Can you understand the beginning of this essay?
“My smmr hols wr CWOTT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”
The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages. Text messages (also called SMS2) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called texting.
A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it’s common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like “r” for “are,”“u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “lol” for “laughing out loud.” Another characteristic of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”
Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)
Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always evolve, and this is just another way for English to change. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.
【小题1】What is the writer’s opinion of text messaging?

A．It is fun and easy to do.

B．It is not bad for children.

C．It will make children bad writers.

D．The writer does not give an opinion.

【小题2】Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?

A．Using phrases to represent essays

B．Using numbers to represent words

C．Using letters to represent phrases

D．Using letters to represent words

【小题3】Which of the following was most probably the title of the student’s essay?

A．My Gr8 Tchr

B．CU in LA

C．My GF

D．My Smmr Hols

【小题4】   Why do some people think that texting is bad?

A．It costs too much.	B．It’s too difficult to type.
C．Children won’t learn to write correctly.	D．It’s not comfortable.

【小题5】Why aren’t some people worried about the effect of texting?

A．Not many people use texting.

B．Spelling in English is too difficult.

C．Children quickly become bored with texting.

D．Texting will disappear because of new technology.

Research advances over the past decade have told us that, with a little work, we humans can clone just about anything we want, from frogs to monkeys and probably even ourselves!
So, we can clone things, but why would we want to?
Of all the reasons, cloning for medical purposes has the most potential to benefit large numbers of people. How might cloning be used in medicine?
1. Cloning animal models of disease
Much of what researchers learn about human disease comes from studying animal models such as mice. Often, animal models are genetically engineered to carry disease-causing mutations(变异) in their genes. Creating these transgenic（转基因的） animals is a time-intensive process that requires trial-and-error and several generations of breeding（培育）. Cloning technologies might reduce the time needed to make a transgenic animal model, and the result would be a population of genetically identical animals for study.
2．Cloning stem cells(干细胞) for the treatment of diseases
Stem cells are the body's building blocks, responsible for developing and repairing the body throughout life. As a result, they might be used to repair damaged or diseased organs and tissues. Researchers are currently looking up cloning as a way to create certain human stem cells for the research of diseases.
3. Cloning farm animals for drug production
Farm animals such as cows, sheep and goats are currently being genetically engineered to produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine. Just like creating animal models of disease, cloning might be a faster way to produce large herds of genetically engineered animals.
【小题1】From Purpose One, we can infer that      .

A．most transgenic animals are clone

B．most animals carry engineered genes

C．most transgenic animal models are not cloned

D．most animals carry disease-causing mutations in their genes

【小题2】It can be learned from Purpose Two that cloning technologies can be mainly use do    .

A．create damaged or diseased organs and tissues

B．clone genetically defined human stem cells

C．develop and maintain the body

D．repair the body throughout life

【小题3】According to Purpose Three, cloning technologies can be mainly used to      .

A．speed up the producing of genetically engineered animals

B．produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine

C．raise genetically engineered cows, sheep and goats

D．produce large herds of animals for human beings

Ears are for hearing — everyone knows that. But for a creature called the Cuvier’s beaked whale, hearing starts in the throat (喉咙), a new study found.
The observation might help explain how all whales hear. The work might also help scientists understand how animals are affected by underwater sonar (声呐). This sonar, used by some ships, sends out sound waves to locate underwater objects.
The Cuvier’s beaked whale is a so-called toothed whale. Toothed whales dive deep into the ocean in search of food. As the whales hunt, they produce sounds that reach objects and then return to the whales. This allows the animals to “see” the shape, size, and location of objects, even when they’re 1,000 meters under the sea, where it is totally dark.
To better understand how the whale hears, researchers from San Diego State University in California took X rays of two Cuvier’s beaked whales. The whales had died and washed up on the beach.
Ted Cranford and his colleagues used the images to make a computer model of a Cuvier’s beaked whale’s head. Then, they modeled the process of sound traveling through the head.
The researchers knew that some sounds get to the ears of a toothed whale through a structure (构造) called “the window for sound”. Found on the lower jaw, this structure is very thin on the outside and has a large pad (垫) of fat on the inside.
When the researchers used their computer model to work out how sound waves travel in the whale’s head, they were surprised to find that sounds coming from right in front of the whale actually travel under the animal’s jaw. From there, sound waves move through the throat, into a hole in the back of the jaw, and finally to the pad of fat near the animal’s ears.
【小题1】
Toothed whales look for food under the sea by ______.

A．watching the shape and size of their objects	B．diving deep into the sea
C．sending and receiving sounds	D．making lots of noises

【小题2】
Researchers took X rays of two Cuvier’s beaked whales in order to ______.

A．find out why they had died and washed up on the beach

B．make a computer model of a Cuvier’s beaked whale’s head

C．make sure that sound travels through the head

D．know more about the way the whale hears

【小题3】
Which of the following describes the way taken by sound waves through a Cuvier’s beaked whale?

A．A hole in the back of the jaw → the ears → the jaw → the throat.

B． The jaw → the throat → a hole in the back of the jaw → the ears.

C． The throat → the jaw → the ears → a hole in the back of the jaw.

D．The ears → the throat → a hole in the back of the jaw → the jaw.

【小题4】
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．The throat is important to the Cuvier’s beaked whale’s hearing.

B．Ships send out sound waves like a Cuvier’s beaked whale.

C．The ears are actually useless to the Cuvier’s beaked whale.

D．The researchers haven’t found how the whales hear.

New archaeological discoveries suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably began in some form many centuries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research could add a fascinating new page to the epic (史诗) of the Silk Road.
The most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.
The official origin of East-West trade along the road is usually placed in the late 2^nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthian for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury (奢侈品) markets in Rome.
But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.
【小题1】The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by        .

A．combined

B．contributed

C．doubled

D．produced

【小题2】The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that         .

A．Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

B．new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

C．historical research often achieves fascinating results

D．trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

【小题3】Until recently historians mostly believed that trade along the Silk Road       .

A．began a million years ago

B．primarily benefited the Egyptians

C．originated in the 2nd century BC

D．extended human migration into eastern Asia

【小题4】Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe       .

A．he discovered the Silk Road

B．he helped establish East-West trade

C．he travelled as far as Afghanistan

D．he brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor

Welcome to Adventure land!
Everyone loves Adventure land! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore(探索), enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life. Visit the Amazon jungle(丛林)village, the Turkish market, the Thai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we’ll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator(模拟装置)for the Journey to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several.
In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see…
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventure land. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.
【小题1】The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors _______.

A．learn how to make things such as fishing nets

B．realize the importance of travelling

C．learn something about different places in the world

D．become familiar with mountain countries

【小题2】If you are interested in knowing about what people’s life will be, you may visit _______.

A．the Safari Park	B．the Travel Pavilion
C．the Future Tower	D．the Pyramid

【小题3】If you want to get a souvenir（纪念品）to take home, where will you most likely go?

A．The Pyramid.	B．The Future Tower.
C． The Nature Park.	D．The Travel Pavilion.

The desire to make explorations is born with man. Wherever his imagination goes, man also has a strong wish to go. A large part human history is connected with the exploration of the world in which we live. Again and again people have set out with surprising courage and patience to look into unknown regions and lands to see what had not yet been seen, to make known the unknown. With kites, balloons and aircraft they left the ground to pass through the lower atmosphere. Now the outer space receives their attention.
Why should man take the trouble of conquering space? It is hard to list the specific practical benefits that will result in. But one knows, from past experience in other areas, that man will surely see and discover new things in space that will increase our scientific knowledge, and this new knowledge will find its way into valuable practical uses. What we learn about man himself, from his experience in space, and from the effects of space and the space flight environment on him, will be extremely valuable. The new techniques developed to carry out the exploration of space, and to keep man alive in space, will certainly find practical uses in everyday life in some way. The areas that will benefit are manifold. They include communication, generation of power, transportation and travel, food production, materials, fuels and many others. But to say definitely just what the practical results will be is almost impossible.
【小题1】
The main idea of the first paragraph is that __________.

A．man desires to explore what is unknown

B．man often goes wherever his dreams go

C．man is no longer interested in the study of the land and sea now

D．man’s history is the exploration of the world

【小题2】
The word “manifold” in the second paragraph probably means __________.

A．vast

B．various

C．valuable

D．practical

【小题3】
The author seems to be in favor of__________.

A．doubting the necessity of the space exploration

B．the exploration of space

C．exploring more in space than in the sea

D．his experience in space

In the 13^th century, the famous Italian traveler, Marco Polo, traveled a long way to China. During his stay in China, he saw many wonderful things. One of the things he discovered was that the Chinese used paper money. In western countries, people didn’t use the paper money until 15^th century. However, people in China began to use paper money in the 7^th century.
A Chinese man called Cai Lun invented paper almost 2,000 years ago. He took the wood from trees and made it into paper. He then put these pieces of paper together and made them into a book.
Now paper still comes from trees. We use a lot of paper every day. If we keep on wasting so much paper, there will not be any trees left on the earth. If there are no trees, there will be no paper. Every day, people throw away about 2,800 tons of paper in our city. It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper. This means that we are cutting nearly 48,000 trees every day. Since it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow, we must start using less paper now.
So how can we save paper? We can use both sides of every piece of paper, especially when we are making notes. We can use cotton handkerchiefs and not paper ones. When we go shopping, we can use fewer paper bags. If the shop assistant gives us a paper bag, we can save it and reuse it later.
Everyone can help to save paper. If we all think carefully, we can help protect trees. But we should do it now, before it is too late.
【小题1】 When he was in China, Marco Polo ____________.

A．discovered Cai Lun invented paper	B．learned to make paper
C．saw many wonderful things	D．read a lot of books

【小题2】 Which of the following is not a way of saving paper?

A．To use both sides of every piece of paper

B．To use fewer paper bags when shopping

C．To use cotton handkerchiefs instead of paper ones

D．To grow more trees

【小题3】 Which of the following is not true?

A．If we keep on wasting paper, we will have no paper to use one day.

B．The Chinese used paper money much earlier than people in western countries.

C．About 48,000 trees can be used to make 2,800 tons of paper.

D．It is never too late to plant trees for paper.

【小题4】 Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Saving Paper	B．The History of Paper
C．Cotton Handkerchiefs Back Again	D．Cai Lun, the Inventor

Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.
The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).
Who is to blame?
Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.
Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”
In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation's land area, official figures showed.
"The country's natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.
The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.
Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.
【小题1】What do we know about the IUCN?

A．A union for listing animals and plants on the earth

B．A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife

C．An organization concerning the protection of rare species' survival

D．A government made up officials, scientists and experts

【小题2】 What can be concluded from the passage?  

A．All the protection methods can’t work.

B．The IUCN does most of the protection.

C．The efforts China makes has paid off.

D．Enough is done in wildlife protection.

【小题3】Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?

A．Bad weather

B．Over-hunting

C．Warmer oceans

D．Habitat destruction

【小题4】Which of the sentence is NOT true?

A．China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources.

B．China has set up a lot of natural reserves.

C．The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation's land area.

D．The rate of China's natural reserves is lower than the average of the world.

It is possible that the majority of the teenagers accepted the advantages of the iPad. In most cases they were expressing strong opinions about it. But today we already know that another three high-end computer tablets(平板电脑) are going on sale, with the aim of taking a bite out of the iPad's market. For tablet computer fans, iPad may not be the only choice, as the Motorola Xoom, the HP Touchpad and the BlackBerry PlayBook will have been launched (推出)by this summer, according to foreign media reports on Tuesday. Here is Product Information Guide as follows. We would like to listen to your reviews later.   

Apple iPad2 Size: 9.7 inch screen, 8.8mm thick Weight: 601g (Wi-Fi only version) Battery life: 10 hours of heavy use Price: a base price of $499(3,278yuan) Available(可使用的): March 11, 2011 in the US Strength: over 65,000 *apps that are fit for the iPad Weakness: lack of USB port and flash support

 

Motorola Xoom Size: 10.1 inch screen, 13mm thick Weight: 730g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: $800(5,252RMByuan) Available: now Strength: great multi-tasking feature, better cameras than the iPad2     Weakness: limited options（选择权）of apps

 

HP Touchpad Size: 9.7 inch screen, 13mm thick Weight: 740g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: not yet announced Available: summer 2011 Strength: killer software features, including a virtual(虚拟的) keyboard which comes in four sizes Weakness: lack of a rear-mounted（后置式） camera which would allow users to get images and photos

 

BlackBerry PlayBook Size: 7- inch screen, 10mm thick Weight: 400g Battery life: 8hours of heavy use Price: not yet announced Available: Spring 2011 Strength: business-oriented, powerful multitasker, excellent data security（安全） Weakness: Some features require users to have a Black-Berry phone

【小题1】 Which type is the biggest one?

A．Apple iPad 2

B．Motorola Xoom

C．HP Touchpad

D．BlackBerry PlayBook

【小题2】Which is True according to the passage?
A. Apple ipad 2 has excellent data security. 
B. Four types above of Battery life are the same.
C. Most people are satisfied with HP Touchpad.        
【小题3】 Which one can you buy as a present with only 4000yuan RMB at hand?

A．Apple iPad 2

B．Motorola Xroom

C．None of the four

D．Any of the four

On the first day of class, a graduate student from Xi’an Jiaotong University reminded me that, especially in China, “There are always two sides of a coin.” Experiencing China’s May 12 earthquake while living in Xi’an, Shanxi Province just north of the earthquake’s epicenter (地震的震中) in Sichuan with our two daughters, we have indeed seen both sides of what is beginning to be called China’s 5·12 disaster coin.
On television, in newspapers and through the Internet, we learned about the extent (巨大，重要性) of the destruction, and the statistics were horrific – over 69,000 confirmed (确认) dead, some 18,000 missing and more than 374,000 injured.
When we turn off the television and discuss what we as a family have learned from the events of the last several weeks, we find ourselves marveling (觉得惊奇) at how the Chinese are confidently but quietly dealing with this unprecedented tragedy – a disaster that continues with every aftershocks, mudslide and potential flood.
It seems like every school, organization and business is raising money for Sichuan, and young people all over the country are out in the streets looking for donations or giving blood at the many mobile blood vans that are out in full force.
Those who cannot give, like the 75-year-old woman from Sichuan, are volunteering or giving in other ways. An impressive example is the Sichuan policewoman with a newborn child who was nursing many infants whose mothers were killed in the quake.
The national concern over the fate of affected children has been moving. On May 22, there were 1697 orphans, but on June 24, the number dropped to 558; and rest assured, there are more people willing to adopt than there are orphans from Sichuan.
So, while no country or person ever welcomes tragedy, especially something of this magnitude (程度), the earthquake has taught us a great deal about China’s true character and its people’s resilience (韧性). It has also reminded us that the other side of even a dark coin may hold the promise of a brighter future,
(The author is an American Professor of International Relations at Xi’an Jiaotong University.)
【小题1】
When the 5·12 earthquake happened, the author and his family were ________.
  

A．in Sichuan province	B．near the earthquake epicenter
C．in Xi’an Jiaotong University	D．in their own country

【小题2】
How many orphans had been adopted from Sichuan by June 24, 2008?

A．1139

B．1697

C．558

D．We don’t know.

【小题3】
The author quoted “ There are always two sides of a coin.” In the passage. Here “ two sides” refers to ________.

A．a dark side and a bright one of a coin

B．the unprecedented tragedy and China’s true character

C．the dead and the victims in the earthquake

D．the destruction and the donations

【小题4】
Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage?

A．The whole world has seen all about China’s 5·12 disaster in the news media.

B．A policewoman fed her breast milk to many babies who lost their mothers.

C．Even a 75-year-old woman gave blood at the mobile blood vans.

D．The earthquake brought other natural disasters at the same time.