Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods.
Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess（女神）. They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon.
However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean “the light of life”.
The “Happy Birthday” song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, “Good Morning To All”. In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright（版权）has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million.
1. The text mainly talks about .
A. the ways of making cakes
B. the customs of lighting candles
C. the beginnings of birthdays
D. the history of the birthday song
2.People celebrated birthdays many centuries ago to .
A. have a great dinner
B. get birthday presents
C. light birthday candles
D. keep the bad spirits away
3.Why did the Greeks put candles on the cake?
A. To light up the dark room.
B. To make the cake beautiful.
C. To see where the cake was.
D. To make it look like the moon.
4.When was the music written?
A. In 1893. B. In 1913.
C. In 1935. D. In 1989.
5.Who is the present owner of the song “Happy Birthday”?
A. Patty and Mildred Hill.
B. Warner Communications.
C. A Greek cake company.
D. A German schoolteacher.
Medical scientists are already putting computer chips（芯片）directly into the brain to help people who have Parkinson’s disease, but in what other ways might computer technology be able to help us? Ray Kurzweil is the author of the successful book The Age Of Intelligent Machines. He is also one of the world’s best computer research scientists. He is researching the possibilities.
Kurzweil gets computers to recognize voices. An example of this is Ramona, the virtual hostess of Kurzweil’s website, created by the computer, who is able to understand what you say. Visitors to the website can have their own conversations with her. Ramona also dances and sings.
Kurzweil uses this technology to help people with physical problems. One of his ideas is a “seeing machine”. This will be “like a friend that could describe what is going on around,” he explains. Blind people will use a sensor（传感器）which will probably be built into a pair of sunglasses. This machine will describe to the person everything it sees.
Another idea, which is likely to help deaf people, is the “listening machine”. This invention will recognize millions of words and understand any speaker. The listening machine will also be able to translate what it hears into other languages, so even people without hearing problems are likely to be interested in using it.
But it is not just about helping people with physical problems. Looking further into future, Kurzweil sees a time when we will be able to store what we hear, see and think in a computer. This technology probably won’t be ready for at least 50 years, but when it arrives, it means our minds will be able to live forever.
1.Ray Kurzweil is .
A. a famous medical scientist
B. a computer research scientist
C. a patient with Parkinson’s
D. an inventor of computer chips
2. What can Ramona do?
A. She can talk with her visitors.
B. She can treat brain diseases.
C. She can help deaf people listen.
D. She can teach people to sing.
3. How can the “seeing machine” help blind people?
A. It can help to treat their eyes.
B. It can translate into other languages.
C. It can help them to see the future.
D. It can describe to them what it sees.
4. The word “virtual” in Paragraph 2 probably means .
A. 虚拟的 B. 友好的 C. 漂亮的 D. 忙碌的
5.What can be the best title for the text?
A. The Seeing Machines
B. The Listening Machines
C. The Intelligent Machines
D. The Translating Machines
An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. Not knowing where to get the money, he and a friend decided to host a musical concert to raise money for their education.
They went to the great pianist Paderewski. His manager demanded $2,000 for the piano recital（独奏会）. A deal was made and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they hadn’t managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and gave him the entire $1,600, and promised to pay him the rest $400 back as soon as possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left.” The boys were surprised, and very thankful.
Paderewski later became the Prime Minister of Poland, and he was a great leader. When the World War broke out, more than l.5 million people went hungry, but there was no food to feed them. Paderewski turned to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later became the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food to Poland.
Paderewski decided to go across to thank Hoover himself. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his kindness, Hoover quickly stopped him and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”
1.Why did the two students decide to raise money?
A. To help people in Poland.
B. To buy the concert tickets.
C. To pay for their education.
D. To hold a musical concert.
2. How much money did the two students raise?
A. $400. B. $1,200. C. $1,600. D. $2,000.
3. What did the two students think of the pianist?
A. Greedy. B. Humorous. C. Shy. D. Helpful.
4. What can we learn about Herbert Hoover?
A. He was one of the American presidents.
B. He didn’t finish his college education.
C. He was very rich when he was young.
D. He was one of Paderewski’s students.
5. What can we learn from the text?
A. Great minds think alike.
B. Kindness brings its own rewards.
C. Honesty is the best policy.
D. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
It was past 10:00 pm. I was busy with my schoolwork though I was . Just then, my little brother Michael ran out of his room, a pen on his right hand and a piece of paper on the other.
“Betty, can you help me with my for school? It’s about the seven of the world,” he said.
My eyes were so on the computer screen that my brother had to pull my blouse just to get my .
“Look, not right now! I’m very busy.” I said. “You’re always busy! You’re always like that!” he replied.
I felt a bit guilty I thought about his words, but my work seemed more to me than my brother’s. I sighed a few times and with my own studies.
The next day, I arrived home late. Michael came into my room.
“I know you are but there’s something I want to show you,” he began. Without saying a word, I the paper from him. I really didn’t what he was saying. All I wanted was to get rid of（摆脱）him and finally get .
Suddenly, my eyes widened in . There, he wrote:
The Seven Wonders of the World
1. Love 2. Friendship 3. Peace 4. Joy 5. Wisdom 6. Fun 7. Family
I believe what my brother had written on the paper. I was completely . How could such an innocent little child such things in life?
The most valuable things in life are the ones that we take for granted（认为理所当然）. These things don’t take the form of big houses or beautiful . The most wonderful things in the world are immaterial (非物质的) they can never be developed by human art, skill or effort.
1.A. tired B. experienced C. talented D. satisfied
2.A. buying B. holding C. playing D. biting
3.A. problem B. mistake C. trouble D. homework
4.A. events B. cities C. wonders D. inventions
5.A. paid B. attracted C. applied D. fixed
6.A. attention B. care C. love D. concern
7.A. before B. as C. since D. till
8.A. practical B. useful C. important D. interesting
9.A. started B. hated C. forgot D. continued
10.A. busy B. bored C. free D. angry
11.A. handed B. took C. got D. accepted
12.A. record B. worry C. mind D. share
13.A. rest B. rested C. to resting D. to rest
14.A. surprise B. sadness C. happiness D.disappointment
15.A. shouldn’t B. needn’t C. couldn’t D. mustn’t
16.A. wounded B. lost C. pleased D. confused
17.A. understand B. remember C. study D. finish
18.A. ever B. often C. seldom D. never
19.A. voices B. poems C. cars D. music
20.A. if B. when C. but D. and
— The task is urgent and needs patience!
— , boss! I’ll try to finish it as soon as possible.
A. I feel in no mood for that
B. That’s settled
C. I get your point
D. That’s a good point
When he entered the back yard, the farmer caught a boy his apples.
A. steal B. to steal
C. stole D. stealing
