For many blind people, computers are inaccessible. It can cost $1,000 to purchase “screen reader” software, but two blind computer programmers from Australia have solved this problem.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate James Teh and business partner Michael Curran developed a free, open-source program, called NVDA, which provides a voice to read the words on a computer screen as the cursor(光标) moves over them. NVDA won the blind inventors an award in the grand final program of the ABC’s New Inventors, which aired on September 23. They took home the award for an invention that “might make a real difference to people’s lives or the environment.”
“A sighted person takes for granted that they can sit down at any computer and use it,” Mr Teh said. “We really are in the information age — everything is online these days. So access to computers for the blind is very important, which is why we wanted our software to be free.”
Mr Teh, who majored in software engineering at QUT, said blind students typically didn’t have the money to purchase “screen reader” technology, at the time in their life when they most needed it. Now NVDA could be downloaded on to anyone’s personal computer free of charge.
“It can also be copied to a USB stick, which can be used on any PC at school or university, with no installation required,” he said.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have drawn on their own experience as blind computer users to develop a product which has some unique features. For example, as the mouse moves up and down the screen, a sound becomes higher and lower to let you know where the cursor is located.
NVDA has been translated into 27 languages, thanks to volunteer translators. To date, there have been over 50,000 downloads.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have been working on the project since 2006. They worked on their product without any pay for two years. When Mozilla offered some funding in 2008, Mr Teh was able to quit his day job and work full-time developing NVDA

  1. 1.

    NVDA won an award in the program of the ABC’s New Inventors because it _____

    1. A.
      causes no harm to the environment
    2. B.
      influences people’ s lives
    3. C.
      is aiming at blind people
    4. D.
      is easy to use
  2. 2.

    Why did James Teh and Michael Curran want their software to be free?

    1. A.
      They got funding from Mozilla
    2. B.
      They belonged to a volunteer group
    3. C.
      They wanted to help the blind
    4. D.
      They wanted people to give up “screen reader” software
  3. 3.

    What do we know about Teh and Curran?

    1. A.
      They are studying at QUT
    2. B.
      They are good at translating
    3. C.
      They know how the blind feel
    4. D.
      They began to develop NVDA in 2008

Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生虫引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect. They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next

  1. 1.

    According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because______.

    1. A.
      they can remain unaffected for long
    2. B.
      it is unusual to seek care
    3. C.
      they are too poor
    4. D.
      there are too many people suffering from the disease
  2. 2.

    People suffering from malaria______.

    1. A.
      have to kill female mosquitoes
    2. B.
      have ability to defend parasites
    3. C.
      have their red blood cells infected
    4. D.
      have sudden fever, followed by chills
  3. 3.

    Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?

    1. A.
      Its outbreaks in cities with large populations
    2. B.
      Its ability to pass on the virus frequently
    3. C.
      Its resistance to global warming
    4. D.
      Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs
  4. 4.

    It can be inferred from the passage that______.

    1. A.
      no drugs have been found to treat the disease
    2. B.
      the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people
    3. C.
      malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites
    4. D.
      nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease
  5. 5.

    Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?

    1. A.
      How can we know one is suffering from malaria?
    2. B.
      How many people are killed by malaria each year?
    3. C.
      Why are there so many people suffering from malaria?
    4. D.
      What has been done to keep people unaffected for long?

Sports play an important role in British life. The most popular sport is football. Cricket is also popular in England, but is less important in the other home nations. Rugby union and rugby league are the other major team sports. Tennis is the most important sport for the two weeks of the Wimbledon Championships(温布尔登网球锦标赛)
Football
The modern global game of football developed from traditional British football games in the 19th century. Club football is organized separately in each of the home nations. English football has a league system which combines thousands of clubs. Scotland has a similar but smaller club football structure. The top level league in Wales is the league of Wales. In Northern Ireland the main league is the Irish Football League.
Each season the most successful clubs from each of the home nations qualify for(使…具有…的资格) the two Europe wide club competitions organized by UEFA(欧足联), the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup.
Cricket
Cricket was invented in England. It is regarded as England’s national summer game and it is probably the second most widely covered sport.
There are eighteen professional country clubs, seventeen of them in England and one in Wales. Each summer the country clubs compete in the first class Country Championship, which consist of two leagues of nine teams and in which matches are played over four days.
Rugby
Like football, rugby union and rugby league both developed from traditional British football games in the 19th century. For much of the 20th century there was great antagonism between rugby leagues, which was a mainly working class game based in the industrial areas of northern England, and rugby union, which is a mainly middle class game in England, and is also popular in the other home nations.
Tennis
Tennis is yet another sport which originated in the United Kingdom and the governing body of the sport is the LTA(草地网球协会). However, no British man has won Wimbledon since 1936 and no British woman since 1977. The only British players of either sex to reach the world top 50 in recent years are Greg Rusedski, who learnt his tennis in Canada, and Tim Henman and Andrew Murray ,who did not pass through the LTA system either

  1. 1.

    What do we know about football?

    1. A.
      The top clubs represent the UK in the two Europe competitions
    2. B.
      Football is a newly-invented game in England
    3. C.
      The top level league in England is the Irish Football League
    4. D.
      Club football is an organized union in the UK
  2. 2.

    From the passage we can learn ______.

    1. A.
      There exist all professional county clubs in England
    2. B.
      Rugby leagues was enjoyed by middle class
    3. C.
      Tennis is in the charge of LTA
    4. D.
      Greg Rusedski did not pass through the LTA system
  3. 3.

    The underlined “antagonisim” in the sixth paragraph probably means ______.

    1. A.
      preference
    2. B.
      friendliness
    3. C.
      similarity
    4. D.
      opposition
  4. 4.

    From what can we read the passage?

    1. A.
      tour guidebook
    2. B.
      book review
    3. C.
      news report
    4. D.
      news magzine

Although there are no state controlled survival courses in Britain or the United States, there are various independent organizations offering similar activities.
Students can participate ( take part ) in outdoor training courses through university clubs and societies . Anyone can register ( 登记 ) with such groups , which then organize courses ,training and trips for all members .
One of the most popular outdoor training programmes in both the US and Britain , is Outward Bound ( 户外训练 ) . It was founded in 1941 in Wales and attracts hundreds of thousands of adventurous types every year .
The courses are to broaden minds through experiences that build confidence , self-esteem ( 自尊 ) and character . As well as specialist courses such as canoeing , leadership skills and sailing , participants can take part in week long adventure training camps which include a host of sports and survival training education skills .
Michael Williams , an American student , took part in an Outward Bound course last year . He said : “We learned lots of first aid skills , lots of natural history , lots of environmental facts , and participated in a wildlife preservation ( protecting ) programme . Beyond that , my favorite skills learned were sailing and rock climbing .”
Courses can last up to 40 days and are open to anyone over the age of 14 . Students must be in general good health , but do not need to be experienced in outdoor-sports . There is no selection process ; everyone is welcome , although new participants are advised to pick a course matching their physical power .
Most of the British courses take place in the Beacons in Wales . Another similar organization is the UK Survival School , which includes courses on learning to live with the environment , sailing and winter survival . On a basic survival weekend students will learn how to get water and food , how to make fire and cook with it , to find and build a shelter , control survival life support , how to cross rivers , send off an SOS signal , and to use compasses by day and night .
According to the leaders , such adventures are “an awakening , an exploration into unknown.” Outward Bound believes that participants will “use mind and body traveling some of the earth’s roughest wildness areas .”

  1. 1.

    The advantage of the training courses is that ______

    1. A.
      participants can make friends with others
    2. B.
      participants can visit some places of interest
    3. C.
      participants can experience different adventures
    4. D.
      participants can learn how wonderful nature is
  2. 2.

    In the Outward Bound course last year , the most exciting experience Michael Williams had was ______

    1. A.
      learning first aid skills
    2. B.
      collecting facts of environment
    3. C.
      preserving wildlife
    4. D.
      rock climbing and sailing
  3. 3.

    What’s the writer’s purpose to write this passage ?

    1. A.
      To introduce the training course to readers
    2. B.
      To persuade readers to take part in the training courses
    3. C.
      To tell readers the danger of this training course
    4. D.
      To introduce the wonders of the world to readers

A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She bought a book and a bag of cookies in the airport shop, and found a place to drop.
She was interested in her book, but the man sitting beside her grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid an argument.
So she ate the cookies noisily and watched the clock, as the cookie thief diminished (使……变少) her stock. She was getting angrier as the minutes passed, thinking,“Oh, brother, if I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken your eyes.”
With each cookie she took, he took one, too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, and he ate the other. She got it from him and thought, “ This guy has some nerve (胆量) and he’s also rude. Why didn’t he even show any gratitude?”
She had never known when she had been so angry. She gathered her bag and headed for the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate (忘恩负义者).
She boarded the plane and then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her bag, she was shocked— there was her bag of cookies. “If mine are here,” she thought, “the others were his. It’s too late to apologize.”

  1. 1.

    Why did the woman ignore it when she found the man eating the cookies?

    1. A.
      She didn’t want to get into an argument
    2. B.
      She was full of pity for the man
    3. C.
      The man was dangerous and brave
    4. D.
      She was too careless to notice it
  2. 2.

    When offered her half of the last cookie, the woman______

    1. A.
      felt a bit disappointed
    2. B.
      felt deeply thankful
    3. C.
      considered the man unthankful
    4. D.
      saw the man as his brave brother
  3. 3.

    We can infer that the man________

    1. A.
      might have returned the bag of cookies secretly
    2. B.
      tried to share his cookies with the woman
    3. C.
      was thankful for the woman’s kindness
    4. D.
      was really a thief

With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re all part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, which of the following can match the idea of eco-hotel?

    1. A.
      It is comfortable and fashionable
    2. B.
      It uses renewable energy
    3. C.
      It has walls of glass
    4. D.
      It is home to endangered species
  2. 2.

    From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort & Spa is a kind of hotel that _______

    1. A.
      encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities
    2. B.
      harvests food from its own garden
    3. C.
      has courses on the environment for its guests
    4. D.
      protects important habitats
  3. 3.

    From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______

    1. A.
      money is the driving force behind eco-hotels
    2. B.
      the hotel industry cares more about money than the environment
    3. C.
      eco-hotels teach their guests the philosophy of eco-hotels
    4. D.
      eco-hotels have no advantages in competing for guests

Bicycle lights may not exactly be a problem that needs solving, but the following can be said about most of them ---- they’re easily stolen if left on an unattended bike. People riding at dusk can forget to turn them on, and those same people can forget to turn them off when they reach their destination. Well, the makers of the Blink/ Steady Bike Light have set out to address all of those shortcomings.
The waterproof(防水的) Blink/ Steady is so far only available as a tail light, although a head light is on the way. It’s fixed onto the bike’s seat post. A built- in photosensor(感光器) tells when it’s become dark enough for the light to be required, and allows it to come on once you begin the riding. According to the producers, it isn’t fooled by things such as headlights or streetlights. The light also contains an accelerometer, also known as a motion sensor, which can tell when the bike is in motion.
Between the two sensors, this means the light will come on only once it’s dark enough, and the bike is moving. Even when stopped at red lights, the small movements of the rider will reportedly be enough to keep the light activated---- it’ll go out after 30 seconds of complete inactivity. While this does mean that the two sensors are continuously powered up, they go into a very low---- power sleep pattern when the bike is sitting, unused.
Light is provided by two5- watt LEDs, seeable over a range of 180 degrees. And power comes from two AAA batteries, which provided up to 200 hours of continuous run time. The designers and engineers behind the Blink/ Steady are now raising money for its commercial production. About US $95 will get you one if they become available

  1. 1.

    The first paragraph is mainly to mean that______

    1. A.
      bicycle lights are worth a research
    2. B.
      bicycle lights are not a problem at all
    3. C.
      bicycle lights are easy to deal with
    4. D.
      bicycle lights are difficult to turn off
  2. 2.

    According to the text, the Blink/Steady Bike Light is sensitive to______

    1. A.
      the weather
    2. B.
      streetlights
    3. C.
      headlights
    4. D.
      natural light
  3. 3.

    Why is there an accelerometer in the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

    1. A.
      To protect the bike against water
    2. B.
      To tell if the bike is moving
    3. C.
      To make the bike easy to ride
    4. D.
      To judge the speed of the bike
  4. 4.

    What can be inferred about the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

    1. A.
      It will be turned off immediately if the bike stops
    2. B.
      The traffic lights have no effect on the light
    3. C.
      It won’t use any power if the bike is unused
    4. D.
      It must meet two requirements if it comes on

Tired of Working in Your Country ?
With over 500 instructors and 20 years of experience , we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign language . We now have positions open in Osaka for instructors of English ,German ,Spanish and French .
Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up 3 students
Accommodation and other necessary document will be ready before you leave.
Excellent teacher training programs.  If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different culture , apply now . Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required . Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C.V. and send letters to
NOVA France , Mr, Sampy (IHT 3/2)
34,BD. Haussmannn, 75009 Paris ,France
Fax: 33348034804
Or visit our website :www.teachjp.com
The manager expects to meet and talk successful applicant in Paris in June and July

  1. 1.

    What is the purpose of the text?

    1. A.
      To introduce a language school in Japan
    2. B.
      To hire language teachers to work in Japan
    3. C.
      To describe working conditions in Japan
    4. D.
      To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers
  2. 2.

    we know from the text that who are going to Japan will______.

    1. A.
      only teacher English in Osaka
    2. B.
      receive a degree from a university
    3. C.
      have free accommodation
    4. D.
      get trained for the job
  3. 3.

    Before going to Japan , you need ______.

    1. A.
      to see the manager of NOVA France
    2. B.
      to take some computer courses
    3. C.
      to find a place to live
    4. D.
      to write a letter to Japan
  4. 4.

    If you want to work in Japan you should ______.

    1. A.
      have some working experience
    2. B.
      know how to use computer
    3. C.
      present good teaching plans
    4. D.
      speak several language

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed in action. But as a young girl. I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface (表面)”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace – it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
But the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside – a photo of my father and a one-paper letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.
“In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.”

  1. 1.

    The writer began to love her mother’s desk________

    1. A.
      after Mother died
    2. B.
      after she wrote the letter
    3. C.
      when she was a child
    4. D.
      when Mother gave it to her
  2. 2.

    The passage shows that_________

    1. A.
      Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
    2. B.
      Mother was too serious about her daughter in words
    3. C.
      Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words
    4. D.
      Mother wrote to her daughter in careless words
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is NOT true?

    1. A.
      The author may work as a writer
    2. B.
      The author and her mother love each other, but didn’t say it out
    3. C.
      Neither the author nor her mother had a happy family
    4. D.
      The author’s mother is a person who prefers act to words
  4. 4.

    What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?

    1. A.
      She had never received the letter
    2. B.
      For years, she often talked about the letter
    3. C.
      She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life
    4. D.
      She read the letter again and again till she died
  5. 5.

    What’s best title of the passage?

    1. A.
      My letter to Mother
    2. B.
      Mother and children
    3. C.
      My Mother’s Desk
    4. D.
      Talks between Mother and me

People have been painting pictures for at least 30,000 years. The earliest pictures were painted by people who hun­ted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows why they were painted there. Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals. Or per­haps human beings have always wanted to tell stories accord­ing to pictures.
About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as kind of writing. They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas, and also to represent the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet.
　　The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting picture writing and pictures together. When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories. It has been said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip. But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.
　　By the year 1,000 BC, people who lived in the area around the Mediterranean Sea had developed a simpler system of writing. The signs they used were very easy to write, and there were fewer of them than in the Egyptian system. This was because each sign, or letter, represented only one sound in their language. The Greeks developed this system and formed the letters of the Greek alphabet. The Romans copied the idea, and the Roman alphabet is now used all over the world.
　　These days, we can write down a story, or record information, without using pictures. But we still need pictures of all kinds: drawing, photographs, signs and diagrams. We find them everywhere: in books and newspapers, in the street, and on the walls of the places where we live and work. Pictures help us to understand and remember things more easily, and they can make a story much more interesting

  1. 1.

    Pictures of animals were painted on the walls of caves in France and Spain because______

    1. A.
      the hunters wanted to see the pictures
    2. B.
      the painters were animal lovers
    3. C.
      the painters wanted to show imagination
    4. D.
      the pictures were thought to be helpful
  2. 2.

    The Greek alphabet was simpler than the Egyptian system for all the following reasons EXCEPT that______

    1. A.
      the former was easy to write
    2. B.
      there were fewer signs in the former
    3. C.
      the former was easy to pronounce
    4. D.
      each sign stood for only one sound
  3. 3.

    Which of the following statements is TRUE?

    1. A.
      The Egyptian signs later became a particular alphabet
    2. B.
      The Egyptians liked to write comic strip stories
    3. C.
      The Roman alphabet was developed from the Egyptian one
    4. D.
      The Greeks copied their writing system from the Egyptians
  4. 4.

    In the last paragraph, the author thinks that pictures ______

    1. A.
      should be made comprehensible
    2. B.
      should be made interesting
    3. C.
      are of much use in our life
    4. D.
      have disappeared from our life
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