题目内容

In 1917 Orville Wright predicted that "the aeroplane will help peace in many ways –in particular I think it will have a tendency to make war impossible.” Earlier in 1904, American journalist John Walker declared, “As a peace machine, the value of the aeroplane to the world will be beyond computation.” This wasn’t the first grand promise of technology. In that same year Jules Verne announced, “The submarine(潜艇)may be the cause of bringing battle to a stoppage.”

Alfred Nobel, sincerely believe his dynamite(火药) would be a war obstacle: “My dynamite will sooner lead to peace than a thousand world conventions(公约).” Similarly, when Hiran Maxim, inventor of the machine gun, was asked in 1893, “Will this gun not make war more terrible?” he answered, “No, it will make war impossible.” Gugliemo Mareconi, inventor of the radio, told the world in 1912. “The coming of the wireless time will make war impossible, because it will make war ridiculous.” General James Harbord, chairman of the board of RCA in 1925, believed, “Radio will serve to make the concept of Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men a reality.”

David Nye, a historian of technology, adds to the list of inventions imagined as abolishing war forever and leading to universal peace the hot-air balloon, poison gas, land mines and laser guns.

It is not that all these inventions are without benefits—even benefits toward democracy. Rather, it’s the case that each new technology creates more problems than it solves. “Problems are the answers to solutions,” says Brian Arthur.

Most of the new problems in the world are problems created by previous technology. These problems are nearly invisible to us. Every year 1.2 million people die in automobile accidents. The technological transportation system kills more people than cancer. Global warming, environmental poisons, nuclear terrorism, and species loss, are only a few of the many other serious problems troubling people.

If we embrace(拥抱) technology we need to face its costs.

1.What will new inventions do according to the first two paragraphs?

A. They will increase wars.

B. They will lead to peace.

C. They will serve people.

D. They will break conventions.

2.What does the author list so many inventions?

A. To show people’s creativity.

B. To appreciate their benefits.

C. To contradict the original ideas.

D. To prove grand promises.

3.What does the author hope to tell us about new technology through the text?

A. It will experience many tests.

B. It will bring about huge costs in the world.

C. It provides answers to many problems.

D. It presents more problems than it solves.

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Australian cities can keep their native wildlife — but only if they can kick their habit of urban sprawl (扩展). That’s the finding of a new study by leading Australian environmental researchers Jessica Sushinsky, Professor Hugh Possingham and Dr. Richard Fuller of The University of Queensland.

“While urban development usually reduces the number of birds in a city, building more compact (紧凑的) cities and avoiding urban sprawl can slow these reductions greatly,” says lead author Jessica Sushinsky. “Compact housing development leaves birds’ homes untouched, leading to fewer losses of birds.”

The researchers surveyed native and wild birds in Brisbane’s urban areas, including living and industrial areas, public parks and gardens, major roadways and airports. They then used statistical modeling to find out what will happen to the birds as the city grows. The first setting was compact growth — where multiple homes are built on land that previously had only one house. The second setting was sprawling growth — a familiar pattern where homes are built here and there beyond the city’s current boundaries.

The team’s forecasts showed that a much greater diversity of species was lost over 20 years in the sprawling setting compared to the more compact setting. “Urban sprawl resulted in the disappearance of many urban-sensitive birds — birds that only live in areas where there is native vegetation (植被), such as parklands and woodlands,” Ms. Sushinsky says.

“On the other hand, we found the city with the compact development attracted more birds because it kept more of its parks and green areas.”

Now the Queensland Government has adopted the more compact urban growth strategy, which, Dr. Richard Fuller says, is good news for Australia’s native birds. These birds are environmental specialists — they need a particular environment to do well. “While compact development means smaller backyards, it can also make our entire cities more biodiverse,” according to Dr. Fuller. “The study shows that we should hold on to our green spaces instead of clearing them for sprawling development.”

This is the first time science has modeled the effects of different urban growth strategies on birds, the researchers say. “Statistical models like these are important because they help us to understand the ecological consequences of a particular decision,” says Dr Fuller.

1.Why is compact urban growth better than the sprawling strategy?

A. It makes the cities more beautiful. B. It gives people larger backyards.

C. It is money-saving. D. It is bird-friendly.

2.Dr Richard Fuller thinks the Queensland Government’s action ______.

A. is really brave B. is worth praising

C. has an uncertain future D. should be performed nationwide

3.What can we learn about the study from the passage?

A. It is based on the statistics in the past.

B. It is strongly against urban development.

C. It criticizes the city environment in Brisbane.

D. It suggests leaving more green spaces for birds.

4.Where does the passage probably come from?

A. A news report. B. A travel guide.

C. A health magazine. D. A history book.

The Oxford Dictionary has announced its word of the year. It's spelled... Actually, it isn't spelled at all, because it contains no letters, just a “face with tears of joy” emoji.

“The fact that English alone is proving not enough to meet the needs of 21st-century digital communication is a huge change,” says Caspar Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries. When one of his dictionary colleagues suggested using an emoji instead of the word “emoji”, “lightbulbs went off”. Until recently, Grathwohl, who is 44, avoided using emojis altogether because he worried that he would look as if he “was trying to get in on teen culture”. “I felt inauthentic. But I think there was a tipping point this year. It's now moved into the mainstream.”

Some 76% of the UK adult population owns a smart phone, and of those, between 80% and 90% use emojis. Worldwide, six billion are sent daily. The “face with tears of joy” is the most used, representing 20% of all UK and 17% of all US emoji use. It has overtaken the standard smiley-face emoji in popularity, which may mean that emoji users are moving towards exaggeration or irony or fun, or that all this emoji use has brought everyone to a higher emotional plane. Even if you don't send emojis yourself, you will probably receive them.

How far do emojis function as a language? “There's a lot of prejudice against emojis,” Vyvyan Evans, a professor in linguistics at Bangor University, says. “A lot of people think they are a backward step, but this misunderstands the nature of human communication.” The picture is more complicated, with emojis offering both greater freedom and limitations than verbal language. “Emoji isn't a language as such. They don't develop in the way that the natural language does. But they are working according to the same principles of communication as the spoken language. What is the value of an emoji? I think I can prove this with an ordinary sentence.” There is a pause. “I love you,” he says. “Crikey(哎呀), I love you.” He says it again. The first time I think he means it; the second time we both know he doesn't. “The meaning is coming from extra-language factors,” he says. “Emojis are performing the same function in digital speech.”

Like any sort-of language, emoji is evolving. “I do think they are subtle(微妙) and rich,” Grathwohl says. “They can mean different things to different people. The fact that we are using emoji in combination to express more complex ideas and experiences is one of the most fun and playful parts of the whole words. Will emoji finally come to look something more like traditional language that we understand?” he asks. “That would be interesting.”

1.The sentence “lightbulbs went off” (Para. 2) means that     .

A. the president became embarrassed and annoyed

B. the president suddenly realized he was outdated

C. the suggestion was immediately adopted

D. the suggestion started a heated discussion

2.The “face with tears of joy” is more popular than smiley-face emoji, which means that     .

A. emoji is changing constantly

B. smiley-face emoji is too traditional

C. adults have more sorrow than joy in their daily life

D. people like to express their emotions in a richer way

3.Vyvyan Evans uses the sentence “I love you” as an example (Para. 4) to prove that     .

A. emoji can express the real meaning behind words

B. emoji is different from the natural language

C. people feel free to use emoji in communication

D. emoji will limit people in expressing their feelings

4.Which of the following statements might Grathwohl agree with?

A. Emoji is too childish for adults.

B. People have the same explanation for an emoji.

C. Using emoji can add fun to communication.

D. Emoji won't develop into a language.

A Welcome Gift

Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them ______ side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud ______ filled the room and made them feel very happy.

The next morning, ______, their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a ______ under their door during the night. One of their neighbors had written to complain about the sound of the piano. Dario’s mother asked the building superintendent (管理员) if he knew anything about it. But he said that they were all ______ people and he couldn’t imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning, Dario suggested that they write a letter to their ____ and apologize for their playing.

“Maybe we could go and ______ everyone in person.” his mother said.

“What if we invited them to come here for a ______ instead?” Dario asked.

They both loved the ______. Over the next few days, they sent out invitations and prepared desserts ______ their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers (彩带) and party lights.

Finally, the day of the party ______. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to ______. One woman, Mrs. Gilbert, ______ Dario’s mother with a book of piano music by Chopin.

“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I ____ that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note. I hope you don’t think I disliked the playing.”

Dario’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we ______ you an apology.” she said. “I didn’t ______ how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.

“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such ______ music.”

“These songs are beautiful music.” Dario’s mother said. “We will be ______ to play them in the evening.”

“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to ______ the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother’s face. It gave him a feeling of ______ and made him feel that they were home at last.

1.A. sat B. stood C. lay D. walked

2.A. voice B. ring C. music D. cry

3.A. therefore B. however C. otherwise D. instead

4.A. note B. poster C. bill D. report

5.A. proud B. rich C. lucky D. nice

6.A. neighbors B. friends C. relatives D. audience

7.A. blame B. instruct C. question D. visit

8.A. party B. concert C. show D. play

9.A. experience B. idea C. performance D. action

10.A. to B. with C. for D. from

11.A. continued B. arrived C. passed D. finished

12.A. order B. sell C. share D. advertise

13.A. treated B. presented C. helped D. served

14.A. promised B. admitted C. agreed D. worried

15.A. give B. send C. offer D. owe

16.A. realize B. remember C. understand D. accept

17.A. sweet B. strange C. funny D. loud

18.A. brave B. sorry C. happy D. afraid

19.A. changing B. practicing C. recording D. writing

20.A. equality B. freedom C. warmth D. sympathy

You may need to give first aid. First aid is defined(下定义) as the emergency care given to a sick or injured person. The goals of first aid are to prevent death and to prevent injuries from becoming worse.

Each emergency condition is different. However, the following rules apply to any kind of emergency.

☆ Be aware of your limitations. Do not try to do more than you are able to. Nor should you do things if you are unfamiliar with them. Do what you can under the conditions at the time.

☆ Stay calm. Acting calmly will help the victim feel safe.

☆ Take a quick look to see if the victim is bleeding, and if there is a pulse.

☆ Keep the victim lying down and do not move him or her.You could make an injury worse if you move the victim.

☆ Take necessary emergency steps.

☆ Call for help or ask someone to make the EMS system(急救系统)start.

☆ Do not remove clothing unless you have to.If clothing must be removed,tear the clothes along the seams(线缝).

☆ Keep the victim warm. Cover the victim with a blanket. Coats and sweaters can be used if a blanket cannot be found.

☆ Reassure the victim. Explain what is happening and that help has been called.

☆ Do not give the victim any food or fruits.

☆ Keep the bystanders away from the victim. Bystanders want to have a look, offer advice, and say something about the victim's condition. The victim may believe that the condition is worse than it really is.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. You should help an injured person in any condition.

B. Don't remove the clothing of the injured person whatever happens.

C. It is necessary to cover the victim with a blanket.

D. If the injured person feels hungry, you should give him or her some food.

2.Why should bystanders be kept away from the victim?

A. Because bystanders can prevent the victim from receiving first aid

B. Because what they say can make the victim think the condition is very bad.

C. Because the victim doesn't want to accept the advice of bystanders.

D. Because the victim hates being surrounded by bystanders.

3.The main purpose of the passage is to tell ________.

A. how to save a person

B. what to do when an accident happens

C. how to call for help

D. how to give first aid

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