A new American weather satellite could save more lives by better predicting extreme weather conditions. It will be in orbit(轨道）some 36,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also known as NOAA, has been working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the project.

NOAA officials are calling the new satellite GOES-R. That is short for a much longer name—the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series. NOAA said GOES-R could improve the nation's ability to observe weather conditions and make weather predictions. It said the satellite's operation would lead to more exact and timely weather forecasts watches and warnings.

The government agency said the satellite will require testing of its six instruments and will be ready to work “within a year."

"The next generation of weather satellites is finally here." said NOAA Administrator Kathryn Sullivan. She described GOES-R as one of the most complicated Earth-observing machines ever created. Sullivan said its instruments will be able to study Earth five times faster and with four times more detail than any other NOAA satellite currently in operation. She believes this will make the United States an even stronger, more “Weather-Ready" nation.

A NOAA statement said the greater detail will help improve the agency’s study of ocean storms, as well as “the prediction and warnings of severe weather. "In addition, GOES-R will be able to provide improved rainfall estimates (预计), which will lead to more timely and detailed flood warning. The statement also said that GOES-R will give better estimates of wind strength, as well as better measurement of fog, ice or lightning strikes.

Craig Fugate serves as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He says that the GOES-R satellite will improve the ability of people and organizations across America to prepare for, and react to, weather-related disasters.

1.What’s the purpose of this new American satellite?

A. To test new instruments. B. To improve people’s lives.

C. To forecast weather disasters. D. To replace old weather satellites.

2.What benefit will the U. S.

A. get from the satellite’s operation?

A. The advantages to own the most advanced technology.

B. More accurate and timely weather information.

C. The ability to monitor the earth from high space.

D. More powerful ability to control the weather.

3.What do you know about the satellite from Paragraph 5?

A. Which aspects the satellite can improve.

B. When the satellite can find severe weather.

C. How the satellite helps to study the oceans.

D. How long the satellite forsees a weather disaster.

4.Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Weather Predictions Expected to Improve with New U. S. Satellite.

B. Fighting Disasters Needs More Exact Weather Predictions.

C. New Science and Technology Used in New Weather Satellite.

D. American Weather Prediction Takes a Lead in the World.

Every time we get behind the wheel of a car, we pt our lives and the lives of others at risk. Self-driving cars are designed to reduce those risks by letting technology control our vehicles.

Accident rates for self-driving cars have been much lower than the rate, for human-driven cars. 1.

As humans, we can make moral choices in avoiding accidents. To avoid hitting a child, for example, human drivers might sharply turn a car away from the child even if others may be injured. 2. Researchers studied this issue. They have developed the Moral Machine website to help explore the choices self-driving cars should make.

3. . You are shown two possible traffic situations and you choose between them. An accident will take place. You choose how many living beings would be hurt or killed.

In one situation there may be a female doctor, a child, two dogs and a homeless person who would be killed. In the other situation, you might have two babies and a cat who would be killed. 4.

The Moral Machine website has many situations and many possible outcomes. When you click on the situation of your choice, it will be highlighted. 5. At the end of the situation, you are shown the results, based on the choices you made. The results show which character you were most likely to save and which character you were most likely to have die.

A. Who should those victims be?

B. Then the next situation appears.

C. You choose who lives and who dies.

D. You can use the Moral Machine to be the judge.

E. But what moral choices can self-driving cars make?

F. The Moral Machine website lets you choose how you would react in a collision.

G. Google’s self-driving car has had only 13 collisions after traveling 1.8 million miles.

Recently, my family and I attended a neighborhood oyster(牡蛎)roast. While standing at the large tables ___ and eating oysters, I noticed a school aged boy across the table from us. He was being __ oysters and by a man having a great deal of __ and displeasure trying to swallow them down.

At first, I thought the man wanted the boy to __ the oysters and it would stop.  But __ we stood there, it continued. And with __ oyster the suffering of this boy becoming more and more __ as he fought back tears and struggled to swallow them. I __ learned that the man felt the boy had been impolite and this was his __ .

I couldn’t watch. I hesitated whether to get involved or __ . Then I had an idea. I grabbed my daughter and our frisbee(飞盘) __ walked our way next to the man and the boy, attracting their attention __. Then we introduced ourselves as not to knowing many __ there, we invited the boy to come and play frisbee with us.

The man allowed it and __ the boy’s situation changed. He became friendly and __. He ran up and down happily to __ the flying dish. We pulled another child into our __ and played frisbee for a good 30 minutes together. I was so relaxed to __ the suffering I was witnessing in that moment. And it made me feel __ that trying to help in that or any situation where you __ suffering is the best thing to do.

1.A. chatting B. playing C. quarrelling D. discussing

2.A. bought B. told C. sent D. handed

3.A. effort B. time C. difficulty D. pleasure

4.A. keep B. try C. hate D. have

5.A. since B. if C. as D. once

6.A. other B. his C. each D. that

7.A. valuable B. obvious C. peaceful D. important

8.A. latter B. still C. therefore D. ever

9.A. warning B. reward C. reaction D. punishment

10.A. calm down B. walk away C. hide away D. watch over

11.A. or B. so C. and D. but

12.A. on purpose B. in return C. as usual D. at present

13.A. people B. friends C. strangers D. neighbours

14.A. exactly B. immediately C. nervously D. carefully

15.A. creative B. anxious C. shy D. talkative

16.A. beat B. touch C. catch D. hold

17.A. family B. group C. dinner D. union

18.A. change B. reduce C. remove D. end

19.A. certain B. doubtful C. easy D. hopeful

20.A. bring B. experience C. ignore D. see

Most American businesses are open five days a week. American school children attend school five days a week as well. American families 1. (usual) have a two-day weekend. The weekend is Saturday 2. Sunday.

Over the weekend, people spend their time 3. (do) various things. Many families enjoy weekend together. They may go shopping, go for a drive, or visit friends. They may also send 4. (invite) friends and have a party at home. Weekends are also good chances to take trips, 5. are usually short ones. They will go to the nearby mountains, parks, lakes or other 6. (interest）places to relax them. Some even go camping and picnicking there.

Many families participate 7. sports during the weekend. Running, biking, playing volleyball and swimming are popular in the summer. Skiing and skating are the favorite winter 8. (sport).

Weekends are also a time for American families 9. (work) on something in their yards or on their houses. Many families plant flowers and have vegetable gardens. So weekends 10. (use) to paint or repair their houses. For most Americans, weekends are very busy.

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有 10 处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2．只允许修改 10 处，多者(从第 11 处起)不计分。

I had an amazing experience last Spring Festival. On the second day of the holiday, it was snowing heavily but we had a very importance relative to visit, that lived in a distant mountain village. We have to take risks to drive on our journey. Though the road was bad, but we arrived safe.

The family welcomed us warmly or we said “ Happy new year" to them. We were treated a good dinner. Later in the afternoon, we said goodbye and started back home. Sadly, our car sticking in the snow halfway and wouldn’t move. Just then, the villager walked by, offering to push his car. It was this stranger who helped us out!

你校英文报开展“旅游的利弊”专栏，请你根据下列提示，写一箱短文，谈谈你对旅游的看法。

内容提示：

1.放松自己；

2.开阔视野；

3.结交朋友；

4.劳累和费钱。

注意：

1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

When talking about travel, we may immediately think of its advantages.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Recently my husband had his Achilles tendon（跟腱） cut when feeding a chicken. When sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for surgery stressfully, I decided to treat myself for a minute and start to read about “The Little House on the Prairie”. Suddenly I felt my life seemed like a slack（懈怠） compared to the Ingalls who do all their washing and cooking but they feel so happy. Their every happiness is created from the work with their own hands. Yet I’m walking around feeling sorry for myself because I’m picking up the slack! So I’m thinking “Work it out! Get up and get busy.”

It really is true. I realize that I’m happiest when accomplishing tangible(有形的) productive work—working in the yard and washing my dishes—brings me happiness. This does not surprise Kelly Lambert Ph.D. She has been researching the phenomenon she calls “effort-rewards”. When you do meaningful work with your hands, a kind of neurochemical feedback floods your brain with dopamine and serotonin. These happy brain chemicals are natural antidepressants, and we’ve evolved to release them both to reward ourselves for working with our hands and to motivate ourselves to do it some more. Dr. Lambert says Americans have become more depressed in recent years and at the same time we’ve experienced a decrease in purposeful physical activity. Did we lose something vital to our mental health when we started pushing buttons instead of ploughing the fields?

Dr. Pansinski says she gets that happy look when she prepares a meal at the end of a day. “We are programmed to reward ourselves when we accomplish things with our hands. For so many people, it just feels as though everything’s going so fast—life, kids, hundreds of e-mails a day. There is so little you can really see and hold on to. Working with one’s hands is a way to slow down, to take pleasure in life again.”

1.Before reading “The Little House On the Prairie”, the writer might think the Ingalls were ________.

A. unknown B. hardworking

C. foolish D. unhappy

2.The writer develops the first paragraph in a way of ________.

A. giving an example B. making a comparison

C. analyzing a cause D. asking a question

3.From Kelly Lambert Ph. D, we know that ________.

A. her “effort-rewards” is popular among American people

B. working with our hands makes our brain tired easily

C. a decrease in physical work causes people in low mood.

D. we should work with our hands instead of using machine

4.From what Dr. Pansinski says, we can conclude that ________.

A. time and tide wait for no man

B. we should lower our expectation for life

C. it’s better to leave today’s work to tomorrow

D. we should never hurry our life too much

We are seeking for qualified and experienced candidates to join our fast growing team for the following positions at Ratchathewi (Head Office), Pracha – Uthit (site), Pantai Norasing (site), Thepharak (site), and a few other incoming projects in Bangkok.

●Project Managers

－Degree in Civil / Structural Engineering

－Minimum 7 years’ working experience in similar capacity, preferably in building construction.

－Ability to plan and execute works, keep deadlines, control cost and implement continual quality improvement

－Possess leadership attributes, good interpersonal and follow-up skill to motivate subordinates and develop team spirit

－Possess a valid driving license

●Accounting Officer

—Degree in Accounting

—Minimum 1~2 years accounting experience

—Knowledge of accounting packages & spreadsheets

●Account Executive / Finance Executive

—Degree in Accounting

—Preferably 3 years’ accounting experience VAT, Withholding tax compliance & submission

—Knowledge of accounting packages & spreadsheets

—Expert at English and Thai (泰国语) spoken or written

—Ability to handle full set accounts

●Senior Admin. Asst.

—Minimum 5 years experience in Building Construction company is preferable

—Computer literate with knowledge in Microsoft Office

—Good command of both written and oral English compulsory

—Female preferred

●Site Supervisor

—Diploma / Certificate in Building or Civil Engineering

—Minimum 5 years’ working experience in building construction or precast (预制的) concrete manufacturing

—Able to work independently and co–ordinate work effectively

All positions mention above requires candidates with good command of both written and oral English. Interested candidate, please send your application stating full qualification, work experience and expected salary together with a copy of transcript and a recent photograph to the address below:

ASCE Construction Limited.

503/19E K.S.L. Tower (11TH Floor), Sri-Ayudthaya Rd., Thanon Phayathai,

Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400

TEL: - 02642-6272 , 02642-6120

FAX: - 02642-6273

E-MAIL: asce_construction@hotmail.com

1.If you want to apply for the position of a project manager, you must have ________.

A. the ability to work independently

B. a degree in accounting

C. six years of experience at least

D. the qualification to drive

2.Most of the positions require the following EXCEPT ________.

A. a suitable degree

B. certain working experience

C. professional computer knowledge

D. a good command of English

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Candidates can only apply by mail.

B. More companies will be founded in Bangkok.

C. Candidates must be able to speak both English and Thai.

D. You will benefit from your work experience.

Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (界面) (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.

Recently, two researchers, Jose Milan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic schooling Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated(展示)a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.

In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.

"Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓)to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles," Tavella says.  "Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices."

The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
     Prof. Milan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. "The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices.  One example is this wheelchair."

He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.

1.BCI is a technology that can _________________.

A. help to update computer systems

B. link the human brain with computers

C. help the disabled to recover

D. control a person's thoughts

2.How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?

A. By controlling his muscles.

B. By talking to the machine.

C. By moving his hand.

D. By using his mind.

3.The team will test with real patients to                         .

A. make profits from them

B. prove the technology useful to them

C. make them live longer

D. learn about their physical condition

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. Switzerland, the BCI Research Center

B. New Findings About How the Human Brain Works

C. BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

D. Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries