Some people say, “Extreme(极限的) sports are so dangerous. Why would anyone want to do them?” But the danger is what makes them so excited. Keep reading to find out the most popular ones.

Bungee jumping: People on some South Pacific islands have been bungee jumping for hundreds of years. In 1979, some people bungee jumped off a bridge in England and made the sport popular around the world. Bungee jumping came to China in 1996.
Skateboarding: At first, this sport was called “sidewalk surfing”. Skateboarders often jump high into the air, go down steps or slide(滑行) down rails on their boards. They wear baggy trousers(宽松裤) so they can move more freely.
Skydiving: This is probably the scariest(最惊险的) extreme sport. Skydivers jump out of airplanes about four kilometers up in the sky. They usually free-fall for a while and then open a parachute to slow down for a safe landing.
Snowboarding: This became a winter Olympic sport in 1998. People tie their feet to the board with special shoes. They don’t use any ski sticks. Then, they ride down hills, jump high and do tricks.
【小题1】What made bungee jumping popular all over the world?

Today there are 6.4 billion people on the earth. By the year 2050 there may be 12.5 billion . There are a lot of people to feed. We need more  and more food.

     One way to produce more food is growing stronger plants. For thousands of years, farmers have made plants better. Every season, they pick the best plants for the next season. It works very slowly. Since 1983, scientists have been able to change plants more quickly by changing their genetic（遗传的） material. Foods from plants grown in this way are called genetically modified(改变的) foods, or GM foods.

     By changing the genetic material of a plant, it is possible to make new plants. They make plants which are strong against plant diseases. They can also help in our diseases; a kind of rice is being prepared , for example , which stops people becoming blind.

     Rich countries produce GM foods because they are easy to grow and bring in more money. Poor countries are interested in them because they help produce more food.

      GM plants are not natural. No one knows how good or bad they are,. Making GM foods is only one way of feeding people in 2050. There are strong feelings against them, because they are unnatural. They may feed people , then hurt them or their children later. But both rich and poor countries are interested in their use, and they are not going to go away. In 2050, we may think differently about them.

1.GM foods are made by                 

 A. farmers            B. workers      C. scientists          D plants

2.What are the good things about GM foods  ?

A. They make plants strong against diseases.   B. They are unnatural.

 C. They can help in human diseases.            D  Both A and  C.

3.GM foods        .

A. are a quick way to produce food    B. grow in the wild 

C. are safe                           D are grown only in rich countries

4.Why do some people not like GM foods?

A. They are not useful.       B. They are not helpful.

C. They are not natural.      D  They are not cheap.

5.From the passage we know that       .

A. GM foods will disappear one day in the future 

B. GM foods will not disappear in the future

C. People will not be interested in GM foods.

D. People will have to stop using GM foods

Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device (装置) which uses satellites (卫星) to find the user’s position (位置). It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.

GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.

There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting(环绕…运行) the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.

Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate. Also there will be new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost anywhere.

1.GPS can help you find your position, can’t it?

2.What does a GPS look like?

3.How many things are mentioned that GPS devices can be put into?

4.Why do some people think GPS devices will be popular in the future?

5.What is the use of ground stations?

6.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

阅读下面的短文，并根据文章后的要求答题。
　It is widely accepted that television is playing an important part in people's lives. But, there is a heated discussion as to whether television does good or harm.
Television keeps one learning more about present events, allows one to follow the most re¬cent developments in politics and science, and offers various programs which are .both instructive and exciting. The most distant countries, the strangest customs and the most attractive scenes of nature are brought right into one's room or house.
However, some people insist that television is bad rather than good. They argue that it has brought about many serious problems. The major one is its effects on young people. Children are now so used to getting their information and entertainment from television that their ability to read and write as well as physical ability has been greatly weakened. Even worse than that, vulgar( 庸俗的) advertisements and poor programs may develop their bad tastes, shape their view points badly towards human life to such a degree that their minds might be destroyed.
In a word, television has both advantages and disadvantages. Whatever effects it has, one point is certain, television in itself is neither good nor bad. It is the use to which it is put that decides its value to society.
【小题1】What are people discussing nowadays?
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【小题2】What are the advantages television has brought us ?(至少2点)
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【小题3】Why do some people think television is bad rather than good?
___________________________________
【小题4】It is the use to which it is put that decides its value to society. ___________________________________
【小题5】What's your opinion about television?

“Tom? Are you in bed yet?” called Mrs. White. There was no answer. Mrs. White put down her book and went to her 14-year-old son’s room. Tom was sitting in front of a bright computer screen on which a motorbike was running fast.
“Oh, Tom. You’re still playing on that computer game. You must stop now, because it’s half past eleven. If you don’t go to bed soon, you’ll be very tired tomorrow.” Said Mrs. White.
“But I’ve nearly won the game.” Tom said to Mrs. White. She could see the excitement on his face. She sat beside him.
“You’re always playing on the computer. You spend more time on this machine than on your homework.”
Today more and more families have computers. Parents hope computers can help their children improve their study at school. But many of their children use computers to play games, listen to songs and watch videos instead of studying. We often see that computer net bars are crowded with people, especially young boys. They spend a lot of money competing(竞争) with the computerized(用计算机控制的) machines. The more they lose, the more they want to win. The result is that they don’t’ want to work or study.
In some countries, even scientists hate computers. They say computers cause millions of people to lose their jobs or cause them a lot of trouble. Computer game addiction(瘾) is a serious problem in social life. Something should have to be done to solve the problem.
【小题1】How did Mrs. White feel when she saw her son playing late?