The computer is fast and hardly makes a mistake, while people are slow make mistakes sometimes.   That's what people often say when they talk about computers. For many years, scientists have been
improving computers. Now a computer can do a lot of everyday jobs wonderfully. It is widely used
in factories,hospitals,post offices and airports. A computer can report,decide and control in almost
every field(领域). With the help of a person, a computer can draw pictures,write music,talk with people,
play chess,translate languages and so on. Many computer scientists are now thinking of making computers "think" like a man. Perhaps computers will one day really think and feel. Some people are afraid that one
day computers will be too clever to listen to them. But scientists tell us that such things will not happen.

1.The computer can work ________ than people.

A. more wonderfully
B. more slowly
C. more often

2.Computers can do _________ for people.

A. few jobs
B. all jobs
C. many jobs

3.What will perhaps happen in the future?

A. Computers can think like men and women. 
B. People will no longer use computers.
C. Computers will only be used to talk with people.

4.The author of the passage mainly tells us something __________ .

A. about the danger of the computer
B. about computer scientists
C. about the computer

5.Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?

A. People are slow and full of mistakes when using computers.
B. Computers can translate languages without people's help?
C. Computers will never be cleverer than people.

    Scientists think that a weather pattern (形式) called El Nino (厄尔尼诺现象) caused the Drought
(干旱) in Australia. E1 Nino causes different weather in different parts of the world. It causes a lot of
rain and floods in some places. It causes droughts in other places. Droughts can badly affect people
and the land. E1 Nino lasts about a year.
    In normal weather conditions, warm winds from South America blow from east to west across the
Pacific Ocean. The winds early take storms to Australia. These storms bring rain to Australia.
    During an E1 Nino weather pattern, the winds change direction. They blow from west to east across
the Pacific Ocean. The storms no longer move across Australia. So Australia gets very little rain during
E1 Nino. 
    The drought began in January, 1982. E1 Nino often occurs at this time of year. But that year, El Nino
was stronger than usual. There was very little rainfall (降雨量) in eastern Australia. There was also
very little water in the rivers. The drought was at its worst in February, 1983. At that time, the weather
was very hot. The forests and fields were very dry. Cotton growers eouldn't plant their cotton. Sheep
farmers had no grass for their animals to eat. So many of them died.Because the forests were dry. Forest
fires started quickly. Some of the fires burned for a month. Many forests were destroyed. Over 2,000
people lost their houses in the fires and 75 people died.
    The Australian drought of 1982-1983 affected thousands of people and animals. The drought cost
the country over $3,000,000,000. It was a reminder (提示) to Australians of how the weather could
change their lives.

1. From the passage we know El Nino is ______.

A. a powerful storm
B. a place in Australia
C. a weather pattern

2. The undedined word "occurs" in the passage means "______" in Chinese.

A. 发生
B. 发展
C. 消失

3. Picture ______ shows how E1 Nino causes a drought in Australia.

 

4. W1lich of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. There was very little rainfall in eastern Australia in 1982.
B. Many forests weI_e destroyed in the Australian drought.
C. Australian government paid over￥3,000,000,000 for this drought.

5. What's the main idea of the passage?

A. A drought happened in South America.
B. E1 Nino caused a great drought in Australia.
C. Australia got much rain during E1 Nino.

Notes: ①percentage百分率  ②skill技能

1. The number of the students who took part in English competitions in _____ grew faster from
    2008 to 2009.               

A.  School A       
B.  School B               
C.  neither school

2. In the English competition in _____, School B had 100 more students than School A.           

A. 2007           
B. 2008            
C. 2009   

3. According to the information above, these two schools had  the same percentage of the students 
who won prizes in _____.         

A. listening       
B. speaking         
C. reading

4. _____ students in School A were given prizes for their  speaking skill in 2009.           

A. 100              
B. 200               
C. 300

5. Which of the following is TRUE from the information above?                    

A.  The students from School A and School B won prizes in five skills.              
B.  The students from School B did worst in listening of all  skills.         
C.  The students from School A need to improve their writing skill.

     Man has a big brain(大脑). He can think, learn and speak. Scientist once thought that men are
different from animals because they could think and learn. They know now that dogs, rats, birds can
learn too. They are beginning to understand that men are different from animals because they can speak.
      Animals can not speak. They make noises when they are afraid, or angry or unhappy. Apes
(类人猿) can understand some things more quickly than men. One or two of them have learnt a few
words. But they can not put words together to make sentences. They cannot think as we do because
they have no languages. The language is a wonderful thing. Man is able to build a modern world
because he has language.
     Each child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five, but no animal learns to
speak. How do children learn it? Scientists don't know. They only know that man can speak because
he has the brain.

1. The best topic(标题)for this passage is ______.

A. Animals' learning
B. Man and Ape
C. Brain and Language
D. Man's Brain

2. Men are different from animals in the way that ______.

A. men can understand things quickly
B. men can learn
C. men learn to use language
D. men have brain

3. An ape can not ______.

A. make noises
B. understand things
C. learn words
D. speak like a man

4. Scientists now know ______.

A. how children learn to speak
B. why apes can learn a few words
C. man's brain helps him learn to speak
D. what happens when people speak

5. Which of the following is not true?

A. Apes can understand some things more quickly than men.
B. Apes have no language though(尽管) they can learn some words
C. Apes can put together the words they know
D. Some animals can learn.

1. According to the passage, we know that_________.
A. the Internet has a very long history          
B. the Internet can work without computer
C. the Internet has a history of about forty years  
D. the Internet is a kind of computer

2. Universities, hospitals and banks have used the Internet for about________.
A. forty years        
B. thirty years        
C. twenty years      
D. fifty years

3. It is very easy to get online because_________.
A. scientists developed software (软件)        
B. computers became cheaper and easier to use
C. the network system is good enough        
D. all above

4. At first, only the ________ used the Internet.
A. government        
B. hospitals        
C. banks and schools      
D. universities

5. The best title of the passage is "_________"
A. The history of computers              
B. The history of the Internet
C. The history of software                
D. People like surfing the Internet

     My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software (软件).
     If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an
electronic PIN (个人身份证号码) to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The
house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside , the PIN turns on the
lights nearest you , and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too.
If the house knows your favorite music , it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other
people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call , only the nearest
telephone rings.
    Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control
console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
    The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you
want to go to a movie,you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys,you can use my car. The car works
for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the
console.
    I believe that ten years later, most new homes will have the systems (系统) that I've put in  my house.
The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've put in today.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one
day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead,"How did I live without
them?"

1. The writer's house is NOT made of _____.

A. metal      
B. wood        
C. glass        
D. software

2. What does the passage mainly discuss? 

A. How to develop a new system.          
B. The function (功能) of the PIN.
C. A home for the future.                
D. Easy life in the future.

3. What's the purpose (目的) when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?  

A. To let readers know why his ideas are new.
B. To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are.
C. To explain the importance of the PIN and the console.
D. To let readers know how special his- house is.

4. The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because _____.    

A. it has your favorite music following you     
B. you can make a telephone call anywhere     
C. the writer is able to change his new idea into practice
D. it has been controlled by computers.

5. What does the last sentence mean?    

A. The writer won't invent new things.     
B. The writer hopes the systems will become part of everyday life in the future.    
C. The writer can't live without his systems in his house.     
D. The writer hopes that he will be able to come up with more new ideas in the future.

     The word "day" has two meanings. When we talk about the number of days in a year, we are using "day"
to mean 24 hours. But when we talk about day and night, we are using "day" to mean the time between sunrise
and sunset. Since the earth looks like a ball, the sun can shine on only half of it at a time. Always one half of
the earth is having day and the other half night. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day
over and over by the spinning (旋转) of the earth. At the equator (赤道) day and night are sometimes the same
length (长度). They are each twelve hours long. The sun rises at 6 o'clock in the morning and sets at 6 o'clock
in the evening. For six months the North Pole is tilted (倾斜) toward the sun. In those months the Northern
Hemisphere (半球) gets more hours of sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere. Days are longer than nights.
South of the equator nights are longer than days. For the other six months the North Pole is tilted away from
the sun. Then the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight. Days are longer than nights. North of the equator
nights are longer than days. Winter is the season of long nights. Summer is the season of long days.

1. When the Western Hemisphere is having day, the Eastern Hemisphere is having ______.

A) both day and night
B) day
C) night

2. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by ______ of the earth.

A) the pushing
B) the pulling
C) the spinning

3. At the equator day is as long as night ______.

A) sometimes
B) never
C) usually

4. When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere gets ______ sunlight.

A) less
B) more
C) all

5. When it is winter in China, ______.

A) the USA is tilted toward the sun 　
B) the South Pole is tilted away from the sun 　
C) the North Pole is tilted away from the sun