Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of US technology giant Apple, has died at the age of 56. Mr Jobs had announced he was suffering from cancer in 2004. Apple said he had been "the source of countless innovations（创新）that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably（无法衡量的）better".
Tributes(赞美之辞) have been made by technology company bosses and world leaders, with US President Barack Obama saying the world had "lost a visionary（有远见卓识的人）". "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators —— brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," said Mr Obama.
A statement from Mr Jobs's family said they were with him when he died peacefully on Wednesday. "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he loved his family deeply," they said, requesting privacy and thanking those who had "shared their wishes and prayers" during his final year.
Apple said the company had "lost a visionary and creative genius(天才) and the world have lost an amazing human being". Tim Cook, who was made Apple's CEO after Mr Jobs stood down in August, said his predecessor had left behind "a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple". Flags are being flown at half mast outside the Apple headquarters（总部） in Cupertino, California, while fans of the company have left tributes outside Apple shops around the world.
The heads of other leading technology companies have also paid tribute, including Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who said "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been a great honour. I will miss Steve very much."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thanks Mr Jobs for "showing that what you build can change the world" while Sony Corp president and CEO Howard Stringer said: "The digital age has lost its leading light." South Korea's Samsung, which is involved in a case with Apple over patents(专利), admired Mr Jobs for his "Completely new and different changes to the IT industry".
【小题1】Hearing of Steve Jobs’ death, the heads of other leading technology companies have paid tribute and __________.

Do you like drinking Coke? As a symbol of American culture, Coca-Cola is liked by many people, especially young people all around the world. But from now on, perhaps it will be hard for students in the US to get it on campus. A new agreement will end almost all sales of high-sugar fizzy drinks in US schools. The agreement allows only unsweetened juice, low-fat milk and water in primary and middle school vending machines（自动售货机）and cafeterias. Former American president Bill Clinton helped the American Heart Association and the beverage industry（饮料业） to come up with the agreement. He suffered from a weight problem and has had a heart operation since leaving the White House. He takes the agreement as “a bold step forward in the struggle to help 35 million young people lead healthier lives”.
Rising childhood obesity（肥胖）has become a big problem in America. A federal report noted that obesity has tripled among teenagers in the past 25 years. It called for new limits on the marketing of junk food to children. Soda is a particular target because of its caloric content and popularity among children.
Britain has already taken similar steps to fight obesity. A recent study shows that people in the UK are much healthier than the people in the US. However, it’s better late than never. Now American schools are trying to make new rules to guide the students to choose healthy drinks. American schools say goodbye to Coca-Cola.
【小题1】What kind of beverage is NOT allowed to sell on campus?

“Mind your own business．” we’re told．“Don’t talk about others behind their backs．”The problem with this advice is that，not only is it unrealistic，it’s also counterproductive(起反作用的)．

??? Common sense holds that gossip(流言蜚语)hurts people’s feelings and damages relationships．But recent research shows the opposite—that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip．

??? Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior．“If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly，his gossip is letting you in on something，”says Dr．Ralph Rosnow of Temple University．“Gossip says：these are the boundaries and you are crossing them．You’re not abiding by the rules and you’d better get back in line．” Seen this way，gossip is a way to communicate criticism(批评)without conflict(冲突)，giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face．

??? On the other hand，what about ill-willed gossip，the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don’t and，in nearly every country in the world，gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers．According to researchers，however，this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective(正确地)．“If we read bad news about well-known people，or get the frightful details of our neighbors’ bad situation over a cup of coffee，our own problems begin to pale in comparison(对比)，”says Dr．Jack Levin of Northeastern University．

??? However，that doesn’t mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing，either．Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they’re under a lot of stress．This might be because while they’re busy talking about other people，they’re also busy thinking what other people are saying about them．
1.What is the purpose of the text?

A．To encourage us to spread gossip about others．

B．To prevent us from spreading gossip about others。

C．To make a comparison between good gossip and bad gossip．

D．To recognize certain positive functions of gossip．

2.According to the passage，people in general think that__________．

A．it’s a bad habit to gossip

B．nobody pays attention to gossip

C．not all the gossip you hear is worth believing

D．it’s necessary to have a nice gossip with a friend or neighbor

3.The underlined phrase “abiding by” in Paragraph 3 most probably means“________”．

A．making??? ????????????? ????????????? B．breaking??? ????????????? ????????????? C．obeying??? ????????????? D．changing

4.It could be learned from the passage that__________.

A. people under much stress enjoy gossiping about others.

B. in a way gossip helps us deal with our own problems.

C. in fact most people tend to believe gossip.

D. the more there is gossip, the stronger relationships become between people.

On December 5th, 2013, Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, died at the age of 95.

He was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918.When he was a child, he worshiped(崇拜) national heroes very much. After he graduated from the university, he threw himself into the struggle(斗争) for anti-apartheid (反种族隔离制度). He was sentenced to life imprisonment(终身监禁) and was in prison(监狱) for 27 years. In 1994, Mandela became the first black president in the history of South Africa. In his life, he won nearly 100 awards. In 1993, he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

   Mandela also paid close attention to AIDS. He established AIDS Foundation(艾滋病基金）named after him. As we all know that Africans love sports very much. In order to hold the 2010 World Cup, he also did his best, though he was very old and weak. The World Cup of South Africa began on June 11, 2010. This was not only a football match for Africans but something more. It was filled with his strong wish—peace and unity(团结). Mandela got the respect from all over the world. So South African people said, “Our nation has lost its greatest son, our people have lost a father.” Now, the birthday of Mandela, July 18th, became an international festival—the International Mandela Day.

1.Who was Nelson Mandela?

A. Former President of South Africa           B. A football player

C. An AIDS patient                          D. A thief

2.How old was he when he died?

A. 74                                     B. 95                            C. 27                            D.75

3.What does “sentenced” mean in Chinese?                 

A.  句子                      B. 练习                       C.宣判                    D. 暗杀   

4.When is the International Mandela Day?

A. June 18                     B. June 11              C. January 18          D. July 18

5.Which of the following is NOT true about the passage?

A. Mandela was put into the prison because he was a thief.

B. Mandela loved peace and freedom.

C. Mandela got the respect of the world.

D. Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.