Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergnecy alert(警报)System using text messages delivered to cell phones．
Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people, The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates(估计)more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month, The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvement to the nation's emergency alert system．The act tasked the Fedral Communications Conmmissino(FCC)with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies．
“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an improtant next step in our offorts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies．” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan, Participation in the alert system by carriers-telecommunications companies-is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry, The program would be optional for cell phone users, They also may not be charged for receiving alerts．
There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules．
The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster, The second would involve “approaching threats．” Which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings, The third would be reserved for child abduction(绑架)emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts, The service could be in place by 2010．
(1)
What is the purpose of the approved plan?
[ ]
A．
To warn people of emergencies via messages．
B．
To popularize the use of cell phones．
C．
To estimate the monthly number of messages．
D．
To promote the wireless industry．
(2)
The improvement to the present system is in the charge of ________．
[ ]
A．
CTIA
B．
THE Warning Alert and Response Network
C．
FCC
D．
federal regulators
(3)
An alert message will NOT be sent if ________．
[ ]
A．
a child loses his way
B．
a university shooting happens
C．
a natural disaster happens
D．
a terrorist attack occurs
(4)
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food．The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion．But because the two big cola companies-Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola-are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty．We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-cola or Pepsi fans：Find your brand in a blind tasting．
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi．These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand．
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers．Then we fed them with four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other．We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guesswork could have accomplished．
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand．In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials．The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 out of 27 identified all four samples correctly．
Both groups did better than chance would predict, but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times．Two people got all four samples wrong．Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor．Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price．
(1)
According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork
B．
compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks
C．
find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
D．
reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers
(2)
The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that ________．
[ ]
A．
there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
B．
few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi
C．
people’s tastes differ from one another
D．
Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks
(3)
The underlined word“burnout”here refers to the state of ________．
[ ]
A．
being seriously burnt in the skin
B．
being badly damaged by fire
C．
being unable to burn for lack of fuel
D．
being unable to function because of too much use
(4)
The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to ________．
[ ]
A．
emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
B．
recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas
C．
show that taste preference is highly subjective
D．
argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy
阅读理解
The trouble with Europe is that it is．so diverse．There are many different cultures, from German and French composers to English and Irish poets, from French film directors and Italian tenors(男高音)to Swiss bankers and clockmakers．When we move into the world of politics, it is equally difficult for European leaders to see eye to eye．
When European leaders got together at their recent summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the European debt crisis, there were hitter exchanges of words．President Nicolas Sarkozy of France turned on David Cameron to tell him that he was fed up -with the British Prime Minster's constant criticism of the euro．
Sarkozy told him："You lost a good opportunity to shut up．We are sick of you criticizing us and telling us what to do．You say you bate the euro and now you want to interfere(干涉)in our meeting．" This was a reference to the way the UK has stayed outside the euro zone and held on to its own currency, the pound．
Take a look at history．For centuries, France, Britain, Spain, Portugal and Germany fought with one another-on land and sea．There was a 100-year-long war between Britain and France in the 14th and 15th centuries．Two world wars began in Europe．
When European nations weren't fighting each other in Europe, they were fighting in other foreign countries in a quest(寻求)for colonial(殖民地的)power, raw materials, spices and tea．
It is small wonder, then, that cultural stereotypes(成见)of the different European nations have emerged－and some of them are far from friendly．
The phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys(吃奶酪的投降派杂耍猴)" was first used in an episode of The Simpsons to describe the French．
Germans have a reputation for being efficient, which has led to their powerful economy, great cars－and lack of a sense of humor, according to the stereotype．
As for the Scots, they have a reputation for drinking too much．Prince Philip, the Queen of England's husband, once asked a driving instructor in Scotland how he managed to keep his clients away from the alcohol long enough for them to pass their driving tests．Was this the prince's idea of a joke?Or was he repeating a cultural stereotype?
(1)
The underlined phrase "see eye to eye" in the article probably means ________．
[ ]
A．
agree with each other
B．
argue with each other
C．
be friendly to each other
D．
understand each other
(2)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy wasn't happy about British Prime Minister David Cameron because he ________．
[ ]
A．
refused to talk to him
B．
didn't want the UK to join the eurozone
C．
kept criticizing the euro
D．
kept interfering in their meetings
(3)
Which of the following are cultural stereotypes of European countries according to the article?
a．British and French people don't get on well with each other．
b．French people don't have much courage．
c．German people lack a sense of humor
d．Scottish have a drinking problem．
e．Switzerland is famous for its bankers and clockmakers．
[ ]
A．
abc
B．
bed
C．
cde
D．
bde
(4)
What is the main point of the article?
[ ]
A．
What makes each European country unique
B．
Why European leaders don't get alone with each other
C．
A brief introduction to the differences of European countries
D．
The diversity and cultural stereotypes of European countries
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