Stronger typhoons, more flooding in low lying areas, deepening drought—all possible, if not likely, according to a report from British climatologists. They say 2007 has a 60 percent probability of being the hottest year on record,　citing（以…为例）high levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, and El Nion, now underway in the Pacific and expected to last until May.

       Temperature studies for 2006 are not yet complete. But the new study, noting that the world’s ten warmest years since 1850 have occurred in the past decade, says 2006 is set to be the sixth warmest year globally, and 2007 is likely to set a new all time high.

       Meteorolgist Bernie Rayno says,“We expected much of the country to be warmer than normal during the month of December. However, we also expect that scene to be turning around during the month of January.”A benefit for many in the United States: crude oil（原油）prices are at their lowest levels since the middle of 2005.

       Ira Epstein is a trader at the New York Mercantile Exchange.“Mild weather in the Northeast…we’re having ample supplies in this country domestically（本国）and we came off kind of a dull year in 2006.”

       Whether lower oil prices will hold is unclear, but for many on America’s East Coast this is a winter, at least so far, unlike any they have seen before.

1．Which of the following can be a suitable title for the passage?

       A．Warns on warmer climate.

       B．The bad effects caused by global warmness.

       C．Higher temperature, lower oil price.

       D．Changeable weather, changeable oil price.

2．According to the second paragraph,        .

       A．2007 will be the fifth warmest year in history

       B．several of the ten warmest years occurred over twenty years ago

       C．2006 is a warmest year only second to 2007 till now

       D．2007 will probably become the warmest year since 1850

3．The writer mainly wants to show us a fact that       in paragraph 3.

      A．the winter is getting warmer than before in the United States

       B．snow is seldom seen in the Western United States

       C．New York City usually has snow in winter season

       D．another spring has come to Washington D.C.

4．What Bernie Rayno says means that       .

       A．they don’t like the warmer December at all

       B．they expect for a much warmer January besides December

       C．they expect for a colder January

       D．the scene in the area will look quite different in January 

5．According to Ira Epstein       .

       A．the oil prices in 2007 will remain lower for the whole year

       B．the United States won’t use oil from other countries any longer

       C．they didn’t have a good business in 2006

       D．more oil fields have been found because of the mild weather

Yasuda is 95 years old. Looking for easier ways to search the Web and send email, he bought Apple’s iPad. The company has sold 3.27 million iPads since they entered the market in April. Although it’s impossible to know with certainty how many seniors (老年人) are buying them, evidence suggests that it’s a hit with seniors.

The iPad’s intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyou. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. “Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”

James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered, ” Cordwell says. Senior users are “a key source of growth for them in the future.”

Seniors make up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes come with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.

1.The underlined part “a hit” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______ .

A. a sudden attack   B. a heavy burden    C. quite popular    D. very familiar

2.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad?

A. It has intuitive interface.    

B. It is easy to operate. 

C. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.

D. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.

3.What can we learn from the text?

A. People above thirty are Apple’s largest customer group in Japan.

B. The traditional customers of Apple’s products are usually the young.

C. Seniors will soon grow into Apple’s largest customer group.

D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. iPad leading Apple to seniors.      

B. iPad influencing the customer group.

C. iPad’s arrival causing Japanese to think. 

D. iPad beating the traditional PC.

    Yasuda is 95 years old. Looking for easier ways to search the Web and send email, he bought Apple’s iPad. The company has sold 3.27 million iPads since they entered the market in April. Although it’s impossible to know with certainty how many seniors (老年人) are buying them, evidence suggests that it’s a hit with seniors.

The iPad’s intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyou. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. “Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”

James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered, ” Cordwell says. Senior users are “a key source of growth for them in the future.”

Seniors make up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes come with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.

64. The underlined part “a hit” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______ .

A. a sudden attack   B. a heavy burden    C. quite popular    D. very familiar

65. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad?

A. It has intuitive interface.    

B. It is easy to operate. 

C. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.

D. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.

66. What can we learn from the text?

A. People above thirty are Apple’s largest customer group in Japan.

B. The traditional customers of Apple’s products are usually the young.

C. Seniors will soon grow into Apple’s largest customer group.

D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.

67. What is the text mainly about?

A. iPad leading Apple to seniors.       B. iPad influencing the customer group.

C. iPad’s arrival causing Japanese to think.  D. iPad beating the traditional PC.

The disadvantage you usually find about MP3 players like the iPod is that they are too big. But get ready for the MP3 player in your hand to get much smaller—the size of a Band-Aid (创可贴).

It’s called the Skinny Player, and it’s being designed by industrial designers Chih-Wei Wang and Shou-His Fu. Unlike the current types of iPod Shuffles and iPod Nanos, the Skinny Player does not need to be fixed onto your clothes or put into your pocket. It could stick to your skin(皮肤) like you would attach a Band-Aid. But unlike Band-Aids, this tiny MP3 player will not lose its stickiness as you pull it off for the hundredth time.

The Skinny Player features flexible speakers allowing the user to enjoy music conveniently. When it gets dirty, the user can simply clean it using a damp cloth. No batteries either. The Skinny Player’s designers say it will be powered by body heat, using a flexible battery charging device (充电器) that is in contact with skin whenever the player is being used.

The design only include an on/off button and flexible speakers, no word yet on arranging the volume. Besides, the memory capacity(储存容量) won’t be the best, as it is designed to only store one album.

The small size and the ability to stick it onto your skin like a Band-Aid should make the Skinny Player perfect for runners who now depend on their iPod to keep them energized on the running path. 

61. According to the writer, the disadvantage about the iPod is mostly about its_____.

  A. price                    B. color                        C. shape                D. size

62. The Skinny Player has all the advantages except that it’s _____.

  A.       easy to clean                                             B. convenient to carry

  C. smaller in size                                           D. larger in memory capacity

63. Paragraph 4 tells that the Skinny Player _____.

  A. also has other advantages                          B. still has its disadvantages

  C. is easier to operate                                    D. is harder to operate

64. According to the writer, the Skinny Player will be especially popular among the _____.

  A. runners                 B. drivers                            C. students            D. speakers

65. The best title for this passage can be _____.

  A. Ipod—out of date MP3 player                    B. Ipod—out of date mobile phone

  C. Skinny Player—new type of MP3 player     D. Skinny Player—new type of mobile phone