Sometimes life gets a little dull. What used to be fun and different becomes boring. That is the time to look for something new. It is the time for a big idea to get your mind off everyday life. So why not search for extraterrestrial (地球外的) intelligence? Or even better, why not get your computer to do it for you?
Over two million people have joined the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence(SETI)project. Based in California, the SETI project analyzes information taken from a giant radio telescope based in South America. Its task is to look for signals from outer space that might prove that life exists on other planets.
Processing this information is far too big a job for one computer. So the SETI project workers divide the work among volunteers who visit their website. Each computer gets some information to work out from the SETI network through the Internet. This process is often known as “meta-computing”.
It is a wonderful thought. You are sleeping, eating a meal or going out with friends. All this time, your computer is searching the stars for signs that might show something is out there trying to get in touch. Volunteers are proud of being involved in the SETI project. It shows that they understand the potential (潜能) of computing. They know that it is more than just a way of working or playing games.
Meta-computing may also be creating intelligence as well as looking for it. This idea is based on the theory that human intelligence is created by the way in which different parts of the brain communicate with each other. As the saying goes, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” People who join the SETI project sometimes wonder whether their computer will become part of a huge network that has learned to think for itself.
【小题1】According to the writer, meta-computing may be creating intelligence    .

A.because human beings are intelligentB.because a computer works as the brain does
C.because of a network of many computersD.because of the number of computers
【小题2】 Which of the following shows the order in which the SETI network works?
A.Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer→SETI base
B.Radio telescope→SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer
C.SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers→Radio telescope
D.SETI base→Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers
【小题3】 The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____ .
A.extra-terrestrial intelligenceB.human intelligence
C.the SETI projectD.meta-computing
【小题4】The passage mainly tells us about _____.      
A.a new way to work on the computer
B.a new way to work and play games
C.a new way to search for life outside the earth
D.a new way to make computers learn to think for itself


D
“Pay has little to do with motivation in the workplace”.That’s the argument put forward by best-selling author Daniel Pink in his new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.“Pay for performance is supposed to be a folk tale,” he says.
Daniel argues that, if employees receive a basic level of payment, three other factors matter more than money: a sense of independence, of mastery over one’s labor, and of serving a purpose larger than oneself.For example, in 2008 at the offices of Best Buy’s Richfield, salaried workers there were allowed to organize their own work day, putting in only as many hours as they felt necessary to get their jobs done.Productivity increased by 35% according to The Harvard Business Review.
But the managers at Goldman Sachs aren’t exactly making some efforts to adjust.Like others on Wall Street, the banking giant argues that fat bonuses (extra rewards) are essential to make its numbers.“That’s exactly the attitude that leads to the recent financial crisis in the United States,” responds Daniel, “as managers always focus on short-term rewards that encourage cheating, shortcuts, and dishonest behavior.”
Moreover, the 45-year-old author and former Al Gore speechwriter refers to social-science experiments and experiences at such workplaces as Google and 3M.In one 2005 experiment he describes, economists working for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston tested the power of incentives (激励) by offering cash rewards to those who did well in games that included reciting a series of numbers and throwing tennis balls at a target.The researchers’ finding: Over and over, higher incentives led to worse performance --- and those given the highest incentives did the poorest job.
From this and other cases, Daniel draws a conclusion that monetary incentives remove the element of play and creativity, transforming “an interesting task into a dull one.” It’s even possible, he adds, for oversized rewards to have dangerous side effects, like those of a drug dependency in which an addicted requires ever larger amounts.He refers to scientific testing that shows the promise of cash rewards increase a chemical in the brain similar to that brought on by cocaine or nicotine.
Daniel, however, is also aware that his company examples --- no GE, no IBM, no Microsoft --- hardly represent the commanding heights of the economy.But he thinks his approach will catch on, even in the biggest companies.“Managers tend to be realistic, and in time they will respond,” he says.
53.In his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink is promoting the idea that _____.
A.it is a money-driven society    B.all workers are not driven by money
C.money plays a key role in management  D.pay has nothing to do with workplaces
54.In Daniel’s point of view, many Wall Street managers are _______.
A.dishonest      B.considerate   C.short-sighted       D.ridiculous
55.In paragraph 5, the example of drug-taking is given to show _______.
A.money is as addictive as cocaine or nicotine
B.big rewards bring about dangerous side effect
C.nicotine and money bring the same chemical
D.workers do not need the incentives of money at all
56.We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
A.Daniel’s approach will be popular in a wider field
B.realistic managers will first consider Daniel’s approach
C.Daniel’s approach meets the demand of economic crisis
D.GE, IBM and Microsoft will join in Daniel’s approach next


B
Wild animals seem to have escaped the Indian Ocean tsunami (海啸), adding weight to ideas they possess a “sixth sense” for disasters, experts said on Thursday. Sri Lanka wildlife officials have said the giant waves that killed over 24,000 people along the Indian Ocean Island's coast seemingly missed wild beasts, with no dead animals found.
“No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit. I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening,” H. D. Ratnayake, deputy director of Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department said on Wednesday.
The waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km (2 miles) inland at Yala National Park in the southeast, Sri Lanka's biggest wildlife reserve (自然保护区) and home to hundreds of wild elephants. “There has been a lot of evidence about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proved,” said Matthew van Lierop, an animal behaviour specialist at Johannesburg Zoo. “There have been no specific studies because you can't really test it in a lab or field setting,” he said.
Other authorities agreed with this conclusion. “Wildlife seems to be able to pick up certain phenomenon, especially birds. There are many reports of birds detecting coming disasters,” said Clive Walker, who has written several books on African wildlife.
Animals certainly rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger such as predators(食肉动物). The idea of an animal “sixth sense” is a lasting one that the evidence on Sri Lanka's damaged coast is likely to add to. ?
60. This passage is mainly about_______.
A. the damage that was caused in the Indian Ocean tsunami
B. why animals can save themselves from natural disasters
C. how to protect the wildlife when disaster happens
D. the different opinions about animals’ natural power
61. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. It has been proved that animals have a sixth sense.
B. Research has been made on the special movements of animals before disasters.
C. It's generally considered that animals can sense the coming of disasters.
D. It can be tested that animals have the known sense to escape from the disasters.
62. What does the term “sixth sense” in the passage mean?
A. It is the natural ability of animals that can't save them from danger.
B. It is the animal's imagination in the brain.
C. It is some hidden power to say in advance that something will happen.
D. It is a kind of sense that is the same as smell or hearing.
63. Which section does the passage most probably appear in a newspaper?
A. Entertainment.     B. Discovery.          C. Future.          D. Culture.

Blair: Blair was the first to appear in movies in history. In 1905, Blair appeared in the movie Rescued by Rover (义犬救主). It is a British film that a baby is kidnapped by an old woman, but the faithful family dog Rover saves the baby at last.
Though Rover is a common name, it became popular because of the dog hero in the movie.
Lassie: lassie used to be the most famous dog in the world. She is a character who has starred (扮演) in many movies, TV shows and books over the years.
Lassie was created by Eric Knight and made her way into a short story in a newspaper in 1913 and into a novel in 1940.
Laika: Laika is the first animal that has orbited the earth. On November  3, 1957, Laika was sent to space in the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 2.(苏联人造地球卫星2号). The Soviets admitted soon after the launch that the spacecraft would not return. It meant that the poor animal would die. People argued a lot about Laika’s death. Several countries issued stamps in memory of Laika. She became the first animal to give her life for the exploration of space.
Rin Tin Tin: Rin Tin Tin is the first American dog movie star. He first appeared in WhereThe North Begins in 1925. Rin Tin Tin went on to make 25 movies, he even signed his own contracts with paw prints(爪印). During his best time, he earned about 5 million dollars for those people who worked for him.
Snoopy: snoopy may be the most famous cartoon dog in the world. As a hunting beagle (猎犬) from Charles Schultz’ popular newspaper comic strip (连环漫画), Peanuts, snoopy first appeared in 1950. Though snoopy was at first a minor figure, he grew to become the strip’s best-known character. He is famous for always sleeping on top of his doghouse and sometimes dressing up and pretending himself as a World War I airplane pilot. Snoopy appeared in the Peanuts comic strips until Schultz’s retirement ( and death ) in February of 2000.
【小题1】According to the passage how many dogs starred in movies?

A.2B.3C.4D.5
【小题2】Two dogs created by artists are_.
A.Rin Tin Tin and SnoopyB.Blair and LassieC.Rin Tin Tin and Lassie
D.Snoopy and Lassie
【小题3】Which dog is most worth respecting?
A.Laika.B.SnoopyC.Lassie.D.Rin Tin Tin.
【小题4】 Which of the following is the most reasonable?
A.Blair- the first dog movie star; Laika-the greatest dog; Snoopy-No.1 cartoon dog star.
B.Rin Tin Tin- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most disappointing dog; Snoopy-No.1 cartoon dog star.
C.Rin Tin Tin- a dog millionaire; Blair- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most well-known cartoon dog.
D.Laika-the greatest dog; Rin Tin Tin- the first dog movie star; Laika-the most well-known cartoon dog.


After achieving a 9 percent GDP growth, hosting a successful Olympic Games and carrying out its first space walk, you'd think China would be happy.Yet China is not pleased.That at least is the opinion of a new book written by a group of Chinese authors.
China Is Not Happy was released in March.It is a follow-up to the 1996 work China Can Say No, a bestseller that complained about the influence of the West, and the US in particular, on China.Thirteen years later, the authors of China Is Not Happy list their dissatisfaction with how China is being treated in the world today.They argue that China needs to use its growing power and economic resources to build its own position of outstanding performances."From looking at the history of human civilization, we are most qualified to lead this world.Westerners should be second," the book says.
The authors, single out the US for special scorn (轻蔑), and say their book's message has been helped by the economic crisis."This economic problem has shown the Chinese people that America does have problems, and that what we've been saying is right," said Wang Xiaodong, one of the authors in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.Since being released on March 13, the book has become a bestseller in many Chinese bookstores.The publisher has printed 270,000 copies, and says sales are far better than expected.
Yet much of the response to the book has been negative.Several reviews in the Chinese media have criticized the book's radical opinions.The book is a way to "fish money from the pockets of the angry youth and angry elderly," wrote one critic in the China Youth Daily.Meanwhile, a well-known sociologist, Li Yinhe, has said that China needs patriotism (爱国精神), but there is a limit.In her blog she wrote, "If we are to bully other countries, take the world's resources and try to lead it, we're going over the top." Wang Xiaodong admitted in an interview with the US' Time magazine that the book's title is a bit of a trick."Those words in the title are just for the purpose of promoting the book in the marketplace," he says."We didn't choose them.It was the people selling the book who chose the title, because it would sell well."
1.What is the best title of the article?
A.Happy China makes wonders       B.China—happy or unhappy?
C.China is not happy               D.China challenges the world
2.Which of the following statements doesn’t agree with the opinions of the new book?
A.China has made great historical breakthroughs in the past several years.
B.China’s civilization has advantages over the westerners’.
C.China needs to use its growing power and economic resources to build its own world
Position
D.China should be the number one leader in the world
3.The book is named China Is Not Happy because___________ .
A.China wants to put pressure on the western countries.
B.it reflects the national feelings of Chinese people.
C.it is a good selling point.
D.the authors of the book want to make a hit in the market.
4.The writer presents the article with the purpose of ___________.
A.introducing a new book             B.promoting a new book
C.raising discussions about a new book     D.honoring the authors of a new book

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