阅读理解。

In a computer age, a broadband Internet connection is very popular now.Whether cable or mobile broadband, today's connections are many times faster than those in the early days.Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.

There's a hidden problem：you have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don't, it's slow dial?up access for you. And for those living really far away，there may be no Internet access at all.

Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs(郊区), it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities，especially in developing countries. Internet service providers，for their part，have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn't cover the expense.

But every year，technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users.Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren't available everywhere.

Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines.Advancements in cheaper and more efficient fiber?optic cables(光缆)promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with.There will always be somewhere that doesn't have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cellphone technology has any indication, it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.

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

A．Internet connections have been popular everywhere.

B．Internet service providers are willing to care about rural customers.

C．The problem of Internet access hasn't been completely dealt with.

D．Computers can't become popular in developing countries.

2.Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements ________.

A．make TV and telephone available everywhere

B．bring great change to people's everyday life

C．bring faster Internet connections to users

D．make it possible for more people to use the Internet

3.What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?

A．The broadband connection's getting faster.

B．The rapid progress in cellphone technology.

C．More and more Internet connections.

D．More and more Internet users.

4.The best title for this passage may be “________”．

A．Internet Connection Problems

B．Internet Connections Need Improving

C．Progress in Internet Connections

D．Internet Connections Today

阅读理解。

Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers.Brain?computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.

Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated(展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.

In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.

“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”

The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair.The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.

Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories：communication，and controlling devices.One example is this wheelchair.”

He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from.And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.

1.How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?

A．By controlling his muscles.

B．By talking to the machine.

C．By moving his hand.

D．By using his mind.

2.Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?

A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair

B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair

C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair

D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair

3.The team will test with real patients to________.

A．make profits from them

B．prove the technology useful to them

C．make them live longer

D．learn about their physical condition

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center

B．New Findings about How the Human Brain Works

C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries

完形填空。

Communication is an important part of any relationship.Many of us are ____ to share our experiences or emotions with our friends. But when it's our turn to lend a(n) ____，we soon become bored or are short of ideas on how to ____ and offer advice.

That's because of what researchers call “listener burnout (精疲力竭)”. A friend might talk to us ____， often complaining about the same ____ problems. When we offer quick advice to ____ the situation, we may be unconsciously trying to ____ ourselves from burnout.However, good listeners ____ their natural tendency to solve the other's problems hurriedly and to keep the conversation brief.

To be a good ____， you need to use “active listening”. It starts with the real ____ to help others and think through their feelings. Don't ____ things. You can start by putting your phone ____ and sitting close to your friend. Let your facial expressions ____ what he or she is saying.____ you are able to fully understand, acknowledge the other person's ____ by reflecting them back：“That must be really hard for you.” Use ____ words or even sounds such as “yes” “right”， and “hmm” to ____ the other person to continue.

Of course, a ____ can be extremely hard if the other person is too critical.But don't get defensive.Effective listeners don't ____ negative criticism. Instead, they listen and understand what the person is trying to convey ____responding.

1.A．afraid B．hesitant C．shy D．eager

2.A．shoulder B．hand C．ear D．eye

3.A．respond B．explain C．argue D．quit

4.A．aimlessly B．endlessly C．deliberately D．cautiously

5.A．difficult B．old C．acute D．sensitive

6.A．fix B．discuss C．create D．describe

7.A．forgive B．protect C．discourage D．prevent

8.A．follow B．display C．form D．overcome

9.A．reader B．partner C．listener D．speaker

10.A．demand B．habit C．desire D．ability

11.A．skip B．rush C．overlook D．postpone

12.A．away B．off C．out D．up

13.A．record B．restrict C．reflect D．replace

14.A．Whether B．Since C．While D．If

15.A．suggestions B．purposes C．responses D．feelings

16.A．big B．tough C．strong D．short

17.A．force B．remind C．encourage D．convince

18.A．conversation B．suggestion C．problem D．lecture

19.A．give up B．make up C．leave out D．block out

20.A．after B．before C．while D．once

阅读理解。

Based on new analysis, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society and the environment could be quite severe.Geographers predict that within the next eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and some could completely disappear.Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter，forcing animals to migrate(迁徙) north.

Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases.Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense.If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear.

According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100，many of today's familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today's world.It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far?reaching consequences for the whole world.The planet itself has been showing signs of change.In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake.Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.

Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously thought.At this point, it doesn't matter what is causing it, but rather, what can be done about it.What's more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year.There is war and threat of war everywhere.Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.

However, other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection between this.No one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.

1.What is the major function of Paragraph 1?

A．To arouse the reader's concern.

B．To introduce the theme of the whole passage.

C．To summarize the whole passage.

D．To state how climate changes.

2.What is the author's purpose in using the examples of earthquakes?

A．To show major changes are taking place on the planet.

B．To remind people to prevent future earthquakes.

C．To show the damage earthquakes caused.

D．To tell us more earthquakes will happen in the future.

3.Which of the following is NOT true of climate changes' effects?

A．Animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear.

B．It could lead to the spread of diseases.

C．Current world climate zones could shift and completely disappear.

D．Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Animals and plants won't die out as long as climate changes slowly.

B．There's enough data for us to predict the future of climate change.

C．The world is getting more unstable because of animal migration.

D．The earth is not the only planet that is experiencing climate change.

阅读理解。

According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel (专家咨询组) on Climate Change, global temperatures have risen by approximately 0.6℃ in the past century, caused mainly by emissions of greenhouse gases produced by human activities，such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.Temperatures are to increase between 1.6℃ and 5.8℃ in the next century, accompanied by sea level rise and an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events.

The best available evidence suggests that climate changes since the 1970s may already be causing over 150,000 deaths annually, and that greenhouse gas emissions would increase disease burdens in the coming decades.The risks are concentrated in the poorest population, who have contributed least to the problem.

The Kyoto Protocol (京都议定书) is signed by 128 nations，and commits the participating industrialized countries to cutting emissions of greenhouse gases by over 5% below 1990 level by the period of 2008?2012.

“Over 600 thousand people died in weather?related disasters in the 1990s.Temperature and rainfall influence the rates of diseases and infections including malaria，and malnutrition，which together cause over 3.5 million deaths a year.The Kyoto Protocol is the first step towards protecting the climate system，which exerts such a strong influence on our health”，said Dr Kerstin Leitner，Assistant Director?General for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments.

While acting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is also essential to protect vulnerable (脆弱的) communities from the effects of climate changes.WHO works to promote measures such as protection from malaria and other climate sensitive diseases, and reliable access to clean water and sanitation, for people in the most vulnerable developing countries.Increasing disease control efforts will also help to protect current and future generations from the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions.

1.According to the passage, what is the reason for the rise of global temperatures?

A．The burning of fossil fuels.

B．The rise of sea level.

C．Extreme weather disasters.

D．The emissions of greenhouse gases.

2.Which of the following is true?

A．Weather?related disasters caused over 3.5 million deaths.

B．The climate system has a deep impact on human health.

C．The members of the Kyoto Protocol are all industrialized countries.

D．The poorest population are to blame because they contribute least to the problem.

3.In order to protect communities, WHO takes some measures except________.

A．preventing diseases caused by climate changes

B．helping to provide clean water

C．aiding to offer sanitation

D．gaining access to vulnerable developing countries

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Climate changes and the effects on human health.

B．Climate changes cause over 15,000 deaths annually.

C．Who promotes measures such as protection from malaria.

D．The Kyoto Protocol helps to protect human health.

完形填空

Ricardo Semler became boss of his father's business Semco in Brazil at the age of 21.Ricardo worked like a(an) ______ man，from 7：30 am to midnight every day.One afternoon，while he was visiting a factory in New York，he ______.The doctor told him if he ______ like that，he would find a new home in hospital.Semler got the ______.He changed the way he ______.In fact，he changed the ways his ______ worked，too.

He let his workers take more ______ so that they would be the ones worrying when things went wrong.He ______ them to set their own salaries，______ their own working hours and he cut all the jobs he thought were ______， like receptionists and secretaries.

He changed the office：______ walls, they have plants at Semco, so bosses can't ______ themselves away from everyone else.And the workers are ______ to decorate their workspace as they want.

It sounds perfect, but does it ______？ The answer is in the ______：in the last six years，Semco's revenues(收入) have ______ from $35 million to $212 million.The company has gone from 800 employees to 3,000.Why?

Semler says it's because of “peer pressure” which makes employees work ______ for everyone else.If someone isn't doing his job ______， the other workers will not allow the ______ to continue.In other words, Ricardo treats his workers like adults rather than children, and expects them to act like responsible ______.And they do.

1.A．interesting B．independent C．mad D．great

2.A．fell down B．gave up C．went out D．got off

3.A．changed B．continued C．dropped D．went

4.A．sound B．way C．sense D．message

5.A．walked B．talked C．worked D．treated

6.A．family B．workers C．friends D．children

7.A．responsibility B．money C．power D．expectation

8.A．persuaded B．forced C．forbade D．allowed

9.A．decide B．want C．understand D．try

10.A．unnecessary B．unpopular C．stupid D．difficult

11.A．above all B．instead of C．apart from D．except for

12.A．put B．get C．shut D．take

13.A．willing B．free C．tired D．eager

14.A．develop B．grow C．happen D．work

15.A．eyes B．numbers C．persons D．dollars

16.A．grown B．dropped C．beaten D．made

17.A．straight B．slow C．hard D．seldom

18.A．perfect B．wrong C．well D．late

19.A．trouble B．situation C．pressure D．suffering

20.A．children B．teenagers C．professors D．adults

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Every Wednesday, I go to Cantata Adult Life Services，a local retirement community in Brookfield, Illinois, US, with my classmates to do community service.

After my very first visit to Cantata，my life changed forever.That may sound a bit dramatic, but volunteering with the elderly has changed my views on life.

Our visits last about an hour, and we bring 25?30 students every time. We play board games and cards with the residents while we're there.

You can watch all the movies and TV shows you want about “life back then”， but nothing compares to talking to the people who were actually there. Just hearing their stories has touched me in a way I never thought possible.

Whether it was talking to 98?year?old “Hurricane Hilda” about her glory days as a roller skater or chatting with Lou about the times she danced with a famous actor, I was completely attracted by every single memory the residents wanted to share with me.

Even the residents who don't have amazing memories make the experience satisfying.I remember visiting Mrs. Robinson. She couldn't recall much about her past, but she told me she'd never forget how kind I was just to listen to her “rambling(漫谈)”. It made me realize that it's the little things that make life worth living. That's something I won't forget anytime soon.

If there's one thing I've realized in my three years of visiting Cantata, it's that presence—just being there—means more than anything to many of the residents. And despite how busy our lives are, there's always time to make someone's day.

For me, it feels great to be a source of happiness, a smile on a bad day or a listening ear for old memories. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

It's easy to feel like you don't have anything in common with the elderly—especially when you're a teenager. But that's not true at all.

I hate to be overly clichéd(陈词滥调的) here, but age really is just a number. As young adults, it's important for us to realize this sooner rather than later.We can learn a lot from the elderly, and they can often benefit from teenagers too.

1.What do the volunteers do according to the passage?

A．They share everything with the residents.

B．They play board games and cards with the residents.

C．They watch the residents play games.

D．They buy gifts for the residents.

2.According to the writer, what is the most important thing that volunteers can do for the elderly?

A．Playing with them.

B．Benefiting from them.

C．Helping them.

D．Being there with them.

3.What does the writer want to tell us by writing this passage?

A．We don't have anything in common with the elderly.

B．Age is just a number.

C．It is important to help the elderly.

D．Young adults and the elderly can benefit from each other.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Announcements

Bret Harte vs. Calaveras alumni boys

The annual Bret Harte vs. CHS alumni boy basketball game will be held at 7 p．m.，Saturday, Nov. 30，at Calaveras High. All players must have played at least one year of varsity (校队) basketball. Cost to play is $30. Admission for audience is $5 for adults and $2 for kids. Kids 6 and under are admitted free. For more information, call Kraig Clifton at 743?0679 or Jeff Eltringham at 736?0162.

CHS girls basketball skills

The Calaveras High girls basketball program presents the Junior Redskins Winter Skills, a developmental basketball program for girls in fifth through eighth grades that will be held from 2 p．m. to 4：30 p．m. Sundays. Sign?ups are still being accepted for the second of two five?week sessions, which will be held for five Sundays in a row beginning Jan. 12,2014. Cost is $25 per session. Each competitor receives a T?shirt at the end of each session with recommended drills.For more information or to sign up, call Jeremy Malamed at 217?4563 or email sports.calent@gmail.com.

CHS swim/baseball coaching vacancies

Calaveras High School (CHS) is looking for a head boys/girls swim coach and a baseball coach for the 2014 spring season. Applications will be accepted and jobs will remain open until filled. Interview dates are to be set. Anyone interested can stop by the district office or the high school for an application.For more information, call Mike Koepp at 754?1811.

Foothills Little League sign?ups

Foothills Little League will hold sign?ups for the 2014 season from 6 p．m. to 8 p．m.，Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Pizza Factory in Valley Springs. All players must provide proofs of citizenship and a birth certificate.For more information, call Shawn Threet at 304?7399 or leave a message at 772?1516.

Yoga in Rail Road Flat

Yoga is being offered at Rail Road Flat Elementary from 9.30 a．m. to 11 a．m. Fridays with instructor Kristine Louise. Cost is a $5 instructor fee and $2 donation to The Friends of Rail Road Flat School for each person. For more information，visit friendsofrrfschool.org.

1.If you enter for the girls basketball，program，________.

A．you can make a call to Kraig Clifton

B．you can visit friendsofrrfschool.org

C．you can realize your goal on Jan. 19,2014

D．you can buy a T?shirt with the girls' names

2.As an excellent baseball trainer, you will show interest in ________.

A．CHS swim/baseball coaching vacancies

B．Foothills Little League sign?ups

C．CHS girls basketball skills

D．Bret Harte vs. Calaveras alumni boys

3.If you take your wife and two children to practice yoga，you should pay ________.

A．20 dollars B．8 dollars

C．28 dollars D．14 dollars

4.Which of the following needs your identification?

A．Yoga in Rail Road Flat.

B．CHS girls basketball skills.

C．CHS swim/baseball coaching vacancies.

D．Foothills Little League sign?ups.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Many people in high school cannot wait to go to college and leave their hometown behind.Questions arise, though, when it comes to all of the decisions involved in choosing a college.

One of the first considerations may be finance. State and public colleges are often the least expensive. Often, though, the better colleges are private and more expensive. It is sad when gifted students cannot attend a college of their choice just for financial reasons.

Another major factor is location. Whether the college is in a small town or large city can have a major impact on its activities. A water lover probably will be more comfortable spending four years near an ocean or a lake.Those who cannot tolerate heat will probably be more comfortable at a northern college. Distance from home may also come into consideration.If family is a top priority, that person should stay close to home; on the other hand, if independence is desired, a campus farther from home would be more appropriate.

School size also plays a major role in the decision process. If you want to get to know your teachers, a small college is suitable. For those of you who consider yourself a “people_person” and want a wide range of activities, a large college is more fitting. Your area of interest is another factor to consider in the decision?making process if you want to get the most from your education. The whole point of college is to learn what is of interest to you.

Crucially(至关重要地), one must take into consideration the colleges by which you can realistically be accepted. An Ivy League school for an average student would probably not be a good match. Similarly, an average school for an above?average student would not work well. The college should provide enough of a challenge for the student to work hard.Although there may not be the perfect college out there, there probably will be one that is close.Those who cannot find a suitable college are probably not looking hard enough.

1.When it comes to going to college the author thinks ________.

A．students will become homesick

B．students are unwilling to leave their home

C．financial situation is the first to consider

D．students are eager to attend their ideal university

2.What is the main idea of the third paragraph?

A．The location of the college is a main factor.

B．A long distance will make students upset.

C．Students can be independent at college.

D．The climate must be taken into consideration.

3.What does the underlined part “people person” in the passage mean?

A．A very sociable person.

B．A very particular person.

C．A person of great capacity.

D．A person of great importance.

4.Which is the most important factor when choosing a college?

A．The location of a college.

B．The coming challenges.

C．School size.

D．The examination result.

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy?to?swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.

Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管)．A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre?existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease—responsible for 180,000 deaths a year—and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.

Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean?style diet rich in tomatoes, fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Preliminary results from a two?month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium—the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.

Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University's clinical trials unit, said，“These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”

Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol?lowing drugs.

Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that's a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”

1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．We can eat too much tomato food.

B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks.

C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements if they are put into pills.

D．We had better not eat tomatoes.

2.We can learn from the passage that the pills ________.

A．are at the experiment stage

B．can cure all the disease

C．are widely used among patients

D．cost patients so little money

3.Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?

A．Children. B．Youth.

C．Working people. D．Old healthy people.

4.What was Ian Wilkinson's opinion on the trial?

A．Disappointing. B．Surprising.

C．Satisfactory. D．Terrible.