The Apple iPhone’s impact was widely evident (明显的) at the Consumer Electronics Show, as new touch－screen devices could be found everywhere.

The consumer electronics industry came unbuttoned in Las Vegas this week. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, companies from around the world unveiled many devices boasting (以拥有…而自豪) touch – sensitive technology, rather than traditional push-button controls.

Motorola, Sony, and LG Electronics all showed off touch-screen phones this week. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates praised and offered a touch-screen computer, the Surface, related to a flat panel TV for a tabletop. Even camera makers, such as Kodak，included touch-screen LCDs in their devices. Touch-screen tech has been in use for years，but the push to develop and weave it into consumer electronics gathered steam with the June introduction of Apple’s iPhone. “The touch-screen industry is really getting hot,” says Jennifer Colegrove, a senior analyst at iSuppli. “Since the iPhone came out, there are a lot of companies that did not have a relationship with touch screens before that decided, ‘OK, I want to make a touch screen, too.’”

The touch－screen tech ecosystem now includes more than 100 companies specializing in everything from smudge-proof (防污的) screens to sensors (传感器) able to detect fingers before they even contact the screen. Sales of leading touch-screen technologies，such as those used in mobile phones and navigation (航行) devices，are expected to rise to $ 4.4 billion in 2012, up from $ 2.4 billion in 2006，according to iSuppli estimates.

What did the writer think about the Apple iPhone？

A. The Apple iPhone was beautiful.       

B. The Apple iPhone was popular.

C. The Apple iPhone was expensive.                 

D. The Apple iPhone was attractive.

What is the meaning of the underlined word “unveiled” in the second paragraph？

A. Invented.                                              B. Unlocked.        

C. Discovered.                                           D. Showed.

The touch-screen tech was used in consumer electronics mainly because of _______.

A. traditional push-button controls                    

B. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates

C. the introduction of Apple’s iPhone                

D. the touch-screen tech ecosystem

What can we learn from the passage?

A. The touch-screen technology will disappear.

B. The touch-screen technology will be replaced by traditional push-button controls.

C. The touch-screen technology will be as important as traditional push-button   controls.

D. The touch-screen technology will be more widely used in electronics devices.

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．

       Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（预期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．

       As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．

       Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．

       By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面临） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顾问） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（压倒性的）．

       Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States．

       A．no stepfamilies                       B．more stepfamilies than ever before

       C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before      D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

       A．The pursuit of the same careers．        B．Professional interventions（干涉）．

       C．The development of special interests．   D．Careful planning before the marriage．

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．

       A．everlasting loyalties              B．open communication

       C．kindness and mutual respect        D．persistent（持久稳固的） affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　　．

       A．unrealistic     B．complicated          C．ambivalent           D．guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　　．

       A．impossible                             B．satisfying and rewarding

       C．discouraging and frustrating                 D．a difficult and trying experience

Downing Street sources have indicated that the British tennis player，Andy Murray，will be Recommended for a knighthood(爵士头衔)for ending Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s champion title．David Cameron，the British prime minister，who was in the royal box on Sunday at Wimbledon．told reporters that he couldn’t think of anyone who deserves one more．

    More news on the knighthood is surely to come．but Murray’s achievement has a twist in that he is Scottish．not English．

Also in the royal box show on Sunday was Scotland’s  first minister, Alex Salmond, waving the white-and-blue Scottish flag．in the row directly behind Cameron after the victory．No Scotsman had won the singles at Wimbledon since Harold Mahony in 1896．Salmond was later asked on BBC Radio whether Murray’s achievement had been a victory for Britain． “Absolutely，and for tennis fans everywhere，"Salmond said．“Let everyone enjoy the victory．But you will allow us just the little private thing．Let us wave our national flag．’’

    The Scottish government，headed by Salmond，has announced that Scotland will hold a referendum(全民票)on independence from Britain in September 2014．Murray，who lives in the London area but was born and raised in the Scottish town of Dunblane，has not said publicly which way he would vote on the issue，and his Wimbledon Championship will only mix interest in his views．

    But this was，make no mistake，a national moment．Murray’s semifinal victory over Jerzy Janowicz drew a peak television audience of 13.24 million viewers．the biggest of the year in Britain．The final then topped that with a peak audience of 17.3 million，the biggest audience for a Wimbledon final since at least 1990, according to the BBC．

Only one name will go on the trophy(奖杯)，but tennis at the highest level has now become a team event．Murray，who once had frequent fits of anger during matches，has transformed himself into a much more focused force with the help of an extensive support group．Murray’s rise to champion has clearly  something to do with his decision to hire the former number one tennis champion Ivan Lendl as his coach just before the2012 season．“He’s been very patient with me; I'm just happy I managed to do it for him．”

Onward Team Murray goes toward a defense of the United States Open title，beginning next month，and then eventually to defending at Wimbledon next year with the British drought(干旱) well and truly over．

1.The underlined word “twist” in the second paragraph refers to Murray’s_____.

A．achievement            B．knighthood

C．champion title           D．nationality

2.Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Murray is the first British to have won the singles at Wimbledon．

B．Murray’s victory over Jerzy Janowicz drew the biggest audience of the year．

C．Murray has won the championship of the United States Open before．

D．Murray was born a strong，talented and cool-headed tennis player．

3.What does the author mean by saying“the British drought well and truly over”?

A．Murray is concerned about the drought that struck Britain．

B．Drought in Britain will be over next year when Wimbledon is held．

C．British government’s rule over Scotland will come to an end soon．

D．The British people’s desire for a Wimbledon victory is fully satisfied．

4.What does the writer intend to tell us?

A．The whole Great Britain is enjoying Murray’s victory．

B．Scotland is going to gain independence from Britain

C．The secret lies behind Murray’s Wimbledon victory．

D．Murray was torn between the choices in the referendum．

High school graduation is worth celebrating. It marks a big change in the lives of young adults. However, it ought to mean even more. It ought to mean that the graduate is ready for college or career.

In a report issued last year, we found that almost half of recent Illinois high school graduates required remedial courses(补习课) upon enrolling(注册) a community college. These courses require time and money to complete, yet offer no credits toward a degree. Too often, students never get through those remedial courses and end up dropping out of college.

Why is the remediation rate so high? A large part of the reason is that we have not set high enough standards for what our students need to learn from kindergarten to high school. They simply aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

The same is true for careers. In Illinois, good jobs continue to go vacant(空缺) even while we are trying hard to go through tough economic times. This is due largely to the mismatch between the skills and knowledge we provide our students with and what employers in a modern economy need workers to know.

The good news is that in Illinois we have a plan to help get our students ready for life in the real world. We have already taken an important first step by becoming one of the 45 states to adopt the Common Core State Standards and have begun introducing them to classrooms this year. The new standards provide fewer, clearer and higher benchmarks(标准) for academic progress. They focus on deeper knowledge required at each grade level, give teachers the opportunity to explore topics fully and ensure students can apply what they’ve learned.

Research shows that when expectations are raised, students rise to meet them. Adapting to higher standards and raising expectations may prove challenging, but they are the steps we must take so that our students are successful in high school and prepared for college and careers. Readiness is worth a celebration.

1.According to the passage, in most cases, students taking part in remedial courses ___.

A．come from wealthy families

B．leave college before finishing their courses

C．are offered credits toward a degree

D．are likely to develop their academic interest

2.The author uses the third and fourth paragraphs to __.

A．provide solutions to the rising remediation rate

B．show the present situation of unemployment in Illinois

C．suggest knowledge learned in school be put into practice

D．explain why students aren’t prepared for college and a career

3.Which of the following statements about the Common Core State Standards is TRUE?

A．They were first adopted in Illinois.

B．More benchmarks are required.

C．They benefit teachers as well as students.

D．They ensure students’ success in college.

4.Based on the last paragraph, what is the author’s attitude to raising expectations of students?

A．Supportive                            B．Critical

C．Doubtful                              D．Worried

Skeptics are a strange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the environment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The “eco-guilt” brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.
Perhaps that explain why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the “real state of the world” as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets some big businesses with special interests. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg’s views are similar to those of some Industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities though the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.
So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg’s book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that “After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down.”
Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg’s “preference for unexamined materials is incredible (不可信的)”。
A critical (批判的) eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That’s a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.
【小题1】 According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as “skeptics”?