Your smartphone can do a lot of things. It can call people. It connects to the Internet. It enables you to play fun games. But there is a dark side to this smart little equipment of yours----- it might also spread disease.
“People are just likely to get sick from their phones as from handles of the bathroom, ” Jeffrey Cain, the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians , told The Wall Street Journal.
This may be hard to believe, but scientists reached this conclusion after they tested eight cell phones from an office in Chicago. All the tested phones showed high numbers of coliforms (大肠菌), a kind of bacteria found in human waste , with about 2700 to 4200 units of the bacteria on each phone. The bacteria can cause flu, pinkeye and other diseases . That is right --- your phone is covered in our human waste.
Although computers, keys and pens carry germs (细菌) , our phones get far dirtier. They touch a lot of things, including our hands and the inside of our pocket or purse. We take them almost everywhere: the bus, the subway and who hasn’t played Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja while sitting on the toilet?
“Some things that we think are personal are actually more public than we imagine,” Cain said.  What is even worse is that after the phone returns from its dirty trip, it then spends most of its time cozying up to our faces. You don’t think about how often you touch your phone to your face, do you? Our noses, mouths and ears are all warm and rich in grease (油脂) , an environment that germs really like.
So how do you keep your phone clean? Alcohol is effective when used to kill germs from the back and side of your phone. But it might harm the screen. There is one simple and reliable way you can reduce the germs on your phone’s surface: wash your hands regularly

1. 1.

   The underlined word “dark” in the first paragraph means _______

   1. A.
      black
   2. B.
      hopeless
   3. C.
      unpleasant
   4. D.
      unclear
2. 2.

   Which of the following best describe the tone of the third paragraph?

   1. A.
      Terrified
   2. B.
      concerned
   3. C.
      Satisfying
   4. D.
      Threatening
3. 3.

   By saying “Some things we think are personal are actually more public than we imagine,” Cain means that ________

   1. A.
      people love to share their phones more than they realize
   2. B.
      our personal items could be as risky to our health as public items
   3. C.
      phones are used in public places more than people realize
   4. D.
      Most people don’t know how dirty their cell phones are
4. 4.

   What is the article mainly about?

   1. A.
      Tips on the use of phones
   2. B.
      Health problems caused by the use of phones
   3. C.
      The danger of coliforms infection
   4. D.
      The influence that phone have on our life

The strong fear of high school math is lost here among the blue light of computer screens and the sounds of typing keyboard．

    A fanfare （喇叭声） plays from a speaker as a student passes a chapter test．Nearby another student is watching a video lecture．Another works out a math problem in her notebook before clicking on a multiple-choice answer on her screen．

    Their teacher at Agoura High School, US, Russell Stephans, sits at the back of the room, watching as scores pop up in real time on his computer grade sheet．One student has passed a level, the data shows; another is retaking a quiz．

    "Whoever thought this up makes life so much easier," Stephans says．

    This textbook-free classroom is by no means the norm（常态）, but it may be someday．Slowly, but in increasing numbers, schools across the US are replacing the heavy and expensive textbook with its lighter and cheaper cousin: the digital textbook．

    A digital textbook can be downloaded, projected and printed, and can range from simple text to a course filled with multimedia and links to Internet content．Some versions （版本） must be purchased; others are "open source" —free and available online to anyone．

    Some praise the technology as a way to save schools' money, replace outdated books and better engage students．Others say most schools don't have the resources to join in, or they question the quality of open-source content．

    Paper books still hold the highest percentage of the US textbook market, with digital textbooks making up less than 5 percent, according to analyst Kathy Mickey of Simba Information, a market research group．

    But that is changing, as grade schools follow the lead of US universities and schools in other countries, including South Korea and Turkey．

    California made the largest embrace （拥抱） of digital textbooks this summer when it approved 10 free high school math and science titles developed by college professors．The state left the choice to use them up to individual schools．

    "The textbooks are outdated, as far as I'm concerned, and there's no reason why our schools should have our students pull around these old-fashioned and heavy and expensive books," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said this summer．

    But some disagree with the idea that digital textbooks will improve education quality．

    "Keep in mind that with open-source materials, you have to ask: 'Where are they coming from?'" said Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publishers' school division．"Is it a trusted source? Is it based on real research?"

    Diskey said traditional textbooks offer a comprehensive course, while some open-source texts provide only bits and pieces．"There can be quite a difference of content and accuracy," he said．"In many cases, you get what you pay for．"

The writer's purpose in writing the passage is to  ____     .

A．explain how to use digital textbooks

B．predict the future of paper textbooks

C．describe the current use of digital textbooks and present arguments about it

D．explain the difference between paper textbooks and digital ones

What is Schwarzenegger's opinion of traditional textbooks?

A．He is against getting rid of them．

B．He wants to have them replaced with digital ones．

C．Soon they will no longer be used．

D．He believes that they are to blame for the poor quality of education in California

Diskey holds the view that       .

A．the government shouldn't strengthen the use of open-source digital texts

B．digital textbooks make up for the shortcomings of traditional textbooks．

C．paper textbooks and digital ones both have advantages

D．traditional textbooks have more reliable content

According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Math is easier with the use of computers．

B．It is believed that digital books will replace traditional ones．

C．Textbook-free classes are the main form of teaching in the US schools．

D．Not all people are in favor of replacing paper textbooks with digital ones．

Every language has its own special words and expressions．And a story can be told about each of them．“Hot” is a simple, easily-understood word．So are most of the expressions made with the word “hot”．But not always, as we shall see．

Take the phrase “hot potato” for example．The potato is a popular vegetable in the United States．Many people like baked potatoes, cooked in an oven or fire．Imagine trying to carry a hot, baked potato in your hand．It would be difficult, even painful, to do so．One such hot potato is taxes．Calling for higher taxes can mean defeat for a politician．And yet, if taxes are not raised, some very popular government programs could be cut, which can also make a politician very unpopular．

Another expression is “not so hot”．If you ask someone how she feels, she may answer: "Not so hot．" What she means is that she does not feel well．“Not so hot” is also a way of saying that you do not really like something．

“A hot shot” is a person, often a young person, who thinks he can do anything． At least he wants to try．He is very sure he can succeed． But often he fails． The expression came from the army． A hot shot was a soldier who fired without aiming carefully．

A person who becomes angry easily is called “a hothead”．An angry person's neck often becomes red．We say he is “hot under the collar”．You could say that your friend is no hothead．But he got hot under the collar when someone took his radio．

The hot line was a direct communication link between the leaders of the Soviet Union and the United States．The hot line had an important purpose: to prevent accidental war between the two competitors during the period known as the Cold War．The American president and the Soviet leader were able to communicate directly and immediately on the hot line．

1．If you describe something as a hot potato, it _____．

A．is very popular                            B．has a high temperature

C．is very difficult to deal with                      D．can’t be held in your hand

2．According to the text, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．All of the expressions made with the word hot are simple, easily-understood．

B．Taxes can be a hot potato for a politician if not handled carefully．

C．The expression “a hot shot” was born in the military forces．

D．If you say that the new play you saw last night is not so hot, you do not consider it a success．

3．“Hot” is a word that is often used to talk about anger, which two phrases are associated with this meaning?

A．a hot shot, a hot potato                B．a hothead, a hot shot

C．hot under the collar, a hothead          D．a hot potato, hot under the collar

4．The purpose of the first hot line was _____．

A．to stop the Cold War

B．to prevent accidental war between the two superpowers

C．to promote the cooperation between the Soviet Union and the United States

D．to make direct telephone links for the people in Moscow and Washington