The multi-million pound new Library of Birming-ham( LoB) will be the most visible sign of the way the city is accepting the digitalization(数字化)of everyday life.

Set to open in 2013 , the LoB is already beginning to take shape next to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, with which it will share some equipment.

As digital media(媒介)is important to its idea, the project is already providing chances for some of the many small new local companies working at the new technologies.

Brian Gambles, the LoB's project director, says it is about giving people the right tools for learning, "The aim is to mix the physical with the digital? providing 24-hour services which can be used through many different ways. It is important to enable us to reach more people, more effectively.,,

The digital library will, he says, be as important as the physical one, allowing the distant use of the serv?ices, making sure that it is never closed to the public.

Even before the LoB is complete, the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual(虚拟的)LoB, designed by Baden. Not only have the public been able to learn about LoB, but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoB to understand the building and how it will work before it even opens.

Two other small Birmingham-based digital compa?nies are working on the LoB projects. Substrat, a digital design company, is developing what it calls "enlarge re?ality" project. It is about the use of an exciting smart phone, an important part of the LoB which is in the early stages of development. And The People's Archive is an online library of historical figures of the city being built by a digital content company in Cahoots, in which users will be encouraged to add to and comment on the material.

Gambles says, "Technology will enable us to make the library's content and services open to citizens as never before.,,

1. The underline part "its idea" in Paragraph 3 refers to

the idea of      .

A. the equipment

B. the project

C. the digital media

D. the physical library

2. While visiting the Virtual LoB, the public can .

A. get a general idea of the LoB

B. meet many world-famous experts

C learn how to put up a library building

D. understand how the specialists work on the project

3. Which of the following is TRUE of the LoB when it opens?

a. It offers better learning tools,

b. It reaches users in different ways.

c. It provides users with smart phones.

d. It allows users to enrich its material.

e. It gives non-stop physical and digital services.

A. a, b, d B. a, c, e

C. b, c, d D. b, d, e

4. This text is most probably taken from .

A. a popular science book

B. a library guide

C. a handbook

D. a newspaper report

The preventive measures for forest fires include some pre-emptive(抢先的)methods that can help re?duce the risks of fires and control their severity and spread,and thus, maintain ecological balance and pro?tect resources. Close monitoring of forest fires caused by natural factors can help prevent their spread to a large extent. To contain forest fires, fire departments usually use water and chemical fire retardants(抑制剂)that can be dropped from planes and helicopters. To control the spread of wildfire, firefighters usually create a control line by removing all fuel from an area so that the fire cannot travel across it.

Controlled burns are often employed by government authorities to reduce fuel build-up,and clean up the fall?en leaves,and thus,prevent the spread of forest fires to a vast area. Regular controlled burns can also help main?tain biodiversity(生物多样性),as the smoke and heat produced in the process can facilitate (促进)the growth of seeds of certain plant species. Apart from these, re?sponsible human behaviour can help reduce the number of forest fires to a great extent. In fact, we can reduce the number of wildfire dramatically by not leaving be?hind any source of fire in the forest.

Forest fires can affect climate and weather to a great extent, besides causing severe damage to valuable trees. Wildfire can increase the level of greenhouse gases (water vapour, carbon dioxide, etc. ) , and therefore in?crease pollution and global warming. However, they are also an important part of the ecosystem,and many plants depend on the heat and smoke generated by wildfire for their growth and reproduction. But large wildfire can cause extensive damage to the ecosystem, which again highlights the importance of effective control and pre?vention of forest fires.

1. Firefighters get rid of all fuel in an area in order to A.  keep close monitoring of forest fires

B.    prevent the forest fire from occurring

C.    protect the animals there

D.    stop the wildfire from spreading

2.    The government arranges some controlled burns to

A.    burn the rubbish and keep the forest clean

B.    help keep ecological balance of nature

C.    reduce fuel build-up and limit forest fires to spread

D.    provide reasonable conditions for some plants' growth

3.    The last paragraph tells us that      .

A.    the greenhouse gases are caused mainly by wild?fire

B.    wildfire has both positive and negative effects

C.    people should be aware of the necessity of wildfire

D.    all the valuable trees disappear owing to wildfire

4.    What may be the best title for this passage?

A.    Control and prevention of forest fires

B.    How to keep ecological balance

C.    Effects of forest fires

D.    Methods of fire spread control

 

阅读理解

                      A

Florence, Italy

Who should go: Art lovers; Renaissance historians; leather handbag shoppers with high credit limits.

When to go: Spring or fall. Travellers usually avoid summer in   Florence.

Paris, France

Who should go: Starving artists; Henry Miler fans; traditional food lovers.

When to visit- Spring is   the best time. That's what they all say, anyway. Autumn isn't bad, either, and I'd rather be rooting around the south   of France in search of truffles(松露)in autumn. Summer in Paris isn't bad,   really.

Amsterdam T   Holland

Who should go: Lovers of Dutch Masters (artists I mean, like Rem-brandt, not cigars) ; bicyclists―it's a bike city in a flat land.

When to go:It can rain at   any time in Amsterdam? but that's not a rea?son for not visiting this fascinating city. Off   season tourists will be rewarded with good enough weather to stick around.   Summer is good for sun lovers.

Madrid, Spain

Who should go: Night owls―Madrid never   sleeps; art lovers―the Prado is second only to the Louvre in presenting serious art;   party-goers.

When to go: Spring, when   days are warm and the nights are pleasantly cool. Demand for outside eating   and drinking starts becoming stronger in March or April. Street life peaks(达到髙峰)in June, then slows in July and August as the temperature peaks.   Autumn is also good, although you'll risk some rain.

Venice, Italy

Who should go : Romantic dreamers who like walking through automo?bile-free streets ; your mother (she'll want you to take her there, trust me); almost anyone who wants to see something really different and   romantic.

When to go: February is   the time when the famous Venice Carnival is held and the weather is usually   cold and foggy―perfect weather for Venice. Summer? A large number of tourists in   shorts and whiny children ruin the atmosphere. You'll greatly enjoy yourself   there in spring and early fall.

1. What do the cities Florence? Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid have in common?

 A.    They are all great cities for female shoppers.

B.     They are all famous for their traditional food.

C.     They are all great cities for art lovers.

D.    They are all famous for cigars.

2.If you are interested in looking for truffles in the south of France, you should go there in____________ .

A. early spring        B.  autumn   

C.  summer            D.  late spring

3.  What advice would the writer probably give you if you go to visit Amsterdam?

 A.     To avoid going there in summer.

B.     To avoid going around there by bike.

C.     To take some credit cards with high credit limits.

D.     To take an umbrella with you whenever you go out.

4. The underlined part "Night owls" in the section about Madrid probably refers to people who like____________ .

A. night life                                  B.  serious art

C. drinking wine                              D.  organizing parties

5.According to the section about Venice, the writer would agree that .

 A.     summer isn't a good time to visit the city

B.     the city is not a good choice for romantic lovers

C.     streets in the city are usually too crowded with cars

D.     people avoid going there in February because of the weather

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网