题目内容
The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.
Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.
To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn’t understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent “the letter”.
As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.
But no invention came.
They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: “What? You mean this isn’t really the Island of Inventions?”
It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true.
Luca read widely to ________.
A. get information about the great inventions
B. get clear ideas about the island for vacations
C. seek massages about the secret club of inventions
D. get more knowledge for the benefit of his inventions
Luca and other brilliant inventors around him shared a dream of _______.
A. being great inventors of worldwide fame
B. being accepted as members of the Island of Inventions
C. being inventors envied by members of the Island of Inventions
D. being remembered for the contribution to scientific development
What is the effect of their not being given “the letter”?
A. They were disappointed, while it encouraged them to work harder.
B. They became desperate and decided to have another way of living.
C. They changed their strategy and promote their inventions publicly.
D. They gave up their dream while continued their inventions together.
Do dogs understand us?
Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.
The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.
Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
From paragraph 3 we know that _________.
A. animals are as clever as human beings
B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees
C. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skills
D. dogs have the same speaking abilities as 3-year-old children
Both experiments show that____________
A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
B. Rico can recognize different things including toys
C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
D. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them
Which of the following statements is true?
A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's physical abilities.
B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
C. The Border collie is world-famous for fetching objects.
D. Rico is born to understand all its owner's commands.
What does the writer want to tell us?
A. To train your dog. B. To talk to your dog.
C. To be friendly to your dog. D. To be careful with your dog.
Forget Twitter and Facebook, Google and the Kindle. Television is still the nost influential medium around. Indeed ,fot many of the poorest regions(地区)of the world, it remains the next big thing——finally becomes globally available. And that is a good thing, because the TV revolution is changing lives for the better.
Across the developing world, around 45% of families had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60%. That is some way behind the U.S. ,where are more TVs than people, and where people now easily get access to the Internet. Five million more families in sub-Saharan Africa will ger a TV over the next five years. In 2005 , after the fall of the Taliban（塔利班）,which had outlawed TV, I in 5Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013——pushing the numbers to well beyond two thirds of families.
Television’s most powerful effect will be on the lives of women. In India, researchers Robert Jensen and Emily Oster foumd that when TVs reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husbands approval and less likely to want a boy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health careTV is also a powerful medium for adult education. In the Indian state of Gujarat,Chitrageet is a popular show that plays Bollywood songs with words in Gujarati on the screen. Within six months, viewers had made a small but significant(有意义的) improvement in their reading skills.
Too much TV has been associated with violence, overweight and loneliness. However, TV is having a positive influence on the lives of billions worldwide.
60.The underlined word “outlawed” in paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.
A.allowed B.banned C.offered D.refused
61.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Americans used to get access to the Internet easily.
B.The world’sTV sets will total 150million by 2013.
C.45% of families in the developing countries had a TV in 2005.
D.Over two thirds of families in the world will have a TV by 2013.
62.The author intends to .
A.stress the advantages of TV to people’s lives
B.persuade women to become more independnt
C.encourage people to improve their reading skills
D.introduce the readers some websites such as Google
63.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.TV Will Rule the World B.TV Will Disturb the World
C.TV Will Better the World D.TV Will Remain in World
Sunday, October 5
Clear, 69°F
My wife, Eleanor , and I took the train from Paris to Strasbourg, where we were met by our driver and guide. And the minibus which goes along with the boat. We stopped off in Barn for an hour on the way. Then we were taken to Nancy where the boat was kept.
After the other passengers arrived, we had our first dinner on the boat. After dinner we walked into downtown Nancy, a village with a large square and wooden houses.
Monday, October 6
Rained last night, cloudy in the morning, 69°F
We spent about two hours in Nancy, then sailed on the Canal de la Marne au Rhine. Kind of a lazy day. Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, after dinner we watched a tape on Baccarat, where we will visit tomorrow.
It was pleasant to sit out on deck （甲板）and watch the scenery go by at about 3 mph.
Tuesday, October 7
Light rain, 64°F
This morning we drove over to Baccarat and toured its museum and the church , which has this unbelievable lamp that is going on a world tour the next day. We did lots of shopping , then walked across the bridge to see a very , very modern Catholic church with special Baccarat windows.
We drove to the top of the Voges Mountains and started down the eastern side. Later we drove to Sorrenbourg to see the 13th century church at the Cordeliers. It contains the largest window by Marc Chagall — 24 feet wide by 40 feet high.
Wednesday, October 8
Cloudy, 65 °F
Today we sailed from Schneckenbush to Saverne. We went through two caves, an extremely unusual part of the journey. This river scenery is very different. We were in a mountain valley with grassland on one side and a forest beginning to show some color on the other.
Thursday, October 9
Cloudy, 66°F
Our dependable minibus was waiting to load the luggage and take us to the hotel where everyone went their separate ways. Our boating days are over until next time.
Where did the author get off the train?
A. Paris B. Strasbourg C. Nancy D. Barn
On which days did the tourists spend most of their time on the boat?
A. Monday and Tuesday B. Tuesday and Wednesday
C. Monday and Wednesday D. Wednesday and Wednesday
From the text, we learn that Baccarat and Sorrenbourg are the names of_________.
A. churches B. towns C. museums D. mountains
What does the author think of the tour?
A. Tiring B. Expensive C. Enjoyable D. Quick
Across the world, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. More than 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation. (卫生设备)
The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and women, and poverty.
Consider these facts:
●The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers.
●Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water., and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet.
●Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases.
Here are three ways you can help:
Write Congress
Current U.S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar per year per American citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad.
Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization
Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations abroad. Simply put a single project by a U.S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of people.
Support nonprofit water organizations
Numerous U.S.-based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related to drinking water and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows: some organizations are large, other small-scale, some operate worldwide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Support them generously.
72. The three facts presented in the passage are used to illustrate that________.
A. poverty can result in water-borne diseases
B. people have no access to clean drinking water
C. women’s rights are denied in some developing countries
D. safe drinking water should be a primary concern
73. The intended readers of the passage are________.
A. Americans B. overseas sponsors
C. Congressmen D. U.S.-based water organizations
74. The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to _________.
A. get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries
B. donate money to people short of water through religious groups
C. fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem
D. take joint action in support of some nonprofit water organizations
75. What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?
A. A variety of companies and their worldwide operation.
B. A list of nonprofit water organizations to make contact with.
C. Some ways to get financial aids from U.S. Congress.
D. A few water resources exploited by some world-famous organizations.
