screen. Within six months, viewers had made a small but significant improvement in their reading skills.
Too much TV has been associated with violence, overweight and loneliness. However, TV is having a positive influence on the lives of billions worldwide.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Americans used to get access to the Internet easily.
B. The world’s TV sets will total 150 million by 2013.
C. 45% of families in the developing countries had a TV in 2005.
D. Over two thirds of families in the world will have a TV by 2013.
2.The author intends to ____________.
A. stress the advantages of TV to people’s lives
B. persuade women to become more independent
C. encourage people to improve their reading skills
D. introduce the readers some websites such as Google
3.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.TV Will Rule the World B.TV Will Disturb the World
C.TV Will Better the WorldD.TV Will Remain in World
There was a gardener who looked after his garden with great care. To water his flowers, he used two buckets. One was a shiny and new bucket. The other was a very old and dilapidated one, which had seen many years of service, but was now past its best.
Every morning, the gardener would fill up the two buckets. Then he would carry them along the path, one on each side, to the flowerbeds. The new bucket was very proud of itself. It could carr
y a full bucket of water without a single drop spilled (溢出). The old bucket felt very ashamed because of its holes: before it reached the flowerbeds, much water had leaked along the path.
Sometimes the new bucket would say, "See how capable I am! How good it is that the gardener has me to water the flowers every day! I don't know why he still bothers with you. What a waste of space you are!"
And all that the old bucket could say was: "I know I am not very useful, but I can only do my best. I am happy that the gardener still finds a little bit of use in me, at least."
One day, the gardener heard that kind of conversation. After watering the flowers as usual, he said, "You both have done your work very well. Now I am going to carry you back. I want you to look carefully along the path."
Then the two buckets did so. All along the path, they noticed, on the side where the new bucket was carried, there was just bare (光秃秃的) earth; on the other side where the old bucket was carried, there was a joyous row of wild flowers, leading all the way to the garden.
1.What does the underlined word "dilapidated" probably mean?
A. dirtyB. darkC. worn-outD. plain-looking.
2.What was the old bucket ashamed of?
A. His past.B. His aging.C. His manner.D. His leaking.
3.The new bucket made conversations with the old one mainly to ________.
A. laugh at the old oneB. take pity on the old one
C. show off its beautiful looksD. praise the gardener's kindness
4.Why was the old bucket still kept by the gardener?
A. Because it was used to keep a balance
B. Because it stayed in its best condition
C. Because it was taken as a treasure
D. Because it had its own function
When Alice started to cycle home from Jenny’s house, she wasn’t nervous. She was certainly not afraid of the dark. ______, it was only a 15-minute ride home. But halfway there, she began to wish that she hadn’t been so ______.
As she rounded a sharp bend, it suddenly ______ cold — very cold. Alice’s breath became puffs of white cloud and her legs were so cold that it became hard to ride.
With her heart beating fast, she struggled so hard to move ____ that she didn’t hear the car which suddenly appeared beside her. She stopped by the road. The big black car also ______. Slowly, the passenger-window began to slide down. Alice held her breath. In the soft light inside the car, something ______. Then, the light brightened and Alice was staring at a sweet, grey-haired old lady. “Hello, dear, ” said the old lady. “I need ______. I’m afraid I’m lost. I need to find the nearest airport. I must be there in the next five minutes. ”
“Airport? You ______ are lost, ” Alice said. “You need to go back five kilometers ______ you reach the T-junction. Turn left and ______ for about another 10 kilometers to the main highway. From there, just follow the ______ to the airport. But I’m afraid there’s no ______ you’ll get there in five minutes!”
“Thank you very much, dear, ” replied the old lady. “Don’t worry — I’ll ____ in time. ”
The ______ moved up and the car started off. A little way ahead, it ______ and with headlights flashing, it drove past Alice. But then, something ______ happened. The car began changing. First, its color ______ from black to silvery-grey. Then, the wheels began disappearing, but the car continued to move forward, ______ just above the ground. As the car ______ into the dark sky, the big red tail-lights grew larger and larger and glowed more and more brightly. With a faint whistling ______, the car was gone in seconds, leaving Alice shaking her head in disbelief…
1.A. However B. BesidesC. ThereforeD. Otherwise
2.A. braveB. excitedC. curiousD. stubborn
3.A. fellB. seemedC. provedD. grew
4.A. asideB. aroundC. forwardD. backward
5.A. arrivedB. stoppedC. stayedD. started
6.A. gathered B. existedC. droppedD. moved
7.A. help B. gasC. restD. water
8.A. necessarilyB. normallyC. basicallyD. certainly
9.A. ifB. untilC. unlessD. as
10.A. driveB. walkC. followD. march
11.A. addressB. signsC. noticesD. guidance
12.A. doubtB. roomC. timeD. way
13.A. have itB. get itC. make itD. finish it
14.A. doorB. windowC. headlightD. wheel
15.A. passedB. rushedC. turnedD. continued
16.A. strangeB. sensitiveC. imaginableD. horrible
17.A. developedB. appearedC. spreadD. faded
18.A. rollingB. floatingC. drawingD. flashing
19.A. pointedB. returnedC. brokeD. rose
20.A. tuneB. voiceC. sound
D. tone
I always take something to read when I go to the doctor’s ___________ I have to wait.
A. in caseB. so thatC. in orderD. as if
Prices of daily goods ___________ through a computer can be lower th
an store prices.
A. are boughtB. boughtC. been boughtD. buying
Courage is a kind of quality --- and that’s __________it takes to face the challenges in life.
A. thatB. whichC. whyD. what
