Life in the twenty-first century
     The World Future Society is a group of people from more than 80 countries who are interested in how
modern technology is making our world better, and who write reports about how it will change our lives.
     The things that we will be able to do in the twenty-first century (since the year 2000) should help us live
better lives in many ways, at home and at work, in our own country and around the world. Here are just
some of them, put into five groups.
     People
     People may live for up to 120 years and use new technology to help when people go blind, deaf and
have other problems. The number of people over a hundred years old could go from 135,000 today to 2.2
million people by 2050. By 2015 people think that 100 million workers will be able to work from home for a
company in a different country by using the Internet.
     Money
     Worldwide e-business will become even more successful with online shops that sell special products for
each person, which will be brought to their house the next day.
     Environment
     The technology for making energy from wind and the Sun is growing very quickly. In the future wind
and Sun energy could become much cheaper and many more countries could use it. This would be very
useful in poor countries. The air in big cities would also become much cleaner and healthier as a result.
     Society and culture
     The Internet will help to create more worldwide friendships. Families may spend more time together as
people will be able to do 24-hour online banking and shopping.
     Technology
     The new science of "nanotechnology" (very small robots or machines) will make all sorts of products
smaller and lighter. Very, very small machines could take away rubbish, make things in factories, and help
inside the human body by taking away fat. By 2012 people will be able to wear these small machines that
look like watches, which will give them lots of information about their body and keep them healthy.

1.What does the World Future Society do?

A. Look at how technology will make people happy.
B. Look at how technology will change the world.
C. Make technology work better for themselves.
D. Make small machines to make us healthier.

2. How will technology help people?

A. Help all people live for over 120 years.
B. Help disabled people to get jobs.
C. Make people healthier and live longer.
D. Help workers to use the Internet.

3. How will people go shopping?

A. In special shops.
B. Using the Internet at certain times.
C. Using the Internet any time of the day.
D. Using nanotechnology.

4. How will technology help the environment?

A. Poor countries will have enough energy.
B. Wind energy will be cheaper than Sun energy.
C. We will not need wind and Sun energy.
D. Wind and Sun energy will be cheaper.

5. The new science of "nanotechnology" will _______.

A. drive small machines to work for people
B. make good-quality watches
C. allow people to eat more
D. make very small products

根据短文内容完成句子。
1. If you are in space, you can see ________ sunrises and sunsets in a whole day.
2. Some astronauts think ________ is the most fun thing to do during their free time.
3. Astronauts have to attach their sleeping bag to the wall, or they will ________.
4. Astronauts often ________ during their free time.
5. 将文中划线的句子翻译成汉语。
                                                                                                                            

     Look at the center circles of Diagram (图)A and Diagram B.       
Which of the centre circles looks larger? 
     Take a first look and you probably think that the centre circle in Diagram A is smaller than that in Diagram B.
In fact , they are exactly the same size.
     Then look at the picture on the right. What do you see? A vase? Or two faces? 
Does the picture change quickly from one to the other again and again? Maybe or maybe not, but you can never
see them at the same time. 
     "What's happening? Is something wrong with my eyes?" You may wonder at what you see. Don't worry.
Here is how it goes:
     When we look at things, our eyes send messages to our brains and then our brains interpret (解读) the
information. However, sometimes our brains interpret the received information in a wrong way. It seems that
our eyes are playing a joke on us. This often happens and we call it "Visual illusion" (视觉错误). 
     Movie makers often make use of illusions. They make the objects around actors much smaller or bigger than
usual. This makes us believe that the actors are much larger or smaller than they usually are. The movies
Jurassic Park and Honey I shrunk the kids just make use of illusions.

1. The centre circle in Diagram A looks smaller than that in Diagram B. That's because            .

A. something is wrong with our eyes
B. the two circles are not the same size
C. our brains interpret the information in a wrong way
D. the two pictures change quickly from one to the other

2. What's the right order according to the passage?
    a. We look at things with our eyes.              b. Our brains interpret the messages.
    c. Our brains tell us what we have seen.      d. Our eyes send messages to our brains.

A. adbc
B. cabd
C. acdb
D. bcad

3. Movie makers make use of visual illusions to             .

A. help the actors look better
B. make the actors much braver
C. help the actors become stronger
D. make the actors seem different in size

4. In the picture on the right, it seems that Line AB is shorter than Line CD, but in fact  
    Line AB is as long as Line CD. Which paragraph can explain what has happened to our eyes?

A. The second one.
B. The third one.
C. The fifth one.
D. The sixth one.

5. The text is probably taken from             .

A. an advertisement
B. a science book
C. a movie magazine
D. a story book

                                                    Applying (申请) to colleges in America
    One of a high school student's most important tasks is to get into college. Applying to colleges usually
begins in a student's last year at high school, but preparations bgein much earlier.
    Each high school has at least one special college counselor (顾问) to help students apply to colleges.
In public schools, there are about five hundred to a thousand students who have a counselor, but in private
schools, there are usually no more than forty students to every counselor.
    Starting in ninth grade, students have to work hard to get good grades. Colleges lookat all the student's
high school grades, so they are very important. Sometimes, a student can be rejected (拒绝) by a college
just because of poor grades a few years ago.
    In eleventh grade, students begin to take many national tests. Most tests happen a few times a year, and
students can take them as many times as thay want. Colleges only ask for scores from the SAT test
(学业水平测试), which have three subjects-math, reading and writing. However, many students choose
to take other tests as well. These other tests help to show colleges how good a student is.
    In class, students try to behave well for the teachers. Most colleges ask students to have two
recommendation letters (推荐信) from two teachers. Because of this, it is important for students to have
teachers who like them.
    Besides work in the classroom, colleges also think about what the student does outside of school. Students
can join the school and, or write for the school newspaper. Others play on school sports teams. There are
many things for everyone to do, and colleges think it is important to accept students who do things other than
school work.
    After working for so many years, students sendapplication to colleges in the middle of their last year of
high school. A few months later, colleges mail their decisions out.

根据文章内容,判断下列句子正(A)误(B)。
(     )1. In public schools, about forty students have a counselor.
(     )2. Students can join the school band, or write for the school newspaper.

     Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time,
computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn't work well. If one computer in the
network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a few network system had to be set up. It
should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working,
information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on
working all the time.
     At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and
banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was
difficult to use. By the start of 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also
developed software that made "surfing" the Internet easier.
     Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending
e-mails is more and more popular among young people.
     The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people's life.

1. How long has the Internet been used?
A. For about 10 years.  
B. For about 20 years.  
C. For about 40 years.  
D. For about 60 years.
2. What would happen when one computer in the network broke down after the new network system 
was set up?
A. The other computers would wait.
B. The other computers would still work.
C. Some of the others still worked.
D. The other computers wouldn't work.
3. Which of the following used the Internet first?
A. Hospital  
B. Universities  
C. Banks  
D. The government
4. What is true about computers in the 1990s?
A. They became cheaper and easier to use.
B. They became larger and larger.
C. People couldn't buy them anywhere.
D. People could get information only from them.
5. What can we infer from the last sentence?
A. People will die without the Internet.
B. All people should set up their own network.
C. People live easily without the Internet.
D. People will more and more depend on the Internet.

       Sometimes, people are not clear about what kind of food is healthy, and what kind of food may do
  harm to our health. The USDA has prepared a food guide to help people learn about which kind of food
  is the healthiest to eat. The food guide describes six main food groups: meat (like fish and chicken),
  dairy (like milk and cheese), grains (like bread and rice), fruit, and vegetables. The last group is fats and
  sweets. The USDA also suggests (建议) how much of each food group is healthy to eat daily. Though
  this guide was prepared by the US government, it is very useful for people all over the world.
       As a result of years of study, we know that too much animal fat is bad for our health. For example, 
  Americans eat a lot of meat and only a small amount (量) of grains, fruit and vegetables. Because of
  the way they eat, they have a high rate (率) of cancer (癌症) and heart disease. In Japan, people eat
  large amounts of grains and very little meat. The Japanese also have a very low rate of cancer and heart
  disease. The Japanese live longer than anyone else in the world. However, when Japanese people move
  to the US, the rate of heart disease and cancer goes up as their eating habit changes. And as
  hamburgers, ice creams and other high-fat foods become popular in Japan, the rate of heart disease and
  cancer is going up there as well. People are also eating more meat and dairy food in other countries, in
  which the disease rate is going up alone with the change of the way people eat. Doctors everywhere
  suggest people eat more grains, fruit and vegetables and less meat and dairy food.
       Eating healthily is important for children as well as their parents. When parents have poor eating
  habits, their children usually do, too. After all, children eat the same way as their parents. When parents
  eat healthy food, the children will learn to enjoy it, too. Then they will develop good eating habits.
  Doctors suggest parents give their children healthier food such as fruit, vegetables and juice.
     Everyone wants to live a long, healthy life. We know that the food we eat affects (影响) us in
  different ways. For example, doctors believe that fruit and vegetables can really protect people from
  many different diseases. On the other hand, animal fat can cause (引起) diseases. We can change our
  eating habits now and enjoy many years of healthy living. 

1. What is the USDA in the passage?

A. A group of doctors in the US.        
B. An office of the US government.
C. A report on diseases in the US.      
D. An order given by the US president. 

2. The second paragraph mainly tells us that _______.

A. Japanese are always healthier than Americans
B. living in the US is not good for people's health
C. if you eat too much fat you will have cancer
D. the way we eat may cause some health problems

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. More and more people have good eating habits now.
B. Parents' eating habits are important to their children.
C. Good eating habits develop only when you are young.
D. The more fruit and vegetables we eat, the longer we will live. 

4. The greatest help the passage gives us is _______.

A. to introduce a food guide to the world
B. to provide us with knowledge of six food groups
C. to suggest a way of eating for a healthy life
D. to find the main cause of some serious diseases

       Some people believe that schools will no longer be necessary in the near future. They say that
  because of the Internet and other new technology, there is no longer any need for school buildings,
  classes or teachers. Perhaps this will be true one day, but if the world has no schools, I can't imagine
  how our society will be. In fact, we should learn how to use new technology to make schools better. We
  should invent a new kind of school that is linked (链接) to libraries,museums, science centres, labs and
  even companies. Technological companies should create (创造) learning programs for schools.
  Scientists could give talks through the Internet. TV networks and local (本地的) stations could develop
  programs about things students are studying in school. Labs could set up Web sites to show new
  technology so students could see it on the Internet.
       Is this a dream? No. There are already many cities where this is beginning to happen. Here the
  whole city is linked to the Internet, and learning can take place at home, at school,and in the office.
  Businesses provide programs for the schools and the society. The schools provide computer labs for
  people without their own computers at home. Because everyone can go on the Internet, older people use
  it as much as younger ones, and everyone can visit faraway libraries and museums as easily as nearby
  ones. How will this new kind of school change the usual way of learning? It is too early to be sure, but it
  is very exciting to think about it. Technology will change the way we learn; schools will change as well;
  and we will all learn something from the Internet.

1. Who thinks that students don't have to learn at school?

A. Everyone.        
B. The writer.
C. Some people.      
D. The teachers. 

2. What does "a new kind of school" mean in the passage?

A. A school with many new computers.
B. A school with many new students.
C. A school with many new teachers.
D. A school which is linked to the Internet. 

3. Older people ______.

A. never go on the Internet
B. go on the Internet more often than younger ones
C. go on the Internet as often as younger ones
D. go on the Internet less often than younger ones

4. What the writer thinks is that ______.

A. schools are still necessary    
B. more schools should be built
C. there should be fewer schools  
D. more computers are needed in schools

5. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

A. Technology will change our way of learning.
B. If you are a student,you can set up Web sites to show new technology.
C. The schools provide computer labs for. those who have no personal computers.
D. On the internet,you can visit another city's library as easily as the people there.

     Typhoons are some of the worst storms, usually around the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
Most happen in July, August and September. How does a typhoon happen? When lots of sea water gets
hot in the summer sun, it evaporates (蒸发) into the air. This makes the air hotter. When the air gets
warm enough, it starts to move higher up into the sky. Then, cooler air around it rushes in. It fills the
space that is left. After the air gets warmer, it starts to move quickly, making wind. The wind goes in circles, and it keeps moving higher in the sky. The warmer the air gets, the quicker the wind moves. And when
the wind moves faster than 30 meters a second, a typhoon begins.A typhoon has two parts, One is called
the “eye”. In the eye, the wind does not move so fast. The other part is the wall of clouds around the eye.
This is where the strongest wind and hardest rains are. Typhoons are very dangerous. In 2004, Typhoon
Yunna killed 164 people in Zhejiang, and 24 people were missing. In May 2006, Typhoon Pearl hit Guangdong and Fujian, and thousands of houses were damaged.What to do when a typhoon hits:
● Stay inside, close all the windows and stay away from them.
● Try to bring all of your things inside. Strong winds
   could even blow away your bikes!
● Listen to the radio or TV for important information.
● If you’re told to go to a safer place, do so right away.

1. Typhoons often happen _________.  
A. in the hot season    
B. in the cold season
C. only in China    
D. under the sea
2.Which picture can tell the meaning of the underlined sentences“ it starts to move higher up into the sky. Then, cooler air around it rushes in.”?
A.  
B. 
C .
D.  
3. When a typhoon comes, we cannot __________.  
A. close all the windows   
B. listen to typhoon news
C. stay outside with our bikes  
D. stay inside the strong house
4. This passage is mainly about __________.
A. the knowledge of typhoon  
B. the eye of a typhoon
C. the most dangerous typhoon Yunna  
D. the names of typhoon
5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The warmer the air gets, the slower the wind moves.
B. This year Typhoon Peal killed 164 people in Zhejiang.
C. The strongest winds and harder rains are in the eye of typhoon.
D. A typhoon will happen when the wind goes faster than 30 meters a second.