On August 26, 1999, New York City experienced a torrential downpour. The rain caused the streets to ____ and the subway system almost came to a stop.
Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were ____ to go home. Some battled to ____ a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the ____ bravely, walking miles to get to work.
I ____ to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most ____ had stopped. After making my way ____ crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was ____. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to ____ the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the ____. So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switched back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like an forever, the train ____ my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was ____ through, exhausted and ____.
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm，I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer ____ I received an email from Garth, my Director:
I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and ____ reported to work. It is always reassuring(令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their ____ to their jobs. Thank you.
Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that ____ message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of ____ can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic ____ had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately____ me and put a smile back on my face.
1.A. break B. flood C. sink D. crash
2.A. forced B. refused C. adjusted D. gathered
3.A. order B. pay C. call D. search
4.A. weather B. scenery C. storm D. burden
5.A. used B. promised C. deserved D. happened
6.A. practice B.demand C. process D. service
7.A. to B. through C. over D. for
8.A. operating B. cycling C. turning D. rushing
9.A. check B. carry C. find D. board
10.A. street B. ground C. floor D. platform
11.A. paused B. crossed C. reached D. parked
12.A. wet B. weak C. sick D. hurt
13.A. ashamed B. discouraged C. surprised D. puzzled
14.A. while B. when C. where D. after
15.A. hardly B. casually C. absolutely D. finally
16.A. devotion B. reaction C. investigation D. relation
17.A. accurate B. vital C. brief D. humorous
18.A. promise B. appreciation C. advice D. guidance
19.A. troubles B. signals C. rules D. signs
20.A. corrected B. supported C. amazed D.refreshed
Happy birthday! Do birthdays really makes people happy? 1. Birthdays celebrates the day when we were born. Besides, that extra candle on the cake suggest another year of growth and maturity（成熟）—or so we hope．We all like to imagine that we are getting wiser and not just older．Most of us enjoy seeing the wonder of growth in others, as well．For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud．For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process．But growing old?
2.Growing old is not exactly for people in youth-oriented（以年轻人为中心）American culture． 3. As the old saying goes, “You’re young as you feel．” Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years old．People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom．But Americans seem to favor those that are young, or at least “young at heart”．
Many older Americans find the “golden years” to be anything but golden．Economically, “senior citizens” often struggle just to get by．Retirement at the age of 65 brings a sharp decrease in personal income．Social security benefits usually cannot make up the difference．Older people may suffer from poor nutrition, medical care, and housing. 4. American sociologist Pat Moore once dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets．She was often treated rudely--even cheated and robbed．However, dressed as a young person, she received much more respect．
5. Why? People are living longer．Fewer babies are being born．And middle-aged “baby boomers” are rapidly entering the group of the elderly．America may soon be a place where wrinkles（皱纹）are “in”．Marketing experts are already noticing this growing group of consumers．
A.That is a different story.
B. Most people in America like the young.
C. Of course they do.
D. Some even experience age discrimination（歧视).
E. People in America grow larger every year.
F. Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young．
G. Unfortunately, the elderly population in America is increasing fast．
Move Earth—it’s no science fiction
LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets（彗星）in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.
This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration（NASA） engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.
The plan put forward by Dr Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams is designed to carefully direct a comet or asteroid（小行星） so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.
“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,” Laughlin said.
Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.
In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere（生物圈）by cooking us.
That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.
The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation（误算）in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.
There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped(剥去) away from Earth,” it states. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.
1.What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?
A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.
B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.
C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.
D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.
2.If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of ______ years.
A.12 billion B.6 billion
C.18 billion D.24 billion
3.What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?
A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the moon.
B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.
C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.
D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.
4.What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?
A.provide B. benefit
C. share D. Endanger
Carmen Arace Middle School is situated in the town of Bloomfield，but four years ago it faced many of the same challenges as inner—city schools nearby：low scores in standardized tests and dropping enrollment（入学率）of students．Then the hard-driving headmaster, Delore Bolton，persuaded her school to shake up the place by buying a laptop computer for each student and teacher to use in school and at home．For good measure，the board provided wireless Internet access at school．Total cost :$5 million．
Now an hour before classes start，every seat in the library is taken by students eager to get online．The teacher talks about rocks as students view them at a colorful website，after school students on buses pull laptops from backpacks to get started on homework．Since the computers arrived，scores in state tests are up 35％and the enrollment increases by 20％．
Indeed，school systems in rural areas are eager to follow Carmen Arace Middle School’s example．Angus King，the state governor, has proposed using$50 million from an unexpected budget to supply computers for students．
However, the school is seeking federal grant money to expand the laptop program．In the meantime，most of the problems have been worked out．Some students use computers to visit unauthorized websites，but teachers have the ability to track where students have been and restrict them．“That is the worst when they disable you” says a boy．The habit is rubbing off on parents．“I taught my mom to use e-mail．”says the honorable girl．“And now she is taking computer classes．I’m so proud of her!’’
1.By introducing the laptop program, Delore Bolton has .
A. shaken the belief of both teachers and students
B. witnessed a remarkable improvement in students’ test scores and enrollment
C. spent more time visiting unauthorized websites with the laptop program
D. changed class-room teaching in public schools
2.Students are limited when they get online because ．
A. they view lessons at a colorful website
B. they will waste an awful lot of money
C. they visit unauthorized website sometimes
D. they are disabled students
3.From the passage we learn that .
A. the laptop program also has a positive influence on parents
B. the laptop program in urban schools is forbidden by parents
C. students only visit the school website in Carmen Arace Middle School
D. students generally like the idea of having their online activities tracked
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Middle schools are faced with challenges today.
B. A school with high enrollment can do well．
C. Computers are of importance in modern education．
D. Laptops can help improve students’ school performance．
In the future your automobile will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
Not all past predictions have been proven wrong. A few of them have been surprisingly accurate. Some great thinkers predicted the arrival of the credit card, the fax machine and even the internet years before they happened. But for each prediction that has come true, some others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or if people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot Helpers
Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other working environments.Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.So why hasn’t it happened? Maybe because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And probably the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too strange. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet. Why? The technology worked fine, but it overlooked something obvious: people desire for privacy. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just stepped out of the shower? Probably not--it could be uncomfortable! Just because technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy any more! But a flying car remains one of the most wonderful technology ideas to catch our imagination. Keep watching the news or perhaps the sky outside your window to see what the future will bring.
1..The passage mainly deals with______.
A. predictions that can catch our imagination
B. predictions that haven’t come true
C. new technology can benefit our life
D. predictions that have come true
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
B. Predictions don’t need to consider people’s practical use of the technology.
C. Not all the high-tech things people thought we’d be using by now are widely used
D. High-tech things are not always convenient to people’s life.
3.Robot Helpers haven’t been used in most people’s homes because______.
A. using the kind of robots at home is simply a waste of time and money
B. the kind of robots hasn’t been developed yet
C. people find it difficult to control the kind of robots
D. the kind of robots won’t bring people practical use
4.How does the writer find the flying car?
A. It is too difficult to imagine.
B. It is too crazy an idea to realize.
C. It is likely to appear in the future.
D. It has been the focus of the news.
Heroes of Our Time
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship（奖学金） to study medicine — but Coach (教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this good-hearted man: “Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos (录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others — producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails (铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he’s not a hero. He says: “We have got to show each other some love.”
1.What was Mutombo praised for?
A. Being a star in the NBA.
B. Being a student of medicine.
C. His work in the church.
D. His willingness to help the needy.
2.What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
A. Produce safety equipment for children.
B. Make videos to help protect children.
C. Sell children’s music and artwork.
D. Look for missing and exploited children.
3.Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?
A. He helped a man get across the rails.
B. He stopped a man from destroying the rails.
C. He protected two little girls from getting hurt.
D. He saved a person without considering his own safety.
