Lego, the inventor of those colorful bricks that have inspired kids’ imaginations world-wide, has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

On January 28, 1958, a man named Godtfred Kirk Christiansen created the plastic building bricks that can now be found in almost every child’s toy box. The simple building block has become one of the most well-known and popular toys around the world.

"The Lego brick continues to be very attractive, because it allows children, and others, to develop their creativity and imagination," said Charlotte Simonsen, a spokeswoman of the Danish Lego company.

The company’s building brick allows an infinite number of links. With just two bricks there are 24 different links, and with six, there are 915 million possibilities, according to Lego.

A half-century after its creation, more than 400 million children and adults spend five billion hours a year putting the bricks together and pulling them apart. Also, the bricks made today can still interlock with those made in 1958.

Lego bricks are not just child’s play: they also attract the interest of adults. South Korean adventurer, Heo Young-Ho, who climbed Mount Everest in 1987, left a Lego toy behind in the snow during his climb.

After its great success Lego experienced a severe crisis at the end of the 1990s, hit hard by fierce competition from electronic games. This so-called "Toy of the Century" then suffered a dark period that lasted several years.

With great efforts, the company began to prosper again, and in 2006 it earned about 1.5 billion dollars in 130 countries. Seven boxes of Lego are now sold every second around the world, and 19 billion bricks are produced each year: enough to encircle the Earth five times!

The Lego bricks have remained popular in the past 50 years as a result of _______.

  A. attracting many children worldwide  B. brought imagination to the children worldwide

  C. making the children and even adults worldwide creative and imaginative

  D. having infinite links that bring many imagination

The author gave the example of South Korean adventurer Heo Young-Ho in order to prove that ______.

  A. Heo Youn-Ho also loved playing Lego bricks

  B. the Lego bricks made him a mountain climber

  C. the Lego bricks not only interest children but also adults

  D. the Lego bricks are a must when on goes on an adventure

It can be inferred from the text that ______.

  A. there are 915 different links with just 6 bricks

  B. the Lego Bricks Company has made a lot of money from the people worldwide

  C. the Lego Bricks can’t compare with computer games

  D. the bricks made today don’t change much compared with those made in 1958

The underlined word “hit” in the seventh paragraph means _____.

  A. defeated in a fight or a competition

  B. have a crash in an accident or a fight

  C. get known through a song

  D. attack    somebody   in a fight

The main idea of the story is that _____.

  A. Lego bricks: brilliant past and struggling future

  B. Lego bricks: an attraction of both children and adults

  C. Lego bricks: making creativity and imagination

  D. Lego bricks: making billions of money every year

The Olympic Games are seen as the greatest test of an athlete’s ability and are supposed to celebrate the spirit of fair play. But in fact, sportsmen have been using drugs to cheat their way to victory since the Games first began.

       In the early years, athletes ate mushrooms(蘑菇)and plant seeds to improve their performance. Nowadays, this kind of cheating has a name doping(服用兴奋剂).

       Just last month, Britain’s top sprinter(赛跑选手) Dwain Chambers and several American athletes tested positive(呈阳性)for the drug THG. Until a coach secretly gave a sample of THG to scientists, no one knew how ho test for it.

       “We’re like cops(警察)chasing criminals—athletes are always adapting and looking for areas we haven’t investigated,” said Jacquew de Ceaurriz, a French anti-doping expert.

       Since the first drugs test was carried out at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, many cheats have been caught out. The most famous case in history is that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson.

He broke the 100 meters world record in winning gold at the 1988 Seoul(汉城)Olympics. But days later, he tested positive for drug use, lost his gold medal and was banned from the sport. Five years later, he returned to action—only to be found positive again and banned forever.

China has also had problems with drug cheats. At the 1994 Asian Games, 11 Chinese athletes—seven of them swimmers—tested positive for banned drugs. Sports organizations promised that cheating on this scale would not happen again.

Experts are also worried that doping can damage a person’s health. It is believed to increase the risk of liver and kidney(肝肾)diseases, and women may experience reproductive(生育) problems. As long as they can stay ahead of the scientists, it is unlikely the cheats will stop. But experts say there is a limit to what can be achieved and that athletes will not be able to change their bodies using gene(基因)technology.

“For the moment, genetic doping does not exist,” said de Ceaurriz. “Even in 10 or 15 years it will not be done easily—the scientific community(界)will not let it happen.”

Which of the following is not the way that some athletes cheat to their better sports achievements?

A. Eating mushrooms.    B. Taking drug THG. 

C. Taking genetic doping.   D. Eating plant seeds.

How many countries are mentioned in the passage in which there were athletes doping?

A. Two.                 B. Four.                C. Sic.                  D. Eight.

We can infer from the passage that ____.

A. scientists get a lot of information about drugs before the athletes take doping

B. taking doping will never happen again because of the serious test

C. few athletes used drug cheats before the first drugs test was carried out at the 1968 Olympics

D. problems with drug cheats are still serious though they are severely tested

Which statement of the following is true?

A. Many police are sent to chase criminals of taking doping during the Olympic Games.

B. The drug test was carried out until the 1968 Olympics.

C. There is the possibility that women athletes taking doping will give no birth to a child.

D. Ben Johnson was banned from sports forever for being tested positive for drug use at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched  the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely's near miss  made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told the BBC.
W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says,
but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small  problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless key boards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s  not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while  there may be a number of other possible  causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors .
The game between humans and their smart devices  is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be  way a wiser use of technology.   
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just  an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands  of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long .
【小题1】
What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?           

A.Shewasnotfamiliarwiththeroad.
B.Itwasdarkandrainingheavilythen.
C.The railway works failed to give the signal.
D.Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing
【小题2】
The phrase”near miss” (paragraph 2 ) can best be replaced by _______.    
A.closebitB.heavylossC.narrow escapeD.bigmistake
【小题3】
Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?          
A.Moderntechnologyiswhatwe can’tlivewithout.
B.Digitaltechnologyoftenfalls shortofoutexpectation.
C.Digitaldevicesaremore reliablethantheyusedtobe.
D.GPSerrorisnottheonly causeforCelery’saccident.
【小题4】
In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is________.
A.one-sidedB.reasonableC.puzzlingD.well-based
【小题5】
What is the real concern of the writer of this article?
A.The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.
B.The relationship between humans and technology
C.Theshortcomingsofdigital devicesweuse.
D.Thehuman unawarenessoftechnicalproblems.

One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched  the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.

     Ceely's  near miss  made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told the BBC.

   W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says,

      but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small  problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless key boards.

     The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s  not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while  there may be a number of other possible  causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.

It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors .

The game between humans and their smart devices  is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be  way a wiser use of technology.   

If there is such a way, it should involve more than just  an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands  of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long .

1.

What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?           

 A. She was not familiar with the road.           

 B. It was dark and raining heavily then.   

C. The railway works failed to give the signal.

D. Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing

2.

The phrase”near miss” (paragraph 2 ) can best be replaced by _______.    

A. closebit                    B. heavy loss             C.narrow escape         D. big mistake    

3.

Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?          A. Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B. Digital technology often falls short of out expectation.    

C. Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.   

D. GPS error is not the only cause for Celery’s accident. 

4.

In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is________.

A. one-sided     B. reasonable      C.puzzling      D.well-based

5.

What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A.The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B.The relationship between humans and technology

C. The shortcomings of digital devices we use.           

D. The human unawareness  of technical problems.

 

下面有五则寓言故事(61—65),阅读寓言故事,然后从(A—F)中选择每则寓言相匹配的寓意,其中有一项是多余的。

A. Cherish valuable things until they are found.

B. He who loses freedom loses all.                                                 

C. Misfortune tests true friendship.

D.Union gives strength.

E.Precious things are for those that can prize them.

F. Not everything you see is what it appears to be.

61.__________ A wolf was almost dead with hunger. A housedog saw him, and asked, “Friend, your irregular life will soon ruin you”. Why don't you work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly?" "I would have no objection," said the wolf, "if I could only get a place." "I will help you," said the dog. "Come with me to my master, and you shall share my work." So the wolf and the dog went to the town together. On the way the wolf saw that there was no hair around the dog's neck. He felt quite surprised, and asked him why it was like that? "Oh, it is nothing," said the dog. "Every night my master puts a collar around my neck and chains me up. You will soon get used to it." "Is that the only reason?" said the wolf. "Then good-bye to you, my friend. I would rather be free."

62. __________ Two men were traveling together, when a bear suddenly met them on their path. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree and concealed himself in the branches. The other, seeing that he must be attacked, fell flat on the ground, and when the bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and feigned the appearance of death as much as he could. The bear soon left him, for it is said he will not touch a dead body. When he was quite gone, the other Traveler descended from the tree, and jocularly inquired of his friend what it was the bear had whispered in his ear. "He gave me this advice," his companion replied. "Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger."

63. __________ A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally good at learning, they showed themselves excellent pupils, and in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the courtiers. Their performance was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a courtier, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end in the laughter and ridicule of the audience.

64. __________ A cock was once strutting(趾高气扬地走)up and down the farmyard among the hens when suddenly he noticed something shining in the straw. "Ho! ho!" said he, "that’s for me," and soon rooted it out from beneath the straw. It turned out to be a pearl that by some chance had been lost in the yard. “You may be a treasure,” sighed the cock, “to man, but for me I would rather have a single barley-corn.”

65. __________ An old man on the point of death summoned his sons around him to give them some parting advice. He ordered his servants to bring in a bunch of sticks, and said to his eldest son: "Break it." The son tried hard, but with all his efforts was unable to break the bundle. The other sons also tried, but none of them was successful. “Untie it,” said the father, “and each of you take a stick.” When they had done so, he called out to them: “Now, break,” and each stick was easily broken.

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