Do you know the dirtiest parts of your desk are probably your keyboard and mouse?Get a USB Mini Vacuum with a retractable(可缩进的)cable and stuck away all that gunk(油腻物)．The US-made product is priced at ＄14．
SIM Card Reader
Making useful USB 2.0 multi-card readers ever handier, this card can also read and write data to phone SIM cards．It comes with SIM editing software．Download your phonebook to your computer．If you lose your cell phone, you can upload missing phone numbers to your new model．The US-made IMOMOSIM Card+ Multi-Card Reader is priced at ＄19．
Smallest GPS Watch
Casio plans to launch the world’s smallest global positioning system(GPS)watch by the end of next year．The small GPR-100 is 63×50×17mm．It is also claimed to be the world’s lightest GPS watch, weighing just 64 grams．It will be priced at 54,000 yen(日元)．
Outdoorsman’s TV
Some people just can’t live without TV．So this French-made 12.7 cm color LCD outdoor television is perfect for couch potatoes who sometimes find themselves camping out．In addition to the TV, the device also has an AM/FM radio, bi-directional neon light(霓虹灯)and an anti-mosquito ultrasound function．The 20×22×30 cm device costs around about 289 euros．
(1)
USB Vacuum is used to ________．
[ ]
A．
clean the keyboard and mouse．
B．
locate your position in the wild
C．
entertain you with music
D．
download the information from your cell phone．
(2)
The smallest GPS watch will be made in ________．
[ ]
A．
France
B．
Japan
C．
USA
D．
Britain
(3)
The underlined part“couch potatoes”in the last ad refer to the people who ________．
[ ]
A．
eat potatoes when camping out
B．
produce potatoes
C．
like junk food
D．
sit in front of the TV all the time eating junk food, such as potato chips．
阅读理解
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling．No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill．There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority(优先)it must be given over general language development and writing ability．The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities(复杂性)of spelling．
If spelling becomes the only focal(焦点的)point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to“play safe”．He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language．That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability．
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience．“This work is terrible!There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is terrible．”It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil's technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child's deep feelings．The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement．
(1)
Teacher are different in their opinions about ________．
[ ]
A．
the difficulties in teaching spelling
B．
the role of spelling in general language development
C．
the complexities of the basic writing skills
D．
the necessity of teaching spelling
(2)
The underlined expression“play safe”probably means ________．
[ ]
A．
to write carefully
B．
to do as teachers say
C．
to use dictionaries frequently
D．
to avoid using words one is not sure of
(3)
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ________．
[ ]
A．
students will be able to express their ideas more freely
B．
students will have more confidence in writing
C．
teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
D．
students will learn to be independent of teachers
(4)
The author seems to think that the teacher's judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is ________．
[ ]
A．
unfair
B．
reasonable
C．
foolish
D．
careless
(5)
The major point discussed in the passage is ________．
[ ]
A．
the importance of developing writing skills
B．
the complexities of spelling
C．
the correct way of marking compositions
D．
the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition
阅读理解
Long after the 2002 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still blaming the disputed(受置疑)refereeing(裁判)decisions that denied victory to their team．A researcher was appointed(任命)to study the performance of some top referees．
The researcher organized an experimental match involving four youth teams．Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge．
Observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the match．Changed to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number．
The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyze(分析)the matches in detail．Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident．When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action．The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters．The research shows the best is about 20 meters．
There also seemed to be a best speed．Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second．The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second．
If FIFA, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rush to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues．
He also says that FIFA’S insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided．If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical(挑剔)．
(1)
The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to ________．
[ ]
A．
review the decisions of referees at the 2002 World Cup
B．
analyze the causes of errors made by football referees
C．
set a standard of football refereeing
D．
reexamine the rules for football refereeing
(2)
The findings of the experiment show that ________．
[ ]
A．
errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball
B．
the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors are
C．
The more slowly the referee runs, the more likely errors will occur
D．
errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot．
(3)
The underlined word“officials”most probably refers to ________．
[ ]
A．
the researchers involved in the experiment
B．
the players of the football match
C．
the referees of the football match
D．
the observers at the site of the experiment
(4)
What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?
[ ]
A．
The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45．
B．
Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee．
C．
A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible．
D．
An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition．
阅读理解
About 1 in 15 households drink bottled water today, spending about ＄4 billion a year on it．Although the reasons for the trend are many, bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list．Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants(杂质)．
Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap．Consider that the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA．For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead．Granted, bottled water is often filtered(过滤)to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste．But that doesn't make it any safer．In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water．Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride(氟化物)needed to fight cavities．The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it．
This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water．It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste．The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two．Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as“pure”,“crystal pure”and“premium”on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir．However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters．The miniglossary of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean．
(1)
What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
[ ]
A．
Most bottled water drinkers buy it for the taste．
B．
Labels on bottled water are used to mislead consumers．
C．
The FDA sets high standards for bottled water．
D．
Only wealthy people can afford bottled water．
(2)
According to the passage, removing chlorine from water ________
[ ]
A．
does not make the water safer
B．
is required by the FDA
C．
makes the water less expensive
D．
is necessary for good health
(3)
According to the passage, one valid reason for drinking bottled water is the ________．
[ ]
A．
convenience
B．
cost．
C．
minerals
D．
taste
(4)
What’s the main idea of this passage?
[ ]
A．
Bottled water may be preferable to tap water in taste．
B．
Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water．
C．
Consumers should consider carefully the reason for buying bottled water．
D．
The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the bottled water．
阅读理解
If you are like many people, you enjoy sports in your leisure time．Many of us watch sports on TV, go to games and meets, and play tennis or golf in the time left after school or work．We may even chat about sports on the Internet．Many observers note that sports reinforce(加强；增强)norms and values important to society, like competition and teamwork．Sports metaphors, such as“There is no I in TEAM,”teach us that success is achieved by putting the group above individual glory．Slogans like“Winners never quit and quitters never win”reinforce values of competition and working hard to get ahead．
Nevertheless, organized sports have been criticized for several things．One is that they encourage potentially harmful male aggression．Another is that they direct minority students, particularly African American males, toward athletics--instead of academics--as a road to success．However, only a very small minority of high school athletes are able to support themselves through athletics．In fact, according to one estimate, only one of 12,000 high school athletes will earn money as a professional athlete; among those who make it, the average professional career lasts only three years．Nevertheless, the importance of sports in teaching and reinforcing norms and values, along with the role of sports in symbolizing and integrating communities, are important reasons why nearly every nation has encouraged athletics．
(1)
What's the primary purpose of the writer's writing the passage?
[ ]
A．
To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of promoting athletics．
B．
To argue against supporting athletic teams in high schools．
C．
To entertain the reader with anecdotes about sports figures．
D．
To persuade that sports programs in schools need more money．
(2)
What does the underlined word“norms”probably mean?
[ ]
A．
Types of sports．
B．
Unusual or rare events．
C．
Errors to be avoided．
D．
Expected standards of behavior．
(3)
What's the main idea of the second paragraph?
[ ]
A．
Athletics are supported by many countries．
B．
Emphasis on athletics may have some negative effects．
C．
Athletics prepare young people for success in life．
D．
African Americans often make excellent athletes．
(4)
The author of this passage probably feels that ________．
[ ]
A．
teamwork is not important to success in athletics
B．
playing sports makes young males much more manly
C．
athletes should be encouraged to build academic skills
D．
sports should be discouraged in most American schools
阅读理解
BUY A JOINT TICKET AND VISIT THE OTHER HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
THE TOWER OF
LONDON
Royal(皇家的)palace and fortress(要塞)for over 900 years, scene of mystery, murder and home to the Crown Jewels．
KENSINGTON PALACE
Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales．
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity(N 1068852)that receives no public funding(资金)．We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation(保护)of these national monuments and collections for future generations．Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www．hrp．org．uk．
VISITOR INFORMATION
CARRIAGE RIDES
Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage．Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens．Available all day．20 minute duration．￡10．00 per carriage．Subject to weather and ground conditions．
ENQUIRIES
For details of admission charges, group rates, the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors, call 0870 752 7777 or visit www．Hampton-court- palace．org．uk
RESTAURANTS &SHOPS
Choose from the Tiltyard Tea-rooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop．There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer．The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs．
AUDIO GUIDES
Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese．
(1)
Where can visitors see the dresses worn by some royal members?
[ ]
A．
Kensington Palace．
B．
The Tower of London．
C．
Hampton Court Palace．
D．
Historic Royal Palaces．
(2)
You have to pay extra money if you want to ________．
[ ]
A．
have an audio guide
B．
visit the royal palace and fortress
C．
take a horse-drawn carriage
D．
see Hampton Court Palace
(3)
Which of the following is Not Given in the passage?
[ ]
A．
The protection of the national monuments．
B．
Admission charges for group visitors．
C．
Free gifts and souvenirs．
D．
Conditions in which to take a horse-drawn carriage．
阅读理解
I am a good mother to three children．I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent．
I no longer consider myself the center of the universe．I show up．I listen．I try to laugh．I am a good friend to my husband．I have tried to make marriage vows(誓约)mean what they say．I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me．Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today．
So here’s what I wanted to tell you today：Get a life．A real life, not a desire of the next promotion(提升), the bigger paycheck, the larger house．
Get a life in which you are not alone．Find people you love, and who love you．And remember that love is not leisure(休闲), it is work．Pick up the phone．Send an e-mail．Write a letter．And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted．
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes．It is so easy to exist instead of to live．I learned to live many years ago．Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my choice, it would never have been changed at all．And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all：
I learned to love the journey, not the destination．I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and totally．And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned．
By telling them this：Read in the backyard with the sun on your face．Learn to be happy．And think of life as a deadly illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion(激情)as it ought to be lived．
(1)
The best title of this passage probably is ________．
[ ]
A．
Love your friends
B．
Live a real life
C．
Don’t waste time
D．
Be a good mother and wife
(2)
How did the author form her view of life?
[ ]
A．
Through social experience．
B．
By learning from her friends．
C．
Through an unfortunate experience．
D．
From her children and husband．
(3)
By the underlined sentence“It is so easy to exist instead of to live”in the fifth paragraph, the author really means that people tend to ________．
[ ]
A．
make a living rather than live a real life
B．
work rather than enjoy life
C．
waste a lot in life
D．
forget the most important lessons in life
(4)
What’s the author’s attitude toward work?
[ ]
A．
Do it well to serve others．
B．
Earn enough money to make life better．
C．
Try your best to get higher position and pay．
D．
Don’t let it affect your real life．
(5)
It can be inferred from the passage that ________．
[ ]
A．
the author is a success in personal life
B．
the author didn’t try her best to work well
C．
the author spent all her time caring for her children
D．
the author likes traveling very much
阅读理解
Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of：death and taxes．Many people feel that the United States has the worst taxes in the world．
Taxes are the money that people pay to support their government．There are generally three levels of government in the United States：federal, state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes．
Salaried people who can earn more than four to five thousand dollars per year must pay a certain part．It depends on their salaries．The federal government has a two-level income tax：that is, 15 or 28 percent．＄17,850 is the cut off．The tax rate is 15 percent below ＄17, 850 and 28 percent above．
The second tax is for the state government：New York, California, or any of the other forty-eight states．Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government．Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower．Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item which people buy in the state．Some states use income tax and sales tax to raise their revenues(＝annual income)．
The third tax is for the city．This tax comes in two forms：property tax(people who own a home have to pay taxes on it and excise tax(物品税), which is collected on vehicles in a city．The cities use this money for education, police, public works, etc．
Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes．People always complain about taxes．They often say that the government misuses their tax dollars．They all believe that taxes are too high in this country．
(1)
In the United States, taxes are collected to provide revenues for ________．
[ ]
A．
the federal government
B．
the state government
C．
the city government
D．
the three levels of government
(2)
How much money does an American earning ＄40,000 per year pay to the federal government as income tax according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
28％ of his income
B．
15％ of his income
C．
＄17,870
D．
＄5,000
(3)
What happens to buyers when a sales tax is collected?
[ ]
A．
They have to pay more than what the item costs．
B．
They can pay less than what the item costs．
C．
They have to pay exactly what the item costs．
D．
They will all give up buying the item．
(4)
What tax does an American have to pay to the city if he owns a car?
[ ]
A．
Property tax．
B．
Excise tax．
C．
Income tax．
D．
Sales tax．
(5)
After reading the passage, we might feel that Americans seem to be ________．
[ ]
A．
satisfied with their taxes
B．
proud of their taxes
C．
unhappy about their taxes
D．
very angry at their taxes
阅读理解
Australia has very strict laws relating to the importation and possession of certain goods．Food, plant material and animal products from overseas--including many common souvenirs -could introduce some of the world's most serious pests and diseases into Australia．Failing to declare quarantine items(需要检疫的物品)on arrival could destroy our agriculture, tourism industries and special environment．
Every piece of luggage will be screened or x-rayed on arrival in Australia．So you must declare for inspection of all food, plant material and animal products to check that they are free of pests and diseases．
You must tick YES on the Incoming Passenger Card(IPC)to declare if you are carrying any food, plant material or animal products．In signing the IPC, passengers are making a legal declaration and failure to answer all questions truthfully can have serious consequences．
If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration：
*you will get caught;
*you could be fined over A ＄200 on-the-spot; or
*you could be prosecuted and fined more than A ＄60,000 and risk up to 10 years imprisonment;
If you are not sure about the items you are carrying, ask a quarantine officer who will determine whether they are allowed into Australia．
(1)
The reason why you are asked to declare quarantine items on arrival is that ________．
[ ]
A．
too many overseas products could destroy Australia's tourism industry．
B．
animal products are often the cause of various diseases．
C．
as is known to us all, bad food can spread diseases easily．
D．
these items may carry dangerous pests or diseases into Australia．
(2)
You need to declare the following things EXCEPT ________ if you have them in your luggage．
[ ]
A．
some metal hairclips
B．
dried flowers
C．
some moon-cakes
D．
a bottle of honey
(3)
For what purpose is the passage written?
[ ]
A．
To inform the passengers of the law on the exportation of goods．
B．
To warn the passengers not to take unsafe goods．
C．
To tell the passengers to Australia to have their quarantine items declared．
D．
To urge the passengers to protect the agriculture, tourism and environment．
(4)
If you don't declare quarantine items, ________．
[ ]
A．
you can probably get away with it
B．
you are sure to be discovered and punished
C．
you can turn to the customs officers for help
D．
you can give them away to a quarantine officer
阅读理解
With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged．Kissi Health-Beauty Center gives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file(档案)．All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit．
1)BODY-BUILDING
Imported gym equipment that will help you build up your body’s muscle, making you look full of energy and strength．
2)GYMNASTIC EXERCISE
A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm．
3)SPECIAL“LAZY-BONE”FITNESS CENTER
“Lazy-bone”fitness equipment is the first body shaping set of seven beds in Beijing, which helps you to exercise your waist, abdomen, hips or legs．In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight．