Ian Mercer doesn’t set an alarm clock. The former Microsoft senior manager doesn’t check the weather, either. He doesn’t turn on lights, water the yard, or adjust the thermostat(恒温器). He doesn’t open the curtains, answer the phone, or call his children for dinner. There’s something unique about Ian’s home. He has programmed it to do all these things for him.

Ian doesn’t live in a typical home or have a typical lifestyle. He spent over a decade designing the systems that feature in his unique home. He bought a home automation software package and then improved it.

Now there are 79 sensors and monitors, and 48 light switches in his home. Lights turn on automatically in rooms with people in them. Even being out, Ian can also control his home remotely using voice commands or his phone in any location. That is only the beginning of what this home has been programmed to do.

It connects with online calendars, caller ID, online weather services, online address boos, and email, among other things, to get Ian through his day. For example, if there is a meeting in Ian’s calendar, it will wake him up, open his bedroom curtains, start and set his shower to his desired temperature. It also informs Ian about traffic conditions.

There is plenty more this home has been programmed to do. It keeps him updated on his favorite sports teams and scores. It even monitors online activity to check that Ian’s children are doing their homework. The “dinner’s ready” command stops operation of their computers and TVs. This is easier than asking his children o shut them down.

Ian’s home is unique. Most homes are not this smart, but soon more homes will be technologically advanced.

1.What makes Ian’s home unique?

A. Having more furniture than usual

B. Being programmed with smart software

C. Creating a traditional atmosphere for Ian

D. Working automatically without Ian’s order

2.What can we learn about Ian?

A. He invented the home automation software

B. He devoted years to improving the systems

C. He is seeking to control his home remotely

D. He failed to monitor his children’s homework

3.What does the underlined sentence imply?

A. Smart homes are future trends

B. Ian’s home is far from satisfaction

C. Technology of smart home is too expensive

D. Homes smarter than Ian’s can be found everywhere

Jennifer’s Hurricane Experience

I have evacuated(疏散)lots of times in my life. To make sure everything is safe, my family have to move a lot of things. I usually help my mom and my brothers help my dad. Mom and I take all of the special keepsakes(纪念品)to low safe places. Another thing we have to do is to take our sailboat out into deep water and anchor it really well. When it’s time to anchor the sailboat, Scott, my father’s brother, comes over. I just need to wait in the car with my mom and brothers before we evacuate.

John’s Hurricane Experience

My family evacuated for hurricane Opal in 1995. We left two days early because we were going to my dad’s 35th High School Reunion(聚会). There was a lot of traffic getting out of town. But we didn’t get into trouble as we had arrived at the school. During hurricane Georges, I slept. But there was a lot of lightning, thunder and rain at that night. The next morning, there were a lot of branches, twigs and leaves everywhere.

Catherine’s Hurricane Experience

This year, we experienced two hurricanes, Earl and Georges. We did the same thing in both hurricanes. We would always be watching the news. There was a lot of rain … a whole lot of rain. The hurricane never really got close enough to do very much damage. I have never evacuated, and I don’t think that I ever will.

Ryan’s Hurricane Experience

I am a police officer on an island in the Texas Gulf Coast. I was directly affected by the violent weather throughout the hurricane season. Our department was ordered to stay on the island while all the other citizens were evacuating. I didn’t feel at all prepared for the situation. So I went to the grocery store and purchased some food. I thought a survival kit would have helped ease some of the tension in my mind.

1. Who fixed the sailboat with Jennifer’s father?

A. Jennifer. B. Jennifer’s mother.

C. Jennifer’s uncle. D. Jennifer’s brothers.

2.Which of the following is NOT true about the hurricanes?

A. Hurricane Opal hit in 1995.

B. Hurricane Georges hit at night.

C. Hurricane Opal hit on John’s way to the school.

D. Hurricane Georges blew down many branches.

3.When Catherine’s family heard hurricanes were coming, they ___________.

A. purchased some food

B. paid attention to the hurricanes news

C. took special keepsakes to low safe places

D. moved out of the place where they lived

4.What can we know about Ryan?

A. He was nervous before the hurricane.

B. He did little preparation for the hurricane.

C. He was confident to overcome the hurricane.

D. He was busy helping citizens evacuate before the hurricane.

5.Who didn’t evacuate before the hurricanes?

A. Jennifer and John. B. Catherine and John.

C. Jennifer and Ryan. D. Catherine and Ryan.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。

How to Make Friends

Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leaves us without a friend. 1. . But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage. Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.

1.Associate with others.

The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such

places.

2.Start a conversation

Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends. 2. You can always start the conversation. Being able to make small talks is a very useful skill in relating with other people.

3. 3.

Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friends together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.

Let it grow.

4. Stay in touch

It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend. 4. . The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.

5.Enjoy your friendship

The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves. 5. Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be. Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A. Be cheerful.

B. Do things together.

C. Do not wait to be spoken to.

D. Try not to find fault with your friends.

E. Making new friends comes easy for some people.

F. For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.

G. So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

完形填空

完形填空,阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

When I was growing up my dad would often give me small tasks to finish to help out around the house. Some were easy but the three I remember the most were the three of all. The first was helping to weed the four we had. It was work. I would rather ride my bike than crawl(爬行)in the dirt on my hands and knees the thousands of weeds in our gardens. The second was piling firewood for . It was tough work and I got more than my ____of pieces. I would rather walk in the woods than piling it in rows. The third was water from a mountain spring to our house. our well water had too much iron in it to .

Over the years, though, I learned to see the in all the things my dad had made me do. Having fresh vegetables for dinner was a delight. a cold glass of iced tea made from the mountain spring water was a pure . Standing by the wood stove on a snowy December day was a wonderful way to . I saw as well that all this work my dad had given me had made me a better, stronger and more caring man. Most of all, I that when I did my work with a(n) heart, it didn’t feel like work at all .

Over the years I have learned something else too. When we do the work for our Heavenly Father with a spirit, it doesn’t feel like work, either. Every act of kindness, word of encouragement, and gift of love we share will only make our lives better, make our hearts happier, and bring out souls to Heaven.

I am so to both my dad and my Father in Heaven. They showed me the __of work and more importantly they showed me the pricelessness of love.

1.A. simplest B. toughest C. strangest D. wildest

2.A. schools B. companies C. gardens D. streets

3.A. boring B. exciting C. interesting D. relaxing

4.A. controlling B. keeping C. pushing D. pulling

5.A. festival B.winter C. holiday D. marriage

6.A. share B.charge C.point D.dream

7.A.protecting B.borrowing C.carrying D.conducing

8.A.because B.unless C.although D.but

9.A.boil B.match C.get D.drink

10.A.requirements B.attention C.rewards D.experience

11.A.Designing B.Enjoying C.Performing D.Developing

12.A.desire B.challenge C.surprise D.pleasure

13.A.turnup B.warmup C.stayup D.setup

14.A.unluckily B.immediately C.gradually D.temporarily

15.A.remembered B.ignored C.regretted D.realized

16.A.honest B.happy C.brave D.modest

17.A.loving B.complaining C.hating D.punishing

18.A.closer B.farther C.politer D.warmer

19.A.kind B.lucky C.grateful D.vital

20.A.key B.way C.goal D. value

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