B
As a teenager of the digital era, it is really hard to say no to fantastic electronic gadgets(电子产品). Many of us can’t get through a day without using our mobile phones or checking our e-mails. No matter if we’re “@home”, “@school” or“@play”, living without technological toys seems more and more unthinkable.
However, although gadgets bring convenience, many of us can start to feel stressed out by them. And, a lot of electronics are fairly expensive. Fashionable gadgets come and go in the digital age in the blink of any eye. So, think twice before you pulling out your wallet.
Here are some of the most popular gadgets and their pros and cons:
Pros: Laptops have made our lives much easier. You can take your books, movies, music and homework everywhere.
Cons: They cost at least 4,000 yuan! If you only want to share photos or games with your friend, then a flash memory stick is a great cheap alternative.
Pros: As well as carrying your favourite music, a video MP3 player can play up to 150 hours of movies and TV programmes.
Cons: The price—sometimes more than 2,000 yuan—is the first concern. Secondly, though music is really important to young people, ask yourself if video is really necessary. A regular MP3 player is a lot cheaper. And remember, don’t let the loud volume damage your hearing.
Pros: New mobile phones combine traditional functions with a digital camera, MP3 player and even a radio. Some can also send and receive e-mails.
Cons: Always trying to keep up with the latest model can be a waste of money. There are always new, improved phones coming out. Don’t be a fool. Do you really need all these functions? Think twice before you buy.  
60. According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?
A. Teenagers can’t live through a day without fantastic electronic gadgets.
B. Teenagers can hardly live happily without electronic gadgets.
C. Teenagers’ life is full of expensive electronic gadgets.
D. It’s all but impossible for many teenagers to live without fantastic electronic gadgets.  
61. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
A. Never buy the most updated gadgets.  
B. You should buy the gadgets with as many functions as possible.
C. We needn’t always pay the most part to buy the most up-to-date gadgets with many functions.
D. Never buy the latest model, it’s much too expensive.
62. Choose the statement most similar in meaning to the underlined sentence in Paragraph2.
A. Fashionable gadgets are updated in the digital times in a flash.
B. Fashionable gadgets are transported everywhere in the digital age in the blink of any eye.  
C. People keep buying and throwing away expensive fashionable gadgets in the digital age in the blink of any eye.  
D. People use all kinds of fashionable gadgets all the time in the digital age.
63. What do the words “pros and cons” mean in the selection?
A. Agreements and disagreements.
B. The views that are favoured and not favoured by people.
C. Benefits and bads.  
D. Advantages and disadvantages.

  Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation’s land area, official figures showed.
"The country’s natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.
【小题1】What do we know about the IUCN?

  Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.

    The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).

    Who is to blame?

    Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.

    Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”

    In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation's land area, official figures showed.

"The country's natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.

The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.

    Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.

1.What do we know about the IUCN?

   A. A union for listing animals and plants on the earth

   B. A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife

   C. An organization concerning the protection of rare species' survival

   D. A government made up officials, scientists and experts

2.What can be concluded from the passage?         

A. All the protection methods can’t work.   　   

B. The IUCN does most of the protection.

C. The efforts China makes has paid off.　  

D. Enough is done in wildlife protection.

3. Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?

   A. Bad weather     B. Over-hunting    C. Warmer oceans    D. Habitat destruction

4.Which of the sentence is NOT true?

       A. China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources.

       B. China has set up a lot of natural reserves.

       C. The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation's land area.

       D. The rate of China's natural reserves is lower than the average of the world.

As a teenager of the digital era, it is really hard to say no to fantastic electronic gadgets（电子产品）. Many of us can’t get through a day without using our mobile phones or checking our e-mails. No matter if we’re “@home”, “@school” or “@play”, living without technological toys seems more and more unthinkable.

       However, although gadgets bring convenience, many of us can start to feel stressed out by them. And, a lot of electronics are fairly expensive. Fashionable gadgets come and go in the digital age in the blink of any eye. So, think twice before you pulling out your wallet.

       Here are some of the most popular gadgets and their pros and cons:

       Pros: Laptops have made our lives much easier. You can take your books, movies, music and homework everywhere.

       Cons: They cost at least 4,000 yuan! If you only want to share photos or games with your friends, then a flash memory stick is a great cheap alternative.

       Pros: As well as carrying your favorite music, a video MP3 player can play up to 150 hours of movies and TV programmes.

       Cons: The price – sometimes more than 2,000 yuan – is the first concern. Secondly, though music is really important to young people, ask yourself if video is really necessary. A regular MP3 player is a lot cheaper. And remember, don’t let the loud volume damage your hearing.

       Pros: New mobile phones combine traditional functions with a digital camera, MP3 player and even a radio. Some can also send and receive e-mails.

       Cons: Always trying to keep up with the latest model can be a waste of money. There are always new, improved phones coming out. Don’t be a fool. Do you really need all these functions? Think twice before you buy.

1．According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?

       A．Teenagers can’t live through a day without fantastic electronic gadgets.

       B．Teenagers can hardly live happily without electronic gadgets.

       C．Teenagers’ life is full of expensive electronic gadget.

       D．It’s all but impossible for many teenagers to live without fantastic electronic gadgets.

2．What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

       A．Never buy the most updated gadgets.

       B．You should buy the gadgets with as many functions as possible.

       C．We needn’t always pay the most part to buy the most up-to-date gadgets with many functions.

       D．Never buy the latest model, it’s much too expensive.

3．Choose the statement most similar in meaning to the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2.

       A．Fashionable gadgets are updated in the digital times in a flash.

       B．Fashionable gadgets are transported everywhere in the digital age in the blink of any eye.

       C．People keep buying and throwing away expensive fashionable gadgets in the digital age in

the blink of any eye.

       D．People use all kinds of fashionable gadgets all the time in the digital age.

4．What do the words “pros and cons” mean in the selection.

       A．Agreements and disagreements.

       B．The views that are favored and not favored by people.

       C．Benefits and bads.

       D．Advantages and disadvantages.

The use of the mobile Internet in Britain grew eight times as fast as the growth of the PC Internet, according to the latest study from research firm Nielsen Online. Of course, the actual number of Britons surfing the PC Internet is much higher. A recent report found that from April to September in 2008, the number of Britons using the mobile Internet increased by 25 percent, from 5.8 million to 7.3 million. However, the number of Britons surfing the PC Internet is 35.5 million, up only 3 percent. As expected, the report found that the mobile online audiences are younger than the PC-based users, with 25 percent of mobile Internet users aged 15-24 years old, compared to 16 percent for PC-based users. Also as expected, there are more people aged over 55 surfing the PC Internet (23 percent) than those on the mobile Internet (12 percent). This last figure —12 percent of those aged over 55 surfing the mobile Internet, however, surprised me because I had expected to be lower. Mobile audiences are interested in sites that can provide immediate information, or immediate access like BBC News, Google Search, Sky Sports, BBC Weather and G-mail. BBC News is visited by nearly one in four British mobile Internet users, or 1.7 million people. Three of the most popular sites, BBC Weather, Sky Sports and G-mail, actually have a greater reach on the mobile Internet than they do on the PC Internet. BBC Weather gets 21 percent of all mobile users with 17 percent on the PC-based Internet.

44. According to the first paragraph, the majority of Britons are_______.

    A. surfing the mobile Internet

    B. surfing the PC Internet

    C. taking part in the research

    D. studying on the mobile Internet

45. The underlined words "PC-based users" in the second paragraph refer to "people ________".

    A. using personal computers

    B. surfing the mobile Internet

    C. repairing personal computers

    D. making personal computers

46. According the report, which of the following statements is NOT true?

   A. Some people who are over 55 like to surf the PC Internet.

   B. BBC News is very popular with the mobile audience.

   C. BBC Weather gets more mobile users than PC-based users.

   D. Only young people like to use the mobile Internet.

47. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

   A. Most Popular Web Sites In Britain

   B. Fast Growth Of Mobile Internet In Britain

   C. Young People Prefer the Mobile Internet

   D. Old People Also Like the Mobile Internet